"Yes, I can redirect you to him right now." Tsubame reassured the harried patient on the other end, quickly looking up Dr. Gensai's number. The receptionist who supervised her looked on, slowly nodding as she returned to her own line. When Tsubame was finished, she set the phone on its receiver, and almost immediately, it rang again.
She was thankful for her internship, but answering calls was rather exhausting. At least, she told herself, she was actually in Kamiya Kasshin Hospital, and that any experience would aid her in the future.
"Hey, Tsubame."
She looked up, to see Yahiko standing on the other side of the counter. He had a large coffee in hand, presumably to prepare for his shift in the evening. "Hello, Yahiko-kun. How are you?"
He nodded. "Fine. You're still handling calls?"
"Yes."
"You should have signed up as an EMT too."
"I have a class in the evenings." She said, and he seemed to recall the difference in their schedules. "I'd only get nervous anyway."
"It's not that bad." He argued. "And even Yutaro gets nervous sometimes. But if you're happy, that's what matters. I guess."
She smiled. "Thank you."
After he walked through the front doors, the calls resumed. If she had chosen to be an EMT, she would have experienced more than fleeting voices. But this was what she had decided, and she had to live with it. Bracing herself, she picked up the phone.
As the sun set, the lines quieted. Tsubame nibbled at the onigiri she had packed for herself, keeping an eye on the lobby. There were many sick patients waiting, and it was hard to focus on the homework she had to finish. Perhaps, it would improve over time, but she found it difficult to endure the collective misery. It agonized her, but she was only a week-old intern and her responsibilities were limited.
Her supervisor stood, saying that she had to copy forms. "If anyone calls, put them on hold until I get back."
"Okay."
She had hoped that there wouldn't be any, but not even five minutes later, the phone blared. She checked the incoming signal. It was one of the ambulances, and it was likely there was an urgent situation. She desperately looked around; to her dismay, the other receptionists were handling calls of their own. Gingerly, she picked up and nervously asked. "Hello? Please, wai-"
"Tsubame!" Yahiko's voice was on edge, and in the background, she thought she heard Yutaro murmur soothingly. Yahiko spoke again. "We're on our way back, but we need a room available when we get there!"
A chill swept through her, as her senses went into full alert. Her free hand scrambled for a pen and notepad, to jot down whatever he would say. "How can I help?"
"Patient is 15 years old, male, suffering from acute appendicitis. He needs to be operated on, like now. Pediatric surgery unit!" He added, having been prompted by a coworker.
"Yes, I'll contact them! How long will it be until you get here?"
"Ten minutes."
"I'll put you on hold. Please wait until I get confirmation." She rapidly dialed the number for the pediatric surgery unit. "This is the main desk. Do you have a bed available? There's a patient en route, who needs to go into surgery immediately!" She relayed the information as best as she could, waiting anxiously as the other end searched for an available physician. Within a minute, they did.
"This is Dr. Himura." His voice was soft and calm. "What are the details?"
She repeated herself, feeling a little more certain. "They'll arrive in another five minutes, I believe."
"Got it. Thank you…?"
"Sanjou!"
"Thank you, Sanjou-san." He sincerely said and gave her the number of the available room. "We'll be ready."
The line clicked, and she quickly returned to Yahiko. "The patient will be seeing Dr. Himura in the pediatric surgery unit." She provided the room number and floor.
He reiterated the information. "Okay, thanks, Tsubame. We'll be in touch if there's anything else."
At last, Tsubame shakily put the phone down. Her heartbeat was racing so loudly, she didn't hear anything else until a nearby receptionist asked if she was alright. She realized that she was standing, and she hastily sat down.
I helped out. I helped make a difference. She thought. Ah, this is why I'm here.
She ducked her head, smiling. Her resolve had been renewed; she desired to help people, in her own way. As long as she reminded herself of that, her confidence wouldn't waver.