Home Hunting

Chapter 3: Run You Down

I joined the rest of my class in the locker room after another morning walk around the hospital. I stopped by the NICU again, but unfortunately Dr. Montgomery wasn't there as I had hoped. Regardless, I think the visit will become a permanent fixture in my daily routine.

"Morning everyone," Dr. Bailey announced assertively as she entered the room. "There will be no assignments this morning."

No one dared say anything or even look at eachother. Whatever was going on wouldn't be solved through telepathy.

"Good morning doctors!" Dr. Kepner announced as she joined us in the locker room. "As is customary at Grey-Sloan, today you will be completing your trauma certification simulations."

While I've never actually been to a trauma simulation, obviously, I've already heard numerous myths about this day amongst the class of residents. Apparently they have to park all of the ambulances in the closed lot, as one time a doctor drove full speed through the parking lot in one and nearly ran someone over. Allegedly.

"Gown up and meet Dr. Hunt and I in the loading zone immediately!"

Hearing this, our group immediately broke into a run through the hospital halls, all wanting to be the first one through the double doors.

"Without killing anyone!" Dr. Kepner called after us.

We slowed into a walk through to the loading zone as we saw Dr. Hunt standing side by side with Dr. Webber.

'Welcome to cert day," Dr. Hunt began in an orderly manner. "As you can all clearly see, we have an array of dummies arranged on the tarp before you with an even wider array of injuries from a hotel fire. These injuries will vary from minor to life threatening. It is your job to effectively triage and treat the patients before their conditions progress. You must work as a team. If one of your patients dies, well, that's for Dr. Bailey to decide. As for the three of us, we will be monitoring you and your patients closely, handing out cards to signal a change in condition. You must save your patients by any and all means."

"Any questions?" Dr. Webber added.

"Um, how long are we gonna be at this?" Lukas asked. Stupid.

"Long enough for you to get your head out of your ass," Kepner replied. "Now move!"

Immediately, the six of us broke into a run, immediately crouching down by a dummy and examining the index card laying beside them.

       36 year old male, 180 lbs, 6'0

BP 100/60, BP 130 bpm

2nd burns to the legs and chest

Smoke inhalation

I immediately apply an oxygen mask to the victim and begin to tend to his burns. After I get him wrapped in a temperature sheet, I yell for Kwan to move him over to the red tarp for severe injuries.

"Ev, help me get the tube in while I hold pressure," Yasuda called from the tarp beside me.

I immediately rush over, seeing Dr. Kepner eyeing me closely.

"Who's keeping watch over those patients, Bowers?"

"Griffith," I call urgently, relief flashing over me as I see her turn to "keep watch."

After a moment of struggling, I manage to get the tube into the airway of the dummy and rush back over to my station.

This pattern of chaos goes on for what feels like an hour before I find my rhythm. As Dr. Webber continues to call out patients' improved or declining status, I raise my hand to send patient after patient to the imaginary ambulance. While sweat drips down my temples, I'm surprised to see my peers working together for once.

The sweat seems to be dripping faster and faster down my temples, as I hear Adams call out "What the hell is that?!"

I look up to see that it's no longer sweat beginning to envelop my body, but the outpouring of a water hose being wielded by Dr. Kepner.

"A water hose?!" I shout back, half in shock.

"Kepner, what did we say about the hoses last time?!" Dr. Hunt called back over the commotion.

Dr. Kepner simply laughed it off, continuing to gleefully coat the area with water.

"This never gets old!" She gleefully announced.

***

Around 30 minutes later, I can see my group's pile of dummies has significantly dwindled. I raise my hand to send off another patient, but before Dr. Hunt crouches down by another dummy before he reaches me.

"This one's been laying here for the past hour in the rain. He's developed a femoral bleed, causing him to bleed out and die," he announced. "Who's patient is he?"

I looked around at my classmates as they all adamantly shook their heads, only to turn to my right to see Dr. Hunt staring directly at me.

"I-Well that's not on the card!" I protested, feeling utterly defeated.

"Oh yea?" He replied. "Look again."

As I reached over to the patient, a slip of white paper caught my eye from under my knee. I picked up the soaking piece of paper, confirming my failure.

Fuck.

***

While the rest of my classmates darted off to the locker rooms, I stayed behind to collect the dummies. I wanted to convince myself I was being helpful, but in reality I simply didn't want to have to be anywhere near the rest of my classmates at that moment.

After carrying the last one to the garage, I began the long walk back to the lockers. I walked with tunnel vision back to the room, trying to avoid the gaze of those I passed. Out of the corner of my eye, I passed a flash of windows, then blue, black, red. Apparently I was unsuccessful, and turned to find the source of the voice calling my name.

"Cert day?" Dr. Montgomery asked, looking down at my soaked exterior.

"Yep," I smiled, trying to hide the hue of red rapidly emerging on my face.

"Well, I won't keep you from drying off," she replied. "Try to get some rest. I have an interesting case for you tomorrow."

I tried to think up a quick response while grasping the idea that I would finally be working with Dr. Montgomery tomorrow.

I suppose she saw the surprise on my face, as before I could reply she added, "I've requested you for my service tomorrow."

"I-I'm looking forward to it," I managed to reply, before continuing down the hall.

"Goodnight Bowers," she called after me.

I turned to see her with the same perpetual smile that never seemed to fade from her face.

"Goodnight!"