"What?" Her eyes widened, "W-what do you mean? I killed him?"
"No, what we're trying to say is-" Johnny started but Henrik held up his hand to stop him.
"Did you properly examine the patient before deciding to do compressions?"
She thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"What did the paramedics say when you collected him?"
"Suspected punctured lung, bruising around chest, x-ray needed." She listed emotionlessly.
Henrik sighed, "Did you fully evaluate the situation before starting compressions?"
She shook her head.
"Did you not think that an impalement of something would be the cause of a punctured lung?"
She shook her head, "So even if he did come back, my actions would have killed him anyway?" She asked teary.
"Well not necessarily, but the main problem is that you did not assess the situation which lead to you causing more damage to the patient." Henrik explained apologetically.
A tear dripped from her face as she hung her head. She looked up towards older surgeon, "Will I get into trouble for this?" She sniffed.
Henrik glanced back at Johnny for help.
Johnny lifted himself from Ric's desk, "Well, we could just not release any of that information. But then that's immoral and kind of against the law. But it's up to the Director of Surgery." He turned to Henrik who seemed desperate to find any way to get his new young lover out of trouble.
"I think… that might work. We say nothing about it, we keep that information under wraps with the excuse that it is not available for release to family members and next of kin."
"Woah, woah, woah, hang on a second boss, do you know that hospital protocol information is available on the internet, and protocol clearly states that we are obliged to give out autopsy reports if the family asks for it."
"Just say one wasn't written."
Johnny folded his arms, "Is this the Henrik Hanssen telling his staff to do something against protocol? This is interesting. Did I tell you that the Coroner's report finishes with the words 'inquest recommended'?"
Henrik backed down, "You what?"
Johnny opened his notes, "The report states that Mr Johnson died from natural causes, heart failure, but it also says that if he did survive the ventricular fibrillation the increase of the puncture wound may have caused his death further down the line, therefore, Tabby would be held responsible for that."
Tabby sobbed.
The Scotsman turned to the young doctor, "Look Tabs, I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to dump you in it but we have to look at the facts and abide by the law."
"That says 'inquest recommended' not 'inquest required' so therefore, no inquest needs to be held, meaning we need not take this any further."
Johnny snorted, "Well try telling that to the next of kin."
Henrik suddenly looked worried, "Who is his next of kin?"
Johnny laughed, "Well it looks like you're both very lucky because he doesn't have one, no wife, no kids, no family." He slapped the folder onto Ric's desk before storming out.
"Would you like something to eat or drink?" Chantelle mimed her words so the Japanese woman could understand.
"Yes, er, purease."
"Would you like a sandwich? Cup of tea?" She spoke slowly again for the foreigner.
"Yes purease." Yuki nodded.
"I'll be back in a min then." She headed to the staff room.
*Ring ring*
The nurse already at desk picked up the phone, "Hello Keller… Yes I'll send them down." The nurse put down the phone, "Mr Malick, emergency coming in 5!" She called over.
"Right, Mr Griffin we've got an emergency in 5 we need to get a team together." Malick called over to the older physician.
"Ok, you, me, Sally and Ross will go down, Dr Digby, you're in charge; let's go team."
"We'll sort something out, ok, don't worry, no inquest is needed so you're safe." Henrik assured as they left the office. He turned to face her, "Just say nothing about it to anyone and you'll be fine." He muttered before heading off the ward.
Tabby looked over the ward and spotted Chantelle placing a mug and plate onto Yuki's table, she headed over.
"Yamamoto san, ogenki kibun desu ka?" (How are you feeling, Ms Yamamoto?)
"Toutsuu de." (In pain.) Yuki replied apologetically.
Tabby flicked through her notes, "Bokura wa moruhine motto anata dekiru ataeru." (We can give you more morphine.) She slipped back the notes, "Chantelle, can we give her 5mg morphine please? And can we chase up the x-ray results?"
"Certainly."
*Bing, bing, bing, bing*
"Dr Rees, Chantelle!" Arthur called.
The two doctors ran over to bed 6, Mr Mockery.
"He's crashed." The nerdy doctor explained.
"Right, er-erm…compressions, start compressions, we need to bag him." Tabitha instructed.
The other nurse held the mask to the man's face and began pumping the bag whilst Arthur began compressions.
"Tabitha we need to do something." Digby was in a panic.
"I've got the crash trolley." Chantelle wheeled the kit over.
'Not again, not again, it's going to happen again, it can't be on my watch, I can't do it.'
"Tabby, what's the matter?" Chantelle was concerned.
Tabby was frozen, arms, legs, eyes, mouth, nothing could move, she couldn't think, not clearly; he was going to die, just like before. Her breath began to come thick and fast as she stared at the patient lying flat, being resuscitated, she couldn't do it, she just couldn't.
"TABBY!"
Suddenly adrenaline took over, she ripped the paddles from Chantelle's hands and placed them against the orange pads Arthur had set down already.
"Charge 150…clear!"
*Shock*
No rhythm.
"Charge again…clear!"
*Shock*
"Pause." Digby held up his hand staring at the monitor.
Finally the bleeps started.
"We've got sinus rhythm, well done Dr Rees." His cheery grin faded though as he watched the other young doctor in navy scrubs solemnly place back the paddles.
"I need some air." She mumbled before turning and shuffling towards the door, an emotionless expression on her face.
She parked herself on a wooden bench in the garden area, pulling the sleeves of the grey uniform hoodie over her chilly hands, huddling into herself to keep warm in the cold winter breeze. She rocked herself back and forth, a tear trickling down her face.
"I'm not involved, I must stay detached, I am not at all affected by this, I'm not, he survived, he did this time." She dissolved into sobs, burying her chin into her chest.
"Tabitha?"
Her head shot up.
"Mr Griffin." She quickly rubbed her eyes dry, "What can I do for you?"
"Well, er, I had these handed to me." He handed her the envelope, "Ms Yamamoto's x-ray results. Chantelle told me you'd gone to get some air."
"Thank you." She sniffed, keeping her head low.
Ric tilted his head, "Have you been crying?"
"Er, no." Her nasally, blocked nose voice gave it away though.
"Would you like to tell me about it?" He sat next to her, "Unless it's boy troubles then I can't really help much."
"You already know."
"Do I?" He wasn't convinced that was a good enough answer; of course he knew, he was informed of why she was sent down to Keller in the first place, he had been told of how Mr Mockery in bed 6 crashed, how Tabby froze when about to defibrillate, but she needed to get that off her chest and he was there to listen, "You had your first death this morning didn't you?"
"Oh for god's sake." She hissed covering her face.
"And when Mr Mockery crashed not long ago, you panicked."
She brought her hand away from her face, resting her elbows on her legs and her chin on her interlaced fingers; she turned her head slightly in his direction. 'Finally.' He thought, 'She's ready to talk.'
"I thought I could cope. When Mr Johnson couldn't be resuscitated I didn't feel anything, I never spoke to him, never got to know him and so I wasn't involved. But it was Naylor's choice of words when she kicked me off the ward, she said 'at your hands' making it seem like it was my fault. When Mr Mockery crashed I couldn't do it, if he didn't pull through it would be another death at my hands, I would be responsible for 2 more patients on the statistics. I froze… I couldn't do anything, but that in itself could have killed him, if I had waited too long then…" She burst into more tears.
"Tabitha, it was not your fault, you tried your best, even Jac told me that, she doesn't think that it was you fault, I think it was just a misunderstanding of wording at the time. Now, you've got a patient in there needing your care, so get back up and do the job that you're good at." He gave her a playful punch in the arm before getting up and leaving her to ponder his words.
She took a deep breath before opening the door. After composing herself she strode onto the ward with a façade of confidence, ripping open the envelope as she made her way to a light box. Chantelle heard the click and glanced to where it was, seeing it was Tabby she hurried over, "Tabby are you ok?" She asked genuinely concerned.
"I'm fine. Ok, we have conformation of an anterior dislocation of the left shoulder; I'm thinking External Rotation method." She gave Chantelle a cheeky side glance.
The nurse's jaw dropped, "But, you're not thinking of doing a reduction on your own are you?"
Tabby nabbed the x-ray and headed to the desk, "No, cause you're going to help me."
Chantelle chased after her, "But shouldn't you wait for an orthopaedic consultant?"
"Well he's not here is here is he?" She slapped a folder onto the desk.
"Ms Yuki Yamamoto, anterior dislocation of the left shoulder?" Came the loud and obnoxious tone from behind, reading off a post-it note he had.
Unfortunately Tabby recognised the voice and slowly turned to face her nemesis: James Harvey – Orthopedic Consultant… AKA, The Twat of a Night Shift Orthopod.
His features dropped when he recognised the brown haired girl, "Oh, um Miss Rees, what a pleasant surprise." He grinned awkwardly.
Tabby stared him down. He coward slightly, awaiting a hurling of insults.
"You're late." She spat before spinning on her heel and heading over to her patient, "So, what happened to the night shift?"
He quickly ran to her heel, "Well, I've got to work with other people right, I needed a change, that's all; I swear it wasn't to piss you off." He begged.
"This is Ms Yuki Yamamoto; she doesn't speak very good English so if you want to say anything I'll translate for you." She was clearly ignoring his pleas'.
"Hello Ms Yamamoto." He gave up.
"Kon'nichiwa Yamamoto-san."
"How are you feeling?"
"Ogenki kibun desu ka?"
"Yoi chobitto, arigatou."
"A little bit better, thank you."
"Good."
"Guddo."
James began to examine the shoulder, "Can you feel that?"
"James I've already done that?"
"Yes well it doesn't hurt to do it again."
"Tsk." She turned to Yuki, "Tezawari sono ka?"
"Hai." Yuki replied looking confused.
"Yes she can, like she could before."
James then moved on to her hand, "And that?"
"Tezawari sono ka?" She asked getting irritated.
"Hai."
"Yes."
"Ok, squeeze my hand?"
"Shibori." (Squeeze.) She huffed.
"Good."
"Guddo, oboshiki." (Good, apparently.) She rolled her eyes, "You know I've already done all this right?"
"Have you booked her in for an x-ray?"
Silently she handed him the results.
"When was this done?"
"When you were too busy flirting with the day shift nurses I suppose."
"I had other patients." He defended.
"Of course you did." Her response sarcastic, turning and heading back to the nurses' station, "I reckon an External Rotation should get that straight perfectly."
"I don't think that's a good move, she's older, more frail, and if we miss it's going to put more strain on the tendons and possibly cause more damage…"
'More damage.' Her mind panicked for a moment.
"…I think the Hippocratic method will get that back in place much more easily."
"But like you said, she's older, more frail, and plus she's a women, to put that much pulling strain on her may cause further damage to the neck and spine, I think an External Rotation will be safer and far less strenuous for her."
"Um, who's the orthopaedic specialist here, you or I?"
"I'm her primary consultant."
"Well I'm the bone expert for a patient with a bone problem!"
"Well to be perfectly honest I think you're the one with the problem, can we both just forget that you're a twat with a posh sports car which you ran me over with once and act like professional adults with a clue of what we're doing?"
He sighed, "Yes."
"Good, now I propose a plan, we shall try the External Rotation first…"
He was about to protest when she raised her tone.
"…Then IF we find that it has not worked we shall then try the Hippocratic method, deal?"
He rolled his eyes, "Deal." Shaking her hand he turned back to their patient.
"Ki-pu buri-jingu kore." (Keep breathing this.) She gave Yuki the tube.
"Nani kore?" (What is this?)
"Entonox, nari tasukete to toutsuu." (Entonox, it will help with the pain.)
James straightened the arm out making Yuki suck hard on the tube; he then bent the arm at a right angle at the elbow. He grinned up at Tabby, "Ready?"
"Hai. Anata desu ka, Yuki-san?" (Are you, Yuki?)
"Iie." She shook her head.
"Ok, de san." (Ok, on 3.) "Ichi, ni-"
"Chotto matte!" Yuki held up her free hand.
"Daijoubu ka?" (Are you alright?)
Yuki shook her head.
"Rirakkusu, tanki naru toutsuu." (Relax, the pain will be short.) She reassured.
"Hai, iku."
"James, ydych chi'n barod?" (Are you ready?)
"Ydw." (Yes.)
"Da iawn, un, dau, tri." (Very good, 1, 2, 3.)
Yuki tensed guessing that was the count down, but when nothing happened she relaxed back down. She opened her eyes, "Nani warui? AITA!" (What's wrong? OUCH!)
As James rolled the arm around, Yuki took huge deep breaths of Entonox whilst squeezing Tabby's hand in a death grip. Tabby's face contorted into all sorts of expressions of pain and sympathy as she heard the loud crack of the bone popping back into place.
As James placed her arm back into the sling, Yuki's breaths began to calm as she took more Entonox.
"Daijoubu ka?" Tabby asked.
"Hai." Yuki looked exhausted so Tabby decided to let her rest.
"Omigoto." Tabby patted Yuki's healthy shoulder and headed to the nurses' station.