Keep Holding On; corey crawford

You Did Everything Right

Before I could even scan the ER for patients who needed help a nurse handed me a bunch of charts. "Beds 3, 7 and 10. Now."

My first patient I went to was bed 3. Looking at her at first glance there was a cut on her leg that needed stitches.

I cringed slightly but composed myself before sitting down next to the patient. "Hello, my name is doctor Martin and I'll be your doctor today. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

She looked annoyed. "What's wrong? Well your the doctor! I've waited for an hour to have a doctor ask me what's wrong! You should just tell me what's wrong!"

"Miss, I understand you're upset, it's been a crazy day for you and you probably just want to go home." I started off and opened up her chart. "I need to to tell me a few things before I can help you though. Things like where you feel pain."

She sighed. "My leg is hurting obviously. My stomach hurts a little too I guess from the steering wheel hitting me."

I wrote down a couple things, "Oh I need to know you're name also Miss..."

"It's Sam Talon." She looked annoyed and checked her phone.

Jotting that down I set her chart at the end of her bed, "Okay I'm just going to check your vitals, and then stitch up your leg. Also I will need to examine your abdomin if it's okay with you."

"Just get me out of here please." She sighed.

I started off checking her vitals, and making sure everything was in check. It wasn't a lot of work, infact it was a little fun to get my first vital exam done. Lastly I did a quick Nuro exam to make sure she didn't hit her head and not realize it because of her leg. Everything checked out with her.

"Okay I'm just going to gently press on your abdomin now and make sure that the steering wheel didn't cause any internal problems."

She rolled her eyes, "Just hurry up."

I started off and gently press near her stomach, and directly under her ribs. The bruise from the steering wheel wasn't there though, it was closer to where her liver and pancreas was. Infact I was shocked by how it felt. Which even on my first day I knew it shouldn't feel that way. It was hard, like something had been punctured and possible had internal bleeding. I also appear to feel like a bone was mix in there making me think it was a rib.

"What's wrong? There's something wrong isn't there?" Sam asked a little panicked. "I can see it on you're face."

"I'm just an intern, so to be sure I'm going to order some tests and page another doctor okay?" I did my best to explain. "There's nothing to worry about yet."

I saw Erika finish up with her patient and sign off on their chart and decided to ask for a little help. She noticed me wave her over and happily joined me, "What's up?"

She was extremely cheery. "Can you believe our luck? First day and there's so many traumas!" She whispered a little loudly. Enough to make my patient look up a little scared.

"Hey I need you to go check out beds 7 & 10 for me. I need to take my patient for an abdominal CT a-sap," I explained and shoved the charts into her. "Thanks have fun."

Erika sighed and yelled at me as I wheeled Sam to CT, "I was going to take a nap but I guess not anymore."

I gave her a thumbs up as I walked away. Funny enough, I know I'll never get lost on my way to CT ever again. The location is burned into my brain.

Surprisingly enough there was no line for CT. It was easy to slip Sam into CT. Finally I decided to page Doctor King so he could look at my patients scans. It would take a few minutes for them to process giving him enough time to get over here.