The Choice

Chapter 5

I rushed towards room 2005.
The patient was crashing. I looked at Ava and she pointed towards the patient's chart.
The patient was scheduled here for a heart bypass which took place in the OR4 at four in the afternoon.
And now she was crashing.I checked the monitor.Her BP was dropping and her heart rate was getting slower by the second.
Ava was ready with a defibrillator.Then something struck.

I looked at her and shouted "Don't use the defibrillator. It will kill her."
She stopped.

"Listen I want you to get up on her and block the pressure on the rear using the tissues. I called in code blue and paged the cardiothoracic attending Dr Lia Parker.And booked the only OR empty.

Ava got up on her. And the interns and me started pushing the patient's bed towards the elevator to reach the OR.As we rushed past Will Grayson's room.He looked at me and nodded as if saying all the best.

I smiled.

As we reached the OR.Dr.Parker scrubbed in and rushed to the patient to the Or.Our Chief Resident Dr. Harry Webber was there asking what had happened and why had I booked an OR for Ava's patient.
Within gaps of scrubbing in I told her,"Patient was crashing.Ava texted me, I saw the patient crashing and saw in her chart that she had a bypass this afternoon and then I suddenly realized what really happened the patient's pericardium was tearing and the tear was causing the coronary artery blockage which was leading to a major heart attack."
Dr.Webber replied " Good diagnosis.You have raw talent exactly like your mother.Keep it up.And meet me tomorrow in the morning I will teach you double layered sutures."

I smiled trying to forget the compliment and that he ever mentioned my mother's name.

I went inside the OR. Dr.Parker was trying hard to mend the tear in the pericardium.
"Grey, Take the scalpel and try to hold still the pericardium and Sinclair try to hold the clamp to stop the clotting." said Dr.Parker.

The next half hour was blur. I could just remember the monitor showing erratic heart rate and the patient crashing and us realising that it was to late so we just stood away from the patient and watched her die.
Waiting for a miracle which would never take place.
Ava called out "Time of death 23:55."

I took out the mask and gloves and threw them and scrubbed out.
I say Ava over there.
I reached over to her and whispered , " Ava why did you not call code blue why did you text me instead?"

She replied solemnly," I gave the wrong diagnosis. First I saw the patient she was complaining of chest pain so I gave her dopamine to reduce the pain but ten minutes later she started crashing so I texted you."

I said nothing I just walked out of the OR and went to Will's room. I checked his monitor and doses took control of the paperwork.
He woke up suddenly and saw me.
I smiled and he smiled back.
"Don't wake up sleep it one in the morning. You need your sleep. I will be back here by nine. Good night."
"Good night" he whispered back.

I met Dr.Parker in the hallway and asked her. " Did you tell her parents?"
She replied, "Only her mom is alive but she has Alzheimer's and she can only remember her daughter who now is dead."

I started walking towards home.
Thinking that her mom will be cooking food for the child who would never come back home.

I reached home and saw Ava sleeping peacefully.
I was too tired and exhausted tk so anything so I just went to bed wondering how could Ava sleep so peacefully knowing that her mistake just costed a patient's life.If only she would had called code blue ten minutes ago then the patient would still be alive.