Chapter 29
Note- Happy New Year!!! Woo… thought I would end 2004 by ending this story. Tomorrow I will start a new fiction that I have been brainstorming for a while so keep an eye out. Now read on…
Days… weeks… months passed, until it was six months after the "incident" as it was now called and referred to around the hospital.
Carter was back at work, and had found a new apartment a few blocks away from the hospital. Everything slowly returned to normal, but there was still worry looming in the air. Everyone constantly watched Carter and questioned his condition. Although he was back at work he was cautioned to take it easy.
The clock read two twenty-three as Carter put his pen in his pocket after finishing his charts. He placed his hands on the table before him and rubbed his temples to sooth a future headache. He closed the folder in front of him and stood up from his seat holding the table for extra support. Once standing he gathered up his charts and brought them to the admit desk.
Every since he returned he still felt like a student, he wanted to feel like he did after his very first patient once he was a doctor, but with the constant supervision he felt confined. He understood that there was worry for him; he only wanted enough freedom to practice medicine like he had always dreamed, causing him to question if he would ever fulfill his dream.
He picked up a new chart from the rack and walked towards curtain area two so he could examine his next patient. As he opened the door Mark caught up to him and asked if he would need any help, although Carter rejected the offer Mark went in with him as he had for the past few weeks since Carter starter full shifts again. When Carter was only doing half shifts he was confined to less 'tough' cases, but with a new range of cases at his fingertips came more supervision.
As they walked out of the room Mark congratulated Carter on his work. The compliment was nice, but Carter didn't feel that he was earning it. At times Carter felt like just leaving and going somewhere else to practice emergency medicine, but he knew that this place that consumed him was his home and the people were his family; even if they didn't know it yet. As Carter sat at the chair behind the admit desk preparing to write his patient's chart he gently touched his side unconsciously. The nurses chatting by the desk quickly sprung to accusations, asking if he was in pain and if he was ok or if anything had happened. Carter quickly removed his hand from his side and explained that he was fine before continuing with his chart.
The hours passed by slowly as Carter looked up at the clock in the lounge reading four fourteen. He took a sip of his coffee as he looked out the window and could see the sky lightening up as the sun began to rise. 'Only four more hours' he thought to himself when he took the last sip of his coffee. He took one last look out the window before leaving the lounge. He walked out into a fairly quit ER. He looked around and noticed that chairs were nearly empty and all the patients were being taken care of. He leaned on the admit desk knowing that this was going to be short lived when he heard the scanner. Jerry picked up the receiver 'We have a van verses van' "how many?" Jerry questioned. 'Eight critical, four stable, and one DOA.' "Ok, how long?" 'ETA ten minutes' with that the conversation ended.
Within two minutes all of the doctors were up and the rooms were being prepared. When the sirens were heard the staff was standing in front of the doors suited up for the incoming trauma. The rooms and curtain area were filled with the injured. Three surgeons were sent down inspecting for surgical cases.
Carter was set up alone for the first time with Carol as his nurse. He was given the sixth critical patient to arrive; he quickly went to work assessing the patient. It was a young boy with deep brown hair. He was seated in the front seat of one of the vans, the airbag deployed and suffocated him for around four to six minutes undetermined. The paramedics had already intubated him. The impact of the bag did its damage as well. Carter put in a chest tube to re-inflate the boy's left lung and to help him breath.
A half of an hour passed with the boy's vitals falling slowly. Benton entered to do a consult, after an ultra sound they found no blood in the belly. The boy's pressure feel and hope began to fade, but Carter tried everything he could think of. He looked at the door expecting someone to come and saw the boy's mother standing with tears in her eyes; she was the driver of the car and walked away with a few minor scratches and bruises.
Carter's eyes widened as he had a realization, he took the ultrasound from Benton and brought it beneath the ribs. There he pointed to a small welling of blood on the monitor. Benton smiled "Good catch Carter." The boy still wasn't stable so he couldn't be moved for surgery yet. After some intervenes medication the boys condition improved, but as they were preparing to move the boy he experienced a seizure due to a clot by his heart. Carter had no real choice; after the seizure stopped he prepared to crack the young boy's chest. "Carol, can you put up the curtain, I don't think his mom should see this." Carol agreed with Carter and placed the curtain in front of the door blocking her vision. Carter and Benton prepared for the next step. Once they cracked his chest Benton massaged the heart, but with the tare from the rib they were unable to give him blood thinners. Carter took control and performed emergency surgery within the ER environment. "Seven of nylon" Carter called to Carol sure of what he was about to do. He proceeded in suturing the torn vessel, once finished he swabbed the area and released the clamps, once there was no sign of blood escaping they continued with medicine to control the clotting effects of the boy's blood. "V- fib" Carol called while removing the suture kit. Carter grabbed the internal paddles "30" he called "Clear" Benton removed his hands while Carter shocked the boy's heart. After they didn't get a response "An amp of epi, and lets get that heparin going" Carol quickly set it up while Benton resumed internal compressions. "Ok, lets go again at 30…Clear" After a few seconds of waiting a steady beep returned to the machine. A few moments passed while they checked his vitals until he was granted a stable condition. Carol removed the Curtains and the boy was ready for surgery; rooms were already cleared once the trauma was announced.
They wheeled the boy out and Carter stayed with the boy in the surgical ward. Carol brought the mother up to see her son after getting her coffee.
Carter helped to repair the boy's injuries in surgery due to a shortage of surgeons and his experience. Once Benton and him had closed the boy's chest they brought him to a new room in the ICU so they could monitor the boy.
After two hours the ER was cleared of all the critical patients from the accident they were either in surgery, the ICU, or in spare beds throughout the ER, two of the critical patients brought in were called due to extensive damage.
Carter watched over the boy he now knew as Chad Cobble; his mother left to get food while Crater stayed with him. He reread the chart for the millionth time as he sat down beside the bed. He looked at the clock over the door that read nine fifty-four he had been off for almost two hours. Carter realized as he put the down the chart that he had regained the feeling he once had. He felt like a doctor a small smile came to his face as he noticed that Chad wouldn't be his last patient he worked with alone. Once Chad's mother returned Carter stood from the seat and realized that all of the hectic-ness had caused him a bit of pain, but he knew it was worth it. He stood on the opposite side of the Chad's mother who was now grasping her hand. She looked up quickly "He moved…he squeezed my hand" she smiled widened. Carter took out his pen light, "Chad can you hear me?" Carter questioned as he examined the reaction of his eyes. "Equal and reactive… that's good" he said with a small smile. Carter pressed his fist to stimulate pain, causing Chad to move more as he awoke. His mother quickly hugged and kissed him leaving lipstick prints. Carter did a quick exam and was able to tell them both that the boy would recover and that there didn't seem to be any long-term damage.
Carter was about to leave when Mrs. Cobble tapped his shoulder "Thank you so much" she took hold of Carter's face and kissed his check as tears rolled down her face. She turned her attention back to her son as Carter left the room.
He walked out of the elevator into the ER with a smile on his face ready to go home. As carter entered the lounge he was greeted by Mark who was leaving as well. "How's your patient?" Carter smiled wider "He's going to be fine, he woke up about an hour ago" he said looking at the clock now reading eleven nineteen. "Good" Mark responded looking at Carter "Hey… umm your cheek" Carter looked in the mirror of his locker and laughed when he saw the lipstick; bright red stained his right cheek. "What can I say?" Carter laughed.
THE END
Note- Ok now I am ready for the New Year. Hope you liked it. Have a great time and now a few shout outs to all of you great reviewers…
Sky Spade, Lily B., Neonex, Smallville's Chick 1989, carterzproperty, K-Daawg, Lamako, Jenny, Caitie, Allison, Firestarter237, Shadow Spade,Asfd, Angelbaby, Thir13en Ghosts- Elemental, As, Blurd-vision, Psalm57, Marymelon3, DAQueen, Sionthede, Anna, Liz Argo, baa-rammsteeein, and last but not least TVRocks … if I forgot anyone I am super sorry don't hesitate to yell at me.
THANK YOU ALL!!! You rock my socks, and my world. Your reviews are what kept me writing and brought many a smile to my face. So thank you and goodnight and have a happy and healthy New Year.