Disgrace

Prologue

Dr. Katrina Isobel, MD

"Dr. Isobel, we have a twenty one year old male.."

"I have a trauma incoming, GSW.."

Suddenly everything was in slow motion as I looked at the four stretchers wheeling into my emergency room here in Chicago. It was July, which means I have the baby residents behind me, shaking in their boots as they look at the bloody scene. We are short of a nurse and the other units are also short, so they couldn't float another nurse here, so I had no choice but to become both the triage nurse and the only ER attending physician overseeing atleast eight resident doctors tonight.

"We have one more..."

My brain is on high alert and my heart is racing as my fight or flight response is initiated by the situation.

I took a deep breath and everything just clicked. I can think clearly despite the chaos around me. I thrived in a chaotic environment, for as long as I can remember living in it was all I know.

Mom and dad fighting. Dad being abusive. Mom dying, dad drinking himself to death. Him remarrying a bîtch who wanted me and my sister to suffer.

"Please do something, my husband is fúcking bleeding!--"

"Smith, go ahead and take Mrs—-Ma'am, may I have your name please?" I asked the lady beside the stretcher with blood in her hands.

"H-Hillary," She was a sobbing mess.

"Mrs. Hillary, my name is Dr. Isobel and these are my residents and nurses." I gestured to the team behind me. "We will take care of your husband, but it is really important that you give us the space to do so. I know it is hard and easier said than done but that is the most helpful thing you can do for him right now, please."

She sniffled and nodded vigorously. Smith then started leading her to the waiting room.

"Okay, give me that." I took the papers from the Paramedic with the patient infromation. I quikcly assigned a nurse and a year three resident. "Go to Trauma room one." And they were on their way.

"You,"  I took the papers from the next paramedic with a patient on the stretcher and just like that, everybody is rushing in and every trauma patient is getting all the attention they need.

"Holy shît.." I whispered and snatched off my srubcap as I now stood in the middle of the ER. No more yelling family members, no more bloody patients in the stretchers.

It was now a controlled chaos and I deal with this kind of shît every day.

If you had told my eighteen year old self that I someday would be responsible for someone's life or even bringing them back to life, I would be laughing at your face and I would ask you what kind of drugs you're on and that maybe you could get me some too.

I was a troubled and rebellious kid. I had poor coping mechanism

When I made sure that all the bases are covered and patients are stabilzed, sandali akong nagpalaam sa charge nurse ko na lalabas lang ako sandali. I needed air. I started walking to the side door that leads to the side of the hospital where most healthcare staff smoke their stress away.

Yep. The doctors who tell you to stop your vice also have their own vices.

"Hey,"

Napalingon naman ako nang marinig ko ang boses ni Jack mula sa aking likuran.

"I heard you managed five trauma cases at the same time." He said with that boyish smile. The smell of nicotine hung in the air as we both stood here.

"Oh, Dr. Isobel, why don't you go ahead and date him already, the man's following you like a dog." Nang-aasar na sabi ni Nurse Evie habang nakasandal siya sa bricked wall, a stick of cigarette pinched between her fingers.