CARTER walked into the ER and flopped down on a chair in back of the desk
after a stop at the mail shelf. He had received singular piece of paper
with a post-it attached, telling him to sign the paperwork. The paper asked
for the date in the bottom left-hand corner. He put it down on the desk and
scribbled '6/21' on the line. He looked over, and there was a space for his
name. He resumed scribbling and wrote 'J. Carter' in a half-cursive
writing.
"Hey, Carter!" Jerry's voice called from the front door. He walked to the desk and set down a tray with crackers and cheese slices.
"Hey, Jerry, and a happy first day of summer to you. May I?" he said as he gestured toward the cracker tray.
"Sure, they're free-for-all's, why not? And happy first day of summer to you, too."
"Great," said Carter as he reached for the little round crackers.
"Morning, guys!" Carol called as she came to the desk. "Carter, there's a call on the private line for you. You might want to answer this one."
"Oh, thanks," he said as he picked up the phone and switched it to the private line.
"Hello? John Carter."
"Hey, Carter," said a familiar girl's voice from the other end.
"Laura?" Carter almost shouted as he sat up straight and a smile wiped over his face.
"Nice," Jerry whispered from behind him. Carter hushed him, and listened to the phone.
"Yes, it's me. I was just wondering how you were," Laura replied.
"Uh, I'm just fine! Man, I haven't heard from you since April! How are you?"
"Everything's fine, just a few scars is all. I wanted to know something."
"Yes?" Carter asked.
"Are you free tonight?"
Carter's smile now showed his teeth. He looked around, almost as if for a swift answer.
"Uh, tonight?" He turned to the schedule whiteboard. "After about six, yea."
"Oh good," she told him. "Because I wanted to talk to you, you know, over dinner or something."
"Dinner?" he asked, looking at Jerry. He smiled back. "Sure. Where at?"
"I don't know, I was figuring you could choose. Maybe there's one on second street," she laughed, thinking about how she had been in all rooms numbered with two just three months ago.
Carter laughed back. "No, but there's one on third street. Maybe I can pick you up around seven and take you there?"
"I'll meet you there," she suggested.
"But." Carter started.
"You're afraid I won't show, aren't you?"
"Kind of, but." he started again.
"Don't worry, I'll be there. Besides, you don't even know where I live," Laura reminded him.
"Oh, right. Well, I guess I'll see you tonight around seven."
"Seven it is. I'll see you there."
"Yea. Bye Laura," he said happily.
"Bye John," she said back.
Carter hung up the phone with a smile. He propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes and reaching blindly at the cracker tray. He rewarded himself with a cracker, which he almost choked on when Doug walked into his legs, his mind once again engulfed in a paper, knocking him off the chair.
"Oh man, I'm really sorry!" Doug apologized. He watched with embarrassment as Carter made his way, coughing, to the water cooler. He helped himself to a Dixie cup of cold water. Once he had stopped coughing, he made his way back to the desk, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat.
"That's okay," he managed to say.
"Congrats," Doug said to him.
"On what?" Carter asked as he tried to compose himself.
"Your date."
"How do you know about. Hey! Were you eavesdropping on my call?" he said, looking slightly amused.
"Yea, sorry. But when Carol told me that Laura had called you, we couldn't resist."
"Oh alright." Carter took a second to pause. "Wait a minute, we? Who's we?"
"Don't worry! It was just Carol and I. And Jeanie. And Mark."
"And who else did you let listen in on my call?" Carter asked, looking slightly offended now.
"No one. that is, unless."
"Unless what?"
".Unless anyone else heard the speakerphone. We turned it down really far!"
Carter dropped a hand on the desk. "Doug!" he shouted, now less amused.
"Sorry, Carter, it was just really interesting."
Carter stood there for a minute, not knowing what to say.
Thinking of nothing better, he asked, "So, that restaurant IS on Third Street,?"
"Lucky for you, yes it is," Doug said, trying not to laugh, but failing in doing so. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I've done that before, actually."
"Really?"
"Yea, the old 'restaurant on third street' trick. Only I checked to make sure there was one there first."
"Well thanks for checking," Carter said, starting to laugh to himself a bit. It was then that Mark, Jeanie, and Carol walked by, smiling at Carter. Doug joined them in smiling, and walked toward pediatrics.
"See ya," Doug said as he walked down the hall.
"See ya," replied Carter, rolling his eyes at the trio that was walking by.
It was about noon when Carter looked at his watch after finishing his lunch, which consisted of nothing put a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, a blueberry yogurt, and another Dixie cup of water from the cooler. Not to mention that he had swiped about ten crackers from the tray by now. He threw the brown paper bag that had been his lunch bag into the trash bin and went to check his schedule. He went about this much like a first-grader would go about his first day at school. The board was simple;
Appy - Carter - 1:30, Splinter - Carter - 3:00, Routine vaccinations - Carter - 4:00, And he was on call in the ER for the entire day.
"Hey Carol," Carter began to ask, "Why does my entire schedule revolve around things either going in or coming out of people?"
"Don't they normally?" She asked.
"You have a point." He let out a small sigh. "Oh well, no scheduled action for poor little Carter today, I guess." It was just then that the ER doors slammed open.
"Carter!" It was Peter.
"Spoke too soon," he told himself as he ran for a scrub jacket and gloves.
A paramedic relayed the information. "Male, about 38 years old. we found him at a bank heist, one of three, two gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen."
"Thanks," Mark called. "We're on it, keep the others coming."
Carter knew that as a resident, he would be handling the first man until he was stable, so he routinely went to trauma one and started doing his duties.
Doug's voice could be heard in the background, "On my count. One, two, three!"
"Feeling good about your skills today, Carter?" Mark asked.
"Guess so," he answered.
"Then I'm going to need you to come over here and wait until you see the obstruction."
"The bullets," Carter chimed in.
". Yes, those. And tell me as soon as you see them because there's no exit wound, and I don't want there to be one. We're going to take those two suckers out the way they came in. Got it?"
"Got it." Carter immediately went down to bed-eye level, and began keeping his eyes on the man. Mark had already tried to work at the 'obstruction', but Carter's eyes were swift enough to help him get there.
"STOP!" he shouted at Mark, making a few nurses turn around. "I see it! I see it! A little to the left, the other must be farther in." He was talking at a mile a minute.
Mark stopped what he was doing and reached for a clamp that could dislodge what turned out to be the second bullet that was fired. Carter knew the first bulled fired had to be directly in front of that one.
"What was this guy using?" he asked. "A machine gun?"
Mark had to laugh a little bit. He put the bullet on the tray. It was only a matter of minutes before Carter spotted the other bullet. Mark looked for it with the clamp, but felt nothing. He saw nothing. Carter went into the best of detail, but Mark just couldn't get to it. At one point, he had it, but it slipped.
"Here, Carter," he said as he handed him the clamp. "I can't get it." He wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. "It's a little humiliating."
"That's alright," Carter said to encourage him. Mark forced the clamp into his hand and nodded.
"You can see it, just get it."
Carter nodded and used the clamp. After pulling gently for about thirty seconds, it came loose enough that he could pull it out.
"I GOT IT!" He said with an expression of excitement.
"Good job, Carter," Mark said, which was followed by a 'good work' from Peter and Doug. Carter was then dismissed from the room. He threw off his jacket and gloves into a biohazard bin and checked his watch. 12:30.
"Whoopee, and appendectomy in an hour," he reminded himself.
"Hey, Carter!" Jerry's voice called from the front door. He walked to the desk and set down a tray with crackers and cheese slices.
"Hey, Jerry, and a happy first day of summer to you. May I?" he said as he gestured toward the cracker tray.
"Sure, they're free-for-all's, why not? And happy first day of summer to you, too."
"Great," said Carter as he reached for the little round crackers.
"Morning, guys!" Carol called as she came to the desk. "Carter, there's a call on the private line for you. You might want to answer this one."
"Oh, thanks," he said as he picked up the phone and switched it to the private line.
"Hello? John Carter."
"Hey, Carter," said a familiar girl's voice from the other end.
"Laura?" Carter almost shouted as he sat up straight and a smile wiped over his face.
"Nice," Jerry whispered from behind him. Carter hushed him, and listened to the phone.
"Yes, it's me. I was just wondering how you were," Laura replied.
"Uh, I'm just fine! Man, I haven't heard from you since April! How are you?"
"Everything's fine, just a few scars is all. I wanted to know something."
"Yes?" Carter asked.
"Are you free tonight?"
Carter's smile now showed his teeth. He looked around, almost as if for a swift answer.
"Uh, tonight?" He turned to the schedule whiteboard. "After about six, yea."
"Oh good," she told him. "Because I wanted to talk to you, you know, over dinner or something."
"Dinner?" he asked, looking at Jerry. He smiled back. "Sure. Where at?"
"I don't know, I was figuring you could choose. Maybe there's one on second street," she laughed, thinking about how she had been in all rooms numbered with two just three months ago.
Carter laughed back. "No, but there's one on third street. Maybe I can pick you up around seven and take you there?"
"I'll meet you there," she suggested.
"But." Carter started.
"You're afraid I won't show, aren't you?"
"Kind of, but." he started again.
"Don't worry, I'll be there. Besides, you don't even know where I live," Laura reminded him.
"Oh, right. Well, I guess I'll see you tonight around seven."
"Seven it is. I'll see you there."
"Yea. Bye Laura," he said happily.
"Bye John," she said back.
Carter hung up the phone with a smile. He propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes and reaching blindly at the cracker tray. He rewarded himself with a cracker, which he almost choked on when Doug walked into his legs, his mind once again engulfed in a paper, knocking him off the chair.
"Oh man, I'm really sorry!" Doug apologized. He watched with embarrassment as Carter made his way, coughing, to the water cooler. He helped himself to a Dixie cup of cold water. Once he had stopped coughing, he made his way back to the desk, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat.
"That's okay," he managed to say.
"Congrats," Doug said to him.
"On what?" Carter asked as he tried to compose himself.
"Your date."
"How do you know about. Hey! Were you eavesdropping on my call?" he said, looking slightly amused.
"Yea, sorry. But when Carol told me that Laura had called you, we couldn't resist."
"Oh alright." Carter took a second to pause. "Wait a minute, we? Who's we?"
"Don't worry! It was just Carol and I. And Jeanie. And Mark."
"And who else did you let listen in on my call?" Carter asked, looking slightly offended now.
"No one. that is, unless."
"Unless what?"
".Unless anyone else heard the speakerphone. We turned it down really far!"
Carter dropped a hand on the desk. "Doug!" he shouted, now less amused.
"Sorry, Carter, it was just really interesting."
Carter stood there for a minute, not knowing what to say.
Thinking of nothing better, he asked, "So, that restaurant IS on Third Street,?"
"Lucky for you, yes it is," Doug said, trying not to laugh, but failing in doing so. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I've done that before, actually."
"Really?"
"Yea, the old 'restaurant on third street' trick. Only I checked to make sure there was one there first."
"Well thanks for checking," Carter said, starting to laugh to himself a bit. It was then that Mark, Jeanie, and Carol walked by, smiling at Carter. Doug joined them in smiling, and walked toward pediatrics.
"See ya," Doug said as he walked down the hall.
"See ya," replied Carter, rolling his eyes at the trio that was walking by.
It was about noon when Carter looked at his watch after finishing his lunch, which consisted of nothing put a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, a blueberry yogurt, and another Dixie cup of water from the cooler. Not to mention that he had swiped about ten crackers from the tray by now. He threw the brown paper bag that had been his lunch bag into the trash bin and went to check his schedule. He went about this much like a first-grader would go about his first day at school. The board was simple;
Appy - Carter - 1:30, Splinter - Carter - 3:00, Routine vaccinations - Carter - 4:00, And he was on call in the ER for the entire day.
"Hey Carol," Carter began to ask, "Why does my entire schedule revolve around things either going in or coming out of people?"
"Don't they normally?" She asked.
"You have a point." He let out a small sigh. "Oh well, no scheduled action for poor little Carter today, I guess." It was just then that the ER doors slammed open.
"Carter!" It was Peter.
"Spoke too soon," he told himself as he ran for a scrub jacket and gloves.
A paramedic relayed the information. "Male, about 38 years old. we found him at a bank heist, one of three, two gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen."
"Thanks," Mark called. "We're on it, keep the others coming."
Carter knew that as a resident, he would be handling the first man until he was stable, so he routinely went to trauma one and started doing his duties.
Doug's voice could be heard in the background, "On my count. One, two, three!"
"Feeling good about your skills today, Carter?" Mark asked.
"Guess so," he answered.
"Then I'm going to need you to come over here and wait until you see the obstruction."
"The bullets," Carter chimed in.
". Yes, those. And tell me as soon as you see them because there's no exit wound, and I don't want there to be one. We're going to take those two suckers out the way they came in. Got it?"
"Got it." Carter immediately went down to bed-eye level, and began keeping his eyes on the man. Mark had already tried to work at the 'obstruction', but Carter's eyes were swift enough to help him get there.
"STOP!" he shouted at Mark, making a few nurses turn around. "I see it! I see it! A little to the left, the other must be farther in." He was talking at a mile a minute.
Mark stopped what he was doing and reached for a clamp that could dislodge what turned out to be the second bullet that was fired. Carter knew the first bulled fired had to be directly in front of that one.
"What was this guy using?" he asked. "A machine gun?"
Mark had to laugh a little bit. He put the bullet on the tray. It was only a matter of minutes before Carter spotted the other bullet. Mark looked for it with the clamp, but felt nothing. He saw nothing. Carter went into the best of detail, but Mark just couldn't get to it. At one point, he had it, but it slipped.
"Here, Carter," he said as he handed him the clamp. "I can't get it." He wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. "It's a little humiliating."
"That's alright," Carter said to encourage him. Mark forced the clamp into his hand and nodded.
"You can see it, just get it."
Carter nodded and used the clamp. After pulling gently for about thirty seconds, it came loose enough that he could pull it out.
"I GOT IT!" He said with an expression of excitement.
"Good job, Carter," Mark said, which was followed by a 'good work' from Peter and Doug. Carter was then dismissed from the room. He threw off his jacket and gloves into a biohazard bin and checked his watch. 12:30.
"Whoopee, and appendectomy in an hour," he reminded himself.