Chapter Two
As each hour arrived so did a new batch of casualties. Most of them were didn't have life threatening injuries but there sheer number of causing a problem. Weaver had called in all available staff that wasn't already there but there was still a backlog of patients waiting to be seen. She got all the doctors around and told them that they needed to speed up in their treatment time. Kovac was the first one to speak and he said what they were all thinking, "Keri, we are going as fast as we can. There are simply too many people."
She replied, "I know this is a tough situation but we have to quicken up. There are far too many people waiting to be seen. Everyone grab two charts and have at least one of them out of here in half an hour." The doctors all just looked at her and some slowly moved towards the charts. She raised her voice the second time, "Come on people! Let's move!"
This got them moving and the line to the charts began to quickly disappear. Carter and Susan were the last two doctors to chose. When it was his time Carter looked down to see what sort of problems his patient had, "Urinary Tract Infection? Oh you have got to be kidding me." He heard a laugh from the figure behind him. "Think it's funny? Come on what did you get?"
Susan looked down at her charts and smiled, "Two cases of thermal burns."
"Oh that's great. We're in the middle of a large-scale road accident and get bladder problem guy and what do you get? Thermal burns. Life is so not fair."
Susan noticed that Carter hadn't looked at his other chart. "What about number two?" She said while pointing at the chart.
He looked down and huge smile flashed across his face and he said a low voice, "Anal Stenosis."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Now at least you have an equal choice."
"Oh you're just loving this. Come on swap me one of your burns."
"Not a chance." She quickly started to walk away so that he couldn't grab one of her charts. After a few steps she said over her shoulder. "Have fun, Carter."
He smiled and looked down again at his charts and if the words would change on the second reading. While he was doing this a familiar voice was directed towards him from behind, "What you doing, Carter?"
"Deciding which is better Urinary Tract Infection or Anal Stenosis."
"You trying to get some sick leave? If you are can I suggest trying a less disgusting disease."
He smiled, "Thanks Abby but I was trying to decide which patient to treat first."
"Oh, those are their problems? What were they out of leprosy?"
"Very funny. Everyone has a good laugh at Carter. Have you thought about the two patients with these tragic diseases?"
Abby looked at the floor, "No. I'm sorry."
There was a period of silence between the two.
Abby lifted her head and said, "How are you going to keep a straight face?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, have fun."
She began to walk away when an idea suddenly popped into Carter's head that made him smile. "You know Abby I think I may need some help."
She stopped dead in her tracks, "What?"
"Help. I may need some."
"Oh no you don't. I'm not going anywhere near them."
"Come on you're a nurse. You care for the sick regardless of what problems they have."
"Not me. I draw the line at any disease with the words 'Urinary' or 'Anal' in it. Besides I'm very busy at the moment."
Weaver walked past them and Carter turned to her, "Dr Weaver can I use Abby for a minute. I have two particularly difficult patients."
Carter handed her the two charts and she looked over them and started to nod, "Okay. But you should be able to discharge the urinal infection fairly quickly."
"Sure thing." Carter was looking Abby when he said this. She had a look of contempt on her face, which had appeared as soon as he spoken to Weaver. They both headed off in the direction of the patients. When they were out of Weaver's earshot Abby turned to Carter and said, "I can't believe you did that."
"Maybe you should think two before you laugh at someone else's misfortune."
"Misfortune? I'll show you misfortune."
Luckily for Carter they had reached the room before Abby could do anything. He showed her the two charts and said, "A or B?"
"A."
"Anal Stenosis it is then."
He opened the door and gestured her inside. She walked past and shot him a glaring look that only made him smile.
As each hour arrived so did a new batch of casualties. Most of them were didn't have life threatening injuries but there sheer number of causing a problem. Weaver had called in all available staff that wasn't already there but there was still a backlog of patients waiting to be seen. She got all the doctors around and told them that they needed to speed up in their treatment time. Kovac was the first one to speak and he said what they were all thinking, "Keri, we are going as fast as we can. There are simply too many people."
She replied, "I know this is a tough situation but we have to quicken up. There are far too many people waiting to be seen. Everyone grab two charts and have at least one of them out of here in half an hour." The doctors all just looked at her and some slowly moved towards the charts. She raised her voice the second time, "Come on people! Let's move!"
This got them moving and the line to the charts began to quickly disappear. Carter and Susan were the last two doctors to chose. When it was his time Carter looked down to see what sort of problems his patient had, "Urinary Tract Infection? Oh you have got to be kidding me." He heard a laugh from the figure behind him. "Think it's funny? Come on what did you get?"
Susan looked down at her charts and smiled, "Two cases of thermal burns."
"Oh that's great. We're in the middle of a large-scale road accident and get bladder problem guy and what do you get? Thermal burns. Life is so not fair."
Susan noticed that Carter hadn't looked at his other chart. "What about number two?" She said while pointing at the chart.
He looked down and huge smile flashed across his face and he said a low voice, "Anal Stenosis."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Now at least you have an equal choice."
"Oh you're just loving this. Come on swap me one of your burns."
"Not a chance." She quickly started to walk away so that he couldn't grab one of her charts. After a few steps she said over her shoulder. "Have fun, Carter."
He smiled and looked down again at his charts and if the words would change on the second reading. While he was doing this a familiar voice was directed towards him from behind, "What you doing, Carter?"
"Deciding which is better Urinary Tract Infection or Anal Stenosis."
"You trying to get some sick leave? If you are can I suggest trying a less disgusting disease."
He smiled, "Thanks Abby but I was trying to decide which patient to treat first."
"Oh, those are their problems? What were they out of leprosy?"
"Very funny. Everyone has a good laugh at Carter. Have you thought about the two patients with these tragic diseases?"
Abby looked at the floor, "No. I'm sorry."
There was a period of silence between the two.
Abby lifted her head and said, "How are you going to keep a straight face?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, have fun."
She began to walk away when an idea suddenly popped into Carter's head that made him smile. "You know Abby I think I may need some help."
She stopped dead in her tracks, "What?"
"Help. I may need some."
"Oh no you don't. I'm not going anywhere near them."
"Come on you're a nurse. You care for the sick regardless of what problems they have."
"Not me. I draw the line at any disease with the words 'Urinary' or 'Anal' in it. Besides I'm very busy at the moment."
Weaver walked past them and Carter turned to her, "Dr Weaver can I use Abby for a minute. I have two particularly difficult patients."
Carter handed her the two charts and she looked over them and started to nod, "Okay. But you should be able to discharge the urinal infection fairly quickly."
"Sure thing." Carter was looking Abby when he said this. She had a look of contempt on her face, which had appeared as soon as he spoken to Weaver. They both headed off in the direction of the patients. When they were out of Weaver's earshot Abby turned to Carter and said, "I can't believe you did that."
"Maybe you should think two before you laugh at someone else's misfortune."
"Misfortune? I'll show you misfortune."
Luckily for Carter they had reached the room before Abby could do anything. He showed her the two charts and said, "A or B?"
"A."
"Anal Stenosis it is then."
He opened the door and gestured her inside. She walked past and shot him a glaring look that only made him smile.