Rookie | Ethan Ramsey

Chapter 8~ Wrong Man

Wrong Man

"I didn't think I could trust anyone enough to share the load, but...you've proven me wrong."
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"He's dying. Dr. Banerji is dying."

Ethan stood in front of Blue, taking in slow, unsteady breaths right after he said those words. Blue glanced through the window blinds, into the room where Naveen was resting.

"What does he have?" she asked, shifting her gaze back to Ethan. "I've been trying to figure that out for the last month." he admitted. "Dr. Ramsey...how can I help? Anything you need, I'm here." Blue told him sincerely. Ethan rubbed his tired eyes and shook his head before replying, "Thank you, but...there's nothing you can do."

"There must be something. What are his symptoms? When did they start? Why haven't you admitted him properly?" Blue persisted, not willing to let Ethan give up on whatever Naveen was experiencing. Before he could reply, Ethan's pager beeped and he checked it with a grimace. He looked back at her, eyes dull with defeat. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Please, say nothing of this." he told her pleadingly.

"Dr. Ramsey! You can't just tell me one of the greatest doctors this country's ever seen is dying and then...walk away. You want me to keep this a secret, but you won't even tell me what 'this' is." Blue told him, her eyes searching his for answers. Ethan looked away from her gaze, settling his eyes on Naveen's resting form. He rubbed his chin and sighed before replying, "Come by my house after work tonight. I'll explain everything, I promise."

Blue pondered over his request. Ethan Ramsey was one of best diagnosticians in the country, and was the sole reason for her immense passion for medicine. However, seeing him so vulnerable in front of him, unable to save his own mentor made him seem Human to her. "I'll be there." she accepted. "And I mean it Blue. Not a word of this to anyone. Not even Harper Emery. Promise me." he told her, touching her arm, staring at her gravely with his piercing blue eyes.

Blue swallowed visibly, realizing the magnitude of what was happening. She respected Ethan too much to break his trust. "I promise. You can count on me." she told him. He let her arm go, heaving a sigh of relief. "Thank you." he said but Blue shook her head replying, "No. Thank you. For trusting me with this." Ethan's pager beeped again and he gave her a brief nod before walking away. He glanced mournfully into Naveen's room as he passed.

Blue followed his gaze, feeling a gnawing feel in her heart. She was not as close to Naveen as Ethan was. She vaguely remembered meeting him when she was very young, and he was working with her parents for a few years. If she herself, was feeling terrible upon this news, she could only imagine how bad Ethan was feeling, especially having to bear the burden alone for more than a month now.

Blue emerged from the under-construction corridor her thoughts still with Ethan and Naveen, when she found Zaid bearing down at her. "Unless you decided to quit medicine to become a foreman, I'm not sure what you could possibly be doing in there!" Zaid with a perplexed look. "Oh! I...was lost." Blue tried to cover up. "You have been here for weeks, and you're still getting lost?" Zaid asked.

Blue opened her mouth to reply, but Zaid interjected, "Look, just...please stay out of there? If you get hurt in there, the hospital's insurance won't cover it. They'll look for any reason to dismiss you're claim. And as much as I'd enjoy being rid of you...it'd also be a lot of paperwork, okay?" "Understood, Dr. Mirani." Blue replied, as she hurried off towards the elevator. However, as she went, she could not help but look back at the blocked-off corridor and thought of Naveen all alone.

》》》

In the middle of her shift, Blue was heading to meet a new patient, when she noticed a small crowd of surgical interns gathered in the hallway. Bryce was standing in the center, grinning.