Hell On Earth

Part - 9





MARK

This day went from bad to worse. Just as things started to get better they careered totally off the right path and down the wrong one. One minute there was hope of the nightmare ending, but the next it faded into the darkness that had become the ER. We were supposed to be doctors, supposed to be able to treat people for their injuries and illnesses, but everyone who has come into the ER today has ended up worse off than they were before. People look to us for answers to their medical problems, and most of time we can make a quick diagnosis, and provide treatment. But today everything has changed. We can only make the diagnosis, not provide the treatment that so many of our patients so desperately need, that our colleagues and friends so desperately need. Today has been one of the worst days I have ever encountered in my medical career, and not just the medical side of it. I am used to telling people about the condition of their loved ones, giving them some reassurance by backing it up with my medical knowledge. I have even had to tell people that their loved ones have succumb to their worst fears: death. But today, the most difficult part of telling relatives was not that their loved ones had died, but that we didn't really know why or how this virus took over the body. All we could do was tell them of the symptoms, we couldn't use our medical knowledge to its full extent, because we just didn't know and we still don't. And then we had to tell them that there was no way of treating this virus, we could only treat the symptoms. But when our colleagues and friends fell to this virus, to this silent grim reaper, we found out how hard it was to accept the truth.

I look down at my watch, and take careful note of the time. Since this all started time has become the enemy. As it goes by, the condition of those infected deteriorates, effectively counting down their lives until the inevitable happens. We are still no closer to finding a treatment that will eradicate this virus from the body. As it continues to attack at an alarming rate, it claims more and more lives.

I thought that the most difficult part of the day was over when I had to deliver the news that Dr. Malucci had become the next victim. He's critical, but stable. I thought that that was the worst of it over, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Kerry had made her way over to the admit. Desk and stood by my side. I came to the obvious conclusion that somehow she had escaped the jaws of a predestined demise. I also concluded that this nightmare was nowhere near over, as Abby was nowhere to be seen. And Kerry's speech confirmed this. Guilt was evident in her voice, there was no way that she could hide it. As she delivered her news, I could see a little part of everyone disappear. Down here in the ER we all work as a team to save peoples lives, and the friendships that have been struck up through that partnership are deep and meaningful. When something happens to one of your team, something happens to you too, although it's not physical, it's emotional, and that can take its toll in itself. Already three of our team had been struck down. First Carter, then Malucci, now Abby. Who'll be next? It's the question on everyone's minds, and no matter who it is in the ER, it is sure to chip further away at the lives of every one of us.

The information that HAZMAT had given us on this virus seemed to be inconclusive. They had told us that it would appear that this virus was not airborne and that it was most likely to be passed on by contact. But then they told us that that wasn't conclusive. It could be airborne but most likely not. I wasn't about to risk my life on that assumption unless absolutely necessary. Kerry however, had different ideas. Her guilt had obviously had an enormous effect on her.

After receiving the information via a phone call, and then relaying it to me, she asked me to go and check on Abby, while she headed of to the lounge. I watched as she briefly paused at the door, her hand on the handle and ready to turn. I could feel the immense sadness; guilt and fear that radiated from her, as she slowly disappeared through the entrance. At that moment I turned and headed toward trauma one. As Kerry admitted her feelings of guilt to Luka, I was admitting the fear that was slowly tearing through me. We had already lost so many people to this virus, I was silently praying inside me that I wasn't about to discover another victim.

She was supposed to be up on the quarantine ward, but HAZMAT had never turned up. As I slowly got closer to trauma one, my view inside slowly got clearer. I peered through the glass. The sight that I saw finally allowed the fear to boil over and become intense. There is only so much emotion a person can take. At seeing another colleague fall victim, and being unable to help, I finally felt the first cracks appearing in the protective barrier that I had put up. It had allowed me to become detached from a situation, especially when the person you are treating is a member of your team, someone that you see day in day out. I stood there in a daze for a moment, before at last I let the doctor in me take over.

There wasn't that many people around in the ER. Everyone had either left the hospital or were upstairs helping out on the other wards. Susan had come down from the quarantine ward, to update us all on the conditions of Carter and Malucci. I quickly told her the situation, and she hurried off to get the protective gear that HAZMAT had left behind in case of emergencies. Although it was still against their advice to go and help. But there was no way that any of us were going to leave a colleague, a friend to die in this way. We had to at least try and help. I headed to the lounge, where I knew that the news I was about to tell would increase the already emotionally charge atmosphere.

Kerry was the first one out of the lounge and into trauma one, closely followed by Luka. Luka, however, was easier to hold back. I begged Kerry to put on the protective facemask and gloves, but she just ignored me. I guess that was out of desperation.

We all rushed into trauma one behind her and gently lifted Abby onto a gurney. We tried everything that we could, but her condition just deteriorated, falling into the critical category. Her condition is much worse than those of Carter and Malucci. And again the time period in which the virus takes hold is getting shorter.

We hooked her up to all the monitors, all of them giving reason for serious concern. Her heartbeat was non-existent, along with her breathing. Deep down we all knew that the outlook was bleak, but then none of us wanted to admit that, especially Kerry. We should have pronounced her after the first half hour of our desperate attempts to revive her, and that was something else that we all knew. But again none of us wanted to admit that, so we didn't. We just kept going, trying everything that we could think of.



We finally got her back after battling for an hour. None of us were in the emotional state to cope with losing another, and as soon as the heartbeat began to register on the monitor, the high emotions began to ease, but not totally disappear. At the moment, she is highly dependant on the ventilator, and her vital organs are continuing to shut down, but as long as there is a heartbeat, there is a small sign of relief, a small sign of hope.

As soon as we had her heartbeat back, we alerted HAZMAT. But this time they were quick to respond. They quarantined trauma one again, deciding that it was safer to keep Abby where she was as her condition was not stable enough to move her. And despite a number of protests, Kerry remained by her side. HAZMAT had wanted to move Kerry upstairs, where, if she hadn't caught the virus, the risk would be considerably lower, but she refused to leave, again showing the guilt that was taking over.

Susan headed upstairs, she wanted to check on Carter and Malucci again, and no doubt deliver the bad news to Carter. I stayed here in the ER though, I didn't have the energy let alone the emotional strength to leave. Instead I sat in chairs. The area was practically deserted, apart from the HAZMAT guys wondering around. All the patients in the ER had been transferred either up to the quarantine wards, or to Northwestern, if they weren't infected. The scene in here is very different from that outside. I glance out into the ambulance bay through the emergency doors, and all I can see is chaos. The place is illuminated by the blue flashing lights of police cars, and the bright spotlights of cameras. It's impossible to count the number of news vans that are there, or the number of reporters. It's ironic that the chaos is out there, when the focus of this outbreak is here in the ER, yet it's quiet and desolate, abandoned by anyone who comes across it.

I glance once again into trauma one, and begin to contemplate the events of today. My first impression being that hell has finally descended on earth.

Well guys that's part 9 for you. I hope u enjoyed it. I'm kinda experimenting at the mo by writing accounts of the events from different peoples points of view, so I hope u like it. The next part will be here soon and will either be from Kerry's or Susan's point of view. Thanx for all those reviews, just keep 'em comin!!

Rainbow345uk