Fight of Our Lives

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

My flight is 5 hours and 29 minutes and the only way I can waste time is to study everything I already know, over and over again.

All the paramedic standard procedures are drilled into my brain and I'm prepared for any question thrown at me.

I want nothing more to be a resident at this hospital, so I'm working my ass off.

Suddenly, a little kids shrill scream fills the airplane and people turn their heads, taking off their headphones to seek where the scream is coming from.

A woman stands from her seat and looks around desperately as a flight attendant rushes over.

"I need a doctor," she blurts, her eyes wide.

"Ma'am, please calm down, what's the matter," the flight attendant coos.

One, don't ask the patient to calm down if you don't know the situation first, I remember in my mind almost instantly.

I click off my seatbelt and stand from my seat,"I'm a doctor,"

The woman's face shows relief and the flight attendant looks annoyed.

I walk over quickly and look over the mother to see her little boy bleeding from both ears and his face red from the pain or continuous crying. The mother scoots into the aisle and lets me sit in her seat.

"Hi, little guy," I whisper, smiling. I point at my ears and raise my eyebrows,"Do they hurt?"

He faces me and nods, a tear dripping down his rosy cheek.

"Can I touch it?" I ask gently and at first he just looks at me like I'm crazy.

I sigh,"If it hurts when I touch it, you want a code word?"

Suddenly, his face lights up,"Code word? Like secret agents?"

I smile,"Yes! Like secret agents. What code word do you want?"

The little boy seems to have forgotten about the pain and brings a finger to his chin as if in deep thought. I quickly look up at the mother and wink.

"He'll be fine," I mouth and turn back to the boy.

"You got a good one?" I ask and he smiles.

"Pizza rolls!" He blurts and I laugh, nodding.

"Pizza rolls it is. Okay, I'm going to touch your ear really softly. If it hurts, what're you going to say?"

"Pizza rolls!"

"Good job, little guy! Okay, ready?"

I raise my hand to the boys chin and tilt his head to examine his left ear and then his right. He faces me when I pinch both of his ears ever so gently in between my fingers and feel all the way up and down three times.

I slap my hands on my knees, "Does it hurt anymore?" I smirk.

His eyes go wide and he touches his ears,"No! I don't have to use the code word!"

"Not today you don't! You were so brave!"

We exchange high-fives and the little boy goes back to playing with the small screen in front of him. The mother looks at me eagerly when I stand back up.

"What was it? That's never happened before," her eyes examen my face eagerly.

"It's nothing to worry about, most kids go through it when young but it goes away with time. When in a plane or a place with low pressure you know how our ears kind of clog?"

She nods,"Yeah it happens to everyone in my family when in a plane,"

"Well, your little guy has a sensitive ear drum, which is common in almost all kids since their bodies are still developing. The pressure was so high that it popped what was a minor blood vessel. It heals itself so quickly that it's done bleeding in a minute," I smile as the mom lets out a breath of relief and looks at her boy with a smile.

"Thank you for handling him so well," she smiles at me and then the look of concern comes back, "will this happen every time we get on a plane till he grows up?"

I think and quickly remember,"I would suggest wearing ear foams and chewing gum. It keeps the muscles moving and the low air pressure will never build up so high in his ear as it did just now,"

The mom nods and takes a seat, mouthing me another thank you as I shuffle back to my seat.

The flight attendant follows me to my seat, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"I had that handled, ma'am," she says under her breath and gritted teeth.

I narrow my eyes,"But, ma'am, she asked for a doctor, not a flight attendant,"

She quickly scoffs and walks away.

"Oh wait!" I whisper yell after her and she turns around sharply,"you could get her a water and some napkins for that blood. So you can say you helped out a little,"

Her mouth goes agape and I turn around in my seat.

Damn, it feels good to be a doctor.

A few minutes later, the flight attendant comes back to the mother and son, handing them a cup filled with water and a couple of napkins.

"Thank you so much!" the mother says as she takes these things from the flight attendant.

"Flight attendants, get ready for landing," the pilot says over the announcer and the flight attendant walks towards the back, giving me what I believe was an appreciative glance.

No matter how or when, it's a great feeling to help someone.

The plane lands shortly and I'm in a cab in twenty minutes, heading to the apartment I'm renting out. The hospital is about ten blocks from my apartment and my first day as an intern is in three days.

I have two days to prepare for my first day as a paramedic intern at one of the best hospitals in America. Then, on day three - I will be a paramedic intern for New York Columbia and Cornell hospital.

Hope you enjoyed C.2! Publishing dates will be determined soon. Share, like, and comment.

-N