Wee-oow! Wee-oow! Wee-oww!
Maris automatically moves to the side to give way as the ambulance siren sounds off loudly to announce its arrival at Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Everyone else's attention is now focused on the helpless individual being transferred to the emergency room. Maris feels her hands tremble as she sees that the patient appears to have suffered from a motor-vehicular accident. It might seem peculiar for a nurse like her, who has been working in a hospital for three years, to have tremors at the sound of sirens wailing; however, this has not been the case--that is until about a year ago.
Maris exhales deeply as she brushes off unpleasant memories of events of last year, quickly saying a silent prayer for the unfortunate person before she hurries to clock in for her evening duty at the hospital's private ward.
"Aba himala at hindi ka late," teases Sue, her coworker and best friend, who has just entered the nurses' quarters. Maris just rolls her eyes in response to her friend's comment as she continues to prep herself for the night shift.
"Uy! Ang aga natin ngayon, ah!" exclaims Kristel, who has just arrived following Sue.
"Alam nyo dalawa, magpinsan talaga kayo," Maris retorts back, earning a snicker from both women who have started filling their uniforms with ballpens and other necessary equipment.
"Guys, endorsement na," peeks Khalil, the head nurse working the evening shift.
The three ladies quickly follow Khalil out of the quarters to the nurse's station.
"Decwmber 30, 2019. Admission: 2, Discharged: 1. Current total: 15," Diego, one of the nurses for the afternoon shift begins the handover.
Maris quickly scribbles down important notes regarding her assigned patients. Even though Diego has a tendency to finish his endorsement faster than the others, Maris has learned enough technique to keep up with writing down pertinent information.
"For patient dela Torre, inform Doc Rosal once flatulence is observed," Diego continues.
"Wala pa rin ba hanggang ngayon?" Sue comments on her patient's status.
"Wala pa rin, let's hope mamaya meron na," Alexa, the nurse assigned for the same patient for the afternoon shift answers. Sue nods and writes down her own notes.
"So, that's all guys," concludes Diego as he closes the handover log book.
"Shit, bakit feeling ko ang toxic ko for tonight," Sue cries as she starts preparing the medications for her assigned patients.
"Hindi pa nga nagsisimula yung shift, toxic na agad," Maris responds as she expertly breaks off an ampoule in half.
"Hay nako bes, alam ko na talaga toxic duty na naman tonight," Sue insists.
Maris just smiles and taps her friend's back for encouragement, "The most difficult battles are given to the best soldiers. Char!"
Sue chuckles at her best friend's attempt at comfort, "Baliw. Check ko na nga lang muna si Miss dela Torre."
"Ahhhh, shit!" Kristel mutters under her breath as she reads through the doctor's orders on the patient's chart. She has been trying to analyze and read through the terrible handwriting for the past few minutes already and has finally decided to give up.
"O, ano naman problema mo?" Maris looks up and pauses from her medicine preparation.
"Besh, basahin mo nga, hindi ko maintindihan," Kristel pleads for Maris to help her read what is written on the chart. She knows that Maris, having worked as a nurse a little longer, has the ability to understand even the most incomprehensible penmanship.
