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Chapter Twenty One - AMA

Arin felt herself frowning, ignored the parents comment but nodded firmly, fixing a steely determined expression on her face. "Yes, I am 100% positive and no I don't want to wait and talk to Doctor House. I'm ready to go home."

The Nurse seemed to consider Arin's request carefully as if she was unsure what to say exactly. "I...understand your desire to take control of your health, but I don't have the authority to let you leave."

"Then please can you get someone who does." Arin asked.

The nurse put a hand onto the basket she had rolled in as if needing to make sure it was still there, grounding herself maybe Arin wondered watching her.

"I would need to get the attending on call to discuss this with you."

With a slight sigh Arin raised her eyebrows. "Then please do."

"Yes of course... I'll be right back."

She left the room hurriedly and Arin released the breath she had been holding. Leaning back into the chair she closed her eyes and tried to take a couple of calming breaths. In, and, out. Her head throbbed in time with her heart beat.

"I'm right, I'm right, I'm right." She whispered to herself, part of her knowing and part of her needing the affirmation.

A short while later Carol was back with a slightly tired looking woman wearing scrubs and a labcoat, her ginger coloured hair tied up in a messy knot.

"Good morning, Arin" she said in the sort of noncommittal way that indicated she had literally just been told Arin's name seconds before entering."I'm Dr. Hernandez, I'm the attending on call." She picked up the chart and flicked through it only pausing for a moment, noting House's name no doubt, before she continued  "Nurse Morgan informed me that you'd like to discuss signing out against medical advice."

Arin swallowed the creeping feeling of panic and willed herself not to grip the chair arms. She had to hold this together, now wasn't the time to flip out on this woman and end up whoever knows where. She slowed her breathing as much as she could, squared her shoulders and firmly but politely said "Yes, that's correct."

"And can you tell me what's made you think this is the correct course of action?"

Arin frowned despite her internal promise to remain calm. She wasn't sure how to say 'oh I diagnosed myself last night,I'm good to go now, thanks' without it sounding childish and contrived. Instead she went with the more petulant sounding "I have the right to make my own medical decisions as per my guardians instructions, despite my age. This is within my power to request."

Dr. Hernandez studied Arin for a moment, considering the situation. Her dark eyes seemed concerned yet distant as though she did not want to be drawn into some sort of drama that wasn't really her concern and was worried this would become just that. She gave a small sigh "You're only 16, Arin. Are you sure you are fully aware of the risks and responsibilities that come with making this decision?"

Arin nodded again, unwavering. Her heart beat furiously in her chest and she was thankful that she had taken off the monitoring equipment. She swallowed "Yes, I understand the risks. I've thought it through. And I'm not going to change my mind."

Dr. Hernandez sighed again, and pushed a hand to adjust the dark rimmed glasses she wore back into position. She had to acknowledge the level of Maturity that the teenager was displaying. This wasn't the typical tantrum or screaming match of demanding to go home that she had expected when she had been summoned. In a sort of detached way she said "You know Doctor House isn't going to like this...you should wait for him to come in to talk about this. It should only be a couple of hours. And it says here you are due to have a full physical exam with him anyway this morning."