CHAPTER 19
AUSTIN:
I thought Ally was pitiful when she was sick. But now she had a deep wound, a black eye and an abrasion on her face after being attacked by her ex-boyfriend who sounded like a total asshole. When I saw her all banged up, my heart just went out to me. It was really heart-breaking to see her in this much pain. I felt like I was watching one of those ASPCA commercials with homeless animals, or those commercials about those sick children in Africa.
Granted, I always had sympathy for the patients I treated, but I had never thought of them as anything outside of patients. I helped cure her tonsillitis (but I also was giving credit to the South Miami otolaryngology team for giving her the tonsillectomy), and I was going to help her wound and abrasion heal, give her antibiotics and well as make sure she got a booster shot for tetanus. Because if you didn't clean and tend to a severe wound, you risked tetanus, encephalitis, pink eye, staph infections and other stuff. I saw another colleague of mine, Dr. Kenneth Roberts, who was a radiologist, and he told me,
"Dr. Moon-"
I said,
"Hi, Dr. Roberts."
He said,
"I have Ms. Dawson's x-rays, would you like to see them?"
I said,
"Thank you so much, that would be great."
I walked in and he showed me her x-rays.
"She's wounded very badly, and her gash and exocoriation may take up to six weeks to heal, but the good news is there was no neurological inflammation, swelling or damage, broken bones or internal bleeding."
I said,
"That's good. Thank you, Dr. Roberts."
"Anytime."
I knew every staff member of the South Miami Hospital. From pediatrics to andrology and gynecology. Because I was a family doctor and I worked with infants, children, teens and adults. I asked her to sit up and I wrapped the sphygnonameter cuff around her arm and turned it on.
"One ten over seventy-five. Your blood pressure is fine. Let's check your temperature."
I took the tympanic thermometer from my lab coat pocket and stuck it in her ear. I was highly against using bulb thermometers because they were so dangerous. I used a tympanic or digital thermometer, never bulb.
"Your temperature is ninety eight point four. Normal."
I took my stethoscope from around my neck, put the eartips in my ears and I held the diaphgram and bell and I listened to her heart. Her heartbeat was normal. I was so glad she was going to be OK. Because injuries could be serious if you ignored them. Ally could have gotten a lot worse- pneumothorax, a concussion, she could have even passed out or worse- died. I dialed Connie's number so I could get Ally vaccinated for tetanus.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Connie, it's Dr. Moon. Ally Dawson is in the ER with a severe puncture wound and abrasion, and I'd like her to get a tetanus booster for her safety."
"Absolutely, Dr. Moon. I'll be right down."
"Thank you."
"You're most welcome."
My mexican colleague came down with a tetanus vaccine, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and some bandaids. I went to get some papers to fill out to prescribe an antibiotic for her and got it from the pharmacy. I came back to see her, printed out her visit summary, and I said,
"Here's your antibiotic that you should be taking twice a day for ten days, with food or water, and your visit summary."
She said,
"Thank you, Dr. Moon."
I said,
"Pleasure is mine. I hope you recover, and I'd like to see you in about two weeks, so I can make sure your medicine is doing what it needs to do."
She told me,
"OK."
I loved my job. Sometimes I felt badly when I got paid, because I felt like I shouldn't get paid to cure and treat patients, but in the end, I cashed my checks and made a living. I showed Trish Ally's visit summary and I told her,
"Just make sure she takes these pills, two in the morning, two at night, with food and/or water for ten days, and her side effects may include nausea, headaches, throwing up, dizziness, and a low-grade fever. If she has a fever above one hundred point four, just have her call me or bring her in. Also change her dressing at least twice a day."
Trish told me,
"OK. Thanks. You're a really smart guy, Doctor. And I appreciate how much you care about my best friend."
I laughed.
"Thank you. I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. I started studying diseases, medicine and injuries and how to treat and cure them when I was as young as ten, my uncle is an ER doctor and I would assist him and I graduated high school when I was sixteen, graduated college at nineteen and graduated med school six months ago while I did a medical internship. And I care about my patients more than my salary."
"Well, it's definitely done you good."
Two weeks later, I saw Ally sitting on the exam table and her abrasion was all healed. I looked around her head. Her wound was all healed.
I smiled at her.
"You definitely look all better. Just wondering, did you feel dizzy or nauseous or throw up?"
She told me,
"Occasionally, I had stomachaches and I lost my appetite. But aside from that, I felt fine."
I said,
"That's what I like to hear."
Ally smiled at me. Her smile was beautiful, and her teeth were like little pearls.
"Thank you, Dr. Moon. For taking care of me and helping me heal."
I said,
"You don't need to thank me. And I want to let you know, that I'm dead in love with you, and if you're not, just say it."
She smiled,
"I am, Austin. I'm dead in love with you, too."
I just locked her into a big kiss and we started tightly embracing each other. I asked her,
"Will you be my girlfriend and move in with me? I swear that I'll take care of you, protect you and that I'll love you forever and even during the end of time. You'll never have a boyfriend like the one who assaulted you ever again."
Ally smiled her gorgeous smile and said,
"Yeah. I will. I love you."
Months later, Ally Dawson had finally moved in with me. I had fantasized about dating her since my freshman year of high school.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'm glad you all enjoyed this story! It was so much fun to write! Don't be afraid to PM me, or review, favorite or follow me, or check out my other stories! I really appreciate all the nice reviews I see you guys post! I love the lime light haha.