Short Story 2
'I pray you bear with me. I cannot go no further.'
-As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 4
He walked through the immaculate hallways that filled the hospital. It was five-o-clock in the morning on a Thursday. Dr. Schine was downing his third coffee of the morning but he still felt exhausted. His patients had surprisingly fought their way through the night and were still breathing with beating hearts.
"We got a new one for you today Will," a heavily built, African-American woman stood up from behind a white counter with a manila folder in her hand. "Breast-cancer patient, 29, Caucasian, 5'1", 125 pounds. She was in chemo over in New York City but moved here last month and was transferred to us last night."
"Okay" that, sounded more like a yawn because of how little pronunciation Will was able to get out through his coffee cup. He grabbed the folder out of he hand and set down his drink at which time she took it and through it away.
"Now honey, you drink to much caffeine, one day you'll end up on my list of patients because of it"
"Come on Artha," he knew that she was just looking out for him and she knew that he adored her affection but just blew it off to let her now that he liked it. He walked into the cancer center studying his chart to learn more about his new patient when he bumped into another doctor.
"Whoa, excuse me" she said.
"No, no excuse me. I'm so sorry" he wasn't sorry. This particular doctor, Dr. Amanda Leafin, had been the subject of his crush ever since they were interns together 4 years ago. Now in the last year of their residency, Will was determined to ask her out. They both walked away in different directions. He heard no beating of the heart monitor, which worried him. He proceeded into the room and saw that the bed was empty. It was a relief that the heart monitor wasn't beating because it wasn't connected to anybody but he was worried that his patient was missing. He sprinted out of the room and to the nurse's desk.
"Artha! My patient's missing!"
"What?"
"My patient is not in her room, she is in critical care!"
"Alright child, breathe. In, and out. We'll figure something out." She picked up a phone, "Yes, hi, I'm missing a cancer patient, a Ms. Amanda Finn. Yes that's right. Okay. Call security and ask for me please. Thank you." She hung up, "The nurses over at the cancer center didn't see her leave but we will be keeping an eye out for her okay sweetie? Now I know you have other patients to check on" Will went around the ICU, checking on his patients, taking vitals, putting in IVs, just busywork. The cancer patient was on his mind all day. He went around to her room between every patient even though it took an extra five minutes of the time he didn't have. He ate lunch in her room. And Dinner. He asked Artha if he could be put on call that night. He didn't spend the night with any patients. He worked on his essay on the H1N1 flu in her room all night. The next day was the same. During his lunch Artha came in.
"Honey, she's not coming back. She probably didn't have any insurance and had to leave. Move on. It kills me to see you like this. She's probably alive."
"That's not it. I know that she is probably alive. This is the reason I became a doctor," Artha opened her mouth to talk but Will just kept on talking, "This system, Its so broken down. It's useless. There are so many holes that let things like this happen. The records are wrong or she couldn't afford care so she had to leave. She needs this treatment and isn't getting it because we can't locate the patient. I feel more connected to her than any of the patients I've had for the past four years. She had a fighting chance. I could have saved her. That is why I'm here at five every morning. That is why I wear this nametag and drink five cups of coffee every day. I'm here for her and I can't do a thing about her cancer because we can't find her! I can change the system, I can save Amanda's life!"
"Will, I'm sorry" it was barely more than a whisper, she slowly got up and walked out astonished by his speech. He got up and walked towards the door where she was standing. She turned around and he collapsed in her arms and sobbed. They went outside and got into her red minivan and they drove to a local diner. He ordered an omelet and a cup of coffee, she the same. They ate in silence. Artha let him have his coffee, a first. She paid and they drove back to the hospital so Will could get his bag from Amanda's room. He walked in with blood-shot eyes and tears still rolling down his cheeks. He heard sobbing and groans. He ran past the bed to the corner by the window and he saw a woman in a patients gown crawled up in the corner. It was Dr. Leafin. It dawned on him.
"Ms. Finn?" he asked even though he recognized his crush. She nodded.
"Finn is my mother's maiden name, don't leave me Will," he picked her up and she lay limp in her arms. "I can't go on, I need treatment Will. I need you, don't leave, don't" she sobbed into his chest.
~m