When all else fails

Chapter one:

It was a cold , and slow night. Dr. Alexis Fallon yawned. "I guess I won't be doing anything this shift..." The most interesting patient that shift had cut their arm severely while trying to prepare chicken, and they needed seventy one stiches. And that was considered a slow night.  Dr. Fallon heard a beep. She pulled her pager out of her pocket, and shut it off.

    "Maybe this night will perk up after all." She mused. She dashed into the hall, but slowed her pace when she reached room 37. A nurse rushed out of the room, and passed a manilla file to Dr. fallon. "Patient complains of angina, severe anxiety, dizziness, arm pain, and vomiting. Her blood pressure is 132 over 87, and the rest of her vital signs are unremarkable." The nurse summarized. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be in room 15." Dr. Fallon modded and swung open the door, ready to meet her patient.

   "Hello, Mrs. Greene. I'm Dr. Fallon. You said your daughter is experiencing chest pain?" Dr. Fallon asked, glancing over at her daughter. Sure enough, sixteen years old Elise was clutching her chest in agony. "Isn't that obvious?" Elise shouted, glaring at Dr. Fallon. "You'll have to pardon my daughter- she hasn't been herself lately." Mrs Greene began, clearly looking apologetic.

   "It's perfectly fine, Mrs. Greene." Dr. Fallon said, flashing a smile. She would do anything for what could potentially be a good case. "Now, Elise, would you mind describing the pain to me?" Dr. Fallon asked. "It's crushing me. It feels like someone dropped a freaking anvil on my chest!" Elise shouted.

   Dr. Fallon grinned a little, but did her best to keep it discreet. This screamed  myocardial infarction in big red letters. The best part was that  sixteen year olds simply never get heart attacks, not that kind, anyways. This could turn out to be pretty fun. "Elise, I would like to run an E.C.G on you. I have the file the nurse passed me on her way out, so dont worry, I'm all caught up on all of your information."

   "Is my daughter having a heart attack?" Mrs Greene asked, with a hint of terror present in her voice. "Mrs Greene, Myocardial infarctions are improbable in a sixteen year old, but we would like too check just to be sure. A nurse will be with you shortly to hook up some leads to Elise, and her heart rthym will be analyzed with the utmost care." Dr. Fallon assured, as protocol dictated. She tapped a few buttons on a tablet that she carried with her at all times, to notify the staff. "The staff will be with you shortly. In the meantime, I would like Elise to take an aspirin." Dr. Fallon said, holding out a pill to Elise. She grabbed it and swallowed. "Is that for the pain?" She asked. "In a way." Dr. Fallon agreed. She wasn't technically lying. Aspirin would help the pain, and maybe give her more time if it was indeed a heart attack. "I will be back shortly." Dr. Fallon assured, and left the room.

   "Alexis!" Dr. Samuel Sanders called out when she had barely left the room.   "May I help you, Samuel?" "I need a consult." He explained, handing her a file. Dr. Fallon skimmed through. "This is a classic presentation of lung cancer." Dr. Fallon said, trying her hardest not to scoff. Any medical student would have known that. "It could easily be a lung infection! Or asthma!" Dr. Sanders explained. He ran his hand through his blonde hair, making it look even more wild than it was already. "Make the diagnosis." Dr. Fallon said, handing back the file. She had a feeling Dr. Sanders knew she was right. He just didn't like making the tough diagnoses.

   She began to walk away when Dr. Sanders spoke again. "We don't need to assume the worst yet!" Dr. Fallon rolled her eyes. "He has a history of lung cancer and he smokes. Make the diagnosis." She repeated. "Run the dam_  x-ray, and the bronchoscopy." She walked away, and headed towards the cafeteria to get a coffee. She needed a break.

   She had just barely began to drink her cappuccino when Dr. Hansen Clark sat down. He was all the ladies could talk about, given his neatly combed blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He was handsome and he knew it. Unlike Dr. Sanders, he unfortunately lacked intelligence. Some days she wondered how he even graduated medical school. "Who invited you here?" She scoffed. The last thing she needed was to talk to him again.

   "Is it a crime to want to have a chat with a colleague?" Dr. Clark asked,  grinning wildly. "I think you and I both know that we are past that." Dr. Fallon stated, staring at her coffee cup. "Oh come now, that was two years ago! Just because of what happened doesn't mean we can't be friendly?" Dr. Clark mused.  "There was no we. Never was, and it's why I ended our  relationship." Dr. Fallon snapped. "I'm not investing in a relationship like that twice. I can't believe you expected me to do all of the work in that relationship, and you want me back."

   Dr. Fallon stood up, and gripped her coffee cup. Her pager went off again. Dr. Fallon glanced at the message and shut it off. "Now if you will excuse me, I have an E.C.G to preform." She walked out of the room, and back to exam room 37.

  "How is your chest doing now, Elise?" Dr. Fallon asked, but she grimaced a little just from looking at Elise. Her skinny frame was hunched over, and it looked like she was trying not to scream. "It... Hurts... Like... Hel_." She moaned. "Don't worry, were ready to do the E.C.G now to find what's wrong with you. Please lie down." Elise did as she was told, moaning a little as she did it. The nurses began to attach the leads to Elise's chest. "Were good to go." Dr. Fallon said. "Turn on the monitor. Dr. Fallon tilted her head a little at the waves. The readings we're all screwed up. Elise was having a heart attack.