Love's So Contagious

Surprise Visit

A/N: Halllurrrr! 

***

Gulf really wished he could convince Deputy Suppasit, also known as Hot Cop, to stay a bit longer and maybe grab a drink or a bite to eat. Alternatively, Gulf would have loved to just go home, take a nice, long, hot shower, and try to forget about the frustrations of the day. Either way, a glass of bourbon would have been perfect. Unfortunately, none of those things were going to happen. Nuea, Gulf's colleague, was working a late shift and preferred working during those hours. Even though Nuea wasn't an infectious disease specialist, Gulf couldn't justify going home when there was someone intentionally infecting people with bacterial meningitis. Sleep was out of the question anyway.

He returned to Rathanburi Medical and completed another round of check-ups before attending to patients in the ER. Luckily, the Police Department had not disclosed the origin of the outbreak. Gulf doubted that Suppasit, despite his charm, had much interest in epidemiology. He assumed that the police, more than anyone else, knew the importance of avoiding panic.

On the other hand, if Hot Cop was truly concerned about preventing panic, he wouldn't have arrived at the ER carrying a shotgun.

Gulf shook his head, dismissing any thoughts about what Hot Cop Suppasit might be thinking. He had too much on his plate at Rathanburi Medical to worry about anything else. The night continued without any major incidents, which was a relief considering the nature of his job. As an ER doctor, he encountered a diverse range of patients, representing a cross-section of society. Some were referred by their family doctors, usually coming in during the day. Others arrived through the Pediatric ER, coming from various backgrounds. It was understandable that parents wouldn't want to wait until morning if their child had a high fever. Dr. Chalongrat's clinic opening at nine wouldn't be their first choice.

The majority of his patients didn't have a primary care doctor. Some came from Urgent Care centers and had insurance, while others had no insurance at all. The emergency room was their only option for medical care. They were often poor, struggling with addiction, or homeless. Many of them wouldn't receive follow-up care. His expertise made him realize they were the perfect candidates for his line of work.

The compassionate side of him, wanting to make up for his family's mistakes, just wanted to help in any way possible.

He diagnosed ten patients with the flu, four of whom needed to be hospitalized because they had nowhere else to turn. One of them was a woman in her nineties with a faded tattooed number on her arm, living alone with no one to care for her. Her children had left long ago for work, leaving her without support.

Gulf would most likely have accepted her regardless, considering her age, but the guilt still consumed him. He believed he had identified two cases of Hepatitis C, but he had to wait for the lab results to confirm his suspicions. He made an effort to provide counseling to those patients without passing judgment, as they were already hard on themselves. He didn't want to contribute to their burden. At times, he felt like letting out a scream.

"Of course, there are ways to contract this specific illness through lifestyle choices. But let me make it clear, that doesn't make you a bad person, and it certainly doesn't mean it's your fault for catching it," he reassured the second patient. "It's not my place to judge your actions and determine what's worthy or unworthy. That's just ridiculous, alright? What matters is that you receive the necessary treatment, just like everyone else. This illness is manageable, and with some luck, we can even overcome it. Those are the only things that truly matter. So, focus your energy on fighting, not on placing blame." With a wink, he left to check the lab results.