On Call

Chapter 8

Aaron

Unfortunately today I was on clinic duty, I didn't enjoy it since it was Saturday and I still had research to do for a paper that I had to write for a medical journal.

I leaned against the nurses' station as the nurse and I chatted, she continued to bat her eyelashes at me and touch my arm. She flirted with me but I didn't return the gesture, she was pretty but that's about it. I tapped on the counter watching the clock behind the counter tick by slowly.

The past few day I couldn't get Alex out of my head, that kiss had me addicted to her. I texted her a few times but I was partly busy and it sounded like she was working a high profile case. I wanted to talk to her again and we settled on a date next week so that I could show her a bookshop I know she would just love.

The nurse handed me a file asking if I could take it to the trauma unit since she was swamped with paperwork.

I agreed since this place was quiet, I walked down the hall and past a few room outside, until I was outside and walked into the trauma unit. The lady at the counter smiled and took the files, Christian rushed past me down the hall, he was the trauma surgeon.

"Hey! Can I help out here."I nodded.

"Yes, we have a 23-year-old female come in from an attack." I cringed at the word 'attack', victims of attacks don't come in a lot but usually when they do their survival rate isn't pretty. 

He ran to where the ambulance pulled up, the paramedics rambled the status of the girl, she had blond hair. They move her to the trauma room, Kevin the orthopedic surgeon came in seconds later. I checked the injuries and saw there was a hole in her chest, I put on my gloves and placed a finger in the hole feeling the blood rushing against my finger.

"Stop!" Christian and Kevin stopped as they looked at me baffled.

"We need to get her in surgery now, she has a tear in her heart and the only things stopping more blood from filling her heart is my finger." They clearly didn't see the tear among all the blood.

Christian yelled at the nurse to book an ER, I stepped onto the bottom piece that connected things to the bed, keeping myself on top. They stabilized her and rolled us into the ER, they placed scrubs on me while I was perched on her and Jenifer, the other cardio surgeon rushed in. They scrubbed in and Jenifer stopped beside me.

" Oh, my ...Aaron, talk about the hands-on approach." Soon we patched the hole and the patient was doing better, her heart was patched so they could fix her torn stomach and broken bones.

After 5 hours I was done,  I noticed before I left that the girl on the table looked a lot like Alex, a pained feeling filled my gut. 
They couldn't identify her, it could be Alex.

I ran back to the clinic apologizing and got my phone where I left it.I frantically tried calling Alex. After the third ring my heart sunk, I closed my eyes .

When I heard her angelic voice I breathed out heavily. It wasn't her in there fighting for her life.

"Aaron?"

"Alex, sorry I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I rambled

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked confused.

"I just finished operating on an attack victim and she looked like you." My voice came out shaky.

"Aaron, you don't sound okay...I'm coming to the hospital." Before I could tell her it wasn't necessary, she hung up. I felt bad for bothering her today; I was just scared it was her. My shift was almost done so I excused myself and walked to my office.