Clash Of Cultures

32. She Feels Like Home

Noor

As I walked in to work on my first day of the cardiology rotation, I pulled up the resident call schedule for all the inpatient services on my phone. Sal...Salman...I wasn't sure what to really call him anymore, was not listed anywhere, which meant he would most likely not be in the hospital at all.

Good...last thing I want is to run in to him today.

I got signout from the overnight team on all the cardiology patients. Our sickest patient was one who had been airlifted from Kentucky a couple of nights ago.

"Not a bad service to walk in to!", my senior resident noted as we looked over the patient list, "Except for this new baby in the ICU. Let's go over what we know about him"

"Yup, so this is an 8 month old previously healthy baby, who was probably born with an abnormal heart valve, which has over time resulted in his heart function decreasing. He also then developed a viral pneumonia which has further put pressure on his lungs and heart. I think the ventilator has helped but not to the degree we had hoped and his breathing is still abnormal. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for the viral pneumonia and he is too sick to get surgery for his heart... "

"...yeah so all we can do is wait and watch him as closely as possible", the resident added, "Anyway why don't you go see him before rounds and we can discuss more later"

When I reached the room, the nurse had stepped out but the baby's mom was praying in the corner of the room. I was always glad to be the physician for Muslim families, and I knew they appreciated knowing someone who understood their culture and religion was taking care of their child.

I had started to examine the baby while waiting for mom to finish her prayers, when I heard a voice boom behind me, "You have got to be kidding me!"

Startled, I turned immediately. Salman was standing there, with 2 cups of coffee in his hand that he set down on the side table next to the baby's crib. His white shirt and black pants were crumpled and his eyes were bloodshot.

"What are you doing here?", he scowled.

"Uh...umm...I am the intern on the cardiology service this month...", I stuttered, "What are you doing here?"

The baby's mother had just finished her prayers. "Salman is his uncle...what is going on here?", she asked looking at both of us.

The baby was his nephew! If this baby came in 2 nights ago...it would have been the same night as when I had told him about Omar

It looked like he hadn't even changed his clothes since then...oh boy

"Gosh Salman, I didn't know he was your nephew. Are you doing ok?", I asked immediately. He looked so haggard my heart went out to him.

He shot an angry look at me "No! You don't get to do that anymore, pretend that you give a shit about me..."

"Salman!!", the baby's mother, who I assumed was Salman's sister, cried out.

Salman looked at the her while gesturing towards me, "There are 25 interns in this hospital! And we still get stuck with her"

My face was was hot with embarrassment now, and I told them,"I can ask my resident to take over, if you want"

"Absolutely not!", the mother replied, then looked directly at me and said, "Excuse my brother...he can be a pompous prick sometimes. My name is Sara. And as the mother I want you to continue to be my baby's physician"