Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 30- Back to College Grounds

With toilsome efforts, I forced myself out of that room and left Elijah to not only deal with a mortified Sothy but also the waiting family members of deceased. It was one of the most difficult tasks— no, it wasn't just some task; it was a mode to commute with them and make them believe that you understood. That you knew how they felt even though the man was a stranger to you. I've seen doctors talking to families as palaver burden. Eyes empty as if death never bothered them. Originally, I thought doctors eventually became like that after spending years around sickness and death, but then there were people like Dr. Banerji whose aura encircled every soul with empathy and Ethan, for whom grieving wasn't weakness but rather a cache of surprising strength.

But you never know how trauma inculcated in someone else until you spoke to them which was why I found myself at no rest today.

I strutted along corridors of fourth floor in direction of general wards. There were four such wards on this floor having a similar framework from ER except patients were brought in after treatment. Private wards were starkly...expensive than GWs. Like ER, these wards often remained busy. Unlike ER, it always remained crowded till visiting hours were declared over. There were private berths for each patient, separated by thick grey curtains from each other. Three family members at most were permitted to stay during visiting hours after allowanced by doctor in charge. Oh, and for the record, the noise was akin to millions of bees buzzing.

Inside, I looked around for the person I was searching but with curtains drawn, it was not possible to check in. Plus, it would be really awkward to go through each veil individually. Thankfully, nurses the ever busy bodies helped me.

"Have you seen Dr. Keller?" I asked the one nearest to me who was replacing the I.V.

He pointed at the furthest corner, "Bed 19."

Thanking him for their ever-presence in hospital, I headed straight to the berth he had pointed. I've heard about a lot of medical related TV shows who undermine the latency of nurses. Nobody gave them the credit they deserved but one epic truth about our jobs was— you couldn't sustain in a hospital without nurses. In other words, doctors alone had no capabilities to run a place like this. Without nurses, we would be random asteroids stretched in vast solar system.

Reaching bed 19, I found the curtains closed in around it. It seemed Mitch was examining the patient inside.

I stayed outside and asked, "Mitch? Are you in there?"

A muffled noise came before a drowsy voice answered, "Dr. Turner? Iss...that you?"

"Can I come in?"

"Uhhhhhhh—I am nooot surree..."

I frowned at his tone which gave no implication that he was doing any check-up. For a few seconds, I debated whether going inside or not because while attendings had no chagrin in entering anytime-anywhere...I was nothing such. But when no response came, I parted the curtains and was shocked to find the bed devoid of any patient. Or to be exact, the patient here was Mitch himself, lying on his back.

Panicked, I rushed to his side— immediately scanning for any injuries which put him in this position. I was thrown aback with the surging stink of alcohol.

"Mitch?" I gaped, "What are you doing here?"

He cranked open an eye, "Trying to sleeeep?"

"Wait, are you...are you drunk?!" I hissed, looking behind me to see if anyone has followed me or not, "You are on duty, damn it!"

I shut the curtains in all directions, making sure not even a slit was visible. There was a 'Do-not-Disturb' pop-sign lying uselessly near bed which I picked up and planted it outside the berth so that no one would get curious and poke inside to check if the doctor was with patient or the doctor himself was a patient.