CH 13
I walk into the locker room with my stomach churning. I can't tell if it's nerves about getting drinks with Alex tonight or what.
"Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale." Ruby asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. My stomach hurts a little."
We make our way to our resident and wait to be given our assignments. I get assigned to Dr. Grey and leave to find her.
"Dr. Grey," I say as I approach the nurses' station and see her standing there. "I'm on your service today."
"Good, Rhett, I need you to do rounds on my patients in 3213, 3217, and 3128. I also need you to get the labs for 3211 and 3212."
"Alright." I head off to do the tasks with my stomach now really hurting. I try to calm myself down, telling myself that drinks are nothing to get nervous about, but it doesn't help.
Ruby and I have lunch together and by now my stomach is burning.
"You aren't eating?" Ruby asks as she sits down with her tray.
"No. My stomach is cramping so bad and I feel like I'm going to throw up."
"Gross. Maybe you should get a soda and see if settles your stomach."
As I stand to get the soda, my pager goes off with a 911 from Dr. Grey.
"Ugh, I gotta go."
"Rhett, I need to go back in. Let's go, you're in." Dr. Grey says as she walks behind the gurney.
I follow Dr. Grey to the OR and watch her begin the surgery.
I can't help but rub my stomach a little as she performs the surgery.
"Rhett, Rhett?"
"I'm sorry, Dr. Grey. What did you ask?"
"I asked what the next step is."
"Um, you dissect the liver."
"Right, but surgeons don't say um."
Dr. Grey asks in a lower voice, "Eleanor, are you alright?"
"Yeah, my stomach is just hurting a little."
I downplay my symptoms because in reality it feels like someone is taking a scalpel to the inside of my stomach and I'm sure if I have to open my mouth to answer another question, the only thing going to come out is vomit.
Finally, the surgery is over and I have to run to the restroom and throw up. Now I think that maybe I'm not nervous just sick.
I hear the restroom door open and a knock on my stall.
"Eleanor, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Open the door, Rhett."
I sigh and open the door to see Dr. Grey standing on the other side.
"Eleanor, what's wrong?"
She puts her head on my forehead, "You're burning up. What hurts?"
"My stomach hurts really, really bad."
Dr. Grey pulls me to my feet and takes me into an exam room.
"Ok, I'm going to do some blood work and we'll see what's wrong."
When Dr. Grey walks back into the room she asks if I know how to perform an appendectomy.
I start to tell her the steps when she laughs, "Rhett, I'm really glad you know but for my next appy, you'll be knocked out."
"What? Why?"
"Because my next appy is going to be performed on you."
"Oh, well okay. I guess if I have to have an appendectomy I'm glad the Head of General is doing it."
Dr. Grey giggles as she starts to wheel me doing to the OR.
After Eleanor's appy, I make my way home and find Alex moping on the couch.
"What's wrong with you?" I ask as I sit down beside him.
"I shouldn't have messed with another intern." He grumbles as he takes another drink of his beer.
"What are you talking about?"
"Eleanor. Last night I asked if she wanted to get a drink tonight after work. She fricken smiled and said yes. Probably smiled because an attending asked her out and she just said yes to screw me over."
I can't suppress the giggle that comes out.
"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny." Alex gets off the couch and storms into the kitchen.
I sigh and go into the kitchen. I see Alex sitting at the kitchen table looking really upset.
"Alex, you're really upset."
"No, I… I just, she's good with the kids. I thought if we liked each other and dated, then we could watch the kids together and stuff."
"Alex, do you know why I was late tonight?"
"No."
"I was performing an appendectomy on Eleanor."
Alex quickly turns his head to look at me. "Really?"
"Yeah." I smile at him.
"You mean, she's sick? She had surgery?"
"Yes, and I know that's why she didn't meet you at Joe's. And speaking from experience, when she was in pain, then on morphine, before the surgery, letting you know she wasn't able to make it, probably wasn't on her mind."
"Well, duh. She was in pain."
Alex jumps up out of the chair and heads for the door.
"Where are you going?"
Alex turns and smiles. "To see Eleanor."
