Heartbeat

Burning feelings part 2

Heartbeat chapter 45

- Come on, Brendon! Charge in 200v...

The monitor starts a debile rhythm and I sigh in relief and the cardiothoracic surgeon enters the room.

- What happened?

I tell him everything and he thinks he can have a pulmonary embolism.

We take him to the hemodinamic room to identify the clots and unblock the airways. In the middle of the procedure, about 2 and a half hours later, the Chief shows up at our OR.

- Dr Thompson, I need to have a word with you If you don't mind.

Damn It. I'm in trouble, I can see it by the Chiefs' look. I shouldn't have lost my control but this man infuriated the hell out of me. From what I know I could be sued by him for my threat of physical aggression and for telling him he is a poor excuse of a man.

- Excuse me. - I say to the attendant before following the Chief to his office.

He sits down in front of me with a serious and tired look. The look of someone is disappointed, and I can't help but think he's right. I should've controlled my anger and not get in the middle of a family battle, but after almost 24h awake you don't think properly and your limits feel blurry.

He takes a deep breath before telling me:

- I just want to understand your version of the story for now. Because that annoying man is claiming you hurt him!

- Well, I may have hurt his feelings by calling him a poor excuse of a man, but certainly didn't punch him or something. I held him and pushed him on the wall when he took off the belt to beat his son who had just woken up from an eight hour surgery and that's still at risk of losing his leg due to the multiple fractures! What you wanted me to do?! He was going to make his son's condition worse.- I say frustrated.

The Chief chuckles as I say I called him "poor excuse of a man" but he shakes his head when I finish my next sentence.

- I want you, the next time, call the security your Dumb child! Let me explain, son, you NEVER touch an aggressive patient, you get in the way but without touching It! You just call security and someone will run and get you help. I understand your attitude, I know you act to protect the patient's physical integrity, but you never, for any reason, push a patient. Never ever. Are we understood?

I sigh and nod.

- Sorry to disappoint you, Sir.

- It's okay, you are in your first day of the first year of a surgical residency and save that boy's life. You acted quickly and gave him enough time to be diagnosed and treated for pulmonary embolism. And that's why the hospital lawyer convinced the patient's father not to sue you or the hospital.

- How about the sue his son could start against him for being beaten on a hospital bed?!- I scream and start to walk in circles around the Chief's office.

- That's how our lawyer convinced him to not sue us. He made Crystal clear to Mr Ferguson that he could be in prison if you hadn't stopped him, and then the wife managed to calm him down and sign the silent deal.

I let out a sigh in relief.

- So you won't suspend me?

- No, but this goes on your file as an advertisement.

I nod in agreement.

- So I can finish my turn?

- Course. You can go back to the ICU and proceed to the post op exams the attendant is going to ask you. And when you get back to the hospital tomorrow night make sure to get your cases and put your two interns to work.