Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 5- Governor and Proposals

I headed to the western block of the hospital, connected by an arch bridge again after leaving Esme back with her patients. I asserted her first round and she did it perfectly. In contract I had nearly killed my first patient. I had a feeling that Esme Ortega was going to be a great doctor in the future but I was uncertain about her social life. She seemed really drawn back- lone wolf types with some required attitude correction.

Lone wolf? Looks who's talking to whom.

It was a wise thing that Ethan wasn't an attending anymore.

He had once torn a keynote speaker's address because the speaker was doing commercialization of products rather than a research idea. No one had bothered to point a single finger at Ethan. Whatever he did, it was perhaps right and I later found out that the speaker was none other than the former Chief of R&D, Dr. Carlisle who was now apprehended by the medical police and was undergoing trials for his crimes and possible (definite) relations with unethical implemented methodisation of research and harming patients of Edenbrook as well.

But does the story end there?

When I entered the free community clinic for my two-hour long round, I was met with a scene which could be frankly described as ravenous crowding. I wasn't given any charts or appointments but rather just my assigned cabin where the patients would enter and I would well...diagnose them.

The clinic stretched across the long hallway, turning round in the directions of both the corners. Harried doctors shouted orders to get through the patients as quickly as possible. It was strangling compared to spacious Edenbrook. The entrance had a reception where a female nurse was trying her best to accommodate the growing line of people who were approaching from almost everywhere in paired masses. The seats at the entrance of the community clinic were full and few of the patients had to wait by standing nearby. When the nurse saw me, I detected relief on her face.

"Dr. Turner!" she called, "Thank god you are here. I am sending your patients down."

Patients.

As in plural.

I did another scan of the crowd and prayed that I wouldn't be getting the whole horde for myself. It would take the whole day plus more to assemble them all and I had my own rounds of residency to make, work on Esme's cases and submit reports at DD. I understood why the hospital hasn't assigned this duty to the interns because it looked even busier than the ER.

Of course it would be. You know they how much they charge for a single general bed here!

My cabin was a small chamber with few dispensary cabinets and a small sink. Another table had syringes and medicine vials waiting. One nurse was waiting for me for as well. I recognized her as Amanda and gave her an acknowledging nod. My table was already set up. The medicine chart, diagnosis chart along with notepads and files, scan holders and essential instruments were kept. Without wasting more time, I did a quick scan on the meds before pushing the chair and placed myself, and plopped the latex gloves in my hands.

Immediately, just as promised, the first set of patients began arriving.

My first case was a ten-year old girl who was having (to no surprise) stomach aches. I asked her father about the recent consumption she had and was met with the answer right there. It was New Year's week and everyone was still celebrating. So doubt too much sweets sometimes made our stomach irritated. I prescribed low medications for the week and asked him to bring her back if the pain persisted.

The next case was fever. So were the next and the next and the next.

"The climate is being rad again." I whispered to myself. January was Boston's coldest month yet there weren't any snowfalls this time- rather the day was hot enough to refuse the shelter of jackets. December was chilling but it felt presumably the earth had just accelerated its revolution and axial tilt around the sun (which was of course an uncanny thought). In truth, global warming was proving a dreadful trepidation.