Charlotte walked back into the hospital. It was an early morning in the ICU and it was like a ghost town. Perfect.
Joel was on the same shift as her but it seemed even more awkward as the other night. They had barely spoken except for an awkward conversation where she said thank you to him, but next time she can handle herself.
He gave her a small wave as she walked through to do her rounds. She raised her hand and gave him a small smile.
"Mr. Hastings" she read of the iPad "I'm Dr. Carter" she gave him a sincere smile. Well who could be 100% sincere this early in the morning. "Would you like to tell me what's happened?"
"I was in a crash" he began to explain, a bit delirious from the painkillers "my leg really hurts" he flicked the covers off to show his leg.
Ouch. It was crushed. And now; she needed an orthopaedic surgeon, just for a second opinion. "Okay Mr. Hastings I'm just going to get a senior doctor for a second opinion" she placed the covers back over his leg and closed the curtain behind her.
Orthopaedic surgeon. How hard could it be to find an orthopaedic surgeon other than Joel? Charlie Harris is really good, maybe she could find him.
But no. The next person that walked past her was the one and only 'punch my boyfriend in the face Dr Joel Goran'
"Joel" she grabbed him and pulled him to the side "I need your speciality"
"What is it?" They began walking back to the ICU
"Me. Harris, car accident, leg is crushed" Charlotte summarised
"And what do you think about it?" Joel asked
"He's suffered major trauma, it's slowly turning purple; I've gotten someone to send him for a X Ray but I have a feeling that we're going to have to amputate it" she said
"Well; let's try not to then eh?" He smiled and walked to the curtain
"Mr. Hastings I'm Dr. Goran" he said formally.
"You're my second opinion then?" He smiled "tell me; how long have I got left" he started to laugh but coughed at the same time.
The coughing got out of hand, Charlotte fetched a sick bowl from the night stand and gave it to him.
"That's strange" she looked as he gave it back
Joel glanced over, curious about what she found so strange
"He's throwing up blood; that can't be because of his leg can it?" She asked. Joel shook his head. "This is bright red blood" she looked down at it again, it was like someone just poured ink out of a pen.
"Agh" the patient moaned
"Do you feel any other pain anywhere in your body?" Charlotte placed the bowl down and asked him
"My abdomen" he said, barely moving "it hurts when I move, when I talk, when I cough"
Charlotte glanced at Joel. They were obviously working on this patient together now.
"And you didn't that've this when they brought you in?" She asked
"No, it's just really started" he managed to push out
"Okay; lets get you down for an x Ray and then I'm going to send you down for an ultrasound, is that okay?" She asked the man with a reassuring smile, placing the handles back up on his bed.
He nodded slightly before resting his head on the pillow.
"What're you thinking?" Joel asked curiously. She had that look in her eye that she may know what was wrong
"I may be wrong; I think he's got intra abdominal bleeding" a type of internal bleeding based around the abdomen area "blunt trauma etcetera"
Joel nodded his head "good call"
"Thanks"
-
"The Ultra sound has gotten back" she walked up to Joel who stood studying an X Ray on the wall
He turned around quickly at the sound of her voice coming closer "and?" He asked, anticipating
"Definitely intra abdominal bleeding" she placed the results down in front of him "we need to operate soon"
"You tell me" he glanced up at the x ray again "I think I can save his leg"
"Really how?" She asked
Joel pointed to some bone fragments "I need to get these out" blah blah blah, Charlotte wasn't really interested in Orthopaedic surgery. "But I have to do it soon or the leg will be compromised"
"You can do it straight after mine" he definitely couldn't do it before or at the same time as Charlotte, the poor man was unstable as it was, it was risky doing one surgery never mind 2 at the same time
"No I need to do it before" Joel asked, starting an arguement like a petty child
"No; I'll do mine" she said stern
"I don't know about you, but I care for my patients leg and I want him to have 2 of them" Joel's comment made Charlotte almost jump back
"No; Joel, unlike you I actually care for my patient, he is after all my patient and I would prefer him go without a leg than go without a life" she said sarcastically.
He really annoyed her. How dare he jump in and treat her patient like his own, he needed to understand the severity of this mans illness and he needed to understand that his life is at risk.
Joel huffed and glanced away for a minute. "Look for yourself" she motioned to the results of the ultrasound "this is bad Joel and you need to understand it"
But Joel was Joel and charlotte didn't realise that just yet. A few warnings that came from Gavin and her new friend Maggie she just brushed off.
'Stay away from Joel, his a total tool'
'He's a bit of a player: only looks out for himself'
But she knew that Joel was smart; he would realise that her surgery is more important than his. He would allow her to go through, even though it risked having a leg amputated.
But the OR was full until early afternoon time; giving her enough time to finish her rounds and prep herself for surgery.
YOU ARE READING
Roller coaster (saving hope/Joel Goran)
Fanfiction"Dr. Charlotte Carter; that sounds good" Charlotte is a third year surgical resident ; she had just transferred to Hope Zion after moving to Toronto. After some past troubles; she decided to take up medic residency to help others like they have hel...
