March 13th, 2332
Medic's Journal entry #32:
The drunks, the occasional junkie off the street who promises to clean up his act but never does, the hypochondriacs, the screaming kids... they all seem to come on the same day. Sure, there's my Hippocratic Oath and the prestige of operating the only clinic in this destitute area of Sunset Town , but to tell you the truth I often feel like closing the doors on the ungrateful masses.
Now before you start thinking I'm some kind of monster, it's a small clinic. All of the serious injuries are always taken to the hospital. You try looking after people day after day and routinely come across those who never seem to actively take care of themselves and stay in high spirits yourself.
I do a little bit of everything here in my meager little clinic; vaccinations, mild therapy, x-rays, checkups, the odd and very uncomfortable prostate exam. This isn't a detox clinic; I don't have the means to help people with their addictions. I also don't have the space or resources to take care of people long term.
A few people help me. Mostly med students, but they're clumsy and often motivated by what's happening on their schedules. Honestly, it makes me feel like I'm just a stepping stone in their eyes. Yet I can't fire them because getting reliable help is so freaking hard in this area. The curse of being self employed in a crappy neighborhood, I guess.
Everyone in the area knows me, but although I'm a certified doctor of medicine people and been in the city nearly all my life I'm constantly referred to as 'Nurse Medic the Lioness.' Maybe it's due to the knee high white boots with red crosses that with I'm fond of wearing. They aren't exactly typical dress for a doctor. It could also be the wildly long pig tails that hang behind me. I tried the normal doctor look for a while but it made me look so old.
I'm starting to get off track. Perhaps I'm just trying to ignore the bulk of what happened today. The morning was especially rough on me. I woke up late and although I live only three blocks from my clinic, I was fifteen minutes late and found my waiting room filled to the brim with people. I immediately checked the appointments for today and found that one of my newer employees had witlessly scheduled more people today than in the rest of the week. I chewed her out for it, but it was partly my fault for not catching it earlier.
And so it began; over thirty of the most ungrateful regulars I get normally over the course of a month in one damned day. First off was old man Smithers, a recluse who only leaves his apartment to bless me with his company. He wouldn't be so bad if he didn't try to contradict my diagnoses at every turn. Ms. Benton, that self important yuppie and her bratty son were next in line. Apparently he's been overly hungry, thirsty, and putting out a lot of urine recently and judging from his weight and the fact that she always carries candy bars for the little hell spawn I was concerned that he might suffer from juvenile diabetes. She just chuckled and claimed that diabetes doesn't strike people so young despite my knowledge of the contrary. She left shortly afterwards. I suppose I should feel lucky she remembered I charge money for these appointments.
Some appointments went faster than others, like Mr. Cooper who just came in for a prescription but those were very few in coming. At noon when I sent one of the girls out to bring back lunch I found onions in my sub which I explicitly said I did not want. I was assured that the mistake lay with the deli's employees but I was not convinced. Then again, perhaps I should have sent a different girl to get us lunch than the one that scheduled today's asinine appointment schedule.
One disappointing and very rushed meal later, I continued my work. Hour after hour ticked by and although the more competent members of my staff did their best and tried to keep me from getting too frazzled, I lost my temper while in the presence of a minor and let a few mild obscenities slip. Let's see you stay calm after seven hours on your feet, especially when you're dealing with an overweight hypochondriac with a serious B.O. problem. I may have lost a few patients that overheard me in the waiting room. On the bright side, it did cut down on the work load a little.
As the afternoon gave way to the evening, my tension turned to anticipation. There were only a few people in the waiting room and soon I could go home to my apartment and to my comfy bed. I could barely concentrate as I saw the last of my patients. The thought of the leftover bacon from this morning on a nice homemade cheese burger before curling up for the night sounded heavenly.
As the last patient was walking out the door, I heard one of my younger staff members call me over to show me something that was on the wall-hanging color television in the waiting room. To my surprise, one of the local news reporters was interviewing Ms. Benton who seemed a little too bereft for my tastes.
The reporter explained in their typical overdramatic way how the kid had "a few too many helpings from his mother's candy store" before a trip to soccer practice. No doubt the little troll had cotton candy, candy apples, or whatever the hell they serve at Ms. Benton's sugar shack. I wouldn't know as I never go in there. Whatever the case, the kid suffered a sugar spike on the field and passed out.
I knew as a doctor I should have been worried about my patient, but I honestly couldn't help but feel this was deserved for not listening to me. But when Ms. Benton opened her mouth, I nearly lost it.
"The doctors at the hospital informed me that my son has juvenile diabetes. Had I only known sooner I would have never allowed him to have so many sweets. We have been to the north side clinic, but I wasn't told anything about this."
I felt like I was about to start screaming at the television. With my southern drawl, it would have made quite a scene. I could feel a chorus of inevitable profanities surging up from the depths of my diaphragm, and without another word I excused myself from the waiting room and stomped to my meager office and buried my face into a pillow. I don't know if my muffled scream was not heard outside of the office and frankly I didn't care. After I released my hold on the pillow, I tossed it back onto the old loveseat that squatted near the single window of the office.
I felt my heart ache with a constricting pain, making it difficult to breathe. I wondered why I bothered if all I get is this soul eating resistance. I mean, was this the reason I wasted those years in medical school? To service people who only listen at their convenience? I buried my face in my hands and allowed myself to weep, safe in the solace that no one was seeing this.
Leaning back in my chair, I glanced at the clock to see it was well past closing time for her clinic. I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath as I gave myself a quick diagnosis. My heart rate was about ninety BPM, I felt hot all over, and although I was trying to conceal it, I was breathing pretty hard. The practical part of me that grew from years of medical training told me that if my heart rate was that high from a mere panic attack, I might be in the onset of prehypertension and needed to reexamine my diet andlifestyle.
The girls had all left by then. Before I could leave, I decided to double check to make sure a day like this was not repeated. When I saw that the entire month was a mess, some days like today and others with hardly anyone. No doubt being planned around some prior engagement by one or my boy-crazy employees. I'd have to muddle through tomorrow's patients while rescheduling the entire week. I'd fire her ass in a second if help wasn't so hard to get in this town.
Looking around the quiet, empty office I released a tired sigh. The sun was setting but already it was nearly dark outside because of the tall high-rises between my clinic and the horizon. I pulled on my white jacket and locked the back door before heading to the front doors. I really didn't feel like coming back tomorrow to another day like this. Maybe I could call in tomorrow and tell the girls to tell everyone I caught something from one of the patients. The flu sounds generic enough, and it's infectious enough to warrant me keeping away from my clients.
The idea though still bothered me. I see these people on average once every two months and there is never a pleasant time to be had with them. The idea of closing down this clinic and moving my talents elsewhere sounded like a wonderful idea. Even if it's just a move uptown it would be at least a change from the ennui I felt.
I locked the door behind me, already resolved that after a good night's sleep I would have to start looking for a new place to set up my clinic. That's when I noticed someone was approaching me from behind. My hand flew into my purse for the can of mace I keep just for such emergencies. It's the city after all; a woman's got to have some kind of weapon on her at all times.
The street lights had only just turned on a short few minutes ago which thankfully flooded the darkening sidewalks in white halogen light. Coming towards me at a hobbling, strained pace was my old friend Diego. He was cradling his left arm in his right, his left eye was shut, and his beak was locked tightly as he limped closer. His bright red plumage was ruffled and I could see there were splinters of wood clinging to his back and tail feathers.
"Hey 'bird." I greeted in nonchalant boredom. "Got yerself into anotha' pointless street brawl?"
"Always with the smart mouth..." Diego snorted, "Can you fix me up? They busted my wing up pretty bad."
I wanted to tell him to leave and come back tomorrow. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't in the mood to the listen to one of his lame excuses about how he didn't start this fight. I wanted to go home. I also wanted to ignore that nagging little voice in my head that was chastising me for putting myself over a friend. Of course, this was not a day when I got what I wanted.
After reopening the doors, I helped the stupid lug into one of the examination rooms and helped him onto a table. After carefully pulling the feathers on his back apart I couldn't help but groan. A large hematoma, or a bruise in layman's terms was already forming over his shoulder blade and several slivers of wood had penetrated his skin.
"Let me see ya arm." I said, my bedside had manner not improved in the short time since the TV report. I nearly did the unthinkable and pulled on a possibly broken limb. Softly and gingerly I felt Diego's wing, gently feeling up along the bones and listening to the hiss of pain that he let out to tell how close I was. Finally I felt it and damn did the bone feel out of place!
I guess my reaction was so transparent he was able to pick up on it. "It's really broken isn't it?"
"Yeah it's busted alright." I said, letting him take back his arm. "Now talk, what didja get into tonight?"
"I was just minding my own business in the bar when some guys, bikers I think in the back started having an argument over a game of pool." Diego explained, "I know they called their buddies over, some four letter words were said, some pool cues were broken... and things kinda get hazy after that."
After years of knowing the Rhinoceros Bird I can smell bullshit the instant that it comes out of his beak. It's far more likely that he said something he shouldn't have and he didn't have the brains to know when he was outnumbered and caught a chair to his side. The wood that I had to remove from his shoulder was enough evidence for me to come to that conclusion.
As I yanked on one particularly large sliver of wood out of his back he flinched and jerked his head, nearly smacking me in the head with his exceptionally large beak. "Ow! Hey careful Doc!"
He winced as I let my claws turn my grip on his shoulder into a painful vice. "Oh ah'm sorry... would ya'll prefer if ah left these in yer shoulder, let 'em become infected, and possibly turn gangrenous?"
"Fine Fine! Do what you want!" He didn't even bother to hide his annoyance with me. Typical of the brute.
Finally, once all the splinters were out and I dabbed alcohol on his wounds, I took a closer look at the large bruise forming on his shoulder. This was one whopper of a hematoma, let me tell you! Definitely a candidate for the biggest I've ever seen. Once more I dug into the drawers for what I needed: a cold compact to help with the swelling. But like so many things today I didn't get a break. I had forgotten that the only way to console Mrs. Herzog about her chronic back problem was to give her a few of the compacts to take home... at a moderate fee of course.
After quick trip to the clinic's fridge I was able to bring him a large bag of ice for him to press against his bruise. The cold would reduce the swelling and dull the pain but only time would tell if the internal bleeding would stop. Oh the joys of being a doctor.
"Alright, let's get ya over ta x-ray so ah cin getta better look of that there wing." I said as I helped him off the table and into the adjacent x-ray room. I told him to lay his broken wing on the metal plate that was set on the table.
I watched him lay his arm on the table as if the mass off muscle and feathers were as fragile as an eggshell. Once I got the lead vest on him I took the x-ray, which I read once the computer finally decided to load the image. It was as I thought; a closed fracture along his radius, a bone in what would be his forearm if he was a non-winged creature.
"Now ah'm gonna to have to work the bone back into place. I can give you a local anesthetic to dull the pain." It was fair warning; even with the painkillers, it was going to hurt like hell.
"You kiddin? I ain't no six year old." He brazenly stated, trying to smile with that large black beak of his.
I sighed. I wasn't going to argue with him and I wasn't going to pity him once he started screaming. I took a wooden splint and some bandages from the supply closet and set it down on the table. Once I tossed the lead vest back on its hanger, I was ready to begin.
"Okay," I said bluntly; "Lay yer wing flat as ya can and we'll get this train wreck a' rollin."
I bit my lip in hesitation. I have never done this without anesthesia or my patient being unconscious. Well, I guessed if the stupid brute was going for that stubborn macho crap, I wasn't going to deny him the opportunity. I nimbled up my fingers and found the broken bone. I began to press the bone back into its original position. After an initial squawk of agony, I could hear Diego muttering through his clenched beak. I had to admit I was a little impressed that he didn't scream. The sight of the bone sliding through damaged flesh and moving under a patient's skin was something that always secretly disturbed me. No fooling; my first time doing this in medical school I actually had to do this, I had to excuse myself. Once I was sure the bone was in its correct position, I sandwiched it with the splint and wrapped it tight.
"That should hold ya until ah can get some plaster in." I muttered, not wanting to look him in the face. "Though those hospital jockeys would wanna look at it justa make sure ah did it right..."
"What do I owe ya Medic?" He asked out of the blue, sounding remarkably calm for a guy who just had his bones moved around. He's a lot more resilient than I gave him credit for.
I thought about it; the ice was a freebie and so was the plastic grocery bag it was in. Altogether my fees as a doctor and additional charges would run him about seventy five Mobiums and if I included what I had to do for that wing it would be closer to two hundred. "Forget it. Ah can write ya a prescription fer antibiotics but ya'll have to pay for them. Hold on an' ah'll get ya a sling fer yer arm."
He leaned against the table, holding his newly bound arm like it was his baby when he asked; "Something on your mind doc? You seem grouchy; like more than usual I mean."
"Ah don't know what yer talkin 'bout." I responded casually, bringing him a standard sling and helping to get it around his neck. "'Just another shitty day in mah clinic was all."
What he asked next surprised me; "You uh, wanna talk about it?"
I hadn't expected Diego to ask me about that and for a moment, I was inclined to open up and speak of all the things I had been through that day. But instead I closed my mouth and shook my head; I didn't want to be reminded of the multitudes of people I had seen today.
"Ah come on Medic, you know I can't always pay you right away." He said, wearing a big dopey smile despite the pain he was just in. "This can be my way of saying thanks."
"Keep your thanks." My words were a little harsher than I meant. But I think I may have let slip too much of the emotions I had felt all day.
As I turned to put the left over bandages away, I suddenly had a powerful but soft arm wrap around my waist and pull be back into a soft, feathery, chest. My first reaction was to scream. I don't like surprises and years of life in the big city have made me jumpy about physical contact. Once I had seen the bright red plumage and realized that the embrace was not in any way hostile, I tilted my head back to see Diego looking down at me with concerned eyes.
"You can let go of me now bird or you can have your other wing broken." I meant it too, I wasn't about to let the feathered idiot hold me like this!
"Fine," He snorted, "then you'll have to set and bandage it too."
I grabbed his arm and pulled with all my might but try as I did I was too weary from all of today's work to pull his arm out from around me. The damn bird was lifting me off the floor just enough to destroy any leverage I had. I didn't even have anything decent within biting range. Whatever, just because he had me trapped doesn't mean I had to talk.
"I can wait you out. It's not like I got anywhere to go."
I knew that wasn't a lie. Since Diego is unemployed (or 'currently between jobs' as he puts it) he really didn't have anything to do tomorrow. I did though, and I desperately just wanted to go home and forget this day. Defeated, I began to explain my day to him starting with the people that I had found in the waiting room upon my arrival. Diego said nothing except for the occasional "hm" and "continue," ushering me along with my story. When I got to seeing Ms. Benton on the television I nearly broke down again. That's when Diego released me and I put some distance between him and me just in case he was going to get grabby again.
"You could have just said that she was giving you a hard time. I would've understood." Concern again, pity isn't what I wanted. I wanted... I don't know. I just wanted to go home.
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my shoulder with his good arm stopping me again. "Is that all that happened?"
"I practically spoon fed that bitch the information, an' instead she jus' ignored me. Me! A trained physician! Someone who was at the top of 'er class!" I was crying and the white fur lining my face was turning pink because of how red my cheeks were getting. "Hell she didn't even look at me when ah was tellin' her."
"She's an ingrate. Why waste your breath on her?" He said, showing me a gentle smile. "Besides, she obviously can't tell a good doctor when she sees one."
That was sweet of him, but simple flattery wasn't going to make me feel better. "If I had worked in hospital she would have paid attention. At least then I could have called her on this bullshit and had people to back me up."
"None of the girls backed you up?" He sneered, "What good're they then?"
"That's what ah've been thinkin'..." I sighed, "Seems like they don't give a shit either 'bout me or the clinic. Ah've been toyin' of firin' the lot of them an' closing the place down. Move someplace that needs a docta ya know?"
Diego looked down at his arm, poorly trying to his his sullen features from me. "I'd really miss ya, you know that right?"
I didn't say anything for a few minutes. He'd miss me? My first reaction was 'so what?' he'd find another friend and another doctor. "Yeah, I know."
"But," he began, "you know I think you're just angry at the lack of respect you get and yeah, from what ya told me a lot of these people don't give ya any. So does that mean you're gonna quit? A lot of these people need medical care for the price you offer."
I raised my head to look him the eye, "Don't try to turn this into a moral choice."
"Fine. Whatever. All I'm asking is that you don't make a snap decision." He frowned, "If you do you'll regret it."
I looked at him for a long time before I asked; "Yer really not happy with what ah was sayin'?"
He shook his head. "No, you didn't sound like that normal cocky self of yours. It's not like you to let these bozos get to you like this."
What happened afterwards didn't happen; or so I will forever tell Diego. I smiled and planted a tender kiss on the end of his beak.
"Thanks for the attempt Diego, really." The pink I saw on his face was enough for a victorious glee to force a smile onto my face. Despite the thoughts that were still swimming in my mind, I did feel a smidge better. "But if you ever grab me like that I'll shatter both of your legs and make you crawl to the hospital."
I don't think I put much effort in that, and as consequence he smiled at my threat like I was kidding. Indeed it was but I didn't want him to figure that out so quickly.
"Maybe tomorrow we could hang out, might help if ya had someone around to emotionally abuse." His jovial nature was showing though once again.
As nice as that sounded, I shook my head to answer in the negative. That doesn't mean I wasn't thankful for the offer; after everything that had happened today I suppose I really did need to talk to a friend. After assuring him repeatedly that I was alright, I sent him home and locked the clinic. The streets were quiet and I thankfully did not see anyone on my trip home.
=== March 14th, 2332
Medic's Journal entry #33:
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Today was actually far better than yesterday. But that's probably because I decided to close the clinic. Not permanently of course, just for the day. Sure, it's not exactly ethical. There are plenty of people out there who need medical attention, but what the hell am I supposed to do? Spend every day in that clinic until I'm in the hospital with an ulcer the size of a cow?
Of course not. That's why I'm curled up on my couch right now with a mug of cocoa in one hand, my favorite movie in the player, and a nice warm blanket wrapped around me. I have to say that today's been better by extreme leaps and bounds. With no work, there was no seeing any of those ingrates that crowd my clinic or those girls I have working for me. I sent out for Chinese and they actually got here earlier than I expected them to; a rare thing indeed.
Oh; and the best thing appeared on the news just now. Apparently the police were called in to separate Ms. Benton and her fiancé. According to the news reporter there was a 'domestic disturbance' that centered on their son's recently confirmed condition. I won't lie and say it's not deserved. I can imagine how it went: when Ms. Benton's boy toy saw that she had paid for my services with his money, he flipped. But somehow it was when Ms. Benton started throwing things did the most damage. I couldn't help myself; I was grinning from ear to ear upon hearing that stuck up bitch was not only having home problems, but they were being broadcast to the whole city!
Sometimes even I have to admit that life's not so bad. This is probably the first time I've said that and meant it in years probably. Right now I'm going to finish watching my movie and get some sleep. Another busy day tomorrow, but I think I can manage.
END.
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