The Watcher On The Ward (updated weekly)

Chapter 8- The Long Game

The bustling corridors of Westbridge General Hospital echoed with the familiar rhythm of emergency. Among the sea of blue scrubs, Karla stood out.

She had just completed her rounds and was reviewing patient charts at the nurse's station when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Dr Holt, how do you manage to look so calm in the middle of all this chaos?"

She glanced up to find Jason standing next to her, a slight grin on his face.

"I could ask you the same thing, Dr Hayes," Karla replied, her tone teasing. "You look like you just walked out of a catalogue, not a twelve-hour shift."

Jason chuckled, a sound that had become very familiar to Karla in the years they had worked together. "Flattery will get you nowhere. Seriously, though, how do you do it? I always feel like I'm one misstep away from screwing everything up."

Karla set down the chart she'd been holding and turned to face him fully. "You're doing fine, Jason. We all have moments of doubt, but you're a good doctor. You just need to trust yourself more. I can't believe that after all this time, you're still doubting your capabilities,"

It was this kind of encouragement that set Karla apart from their other colleagues. While others might offer a few words of reassurance, Karla had a way of making Jason believe in himself, even when his confidence wavered. Her unwavering belief in him was a lifeline in the chaos of the ED.

"Thanks," Jason said, his grin softening into something more sincere. "I mean it. You've been great these past few years, always helping out and pushing me to do better."

"That's what friends are for," Karla said, returning his smile. She picked up her chart again, her expression becoming serious. "But you know what would really help? If you stopped second-guessing every decision. You're smart, Jason. You know what you're doing."

Jason nodded, appreciating her words more than she probably realised. "I'll work on it. Promise."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Dr Helen Harris, one of the senior consultants in the ED. With a short blonde bob and piercing green eyes, Dr Harris was known for being tough but fair. She had been another doctor who had taken Karla and Jason under her wing, mentoring them through the challenges of their first few years as doctors.

"Jason, Karla," Dr Harris said, her sharp eyes assessing them both. "We've got a trauma case coming in. A multi-car pileup on the A45. It's all hands on deck."

Karla and Jason exchanged a quick glance before nodding in unison. The familiar rush of adrenaline surged through them, and any lingering doubts or exhaustion were pushed aside. This was what they had trained for.

"On it," Karla said, grabbing her stethoscope and heading toward the trauma bay.

Jason followed closely, his earlier uncertainty replaced by a determined focus. This was one of the reasons he loved working with Karla—she had a way of grounding him, of pulling him out of his own head and into the task at hand.

As they reached the trauma bay, the doors burst open, and paramedics wheeled in the first of several patients. The atmosphere became electric, every doctor and nurse in the room moving with a practised efficiency. Dr Harris took charge, barking out instructions as the team sprang into action.

Karla and Jason were assigned to the same patient, a middle-aged man with multiple fractures and signs of internal bleeding. As they worked together, Jason marvelled at how seamlessly they collaborated, almost as if they could anticipate each other's next move.

"BP's dropping," Karla said, her voice calm but urgent. "We need to stabilise him before we can move him to surgery."

"I've got it," Jason replied, his hands already moving to adjust the IV fluids and administer medication. "He's tachycardic. We need to get him to radiology for a scan as soon as possible."