Attending At Twenty-Four

IV. A Lot

The first ambulance zoomed in, one of the adults. Doctor Harrison stepped forward, "What have we got?"

"Twenty-nine year old female, GSW to the head. Patient is breathing but not conscious. BP running low. Her colleague is on his way."

"I got this one," the Neuro Chief said and rushed in with the patient. The Cardio Chief took the other adult and that left us with the four kids who were on their way. Two more General surgeon had rushed out to assist.

Ruth stepped forward to the Aide car from Station fourteen, "Zoey, what have we got?" Ruth asked the back of it opened.

A tall brunette with brown eyes and sweat dripping down her face, "Fifteen year old female," Phoebe is fifteen, "GSW to the collar bone and stomach, she's breathing stable for now. The bullets didn't go too deep and didn't explode on impact."

"Okay, Harrison, can you take her?" Ruth asked the other surgeon.

"On it," Harrison nodded.

The girl wasn't Phoebe. Thank God.

The next two weren't either. Ruth had decided that of the bullets hadn't exploded or hadn't gone too deep, that the General surgeons could take them. Until this last one.

"Fifteen year old female," please, no, "GSW to the chest, abdomin and upper thigh. She's flatlined twice on the way here and she's critical. We couldn't bag her..." they brought the girl out and it wasn't Phoebe. And I felt relief rush through my body.

We rushed her into the trauma room and began doing everything we could before her inevitable surgery. We called ahead to the OR and CT too. We had a specialist from each department in the trauma room. And it's looking like this poor girl is in critical condition. But I feel very underfoot so maybe I could work on something outside of the trauma room for her.

"What can I do?" I ask Ruth.

"You wanna learn how to intubate in the field?"

"Maybe now is not the best-"

"When is the best time, Doctor Bedi?" Ruth huffed. I nodded and took the kit from her. She coached me through it and I successfully got the tube in on my first try, "Nicely done." Ruth said.

It wasn't long until we got the girl scanned and up to the OR. There was a lot of pressure on us as surgeons to do our best to save this girl.

"Scalpel." Ruth demanded as we all prepared to help out in anyway we can.

About four hours into surgery, we'd gotten most of the fragments out without her flatlining. Ruth left me to close up the girl's upper thigh while I was monitored by a resident. But I did it flawlessly. The resident was impressed, very impressed.

We were able to save her and she was taken to the ICU. I scrubbed out and went downstairs to inform the parents and fill out some forms. Ruth sauntered over to me with a proud smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted, "You did really good today. I'm starting to think that you're an Attending in disguise."

"Oh, thank you." I blush.

"You still up for the appendectomy?"

"Yeah." I nod.

"Good." she smiled a little, "How are you? Today's been a lot, hasn't it?"

"It has but I'm fine." I answer.

"Awesome. Let's go scrub back in. Sophia is prepped and ready. Well, she's not under yet but she's in the OR." Ruth offers.

"Yeah, let's go."

Before we scrubbed, we said goodnight to Sophia, something she's ask Ruth to do prior to coming into the OR, and stayed with her until she was under. We scrubbed, gowned and gloved up, and started the appendectomy. An hour later, we were walking out of the OR with a successful surgery and hopefully less pain for Sophia.

I walk back into the waiting room and found Mrs George, Sophia's mother.

"Is everything okay?" she worried as she stood up.

"The surgery went perfect and she's up in the ICU. We're gonna keep her here for the next day or two to monitor her but as of right now, she's showing signs of a successful recovery. You'll be able to visit her shortly." I explain with a slight smile on my face. I've helped save two lives today.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Mrs George smiled.

"No worries, ma'am." I nod as I make my way over to the desk to fill out another report.

"You're doing really well today." Ruth's voice tells me. I turn around and she's leaning on the desk and all I can think about is how sexy she looks in her white coat.

"Thank you."

"Man, I'm hungry. Wanna come to the cafeteria with me?"

"Uh, sure." I smile and blush.

We make our way down to the cafeteria and grab some food. I also get a big bottle of water because I am so thirsty. We sit down and begin scranning.

"I was speaking to the other Attendings and they were saying how well you're doing. About how you're not like the other interns." Ruth said before taking a bite out of her burger.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she swiped a bit of sauce from the side of her mouth and licked it off of her finger, "Doctor Harrison was saying that you reminder her of me when I first started."

"What would that be?"

"I have no clue. You'd have to ask her." Ruth shrugged, "But, she did also say that she was going to the Chief about you. She's gonna try and ramp up on developing your skills so you can become a resident."

"And it's only my second shift." I grin a little.

"Some impression you've made." Ruth said.

"What do you think the Chief will say?"

"She'll probably monitor you over the next week or so. Just to get a grip of your skillet and she'll most likely develope a programme for you. And you'll have to choose your speciality by the end of it."

"Are you trying to persuade me to join  you in peds, Doctor Rogerstone-Montgumery?" I muse, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't do that. That's what the other doctors do, but not me." she shook her head, "I should have no say in what you choose with your career."

"What if I do join peds?"

"I'll be delighted." she answered.

"And if I don't?"

"Well, there's not much I can do about it. I've learned to not get my hopes up when it comes to the paediatrics department."

"Hm." I nod thoughtfully. We finish our lunch in silence and my fellow interns watch us wearily. They probably think we're dating.

That's not what I need.