Dr. Brackett and Dixie McCall had only just begun to thin out the waiting room full of sick patients. With both Dr. Early and Dr. Morton ill, and six additional nurses out of commission the staff and its resources were stretched to its limits.
Dixie returned to the crowded mess of people in an attempt to calm the chaos. "Ladies and gentlemen, please listen." She was speaking with her hands, holding a manila file in one and a chart with a hastily written list attached in the other. "We will get to you as soon as possible but you need to be patient."
Several groans of misery responded to her pleas.
"To make things run as smoothly as possible we need your full cooperation. Our staff has also been affected by the flu and we're running with a skeleton crew." Dixie put her hand on her hip, the chart still in her grasp, as she began reading the note on the chart in her other hand. "If you are here for a standard doctors appointment I strongly suggest rescheduling if at all possible. If you are here because you want a flu shot; I'm sorry, we're out. Try checking in with St. Francis General across town."
As she spoke the waiting room slowly emptied as the disgruntled and impatient marched out in a huff. Dix never broke eye contact with the chart, she merely watched them leave with the corner of her eye. After people stopped exiting she continued to read her list.
"If you are here for another reason please remain where you are, a doctor or nurse will be with you as soon as they are able. Thank you!"
Dixie was amazed to see only six people left in the waiting room. One was a regular patient, his only malady was his hypochondria... Relieved to see far fewer sick faces looking at her Dixie returned to the bay station.
"Well?" Dr. Brackett was bracing himself for the worst case scenario.
"Well what?" Dixie teased.
"Come on Dix, how many are left?"
"Six."
Dr. Brackett was almost as a loss for words. "Six?"
"Six."
"Not sixteen, just six?" He held up six fingers on his hands to be sure.
"Yes Kel, six."
"How'd you do that?" His astonishment was palpable.
"I weeded out the non-emergencies from the actual emergencies. And it gets better."
"How's that?" He arched an eyebrow at her words.
"One of those six is our resident hypochondriac."
Dr. Brackett smiled for the first time that day but Dixie couldn't see it behind his protective surgical mask. "Good girl. I can always count on you."
Dr. Early, paler than before, was standing in the doorway to the doctor's lounge. "Kel, Dix, come see this."
"Joe?" Dr. Brackett's concern for his sick friend returned. "Are you okay?"
"It's not me you need to worry about." He stepped back into the lounge, holding the door open for his colleagues to follow.
Dixie and Dr. Brackett exchanged looks for dread before heading into the lounge together. Once inside they saw Dr. Early sitting on the couch, his eyes fixated on the television screen.
"What is it Joe?" Dr. Brackett sat on the couch next Dr. Early, Dixie was sitting on the arm rest behind Dr. Brackett.
"Take a look!"
On the television was a news report. The reporter was standing in front of a large, abandoned factory that was engulfed in flames and pitch-black smoke. Two fire engines were parked nearby and all of its crew members were focused on combating the fire.
'For those of you just tuning in, this is the fourth fire currently burning in the city as we speak. Both police and arson investigators believe that this string of fires are in fact the result of an arsonist.' The reporter kept looking over his shoulder, trying keep out of the way of the chaos, while waving smoke away from his face. 'Police are asking for anyone who may know anything about the fires or a possible suspect to call in and report their information.'
"My God..." Dixie immediately thought of all the firefighters and paramedics that could be injured.
Dr. Brackett sighed. "Looks like we're going to have a lot of smoke inhalation victims coming in."
"What do you want us to do, Kel?" Dr. Early was just as concerned at Dixie.
"Well, we, by which I mean Dix and myself, are going to get our six awaiting patients taken care of. Then Joe, I want you to help the nurses prepare the exam rooms and then GO HOME." His tone was firm but not aggressive.
"Kel, you need me."
"No, I need a staff that isn't suffering from the flu."
"I'm fine." Dr. Early was trying to sound convincing but his sudden bout of coughing called his own bluff.
"Go home. Please." Now Dixie was trying to coax Dr. Early to leave.
"Alright." Dr. Early reluctantly submitted to the request, but under one condition. "Let me help the nurses, then call St. Francis to see if they can take any overflow and then I will go home and you won't see me until I'm well. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Dr. Brackett smiled then walked out of the lounge to clear out the waiting room.
"Thanks Joe." Dixie put her hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks for what? Getting sick or leaving?"
"For giving us one less person to worry about."
Dr. Early didn't say anything. It hadn't occurred to him that today he was a patient, not a doctor until just then.
Dixie patted Dr. Early's shoulder before exiting the lounge. She walked into the waiting room and lead the first patients into Exam Room 1. Luckily three of the six patients came as a family.
While Dr. Brackett and Dixie were tending to their latest patients, Dr. Early proceeded to direct the nurses in a manner that would be the most effective in the event of multiple patients on a minimal staff.
Despite working in a hospital and never dealing with an actual fire, they've all seen the gruesome aftermath and devastation it takes on the human body. They knew all too well how disastrous the entire day could turn out if there truly was a serial arsonist on the loose... For both the firefighters and innocent bystands who were caught up in the mess.
...to be continued...
(this is a short chapter, the next one will be longer and more exciting! Thanks for reading!)