House Call

Chapter 5: Changes in the wind

I had been up for 47 hours straight and I was starting to feel myself begin to crash. Between studying, moving, packing and work- I was done for. Thank God Percy and I leave tomorrow for South Carolina, I'm dying to be smothered by love. This was the last surgery of that day and I could be out; it was a solo surgery on general and my attending, Dr. Tate was of no assistance. My patient was Davis Greer, a 28 years old male who was getting a liver transplant. He was born with an undeveloped one, but because of his blood type and other conditions a match was close to impossible to find. I had been following this case for years, his case was rare and it was actually the case that gave Dr. Tate his rise to glory when he became an attending; the highlight of the uniqueness behind the story and the patient rather than what Tate could actually do for Davis.
I was about done irrigating the area around where I was going to place the liver when his pressure dropped into the 80's and he started to code.

"We've got a bleeder. Lap pads please?" I requested from my surgical nurse.

"What the hell did you do Bradshaw?!?" Asked Dr. Tate in all his Rage. He got off of his stool and came closer to the table.
But I was working my ass off. I ignored him. He was of no help and the last thing he he as going to do was distract me, I was not going to allow anything that would fail my patient. The nurse was on it, she had my back. She was suctioning all the blood away and handing me everything needed as I asked for them.

"More lap pads! Suction. Clamp" I asked.

Dr. Tate was walking up to the table and began yelling. "Back away from the table and let me take over, you're ridiculous!"

My chief of surgery, Dr. Bennet had just walked in.

"I said back away Bradshaw! Now!" He demanded.

I sternly replied.

"You have scrubbed and then left the sterile field so back away from my open patient. You have been of no assistant through the duration of this surgery and therefore you are no longer welcome. I don't need your help. Now leave my O.R Dr. TATE.
I looked to my nurse. "Hold this clamp." I requested.

I grabbed the suture wire and got back to work, but the stitch was holding; I began to cauterize and looked back at the screen. Pressure was rising.

"Dr. Bradshaw, I'll have to written up for this. I am an attending. Back-"

My chief, Dr. Bennett spoke up. I was sure he was going to side with Dr. Tate. " Tate, step out of the OR."

Dr. Tate was livid!
"Sir, with all do respect. This is my patient."

Chief waived his hand and shit him up. "Not anymore. Dr. Bradshaw is more than capable of handling things from here. Your arrogance and blatant disregard for teaching is intolerable and I will not have it in my hospital. You can leave."

Tate stormed out furiously and Chief Bennet looked at me.

"Thank you sir!"

"No problem. Are you sure you got this?"

"You can let go of the clamp."
I looked up at the screen and seen the pressure back to a stable state.
"I believe so sir. Looks like we got it."

"Perfect. I'll standby in case you need something."
I finished the transplant with no complications and closed. I sent the patient up to recovery and made my way to scrub out and chief Bennet followed.

"What you did in there was amazing. You handled the situation calmly, you didn't crack under pressure and you took control of YOUR OR. You have what it takes to be a damn good surgeon. I'm proud of you son. You're going to do well in the oral boards next month. And when you pass, I'd love to offer an attending position in Neonatal to you. You've earned it and with all the work you've put it, I know the department will be a success."

I was stunned I couldn't even speak. I stood there with my mouth gaped open staring at the man with water running on my hands.

"Sir. I- I'd be.... honored"

He hit me on the back, hard as fuck I might add. And said "FANTASTIC. Enjoy your vacation." And walked out.

IM GOING TO BE AN ATTENDING.

I have to find Tiff! But on second hand- her ass is still on punishment for lying about Dr. Montgomery. I walked out of the OR and signed off on the chart and handed it to the nurse and the desk. I looked over and saw Tiff going into the residents lounge with a really sad look on her face, this couldn't be good; I followed her and closed the door. She stood in her place, with her back to me and didn't say anything.

"What's wrong sis?" I asked?

She turned around and all I saw were tears. I walked up to her and grabbed her and held her as she sobbed.

"Mama, what's wrong???" I asked
I placed my hands on her face and looked at her. She broke away and went to sit on the couch. She put her head in her lap. I knew that when she gets like this, she needs some time to breathe; so I stood there, and gave her time.

She came up for air and tried to start speaking but she was so angry still. She cried and screamed in her arms all at the same time.
I'd only seen her like this once, and that was when she thought she wasn't gonna cross the sands.

"I lost my patient, kierra. She was 12!!! Wyatt she was 12 fucking years old! I could kill her father for what he put her through. I was going to save her! I was going to give her another shot!" Tiff screamed.

Tiffany had spent the last week with the patient from the moment she arrived in the ER. She'd been staying late and coming in early, doing whatever she could do to get this young girl well again, or simply wake up.
She stood up and started to pace!

"Tiff I know you're mad babe, you have every right to be." I said

"You're damn right I'm PISSED! What kind of father rapes his own daughter and then beats her into a coma?! She fought him and beat her! Wyatt she had an aneurism and bled out in her bed, I watched and I tried to stop the bleeding and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't save her."
Tiff hit the ground, knees first. I was right by her side to hold her while she cried.

As doctors we want to help, we want to protect, we want to fix. The only issue is that we get you when you've already been through the trauma, and we fight like hell to try to clean up the mess; it's never that simple, we often hit a road block because there's only so much we can do. When you loose a patient, a patient you've clung to and became determined to treat- it hits you deeper than any other thing you could care about. Their life is literally in your hands, and if it slips away- it takes a piece of you with it, if you're not careful.

I had just got her to stand up and dried her eyes when Dr. Montgomery walked in the room. She look at him and practically pushed me out the way and ran to him.

"Tiff, what's wrong babe?!" He asked.
He looked at me concerned and he squeezed her tight, she had just started crying all over again.
I smiled, she had someone to care for her.

She started to tell him everything and I made my way out the door. I knew she was in good hands.

Now I need to get home to my man and fall asleep in his lap.