Heartbeat

1: First Day Jitters

The human heart.

It beats about 115,000 times each day.

It pumps 2,000 gallons of blood everyday.

They say that the average heart is the size of the fist of an adult.

I would beg to differ because my heart feels like it's the size of a blown up balloon and it feels like it might burst at any moment.

I couldn't tell if it was because I had downed about 4 cups of coffee this morning because of lack of sleep or it was because I was just nervous.

The raised levels of epinephrine is probably just increasing the contractility of my heart. It's not my fault that I felt the need to drink so much coffee.

I barely got any sleep the night before because my crappy apartment was right above a nightclub. I didn't have the money to get a better place so I just have to endure.

It's probably not just the coffee. I'm also extremely nervous. I can tell because of my increased breathing and I was starting to feel a little lightheaded.

I just.....can't help but be nervous. It is my first day at North Haven hospital. It's also just about to be my first week here in LA. Everything feels so new.

It's like I've been thrown into a Lion's den except this den has hot, humid weather, and a lot of palm trees.

It somewhat reminded me of my tropical home country.

I shook the thoughts away as I stared at the glass doors of North Haven hospital.

I gulped as I tried to place my hand on the door but I retracted when the doors opened by themselves.

Right, those are automatic doors.

I never thought I would make it this far. I've moved out of my home country to study in Harvard to pursue medicine. It was such a slim chance for me to get in and yet it happened.

I was so focused on my studies that I haven't been back home for almost a decade.

Graduating top of my class did have its benefits and I was offered to have my internships at different hospitals across America.

I chose LA because it reminded me most of home.

Now, I have the chance to be the best doctor I can be.

My self-talk was cut short when someone bumped into me.

I couldn't catch his face but all I heard was a man with a deep and rough voice say, "Damn interns."

I was confused. How could he have known when I wasn't even wearing scrubs.

I watched as the man, who looked as though he was built like a statue, disappear into the hospital hallways.

I made my way to the front desk where senior residents were giving out ID Tags. A list of names were read until my name was finally called.

"Alexandria Huang," a woman who seemed to be in her mid-thirties said.

I approached her as she gave me my ID and said, "Welcome to North Haven Dr. Huang, I'm Dolores Hudson, I'll be your mentor throughout your intern year."

Dr. Dolores Hudson