A ROYAL SURPRISE

🎀Chapter 19🎀

"There's only one happiness in this life, to love and to be loved"

- Goerge Sand.

*~*~*

"Dr Coben, you're needed in room 202, we are losing the patient" I say, rushing into his office.

The patient in question had an accident two nights ago, and suffered a brain injury. Luckily, Dr Coben was able to get him stable in surgery, but after that, he was in coma and under observation. Fortunately, he opened his eyes yesterday, and we thought he was finally going to get better. Because on the brighter side, after experiencing such a strong hit, he should have been down with amnesia or something, but he was okay. He was able to remember his family members and he was able to say a few words, though they were quite strained but that was expected. Not until this morning, when I went in to check his vitals, I saw his daughter there, and after a few minutes of giving them privacy, she rushed to get me, yelling at me to get the doctor because something was happening to her father.

"Three, two, one, Clear!" Doctor Coben says, and I slam the automated external defibrillator on the patient's chest, but nothing happens.

"Three, two, one, Clear!" I do it again, hoping his heart will become stable and the heart monitor will stop beeping so angrily, but still, nothing happens.

"Three, two, one, Clear!" I try for the last time, knowing if nothing happens this time around too, that would be the end of it.

And nothing happens.

"We lost him" I say quietly.

Dr Coben nods before responding, "Time of death, 10:30 AM"

"Time of death? Time of death? What do you mean time of death? My father is alive!"

"I'm sorry Ms. Butler, but your dad just passed away. I'm sorry" Dr Coben says, his face stoic and expressionless, and something tells me he's experienced quite a handful of these to be too bothered about.

But that is different in my case, tears well up in my eyes, and I blink it away and swallow the sadness in my throat, even though I'm not related to the patient. I wipe my index finger under my eyes, this whole sad thing seeming unprofessional, but I'm not even sure any of them noticed. The wife and daughter are too busy crying, still not believing their eyes and their loss.

Both Dr Coben and I leave the room, wanting to give them some privacy before we send people to go and take the body away and transfer him to the mortuary for embalment.

"Crying infront of patients is highly unprofessional Ms. Johnson" Dr Coben says, staring at me with an intense gaze and with his hands in his white coat pockets.

"I'm sorry. My emotions are kind of all over the place today"

"Well you better keep the in check if you want to become a doctor Ms. Johnson, and when coming to the hospital, keep those emotions at home"

"But isn't being emotional somewhat part of the job? To have a heart for the patients?"

"Not always. Because anything can happen" he says, and without waiting for an answer, heads in the direction of his office.