Ethan- An Open Heart Story

Chapter 4- Bitterly Sweet

Past afternoon, my rounds kept me busy.

Mrs. Martinez was always the charm of Edenbrook. There was something about that woman which always kept others perpetually charismatic around her. Everyone loved her and I adored her. It was such the touch of cruelty that Rhodes was practically incurable as of now, and the only sustenance were the management drugs.

I couldn't understand the purpose of these management drugs actually. I had read pretty much enough to know that they only suppressed the responses, never cured them. Suppressed to that extent that without them you would no longer live your life. Not to mention the pharmaceutical companies who sold them were blight to my cause. I had been bombarded with calls and positions in their labs and hospitals, and been offered twice what I was getting paid at Edenbrook. It was to be noted that my pay here at Edenbrook was astounding than normal hospitals.

The 5th floor was empty with occasional nurse or doctor passing. It was lunch break and that would be what these interns today be looking for. I had seen plenty of them interns dashing off to some supply closet or vacant room to shed their tears and despair of their decision to having had been joined here at Edenbrook. I, myself had dressed pretty much all of them good graces. Starting with that Dr. Turner.

Remembering her made a tryst of vexation. I knew I shouldn't be this angry on someone who had personally never done nothing to me, but her case was different. There was something about her that reminded me too much of....I shook my head as I reached my next patient's room.

Barbara was always next to visit. She knew how much it irritated me and managed to pour more salt on my wounds each and every day. A nurse stopped me just before I was about to enter her room. My ears found a source of noise from the side corridor past the area and I looked in time to see a flash of someone pulling somebody back. I gritted my teeth.

Must be some random intern trying to avoid coming in my path.

"She's the usual, Dr. Ramsey." The nurse scoffed, landing her hands on her hips.

I nodded, "I'll see into it."

She motioned the same and walked away, handing me the strips of the medications I had written and as well as shortened. Just as I was about to enter the room, the devil herself came out, her face scowling.

"You told me you are going to reduce my tablets. Why am I still eating two of these?" she pouted. Her tanned skin had a leathery texture and her face was also a criss-cross of wrinkles. A fancy glass framed her misty eyes which were narrowed at me.

"Last time I knew, you were eating five. Now I had cut them to two. If you behave, you can be out of this place next week." I smiled at her and brought my hands forwards, handling her the meds.

She refused of course. Typical her.

"I will do anything but that. It's been days and days I've been here and all I do is mope and move pills in my mouth."

I chuckled at that, "I am not going to ask you again, Barb."

She fixed me a penance stare, "Forget about it Dr. Ramsey! I'm busting outta this joint! I'll tie the bedsheets together and rappel out of the window!"

"Well don't stop on my account. In fact, I might be joining you soon." I shrugged.

Barbara jerked back in surprise but then barked out more. Her complaints remained the same. She needed puzzles. This was another case the new doctors would face during their rounds. Not every patient had the behaviour to support your patience. It was always enacted on the thin line and holding it was herculean effort but losing it was like the vaporization of a volatile compound. In my career, I had encountered hundreds of them who would love to mingle with my anger management issues here on earth.