Family Doesn't End in Blood

This is Why I Don't Socialize

Song: I got more bills than I got pay~ Sonny Ellis

Roman

"Code Blue! Code Blue!"

"Stryker, he's flatlining!"

"Well no shit Dwyer, I'm on airway. Intubating now. Get me the defibrillator!" I shouted at the incompetent nurse that was trying to take charge of the situation. I glanced up at the clock wondering for a split second how many days I had been at the hospital when suddenly a Dr. Wright sped into the room. "Can someone fill in Dr. Late?!" I shouted clearly annoyed as I went back to work.

"Actually I'm here to fill you in Stryker," she shot back and I rolled my eyes. "Bryce Kennedy, Male, 23, mountain climbing accident causing blunt force trauma to the head, distal lacerations on the back, and possible damage to the lumbar portion of the spine." I glanced up to see Dr. Wright snatch the paddles from a struggling intern with a small apologetic smile before calling out, "Charge the paddles to 200. Ready... CLEAR!" Seconds passed and everyone was silent as the man's back arched then crumpled back down. Nothing. "Charge to 300!" Dr. Wright called out again. "Ready... CLEAR." Dr. Wright glanced up at me and for someone that didn't usually panic in these situations had a look of mild concern clouding her features.

"Crap," I muttered as I continued to squeeze the bag valve mask, administering oxygen. Suddenly the steady beeping of the heart monitor returned and everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief. I was the first to react after, grabbing the patient chart and handing it off to the floor nurse. "Give this to Dr. Holland and get Mr. Kennedy in for a CT scan," I instructed before turning around and heading down the hall to the elevator. I pressed the button and the doors began to close just as a flustered girl with light blue scrubs shoved herself through the doors at the last possible second flinging herself right into me.

"Oh son of a- I'm so sorry I-," the girl stammered then looked up at me the apology fading out of dark her eyes. "Oh," she mumbled as she straightened up and began to brush imaginary dust off her scrubs with a small slender finger. I tried with all my being not roll my eyes again but my body disobeyed my wishes and did it anyway.

"So, what are you in such a rush to get to?" I grumbled not really wanting to know the answer but hating the silence that was slowly filling the elevator.

"I-uh, actually was going to catch you and ask what the plan was?" Dr. Wright pondered as she rocked on the balls of her sneakers to the heels in an anxious manner.

"Save his life. That's the plan," I replied almost automatically as she made a snorting noise.

"Stryker, you know that man's gonna be paralyzed and-."

"Not on my watch," I interjected glancing at her with my eyebrows raised. Dr. Wright shifted a little rubbing her hands nervously together and I glanced over at her in confusion.

"...Did you happen to catch a glimpse at the claw marks on Mr. Kennedy's back?" She asked quietly like she hadn't really wanted to ask as she pressed her small round lips together in a flat line as she chewed on them.

"Yeah they were kind of hard to miss Dr. Wright. What about them?" I demanded getting tired of the conversation.

"So you think they were claw marks too?" She inferred studying my face with her intensely dark eyes causing me to feel a little self-conscience. "The chart said-," she began but I promptly cut her off.

"Yeah I know what the chart said, are you going to believe it? People believe what they want to believe," I half-yelled at her in frustration running my hand through my hair as I shoved past her through the now open metal doors.

"You tryin' to tell me that what happened to Mr.Kennedy's wasn't an accident... like a conspiracy?"

I suddenly stopped in my tracks and slowly turned, gazing at my leading competition all through school, still wondering after all these years how this flitty little geek ever even made it into medical school. And at that, how she had been at the top of our class alongside me. I exhaled in an exasperated way as she smiled cheekily up at me.

"If you just tried to make a 'joke' about the Kennedy assassination, I refuse to acknowledge it in anyway," I told her as she looked disappointedly at the ground. "Nerd," I muttered.

"I heard that," she called as I began to stomp away from her.

"You were supposed to," I grumbled rounding a corner trying to somehow go faster but running into a very tall man instead. I glanced up trying to swerve around him as he profusely apologized. I moved to the right trying to get around the mountain of a man but suddenly he was in front of me again running a nervous hand through his chestnut colored hair. I then attempted to dodge him again but we both seemed to have the same idea.

"Heh, great minds think alike I guess," he muttered. I felt a blush accumulate in my cheeks as I tried to ignore the adorable dimpled smile plastered on the man's face.

"...Kay, I mean yes, uh..." I stammered as he smiled down at me.

"Sammy stop flirting' we need to get a move on!" Another man called as he rounded the corner then stopped at the tall man's side looking me up and down then murmuring, "Hey," with a wink before grabbing the taller man's arm and continuing down the hallway. I stood in the middle of the hallway in embarrassment cursing my existence then cursing it more when I heard Dr. Wright making her way toward me.

"Hey, there you are-," she began but then cut off as she looked beyond me. I turned around gazing at a short stocky man in a crisp black suit.

"Hello girls," he drawled in a deep British accent.

"Hello," Dr. Wright replied politely as I stared at the man in confusion. "May I ask who you are?" She continued as I looked up noticing the flickering lights above me, immediately getting a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"More importantly, who gave you jurisdiction to be on this floor? Read the signs bud. Authorized personnel only," I told him angrily as he smirked up at me.

"Don't worry love, we won't be on this floor for long," the man stated as a crooked smile appeared on his round face. Then he lunged at me. My initial reaction was to punch the guy but he never reached me for when I looked around I was no longer in the hospital but in a dark, dank, dungeon.