Casualties

Rounds

"Good evening Mr. Harlds! How do you feel your recovery coming along?" I shoved my nose into his chart. If I could say one thing about this man it's that he never stops complaining and is a critique over everything. He always complains saying "you don't care for me enough," or that something or someone is hurting him. Yet, he always comes back to this Hospital for his surgeries!

"My head hurts and I can't sleep! I need more Morphine. Can you get Dr. Gallagher for me?"

See I told you. He has had 3 surgeries on his brain; twice on the Frontal Lobe and once Temporal Lobe. Personally, I think he is addicted to the morphine that Dr. Gallagher consistency gives to him no matter how badly his pain is. Behind Dr. Gallagher's back, I haven't been giving him the morphine but liquid Vicodin instead. It looks exactly the same and he has no idea. As an newer Resident, it is my job to start to take things into my own hands; I can't let patients like Mr. Harlds have one problem be fixed and have another be created because of a corrupt doctor... I'm sorry, Dr. Gallagher and I don't get along very well. But, she really is corrupt. She is the one who has caused him to be addicted to Morphine; it's sad to watch. 

"Dr. Gallagher has the night off but, I can give you some Vicodin and then we will go from there!" I smile before I walked out of the room hearing him yell that he doesn't need Vicodin but Morphine instead; ending with "You stupid...", I slam the door and walk off rolling my eyes. 

Everyday I get yelled at by a patient, whether it's I'm hurting them when I am stitching them up or I wouldn't give them the medicine that they think they should receive because that's what Google told them they need. You would think they would listen to the person who went through many years of medical school and not articles that are made by people who don't know what they are talking about; you are right sir/ma'am, your cough means you have a failing Kidney, let me write you a prescription for Percocet. Get over yourself!

As I walk down the pure white halls of the hospital, I realize tonight is unlike any other night; most nights were chaotic and loud. Although, I know the reason why it is so steady. All the head surgeons have the night off. Did you hear me? THE NIGHT OFF! I wouldn't be surprised if they were all off getting drunk at the local bar and then going home with each other to... you know what I'm talking about. Honestly, I'm in shock that Chief Dr. Drake let them all take the night off but also, I'm not, because he went with them. Chief had to practically drag all of them out of the hospital because they didn't want to leave. Let face it, none of them trust us. However, without all of them here to criticize us Residents, the night was relaxing. 

We're basically just babysitting the patients tonight. Chief said "if anything happens, call us right away". Now, how are we suppose to become the surgeons we want to be if they never let us do anything? Maybe I'm being dramatic, but it's so aggravating when someone doesn't trust you. We were trained by them, we learn from them, we follow them around, so why can't we stop being the patients in this situation! 

I walk down the calm hallway;  a calm hallway is something you never want. It means it's the calm before the storm. Yet somehow, there was no worry in the air. I mean, at least I wasn't worried. 

"Can you believe have they don't trust us? Even after we saved the Chief Residents life when she had pancreatic necrosis and yet, we are still stuck doing only rounds! We haven't had any experience doing any big surgeries! It's ridiculous! I want to not be a good surgeon but a great one and I can't be that if they keep holding me back." Let me rewind a bit, Pancreatic Necrosis is when parts of the Pancreas dies; the injured and dying Pancreas releases digestive enzymes into the Pancreas which causes extensive death of fatty tissue. Our Chief Resident, Dr. Stein, had collapsed at work right in front of me and I took charge because the older surgeons weren't there. I knew exactly what to do and when we rushed her into surgery, that's when they all came  in and took the surgery from us! I saved her life, not them. I wasn't there to find out what was wrong, she would've died. Yeah, I'm a bit salty over that. 

"I know, I know. You on rounds today?" I asked Justin. He is a fiery, hot headed, lovable Resident; my best friend. Him and I were apart of the original 10 interns. We're the only two remaining of that group; the rest were quitters. Justin and I have helped each other through everything.

"Nope! I plan on sitting in my ass and sleeping finally!" He whispered. Light bulb! Justin is doing nothing. Indiana doing rounds. 

"Hey! Do you want to help me with..." I was cut off with Justin's response.

"Nope!" He said running away. Idiot almost ran into a crash cart. I love that idiot though... jerk. I reach over the vitals station to grab my next patients chart. This is the one I actually like, Mrs. Cad; such a sweetheart. 

 
"Alright, time for Mrs. Cad's check in." I said as I walked into the next set of rounds in the South Wing.