Ignite

6

"They said the vomiting started a couple days ago." One of her residents said.

"We didn't think anything was serious. Babies spit up, right? It just kept getting worse." The father explained.

"After she nursed, she couldn't hold it down." The mother adds.

"She's always been active but lately she's-"

Noelle finally looks up from the baby, "Listless?"

"Yes?"

"How often do you change her diaper?" Noelle asks, checking the current diaper. "It's wet."

The mother looks back her husband, "I'm not honestly sure. Two or three times a day? Why?"

"Anything under six is dehydration." Noelle answers. "So, we're gonna start miss Mia on with some fluids and we're gonna run a few tests."

"What's causing this?" The father asks.

"Well given the symptoms it could be a number of things but I don't want to jump to conclusions without running few tests." Noelle looks at the nurse in the room. "30 cc/oh bolus of normal saline. Maintenance rate of 12 cc per hour."

"Got it." The nurse leaves the room.

"I'll be back to check in." Noelle said, before leaving the room.

"What do you think it is?"

"Honestly, I think it's a stomach bug but we will know when the results come in. In the meantime, check on the patient in 8 to make sure the antibiotics are helping."

"Hohoho!"Noelle looks up from the tablet to see her best friend, "what's up? You're usually in the Christmas spirit."

"Well, I have a sick baby in 5-"

"You haven't even decorated your place."

"I have decorations. They're just in the Target bags in my living room." Noelle answers.

"Noelle!" Mel yells.

"What!?"

Mel looks over at Monica, who's standing behind the nurse station. She had been listening the whole time. "Do you believe her?"

"She's got a point." Monica answers,

Noelle rolls her eyes and places the tablet down, "I will decorate when I get out of work today."

"I'll be over tomorrow night with spiked eggnog to check." Mel said, "Monica, you down? We sing drunk Christmas carols."

"You had me at liquor."

Noelle shook her head as she laughs a little, "Well ladies, I'm gonna get back to work and check on my patient." She checked on patient after patient. In the back of her mind, she just wasn't in the Christmas spirit this year. She played the part for the children but she just couldn't do for herself. This year was just different.

"Mr and Mrs. Hunter, we got little Mia's results back." Noelle said, walking back into the room.

"We were looking up her symptoms on the internet. Is gonna need surgery?" Mr Hunter asks.

Noelle shook her head, "No, No, No. She just has low potassium. It's a mild electrolyte imbalance. Still want to keep her but it's most likely the stomach flu based on her results."

The parents both look her at her, "That's all?"

"We hope so. We're gonna keep her on fluids and monitor her condition." Noelle explains. "Best-case scenario, it resolves on its own."