Another victim, Another death

Part - 5

Abby stared out of trauma one and over to chairs. Patient numbers were steadily increasing. She took a quick glance at the clock, the second hand slowly making its way round the 360o journey. It read 8:02. She glared back over to chairs. She had been imprisoned in this room for over 8 hours. Hazmat had been in and out, carrying out various tests. They never once failed to seal the door behind them. Her and Kerry's only means of communication with the outside world had been the phone that Kerry requested. She watched intently as people came into and left the ER. Each one could be infected and now passing it on. That thought was unbearable.

She turned to Kerry, "Shouldn't the ER be shut down?"

Kerry took a moment to reply. She knew that the answer should be yes, and indeed it should be shut right now, but there was always an excuse thought up by someone upstairs to why the ER should remain open.

"Yes," She replied. Abby took the inquiry no further. She knew that Kerry's tone of voice said not to even think about asking why.

The whining of the phone shattered the agonizing atmosphere. Kerry hobbled over to the trauma cart and picked up the receiver. She hesitated a moment before answering.

"Yeah? . .What? . . Where's Hazmat? . . There's no time for that, just break the seal on the door . . If you don't she's going to die"

Kerry's voice was hurried and desperate.

"Kerry?" Abby gave her full attention to Kerry.

"Randi collapsed" She paused.

"The virus?"

"They don't know. Hazmat have disappeared somewhere and if we don't treat her now she's going to die. We're the only 2 people . ." She trailed off.

"But we might be in the clear" Again they were tossed into uncertainty.

"And we might not" The professional decisions had been throw out the window. It came down to moral issues now. They were the only two people who could be infected with the virus, the only two people with a smaller risk of exposure. They could save themselves, and hope that they weren't infected, or risk their lives to save another.

"Kerry, we've been in here for over 8 hours. You said that the activation time was between 8 and 9 hours, so how come we're still here if we're infected" That was a good question, but the fact remained that someone was dying.

"That was speculation, Abby. It could be anything. We don't really know anything about this virus."

Abby considered her reply. It was all too true. It may have been something that she didn't want to believe, but the fact still remained, they didn't really know anything at all.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Kerry asked as she headed over to the door. Malik was on the outside breaking through the seal.

How could Abby answer that? It was an impossible decision. She was bound by oath to help people, but was even when your own life was in danger? But then was her life really in danger? She could already be infected. She stared into Kerry's eyes, just as the door swung open. There was a brief pause and then she ran out into reception, followed by Kerry.

X ~ x ~ X



"Kerry! I can't find a pulse" Abby knelt over Randi behind the admit. Desk.

"We need to get her into trauma one now!" Kerry yelled, "Malik get a gurney"

Malik rushed off down the corridor. A crowd had gathered around the Admit. Desk, patients and Doctors alike.

"She needs bagging, Abby start chest compressions" Everything seemed surreal. 24 hours ago everything was fine, and now . . . and now it wasn't. Malik returned with a gurney, and they hurried into trauma one. Abby and Kerry the only two medics to go past the deathly 'no go' point. They hooked her up to numerous machines, but the one that stood out the most was the heart monitor. The flat line running across the screen was all too familiar. The droning that rang out became monotonous. They were running out of options and fast.

"We're going to have to intubate" Abby handed Kerry the tube. Randi was hooked up to a ventilator in no time.

"There's still no output"

"Charge the paddles to 200" Again Kerry went through the routine of shocking another patient, but these were no ordinary circumstances.

"Still in V-fib"

"Come on Randi, don't take the easy way out" Kerry placed the paddles once again on Randi's chest, and shocked her.

The minute hand continued its journey. Slowly ticking away. Kerry continued to shock her, but each time there was no change to her condition. She placed the paddles back in their cradle and then glanced over to Abby. They locked eye contact. The sadness was all too evident. Kerry broke away and headed over to the droning machine and slowly switched it off. The silence that followed was suffocating. Another life had been claimed.

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Well guys, that's part 5, sorry its been so long, been kinda busy. But hang in there, part 6 will be here faster! Promise. Thanx for all those reviews! Just give me more! Lol.

Rainbow345uk