A Little Hospital Ward ( A Zollie story ) #wattys2016

A Young Male

Mo's POV
'A young male, age ruffly 28 suspected alcohol poisoning but I think we may also be suffering from a collapsed lung.' The paramedic debriefs me as the open the ambulance door.
'Shit..' I rush over to the side of the bed 'Ollie, what have you done.' I look at his almost lifeless body.
I page Zosia.

Darwin
'Ok, I want a ECG, CT and a Chest X-ray as quick as possible please.'
I page Zosia again.

No ones POV
At the end of the corridor in the small box changing room sits Zosia's work top, her pager in the left hand pocket buzzing continuously.

Mo's POV
'Come on Ollie..' I try stabling him, his bp keeps dropping. I page Jac.
She bursts into the room.
'Ok, we need his stomach pumped now. We will deal with the collapsed lung when he's conscious.'

Zosia's POV
'Seb, I'll come back. I just need to nip back into Holby, I've left my house key.' I smile and slide of the stool.
'I'll come with if you want?'
'No it's ok.' I grab my jacket and head out of alybies, I call Ollie again, I guess he doesn't want to make this work. Oh well..

Mo's POV
Jac inserts an endotracheal tube before we begin the gastric suction. This tube protects the airway, and will prevent ollie from breathing the stomach fluids into the lungs. We turn him on his left side, head lowered and insert the lubricated stomach tube slowly into his mouth, down the oesophagus and into the stomach.
Ollie's phone buzzes in his pocket, I would answer it but this is a race against time. especially, his lung being collapsed too.
X
Zosia's POV
I walk into Holby behind two nurses having a gossipy conversation. I can't help listening in.
'Alcohol poisoning they said.'
'It's doctor Valentine I believe.' I grab her shoulder.
'I'm sorry what's happened?'
'Oliver Valentine, he's getting treated in there.' I push past them both and dart in the room, mo and Jac stand around Ollie removing the lubricated tube.
'Zosia..' Mo turns around.
'Sorry.. I didn't..'
Ollie begins coughing, Jac smiles.
'He's a fighter, right prep him for theatre.' She nods to me and mo.
'Wait what..what's happening?'
'He's got pneumothorax we have to operate now.' I look at Ollie, he slowly opens his eyes.
'Zosia, scrub in.'
'I can't I've been drinking!'
Ollie outstretches his hand.
'Zosia.' He calls my name, I rush to side of him and grab his hand.
'I'm here.'
He coughs again, I squeeze his hand.. This is all my fault.
'Lets move now.' Jac begins pushing the bed past me, Ollie's hand slides out of mine.
'Wait, I want Zosia..' Jac nods at me.
I walk up to the bed.
'Zosia... I'm sorry.' He weakly smiles.
'You just get better.' I slowly kiss his forehead and nod to Jac to take him.
I drop in the guest chair, looking around the empty ward. I draw my knees to my chest.
This is all my fault.

Jac's POV
'Ollie, I'm just going to sedate you.' He weakly nods. I slowly stick the needle into his arm. Once Ollie's asleep, I begin the procedure.
'Ok, I'll add in a small flutter valve, if that holds the lungs he will be better in a few days.'
Mo holds up the valve, I slowly place the scalpel to Ollie's chest. I re open an old wound, better than creating a new one.

I place the valve between the ribs into the space around the lungs to help drain the air and allow the lung to re-expand. We wait a few moments watching the chest, seeing how it responds to the valve, slowly the lung begins filling.
'We will close him up, take it out in 3-4 days.' I smile at mo, she begins stitching his chest. Thank God, I know I'm the mean harsh Jac Naylor, but I couldn't bare to lose one of my closes friends.

3 hours later.
Zosia's POV
I sit watching Ollie, Jac said the surgery was successful. I see his hand twitch, I spring to my feet. He opens his eyes and smiles at me.
'Hey..' He coughs.
'Try not to tense, you'll still be sore.' I smile. I've been doing some serious thinking while I've been sat here, i know what I have to do.
'Thank You for staying.' He smiles.
'I wasn't going to..'
'What?' He looks at me confused.
'Ollie...
'Zosia I love you.' A tear falls from my face.
'And I love you..' He grabs my hand. 'But we can't be together.' I pull back from him.
'Is this because of Seb?'
'No, it's because our relationship is toxic..' He looks at me broken.
'Toxic?'
'We hurt each other, we love each other that much we're blinded.' He knows it's true.
'I love you and I always will but there is just so many limitation' he sits up.
'We make those limitations, we can take them down.'
I walk to other side of the bed turning away from him.
'Zosia..' I try to hold back my tears but I can't.
'Ollie, answer me one thing truthfully.'
'Anything.'
I turn back to face him.
'When we spilt up, did anything bad happen to you?'
He looks away and out the window.
'No..'
'I can't do that to you..because one day I will lose you and it will be my fault.' I wipe my face.
'Zosia, we are meant to be together. Do you not see that?' I walk towards him grabbing his hand.
'Of course I know that..always have since the day I meet you in this Little Hospital Ward.' He wipes my face.
'So what is stopping you?'
'Sometimes when you love someone so much you have to know when to let go, for both your sakes.'
I can see he's trying not to cry too.
'Zosia.'
'Ollie..I love you but I..'
He slowly lift up grabbing my face and kisses my forehead.
'I love you..'
I slowly walk back from the bed and dash out of the room, I sob into my hands.
If only I could turn back time.