MASKING 101

4: Will Katz

Did I feel bad for abandoning my sister yes...yes I did; was I worried about Kai and River's kid that would also be a big fat fucking yes! 

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After several wrong turns I finally got to the surgical floor and scanned my badge, as soon as the doors unlocked I was running down the hallway to scheduling. "Bailey Reynolds." I told the nurse in charge. She pointed in the direction of OR 3, I set off running again and almost missed the fucking door. Baron was scrubbing his hands and arms in the sink. "What's the matter with him?" I asked, Baron looked at me and sighed. "Appendix, it's nothing too bad." He explained, I released the breath I had been holding. "Oi Kitt, Dahlia got pulled into surgery with O'Brian! We're down a fucking scrub nurse!" Campbell yelled, Baron looked at me and I facepalmed. "We ain't down nothing I got the nurse here!" Baron answered as he tied his cap, Brian Campbell seemed shocked an internist such as myself was even on the surgical floor. "Give me a minute." I told him then scrubbed my hands thoroughly before switching my cloth mask for a surgical grade one and a cap. After another two or three minutes I was in the OR wearing the correct garments. Brian held out his hand and said, "ten blade to me Katz." I handed him the blade and that's how the next hour and a half went.

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After the procedure I left the OR in the full getup, Brian followed me to the Recovery area where the transport team had placed Bailey where I in fact had a patient to check on before heading to the clinic to start my shift there, after checking on the patient I headed towards the locker room, "Oi, lovely work you did Willa." He cackled, as he followed me into the locker room to grab a mask that was more comfortable. "Y'know I didn't think you would do it to be honest, I was gonna call in Andrea but I thought I'd let Kitt try...it's quite funny to watch how you do everything he wants you to, if only I was your best friend hmm, then I'd have pet dog!" Brian  was laughing the whole time he was talking and he laughed like a mule. "I'm kind of busy." I told him, Brian sighed moving to the opposite side of me. "Why do you wear those stupid masks all the time? It's childish though given you work with mostly people under twenty I guess you have an excuse." Brian cackled as I grabbed a mask with a cartoon mouth on it. "Do you really want an answer Campbell?" I asked, He scoffed. "Why do you think I asked dipshit." 
"You know the problem with people like you is that you think just because you get more money you're so special and have the right to dictate who's worth anything; here's the thing Brian.." I turned to look at him with the mask in my hand, I pulled off one of the ear loops of the one I was wearing and let it drop. "You don't know everything." I finished, Campbell backed up against the lockers open mouthed in horror. "I always though you were a freak Katz, now I know that my suspicions were right." He told me, I shrugged and pulled the cartoon mouthed face mask over my scars and shut my locker. "See ya around." I waved as I left and crashed into a nurse with raven colored hair. "Clarissa, what are you doing?" I asked helping the woman onto her feet, "Coming to get you; there's a Rei Hayashi in the waiting room of the clinic with her father requesting you." She explained, I nodded and jogged away from her towards the waiting room. "Katz, your supposed to be taking care of patients in recovery." I heard an ER doc call after me as I ducked into the waiting room. "Rei?" I asked the group of people, Mamoru raised his hand leading his daughter over to me. "Mr. Katz..." Rei murmured, she was wearing a light lavender mask that matched nicely with her haori and white sundress. "Hey, come on I'll take you to be looked at." I offered her my hand and she took it squeezing tightly, I heard snickers and stifled laughter as well as a couple scoffs and swears. Once I had Rei and her father in an examination room Rei engulfed me in a hug as soon as I bent down. "What is the matter with my little bird?" Mr. Hayashi asked, I sighed and pulled away. "Climb on up onto the table while I talk to your dad alright." I pointed to the table with the crinkly paper over it. "wakarimashita..." she answered in her native language, I gestured for Mamoru to follow me out of the room and as soon as the door shut and I was standing in front of the man he broke. "Herepu watashi no musume...Kanojo wa kizutsuite imasu." (Roughly translating to  Help my daughter, she is hurt.) He told me wringing his hands. "I don't understand, I'm sorry.." I apologized, Sawyer had taken Japanese in high school so if she were here she would have been able to understand. Mamoru cleared his throat and straightened his glasses before speaking again. "My Rei is hurt...I do not know what to do to help her." He said, I nodded. "You brought her to the hospital so that's a step in the right direction, what's wrong with her?" I asked, he gestured to his mouth. "Onegai shimasu, kanojo wa hijo ni imasu....please she is in immense pain.." The man begged, I nodded and we went back into the room; Rei wasn't on the table when we walked back into the room making Mr. Hayashi even more anxious then he already was. "I need you to calm down." I told him, he nodded, I had an idea of where Rei was; I crouched and looked under the chairs, she was there with tears streaming down her pale heart shaped face. "You okay?" I asked, she shook her head as she crawled out from under the chair. "Can I have a hug?" She asked me, Mamoru approved with a nod and my torso was instantly hit with about eighty pounds of kid. "it hurts Isha san," She whimpered, I picked her up and set Rei on the table. "Chichihoya...watashi wa kowaidesu.." (Father I'm scared) She told her father, Mr. Hayashi moved in front of me and planted a kiss on the center of his daughter's forehead. "You are my baby bird, I will never let anything hurt you; I love you Rei." He answered pushing a strand of Rei's hair behind her ear before sitting in the chair in the room, I washed my hands and gathered what I thought I needed to help Rei then sat on the stool in front of her. "Where is the pain?" I asked, Rei backed up but pointed to the lower half of her face and legs which were covered with leg warmers. "I need you to take the mask off then...are you comfortable with that or do you want me to close the curtain?" I asked pointing to the curtain against the wall next to the door, Rei nodded; I stood up and quickly explained that I was closing off the side of the room the examination  table and supply cabinets were on, Mr. Hayashi nodded in agreement and the yellow curtain split the room a second later. "Are you alright Rei?" I asked, she shook her head.
"My mouth....it stings like salt on a wound..." She told me.
"I need to see what's wrong so I can fix it." I explained gesturing to the mask on my face; Rei nodded and pulled the lavender mask under her chin, the last time I had treated her the cuts on her mouth were smaller but still bled a great deal; there were new cuts stretching to the edge of her cheeks. "Who did this? You need stitches badly Rei." I told her pulling on the purple gloves I had grabbed from the box. She started putting her hands up to touch the gashes, on instinct I gently put her hands back on the table. "Don't touch your face please." I told her, Rei nodded and I ducked into the other side of the curtain. "Rei requires stitches, they're not something we can forgo this time sir." I explained seriously. Mr. Hayashi stood up and tried to go see his kid; I stood in front of the curtain and shook my head. "She's not comfortable with you seeing her injuries, I'm sorry." I told him calmly, he sighed. "Will she require medication?" He asked respectfully, I nodded. "Most of the time I would numb the patient but I might have to sedate her given how deep the lacerations are." I explained, Mr. Hayashi nodded curtly and sat back down before I spoke again I heard Rei coughing. "You admitted her right?" I asked, he shook his head. "Depending on whether or not this goes well please admit your daughter at the front desk." I answered before going back behind the curtain. Rei was cross legged as she stared wide eyed at me. "I need sutetchi? "  She asked stifling a cough, Rei was sitting on her hands which gave me the impression that she was having a hard time not touching her mouth. "Stitches? yes the cuts are too deep to heal on their own. I'm going to give you some meds to help with the pain while I fix them." I explained as I took my gloves off before leaving the room briefly to get a pillow, two drugs and a suture kit from the supply room behind the nurses station. I walked back in the room and heard sobbing; without dropping anything I sped walked into the closed off area, Mr. Hayashi was standing in front of his daughter with both hands over his mouth, Rei was sobbing into her knees there was general tension in the space; I mean if you had a kid with a fucked up face would you be understanding the first time around?! "I need you to leave the area." I told him, he left without another word. "Rei, it's gonna be alright." I told her as I set the pillow behind her. She sniffled looking up at me as she wiped her nose, the cuts weren't bleeding but the area around it definitely needed cleaned, once she was calmed down and not crying she laid back letting her head hit the pillow hard, I spent a minute or so gently cleaning the area around both gashes. "Alright, I'm gonna start the medication...I need you to stay still for the next twenty minutes or so okay." I explained, she nodded her reply as I pulled on a clean pair of gloves and filled the syringe to point five milligrams of midazolam, after the dose was given I numbed the area with lidocaine and started closing the four inch gashes on both sides of Rei's face her cheeks were hot so I checked her forehead and found that it was slightly hotter then her cheeks I decided to finish what I was originally supposed to be doing before checking her temp, besides some fidgets in her legs the kid was stock still the whole time. after I had everything stitched up I put a small gauze pad with med tape over the black threads. Rei sat up slowly and blinked before starting to itch her legs. "before I let you go back to your dad you told me that your legs hurt, can I take a look?" I asked, Rei nodded and rolled down her leg warmers and I inhaled sharply there was an inflamed rash underneath the leg warmers.
"Does it sting or anything?" I asked
"It burns...really bad." She admitted, I sat on the stool in front her. "When did the burning start?" I asked, Rei held up two fingers. "Two days, when did you start wearing the leg warmers?" I asked she held up the same fingers. "Are the leg warmers made from sheep or alpaca wool?" I asked, Rei nodded. "Yes, Papa bought me these from a farmer's market they're sheep leg warmers." She explained, "Maybe wear some other leg warmers with your outfits for a bit okay." I suggested as I grabbed the steroid cream from the cupboard. "What's that?" Rei asked as I sat down holding the puck shaped container of hydrocortisone. "It's something to help your legs." I explained showing her the white cream on my gloved fingers (I had switched to a clean pair); Rei cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Okay...do you have any brothers or sisters?" She asked as I positioned her foot on my thigh. "I have a sister named Emory." I answered rubbing the substance into her skin. "Do you have a BFF?" She asked while I repeated the process on her other leg. "I have a best friend yeah, how about you?" I asked in return, Rei coughed then shook her head. "I'm creepy now, so I don't have any friends." She answered, I sighed. "Trust me Rei, you'll find your people." I told her as I was pulling my gloves off. "do you have any pets?" She asked as she slid the ear loops of her mask over her ears. "I do actually, I've got a dog named Gumbo." I answered, she giggled. "Papa has a cat called Tempura he's orange and very fat." She told me coughing once or twice as she adjusted the mask over her nose and mouth. "Arigato Dr. Katz," She told me I shrugged, Sawyer had taught me a few basic phrases one being thank you. "No problem, Mr. Hayashi." I addressed the man pushing the curtain open, he sitting in the chair with his head in his hands. "Yes?" He looked up and I noticed tear streaks on his face. "Do you mind if I gave Rei a general check up?" I asked, he shook his head. "Do whatever you think is best." He answered, I closed the curtain and took the stethoscope from my back pocket. "I thought I only needed sutetchi on my face.." She said as I sat back down after grabbing the thermometer and the rest of the stuff I needed. "I'm just running a check up, you'll be outta here in another few minutes." I assured her, Rei sighed followed by a cough; the coughing didn't quit for another couple seconds. "How long have you been coughing like that?" I asked, Rei backed up and shook her head. "Rei, I really need you to answer me." I pushed.
"I..don't know.." She wheezed before falling into another fit. After the coughing stopped I pulled her mask down. "Keep this down, it's not helping with anything." I told her, she nodded and I left the side of the room dragging the stool behind me. "What is the matter?" Mr. Hayashi asked me, I grabbed the file and tablet from the adjacent chair. "I was hoping you could tell me that, Rei in the last minute has been in and out of violent coughing fits and her face feels hot; when did you first notice the cough?" I had the file open on the tablet waiting with the symptom checker open. "She had a slight cough when I had her last....which was about a two and half weeks ago." He told me, I nodded. "Any other symptoms?" I asked urgently, he nodded. "Mitsuki told me that Rei had a runny nose, beyond that I am not sure." He told me, "Call her mom and school to see if they noticed anything beside that." I told him then disappeared behind the curtain, Rei was breathing heavily trying to catch her breath. "Rei, I need to get you into a room." I told her, Rei coughed before nodding. I left the room to grab a wheelchair and identification bracelet. Mira was at the desk when I got there. "I need ID for a patient." I told her, she nodded. "Sure, who's the lucky guy or gal?" She asked. "Rei Hayashi." I answered her before grabbing a wheelchair from the entrance of the clinic I also grabbed a kid sized gown from the supply room, I grabbed the bracelet on my way back and jogged back into the room. Mr. Hayashi was on the phone speaking in hushed tones so I just pulled back the curtain and Rei wasn't sitting on the table, she was bent over the trash bin vomiting. "Rei," I addressed her she looked up and wiped her mouth. "Kibun ga yokunai.." (I don't feel good..) She cried, I bent down in front of her after grabbing a paper towel from the pile on the counter, while I was wiping the stray vomit off her face the door opened. "Mr. Hayashi?" I asked, I was surprised when I heard my girlfriend's voice instead of the anxious one that belonged to Rei's father. "It's a good thing he's a good doctor then hmm." She was answering Rei's cry as she bent down next to me, Rei shuddered as she hunched over the garbage can again vomiting. After the second vomit cycle Rei stood up shakily and blinked hard. Sawyer stood up and helped Rei onto the table. "Kare wa anasta o tasukeru tsumoridesu, daijobuda yo." (He's going to help you, it's gonna be alright.) Sawyer told Rei as she sat next to her on the table, before I did anything else I gestured for Sawyer to follow me. "Yeah?" She asked once we were out of the room; I took my spare mask out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Mm, right...what's the poor girl have?" She asked, I ran my fingers through my hair, being a social worker and translator (Sawyer was bilingual and knew several languages) at the hospital was hard enough on Sawyer but the fact that she seemed to have an allergic reaction to every vaccination that has ever been put into her and she had Lupus (SLE) she was was more likely to pick up a virus and I didn't want her ending up sick.
"I'm pretty sure it's pertussis...Everything matches up." I told her, Sawyer smirked at me. "Alright then," She replied as she pulled a mask out of the box on the drug cart, once she had the masks on (I have no idea why she put the vampire mouthed mask over the surgical mask) I led the way back into the room; Rei was still there coughing when we came back. "What happened?.." Rei asked pointing at Sawyer. "Nothing, I just get sick really easily and this worrywart doesn't want me to pick up anything." She answered with a lighthearted tone, Rei sighed and let her head hit the wall while tears streamed down her face. "Le ni kaeritai!" ( I want to go home) She sobbed, Sawyer translated for her and started rubbing her back. "You need treatment Rei." I told her gently, Sawyer sighed. "Dr. Katz's the best guy for the job Rei, he makes sure I'm not skipping appointments with my doc, he's really uptight about my medications." Sawyer laughed after her last statement, Rei sat up and looked at the gown next to her. "Are you sick?" She asked Sawyer, my other half nodded. "Yep, I've been in and out of hospitals since day one." Sawyer told her with another lighthearted laugh, Rei looked at me. "Why are you dating her if she's sick?" She asked flippantly, I sat down on the stool. "I'll answer that once you're in peds." I told her, Sawyer raised her eyebrows. "That's harsh." She remarked, Rei sighed but allowed me to help into the gown. Mr. Hayashi was off the phone and sitting in the chair. "Did her mom tell you anything?" I asked, he nodded. "Yes, Rei has had a runny nose, headache and sore throat for the last two weeks." He told me. "We're going to move Rei to the pediatric wing," I explained bluntly, he nodded. "I have to go back to work....I cannot stay here with her as much as I want to make sure my little bird is safe and well." He told me, I nodded and he left. "Ready?" I asked the both of them, Sawyer was putting Rei's clothes in the bag Mr. Hayashi had left as Rei stumbled over to the wheelchair and sat down. "Yep, think so." Sawyer gave me a thumbs up and we left the examination room. I gave Sawyer my phone and told her to text either Elizabeth Stone or Clarissa Morton to see if they could get a room ready. "Rissa's got a room prepped." She told me while we were in the elevator, Rei released a hacking cough and gagged momentarily. "Herepu..." She rasped as she clenched her fists on the gown as another coughing fit began. "Why doesn't this thing move faster?!" Sawyer groaned slamming the back of her head on the walls of the elevator before pulling at her hair. "Uh, her lips are turning blue." Sawyer pointed out as the doors inched open, as soon as there was room I sped the chair out of the elevator, Clarissa was standing in front of the nurses station. "Room 78992!" She called after me, Sawyer kept up with me while I ran into the room and lifted the half conscious girl on the bed grabbing the oxygen mask in the process. "Can you grab Clarissa please?" I asked, Sawyer nodded and jogged out of the room while I hooked Rei up to a monitor and took her temp. After a long beep I took the tool out of her ear and bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming. The thermometer read 104.5, Clarissa came into the room and looked at the kid on the bed. "What do you need?" She asked, I looked up from the thermometer. "Cooling blankets, cold saline and azithromycin." I told her before going to the joined bathroom and soaking several paper towels is cold water. "Will hey, is there anything I can do?" Sawyer popped her head in the doorway. I nodded, "Find a way to get ahold of Rei's mother, if she's not available see if she's got any grandparents or other relatives." I answered before grabbing the sopping wet towels and bringing them over to the bed, 

A bit after Sawyer left and I had the cooling blankets on her with the antibiotics and saline dripping into her bloostream and Clarissa had taken blood to test  Rei opened her eyes and saw me taking the now lukewarm paper towels off her shins. "What happened?" She coughed, I threw the towels away and sighed. "You passed out in the elevator during a coughing fit, you have a fever that's over the normal rate so we put cooling blankets on you and I put you on some antibiotics and cold saline." I explained while putting the thermometer in her ear. "That tickles..." She rasped, her temp had dropped one degree in the last five minutes; after setting the thermometer down I pulled the blankets off her. "Those look heavy.." She told me, I shrugged setting the blankets against the footboard of the bed. "They aren't that heavy," I answered, as Rei was sitting up an elderly couple and Sawyer walked into the room hurriedly, the woman was dressed in a kimono and had a cane while the man was dressed in a pressed suit and haori with wood sandals on his feet over white socks. Both people bowed to me, the woman instantly started fussing over Rei but the man held out his hand for me to shake, I pulled off one of the gloves I was wearing and shook his hand. "Kon'nichiwa, watashidesu Akira Hayashi, shoshite watashi no tsuma wa tsuma Kazu." He introduced himself before going to sit with his wife, Sawyer stood next to me and gestured to the aging Japanese couple. "He said, hello I am Akira Hayashi and my wife is Kazu." She translated for me, I gave her a thumbs up before sitting on the stool, Rei coughed as she told her grandparents about her school day interchanging between Japanese and English. Kazu looked up at me with a concerned expression on her face.
"Nani machigatte iru to watashi no magomusume?" She asked waiting for answers, Sawyer stood at the end of the bed. "She wants to know what's wrong with her granddaughter." She told me, I picked out my reply carefully. Rei turned to look at me with a curious expression. "Are you going to tell them I'm sick?" She asked, I nodded. "Yeah, Sawyer's going to translate for me since you shouldn't be talking a bunch." I explained then turned to Sawyer. "Can you tell them Rei's  sick?" I asked, Sawyer nodded and quickly told Rei's grandparents that their granddaughter is sick. Akira threaded his fingers through his wife's and kissed her temple. "Arigato, kuru Kazu...Rei nizu yasumu."  (thank you, come Kazu...Rei needs rest) He said pulling the anxious woman away from Rei's bedside. "kanojo nizu ikutsu ka no okayu." (she needs some rice porridge) She replied before kissing her granddaughter's hand and following her husband out of the room. Sawyer leaned against the wall and sighed heavily, I looked at her waiting for her to tell me what the sigh was for. "What's up?"
"I asked her mom about Rei's vaccinations and she told me that she hasn't been given any of them." She told me, Rei nodded. "Mommy told me they were poison and that she would take care of me if I ever got sick..." She coughed, I sighed as I switched the oxygen mask for a tube, after doing that I took the cup of electrolyte water from the side table. "Take a few sips of this." I was holding the cup in front of her, Rei took the cup and smelled the contents. "What is it?" She asked, Sawyer stifled a laugh. "It's something that will help keep you from getting dehydrated." I answered as Rei took a tentative sip. "It tastes like mango and coconuts." She decided, Sawyer chuckled. "It's probably electrolytes and coconut water, I'm just taking a wild guess." She laughed.