I thought that there would be more than a couple of days between updates, but because of an error on the site, I did not get Chapter 5 up until a day later than I expected.
I know that the last chapter was really quite short, but as I was having difficulty, I thought that would be the best way to leave it.
Thanks you to everyone for the feedback, I know some of you have an idea where this is going, but I guess that you will just have to wait and see!
As I said there are a few different directions that I could go in with this, so if it starts to sound wrong, please tell me.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything to do with the ER.
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Chapter 6
It was morning, it seemed quite pleasant outside. The ER was not very busy, and this was giving everyone a chance to calm down a bit. It was still quite early, and the night shift had another two and a half hours to go.
Abby was still seated at the admit. desk, she had tended to several minor injuries and had resorted to studying her books again. Concentration was not something that she had a lot of at that moment.
The radio in the background was beeping. She swung around on the chair and answered it.
"Hello, County General," she said.
"Hello, we are on our way to you with a women, middle-aged, breathing difficulties, quite serious," he went on to give more details and Abby grabbed a pad and began to write them down.
"How long?" Abby enquired.
"ETA 10 minutes, over" he finished.
"I'd better go and wake Susan up," Abby thought.
She got a nurse and asked her to start getting Trauma 1 ready. The nurse nodded and walked on. Abby got up and headed towards the Lounge. "This should be fun" she thought as she looked through the glass on the door to check that Susan was still there.
Abby opened the door and walked in, quietly closing the door again behind her. The sun was shining through the window in the Lounge. It made a funny pattern all over the room. She stood there for a moment; Susan was still asleep on the couch.
She was lying flat out. Her head on one arm of the couch and her feet were up on the other end. One arm was lying across her chest; the other was thrown over the back of the couch. She looked remarkably comfortable, and so peaceful, Abby thought.
"Susan," Abby said gently, kneeling down beside her.
"Susan," she repeated, slightly louder. Susan stirred and moved her head towards Abby and opened her eyes.
"What is it?" she asked the sleepiness distinct in her voice.
"We have a patient coming in and you are needed," Abby replied softly.
"OK, I'll get up," Susan said. She moved her arms and swung her legs around onto the floor. She rolled her neck and stretched her arms, before rubbing her eyes. She stood up and grabbed her Lab. Coat, which had been discarded over the back of the couch. She also lifter her stethoscope which had also been discarded onto the table and went towards her locker.
"What time is it?" Susan asked Abby, who was walking towards the door.
"Half-past five, two and a half hours left," she replied.
Susan began to brush her hair and told Abby that she would meet her outside. Abby nodded and left the room. Susan did this too, a minute later. She walked through the hall and went out of the doors into the Bay. She joined Abby, who was sitting on the bench.
"You alright?" Abby asked Susan, handing her a pair of gloves.
"Yes, I'm alright," Susan replied. They sat there for a couple of minutes. It was nice. "Abby," Susan started, Abby looked towards Susan, "About last night…" she continues, but their conversation was cut short by the blaring sirens and flashing lights if the Ambulance entering the Bay. "It would have to wait," Susan thought.
They both got up and stood at the back of the Ambulance. The doors swung open and the Paramedic started running off a list of details. Susan listened to these and looked at the woman.
"Hi, I am Doctor Lewis, you are at County General and we are going to try and sort you out and make you feel better. OK?" She finished
The woman nodded weakly as Susan started to listen to her chest. She asked Abby where was open.
"Trauma 1," Abby replied and they all headed in that direction. The woman was immediately hooked up to more monitors. Abby started and IV. Susan examined her. "Pulse Ox, full bloods and 100% Oxygen please," Susan ordered signing the chart. The Oxygen seemed to help stabilise her, but she did not improve greatly.
"Is there anyone that we could call for you?" Abby asked. The woman gave her a number for her son. Abby left to call him. She did this, and when she returned the woman seemed a bit better. Abby moved the stool across the floor and sat down beside her. She started to take the woman's details, as Susan had asked in the hall. She was talking to her, when the monitors and alarms suddenly all went off. Abby looked up. She was crashing.
She went out into the hall and shouted, "Page Lewis, her patient is crashing!" Abby ran back into the room and was followed by many nurses Abby started CPR. This did not have much effect on the woman. "Charge to 200," she said. She shocked the woman twice and gotten a faint rhythm. Abby grabbed her stethoscope and listened to the woman's chest. There was a lack of air on one side. Her lung was collapsed. She looked at the clock and then asked a nurse to "Page Susan again, as her patient is still unstable!" She waited a moment and the woman's vital sights deteriorated. She thought and went ahead. "Chest tube tray," she ordered. A nurse got one and Abby began the procedure. She was a little shaky; this was the first time she had done this without and attending there. It technically was not allowed, but was she supposed let the woman die?
Abby finally got the tube in and the woman's vitals stabilised. Just at that moment, Susan came running into the room shouting, "Did somebody page me? What's going on here? What happened?" Abby turned towards her, pulling her gloves off.
"She crashed, and…" Abby stopped.
"What?" Susan was pressing for details.
"I got a rhythm and found out she had a collapsed lung, I did a thoracotomy." Abby said.
"What!" Susan exclaimed, "that is not supposed to be done without an attending there," she said.
"There was no point in waiting, she was crashing again, she would have died," Abby answered sounding a bit annoyed.
"You were supposed get an attending to witness it, just in case" Susan said.
"I tried, I paged you. Twice." Abby replied. Susan just
looked at her.
"Your patient was crashing, 911 to the ER, where were you?" Abby pressed.
Susan did not answer, she just stood there.
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That is this chapter done for now. As I do the next update, I may add a little on, but if I do, I will mention it at the start of the next chapter.
Thanks for the help Britgirl; I will e-mail you that next chapter. Your advice is helping me a bit.
As I said there are a few different directions that I could go in with this, so if it starts to sound wrong, please tell me.
As always, please Read and Review honestly.
