Straight To The Heart

Chapter 3

'Beep beep beep'

Looking towards the sound I realize it time to start my rounds.

Putting down my paperwork, I gather my things to check on my patients. I have over 20 under me. All of them are very sweet people, some more than others. Some of them can be difficult even though they are in a critical condition. Though I work with them anyway I know being angry an uncooperative are just a symptom of going through severe pain or life threatening conditions.

Going to my first patient, Jaicob. I can tell he still under knockout from the pain meds I have him on. Going in the first thing I check are his vitals and his physical condition, charting I'm move on to my next patient and my most difficult according to the nurses. Though he's always very nice to me, Izzy, and Raquel.

"Mr. Halton! How are we feeling today?" I say in a cheery voice.

"Dr Jehnsen! I'm doing ok for a dying man." He says it in a monotone voice but I can tell he's joking.

"Ah, I'm glad you're doing well, such a positive man you are." I say with a wink. "I'm just going to check you vitals and do a quick scan on your condition to see how you've progressed since yesterday."

Mr. Halton has been in the critical care unit for the last month. Having a rare heart condition that needs constant monitoring until his cardiologist can find a proper way to make living easier for him.

"Well don't let me stop you, I want to get out of here as soon as I can."

Chuckling, I start checking his vitals and IV bag. While doing so I see there's a weird pattern starting to show on his heart meter. Quickly charting everything I say a goodbye and head to my office to get in touch with his cardiologist.

❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

Rushing back to my office I quickly dial his department.

"Hello, this is the cardiologist department" Lisa the receptionist answers.

"This is Dr. Jehnsen. I need to speak with Dr. Aslin right away! This is an emergency!" I urgently demanded.

"I'm connecting you right now" She states quickly and calmly.

After waiting for what felt centuries I was finally put through.

"Dr. Jehnsen! What's the emergency!?" Dr. Aslin immediately asked.

"Derrick! I need you to come down to my department stat! There's something you need to see concerning your and my patient Mr. Halton." Knowing the extent of my cardiovascular medical knowledge I need to confirm my suspicions before I call a code red. "There's some strange patterns showing on his heart monitor. As his cardiologist I need to consult with you before I call my team into action. I need you here yesterday!" Hanging up I quickly page my  main team for stand by. Writing down a few things I make my way back to Mr. Halton's room with Izzy and Raquel beside me.

Raquel is also a nurse under me like Izzy and another one of my best friends. She's the girly girl out of my two female best friends. She's also stunningly beautiful and she also could have been a model, when we were younger she did do it for a year or so then she got bored. Raquel is also the shortest of the group she 's 5'7 not a bad height but she's definitely shorter than me and Izzy. Her hair is dirty blonde and goes to her mid back. Her eyes are grey/blue, she has an angular face and prominent cheek bones. She also happens to be the most responsible out of all of us, basically your typical mother bear, she's very protective of us as are we of her also but she goes crazy if you harm me or Izzy in any way. She also won't put up with bull, She is also very blunt but hilarious without even trying, especially when she goes off in Portuguese most people should steer clear when that happens. We also have fun going back and forth between languages especially when we all go to Sky club.

"What's problem?" Raquel asks immediately when we lock eyes.

"It seems we may be dealing with ventricular fibrillation." I start off, and  Izzy's eyes widen "Yeah,  I know I've called Derrick he's on his way. I've paged the rest of our team for and by" I say just as we get to My Halton's door. Opening it Derrick is already inside and so is the rest of my team.

Izzy's the first to ask. "What's his condition"

Derrick turns upon hearing her voice. And the look in his eyes means it's nothing good. "Ventri-"

"Damnit" I interrupt I knew it!" Looking towards Raquel and Izzy we have a silent conversation with our eyes. Letting out a sigh I turn to the rest of the team and just from the look I give them they go into action.

One of the things I love most about my job is I get to teach residents, fellows, and medical students. I also allow premeds to shadow me

❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

"We got a problem" Raquel shouts

"What is it" I call back, thinking what can be worse than ventricular fibrillation.

"Get the defrib ready! His hearts stopped" Izzy calls out to Ren, a nurse in my team. "On it!" Ren says back before going to set up the machine. Moving over to mr Halton's bed side I began running his chest with salt water for better contact. "Standby for Charge...Clear!" Ren calls back. Placing the paddles a current is sent through the paddles and into his chest. Checking the heart monitor, it still shows no pulse. "Turn up the voltage" I call back, hoping it just the low voltage that's causing heart to not respond."Get ready for charge...Clear!" she calls again before I repeat the process.

"We've got a heart beat!!" Izzy shouts with clear glee in her voice.

Upon hearing her I let out a giant breath of relief. I hate losing patients and often try everything I can to make sure we don't.

After congratulating everyone for a job well done I turn to Derrick. And let him know to call his team in to examine Mr Halton and see what caused him to go in VF in the first place.

Once I see his team move in, I dismiss mine from the room, except for Raquel because it Halton is her patient and she'll need to help Derrick with understanding his progressive decline leading up to his heart failing as well as inform his family.

'The end of another long day' I think to myself before I leave the room and make my way back to my office.Upon entering I take off my white coat, stethoscope, undo all the buttons on my shirt before I pour a small glass of wine and sit behind my  desk. Every time one of my patients come close to death I always end up needing a drink to calm down. After finishing off my wine I take my shirt off before heading to the pull up bar I mounted in my office. Exercise is another thing that helps me to relate stress. While doing a couple reps and replaying in my mind everything that had happened and what we could of done differently I hear knock on my door. Thinking it's probably Izzy or Raquel coming to check on me I don't worry about putting my shirt back on(They've seen me in way less) or stop my work out. I continue as I shout come in.

"Hey Dr Jehnsen, I just wanted to say how impressed I was with how you han-" She stops short when she sees the state I'm in. Not stopping me workout I huff out "Go on"  not bothered in the slightest that she's seeing me be unprofessional.