I Believe in You

Flying Solo

Conrad and I had been working at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital for roughly two and a half months, watching helplessly as Dr. Wolf's warning played out in front of us and our mentors were put at odds by hospital administrators and each other's warring ideals.
Seth Adams was a traditionalist. Deeply rooted in his belief in traditional style medicines. Brianna Wolf was a modernist. Willing to explore alternative methods of healing and maverick techniques.
Conrad and I almost effortlessly adapted what we viewed as the best traits of each of our mentors while simultaneously ignoring the worst.
While their approach to medicine varried their work ethic did not. Conrad and I worried when neither Seth nor Brianna came in for their Halloween night shifts.
"Trial by fire time." Conrad sighed as we did our best to field our own patients as well as the patients that Seth and Brianna would have had.
Conrad was finally resting in the sleeping quarters when I first had the time to realize something was very wrong.
I noticed Dr. Randolph Bell watching me as I worked on my paperwork during a rare and much needed lull in hospital activity.
"Irving?" I said the name of the man sitting in the nurses station.
"Meghan?" He responded.
"Does Dr. Bell often just watch the interns?" I asked looking at him.
"I heard him say he needs to keep an eye on you and Conrad. Make sure you're left uncorrupted by Dr. Adams and Dr. Wolf. Whatever that means." He shrugged.
"Have they ever just not shown up before?"
"Not since I've been here. I don't even think that either of them have called out of a shift before." He shook his head.
I sighed and glanced back towards where Dr. Bell was standing now in the company of Dr. Lane Hunter; both of whom were watching me.
I was typically the opposite of the confrontational type but I couldn't handle their eyes on me while I tried to finish my paperwork.
I got up and walked over to them.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked crossing my arms across my chest.
"No, Dr. Bishop. We were just admiring your work ethic and ability. It is your independence day after all." Dr. Hunter smirked at me.
"An independence day is when the mentors step back and allow the interns to run their own cases without them being right on top of them but on call should an emergency arise. Had you been paying attention, Conrad and I have worked largely on our own for weeks. This? This is just the hospital being understaffed because two doctors didn't show up and the head of oncology and the chief of surgery being too concerned with watching an intern fill out her paperwork than to actually help out on the hospital floor so the interns have to work doubles just to provide the patients the best possible care." I answered harshly.
"Who do you think you are?" Dr. Bell growled.
"I'm..." I began.
"Meghan?" My father's voice called my name from the end of the hallway.
"Hi, dad." I smiled at him as he walked down the hallway towards us.
"Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Everything's fine, Mr. Bishop." Dr. Bell responded quickly.
"Just a misunderstanding." Dr. Hunter added with a fake smile.
"Meghan?" My dad said my name again.
"Everything's fine, dad. It's just been a long shift. We had a couple no shows so we're a little behind but we're focused on providing the patients with the best care." I answered smiling at him.
I'd forgotten that my father was on the finance board for Chastain.
"Very well. You and Conrad should come over for dinner the next day you have off." He kissed my cheek.
"Of course. We'd love to." I smiled again.
"Love you, Meghan."
"Love you too, dad."
"Your father is James Bishop?" Dr. Bell asked his face drained of all it's color.
"He is." I answered keeping my face expressionless.
"Hmm... You and Conrad are doing an amazing job. We'll leave you to it."
Dr. Bell turned on his heel and walked briskly away from me while Dr. Hunter trailed behind him.
"Wow. I didn't know you had connections." Irving said when I sat down again.
"To be completely honest I'd forgotten he's on the board. I often can't keep track of my parents contributions or dealings." I answered with a sigh.
Annabeth Rose was the final patient Conrad took at the end of our eighteen hour shift. She was a five year old cancer patient being treated by Dr. David Williams from oncology for pediatric leukemia.
I was finishing up the paperwork from the tail end of the shift when I got the call for the code in Annabeth's room.
When I got there Conrad was performing children's CPR but I knew she was gone just by looking at the monitor.
"Conrad? Conrad, stop. She's gone. Stop." I insisted.
He looked about ready to cry as he looked up at the clock.
"Time of death zero one fifteen." He said painfully.
Conrad brushed passed me out into the hallway where he slid down the wall onto the floor. I wanted to comfort him but what do you say when a doctor loses their first patient?
Claire Thorpe called Conrad and I into her office before we were to leave forty five minutes later where Dr. Randolph Bell stood behind her.
"Dr. Bell found an error in Annabeth's chart. Her dose of potassium was recorded as two hundred milligrams when it should have been one hundred milligrams. We just wanted to let you know that while technically Annabeth died from a mistake that you ultimately made we realize that you are not actually at fault nor to be held liable and you will not be reprimanded for it. You read the chart and did everything right. I know how hard it is but try not to beat yourself up too much." She explained as compassionately as one could in this situation.
"She was five years old and she died because of me." He muttered.
"Conrad. It was an accident. You couldn't have known. That's what the charts are for. So we can communicate with each other. If the chart was wrong it's not your fault." I said gently touching his arm.
"He's going to need you desperately right now. It's not easy to lose a patient under your care and to discover that there was a mistake made. He's going to need you." She said looking at me hard.
"He's got me, unconditionally. He knows that." I answered.
Conrad finally looked up at me.
"Thank you, Meghan."
"I'm all in." I reminded him.