Human & Heart | Short Stories

001; future

So this short story was written for HLATs in school. If you don't know what those are (its a Canadian thing) it's basically where you're given a prompt and 45 minutes to write, then you're marked on your writing quality. The prompt for this one was "something you know/something you love" 

Me being obsessed with anything medical (ahem my future career awaits) took the opportunity to write about a medical intern for the short story! Hope you enjoyyyyy 

* * * * 

I sit down in my desk, the third row from the front of the room, and stare at the papers. I can hear my heartbeat, and my ragged breath shakes my body. Near me, people shuffle their chairs, zip their bags open and closed, and drum their fingers against the wooden desks. The wordless noise is enough to drive one crazy, especially under this amount of stress.

Finally, someone speaks. "No turning over your tests until I say so. Make sure your pencils are sharpened, get something to drink, go to the bathroom. There will be no breaks allowed during your intern exam."

My intern exam. The thing that will determine if I move on to become a resident. What will determine if I become a doctor. My future, all in one exam.

"How much time before the test begins?" I ask. Having not spoken in a while, my voice sounds hoarse.

"It begins at five." The proctor says, not bothering to look up from her phone.

I check the clock hanging on the wall. I have ten minutes. "Thank you." I stand up quickly and walk from the room, leaving my bag and water bottle behind. The pale yellow hospital walls have a comforting effect on me as I walk down the hallway, stopping only to smile at the nurses at the nurses stand. Has it really been a year since I first began working as an intern here? When I reach the ER doors I stop to remember my very first day.

"Forty five year old female, blunt force trauma to the abdomen, tachycardic in the field..." The paramedics rushed her into the building while I stood against the side, staring in awe.

"Trauma two please! Can we get a crash cart? YOU! Intern, go get it."

I ran to one, bringing it back in record speed.

"She's going into cardiac arrest, push one of epi!"

Epi... Epinephrine! I watched as it was administered, and let out a sigh of relief as the EKG showed signs of her heartbeat strengthening.

"She's going to need a CT to check out that head injury, and CAT scan to check for internal bleeding," I spoke up, biting my lip nervously while doing so.

"Yes." For the first time the doctor seems to notice me. "Book the scans."

"Oh- Okay." I ran from the room, making sure to do my job as quickly as possible to save this woman's life

"Sweet heart, aren't you supposed to have that intern exam?" An older lady, and my favourite patient I've had in quite some time asks me, breaking me from my thoughts.

"It start's in..." I look around for a clock. "Oh. Six minutes."

"Shouldn't you be in there then?" She scolds lightly, taking my white coated arm in her frail one.

"Yes..." I look down at my sneakers. "But I needed some air."

"If you needed air you should've went outside." She lets out a laugh, which makes her cough as well. Her lungs aren't the best these days.

I look down at the shorter woman and give her a half smile. "This test is really important."

"And you're a good doctor. You're going to be a great doctor. Go! Make me proud!" She lets go of my arm and waves me away.

"Okay, okay!" I shake my head in amusement. "Don't get lost on your way back to your room!"

"I'm dying, not senile!" She glares, but a smile plays at her lips.

"You're not dying either!" I assure her for the millionth time this week .

And suddenly, the test doesn't seem so horrible. I'm going to pass it for all my patients, and for all my future patients. I can do this.

****

"You may begin your exam," The proctor says.

Quickly, I turn the pages over and begin.