2016
(this sucks)
Kristin McConnell sat on the outside bench, breath puffing in the cold and huddled around her morning coffee. Watching the tired late night staff go home for the day, she squinted her eyes in annoyance at an obscenely chipper orderly coming in for his shift.
(Bastard)
Eyes wide at her glare, he hurried inside, making her smile in amusement.
(Torturing the orderlies, really, is there a better pastime? I hate morning people. Furthermore, I have no idea how Simone does this. I'm not even 30 and I feel like a corpse anymore if I don't get my 8 hours of sleep. Must be a secret residency program, they remove the need for sleep, fashion sense and personal grooming)
Snickering at the thought of Dr. Obega, who favored different layers of plaid on a daily basis, Kristen took another sip of her latte and came back to the thought that had kept her up most of the night with a smile on her face, giving her husband teasing ammo for years to come.
(I can't believe she woke up. My best friend is back! Ok, well, kinda back I guess, in form if not quite function yet. I can't wait to see her.)
Thoughts drifting in the cold winter sun, Kristen continued to bask for a while longer.
(But at least Obega knows what he's doing; some of these new ones don't have a brain in their skull)
2011
It had been a long morning already. A pileup on I-25 due to the sudden snowstorm had hammered them with injuries. Due to the thick layer of ice on the roads the ambulances were delayed, so by the time some of the victims had reached DGH they had worsened considerably.
Everyone was overloaded; ER doctors were yelling orders, moving quickly from one patient to the next as nurses assisted them. As she finished inserting the latest IV into the groaning patient on the gurney, Kristen noticed an unfamiliar, slightly balding doctor preparing to add an injection
(what the hell)
to the IV drip of an unconscious patient.
Almost running across the room as she saw him draw the shot, Kristen cursed as she slipped on the blood sprayed across the floor.
(Lazy fucking orderlies! Who is this guy, I've never even seen him before! Ok, handle the ego first…)
Brushing past the half-open privacy drapes, she said "Excuse me Doctor, but that patient has already been treated. The patient in Room 3 could use…" she said with a saccharine smile, gesturing toward Room 3. Quickly checking the monitors, she noticed no new alerts to indicate the reason for the injection.
"I'm not interested in your opinion Nurse" the man said shortly as he looked at her with an impatient glare. "And if this is what you call treatment, then I assure, you, your tenure here will be short." With a sniff, he turned his back to her.
(What,…my tenure…who the…sonofabitch! The patient is stable, who the fuck is this prick?)
Temporarily amazed speechless, she said with a hint of steel in her voice as he brought the injector up again, "this patient has been coded next for a Neuro consult. Has there been a status change? Taking the opportunity to look at the medication bottle, she grew from confused to alarmed.
(Parcipan? Is he crazy?)
"Doctor, you can't give that to him, it wi…"
"Unlike some, I have a medical education! I'll do exactly as I think best, now get out of my way!" Shoving rudely past her, he grabbed the port of the IV line.
He was startled as Kristen jumped forward, grabbing the IV line under the port to prevent the medication from entering the patient.
"You can't give that to him!"
"That's it! Security!"
Watching a confused Security team approach, Kristen clenched the line tighter in her fist.
With a smug smile the Doctor gestured peremptorily towards Kristen. "Remove her from the area, rip out the line if you have to". Seeing their hesitation, he barked, "Now!".
As the Security team shifted towards her, Kristen gripped her hand around the bedside bars.
(Shit, no one will hear me over the noise in here)
The drapes were abruptly pulled fully open, revealing a woman unzipping her heavy winter parka, still spotted with snow. "That won't be necessary" she said, speaking to the Security team who immediately relaxed at her appearance. Stuffing her cap into a jacket pocket, she took in Kristen's death grip on the IV line and bedrail. Quirking an eyebrow in question, she ignored the gaping doctor and pulled the medpad from the foot of the bed, scanning it over the brim of her glasses. "Hard morning?" she asked McConnell as she reviewed the medpad.
(Thank God)
Before Kristin could respond, the doctor moved toward the newcomer, apoplectic at being ignored. "This is a restricted area! Leave before I…" his voice trailed off as ice blue eyes bored into his own, stunning him back to silence.
"Oh, I don't think I'm going anywhere Doctor…" she said softly, cocking her head to the side.
"Gibson", he said hesitantly.
"Dr. Gibson." Returning her attention to the medpad she continued, "You, on the other hand, seem to be on a fast track to nowhere." Directing her attention to Kristen she directed, "Take out the IV immediately, and put in a clean line…"
"What?" he managed to get out as she continued on as if he hadn't even spoken.
"…and schedule a 10% image cycle of the anterior injury as soon as a slot opens up." Only now turning her full attention to him, she leaned back against the bed and asked,"Now then, Dr…, what was it again?"
"Gibson!" He gritted out.
"Oh yes, Dr. Gibson. Where did you go to school?"
"University of Delaware" he replied stiffly.
"Medical school?"
"Of course!"
"I assume you graduated?" she asked, still watching him.
"Obviously" he stated with a sneer.
"Completed residency?"
"Yes!"
"I see. I ask, Dr. Gibson, because I was under the impression that being able to read was a requirement for graduation from the University of Delaware, as well as completing most residency programs. Am I incorrect? Have they lowered their standards?"
Confused now, he stuttered," No, no of course you have to be able to read."
"Ah. So then it must be a new treatment that I'm unfamiliar with. Unlikely, but possible I suppose."
"There's nothing new about treating head trauma with Parcipan!" he shot back defensively; completely disgruntled at the insolent tone this, this…woman had taken with him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have patients who need me..."
"Shut the fuck up" she said flatly, still casually leaning against the bed. "Before I ask Larry and Ned here to take you out back and beat some sense into you. Even if it doesn't work, it'll amuse the hell out us, which we sorely need after having you nearly kill one of our patients by stupidity alone."
"Excuse me? Parcipan…"
Invading his space so quickly he involuntarily backed up a step, "You fucking moron, Parcipan is a brachial nerve inhibitor. Which unfortunately leads to cardiac arrest when combined with Treylthadone, a general stabilizer commonly administered to trauma victims and which this patient is pumped full of. PARZAPIN, "she stressed, "is administered for head trauma only in the first 20 minutes of the injury, and indeed, was already administered 52 minutes ago. As noted here on the medpad by Nurse McConnell, who was actually doing her job" she said, pointing to the marked prescription box. "Administering Parzapin after the 20 minute cutoff increases the chance of cerebral microstrokes. The only, "help" you would have provided this patient would have been a tossup between two painful deaths".
With a scathing glance, she continued, "So, Mr. Gibson, your incompetence is truly staggering. Apparently, even if you can read, you lack the skill of a third year med student to provide even a modicum of competent treatment. Now, get out of my ER before I have you thrown out."
"Your ER? Who the hell do you think you are? You can't do that!"
"Dr. Simone Bradley, and, actually", she said, her attention focused again on the medpad as she made a notation, "I can. Larry, Ned please escort Mr. Gibson to the outer waiting room. Inform Adams of the situation." Watching the Security team urge a sputtering Gibson down the hallway, she turned to Kristen.
"Breakfast?"
2016
Still giggling at the memory,
(one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Once that got around, the nurses were fighting to work with her, you always knew if shit went down she'd back you up instead of throwing you under the bus)
Snickering again,
(…gave her the nickname too…Saint Simone. God Annabelle gave her such hell about that)
Taking in the snow covered landscape,
(and that's another thing…what is up with Simone? Wonder if she'll be better today, god I hope so, last night was way, way too intense, even for her. I can't get it out of my head that something's going on, but damn if I know what it is. Freaking irritating)
Kristen took a final swallow of the coffee before getting to her feet. Grasping her satchel, she began to start toward the entrance before stopping in shock
(what is HE doing here! What?...)
as she watched the man saunter through the entrance, a coffee carrier balanced in one hand. His expectant smile making her feel slightly queasy, Kristen hurried after him.
(She promised!)