Eighteen never seemed like an important number to me. All my friends made such a big deal out of it, like a number was the solution to all their problems. I never saw it that way. When I would turn 18 I would still be in high-school, live with my parents and work at the local supermarket in my free time.
Well, that was what I hoped would happen. But I guess I should've listend to my friends, turning 18 is a huge deal and comes with a lot of responsibility.
☆
Luke
"I need to have a scan for her lungs, I wanna know what we are dealing with." I spoke swiftly to one of the nurses crowding the room.
"I'm on it." Was the quick reply I got but my focus was already back on the patients.
There had been a fire, 2 known victims, one in stable condition and one not doing so great.
"Do we have her medical record?" I asked while I checked her eyes for any signs of an consussion
"Yes I just got it. June Glassentown, female, 17 years old, no known allergies. Barely has an medical record. Only her shots are listed."
"Must be a really healty kid or we are missing information. " Patients rarely had an almost empty medical history.
"Probably has something to do with the fact that her dad is a doctor." The nurse spoke.
That wasn't something I wanted to hear. Being your own family's doctor isn't recommended because people give more unnecessary treatment.
I sighed and straighted myself. "No signs of a concussion or other head truama. Severe second degree burn on left shoudler blade, small burn wounds covering her hands and feet. Her lungs don't sound too good and her pulse in trough roof. But I'll wait for those scans until we make any decisions."
While I said those things to the nurses June suddenly started coughing. The kid had thankfully been unconscious the whole time but her body decided that it was time to feel the pain she was in. Right before her pain medication would start working.
Her eyes shot open, a wide panicked look shot across her face.
Her hands immediately went for her oxygen mask that was helping her breathe.
"Easy kid, you're in the hostipal. We're making sure you're going to be okay. The mask is there to help you." I spoke to her as I put her oxygen mask back in place.
She relaxed a little once she took a proper look around the room but that panicked look never left her eyes.
Her hand reached for me, trying to hold my arm but falling due to her own exhausting.
"My...parents." She whispered. Her voice was hoarse and barely audible thanks to the smoke she inhaled.
"We'll talk about them later. Let's focus on you right now." I spoke gently as I guided her hand back on the bed.
She shook her head, which must've hurt by the way she grimaced.
"You need to call them. They are on a date." she whispered.
I looked her in the eyes.
"I will. Don't worry June, everything's going to be fine."
"How's my sister?" She said with more difficulty then before.
"She's here right now. I'm not too sure how she is doing but I do know that she is in stable condition."
She was quiet for a while. Deep down I knew I should probably say some comforting words to her but I doubt that she would even remember those.
"Are you in any pain right now?"
"Tired." She said after taking her time to answer. The pain meds were kicking in but I still didn't like that she wasn't answering my question.
"Can you move your left arm for me?"
With a clenched jaw she slowly moved her arms and her fingers. The burns didn't damage her ability to move her arm or hand although It didn't went without pain.
With the movements she made earlier I already knew that information but I wanted fo be sure.
I gently touched her wrapped up hand. "Can you feel that?"
"Yes."
"That's good. You're doing absolutely great. You can almost sleep but we're just going to a ct scan of chest to make sure you don't have any severe burns wounds internally."
Her mouth opend to say something but only a chough escaped her burned troat.
"You're in good hands. Everything is going to be alright."
She looked away from me, not interested in empty words. And who could blame her? The poor kid had just escaped a fire and she was here with probably a thousand questions that were left unanswered.
The painfull silence didn't last to long as a nurse came in to take her away for the ct scan. I wasn't needed for that and June showed no signs of wanting me there.
"I'm going to see how your sister is doing. I'll talk to you when you're back, okay?"
June gave me a small nod in return.
Once I was in the hallway I saw Calum talking to two police officer. I knew he was treating June's sister so they were probably talking about the fire. Based on all their faces it wasn't good news.
"Dr Luke Hemmings. I'm June's doctor." I said to the police officer as I shook his hand.
"How's she doing?" The other cop asked.
"A couple minor injuries. She's currently getting a ct scan for her lungs."
"Molly is also doing well. She is currently sleeping." Calum said mainly towards me.
"Have you been able to get in contact with their parents? My patient told me her parents weren't home." I asked.
"We were just taking about that." Calum said in a soft tone.
"We found 2 bodies. Based on the information we highly suspect that those are Mrs en Mr Glassentown."
I looked at him dumbfounded. I had to go tell my already traumatised patient that her parents were gone.
"We are still investigating the accident. A DNA test will identify the bodies with a hunderd procent certainty." The female cop spoke.
"A conversation with your patient's would also be very helpful."
Calum nodded understandably. "Both the girls are currently in need of rest but you are more than welcome to come back in the morning."
Both the cops agreed to that. They were probably already past their shift time and eager to go home.
"What information do you exactly need?" I aksed.
"There are still some lose strings like the parents car not being home. The fire alarms that didn't went off. We just need to ask ,mainly June, what happend according to her."
"Should we tell the girls their parents didn't make it when there's still so much uncertainty?" Calum asked.
"You should be honest with them and prepare them for the possible worst news."
The conversation ended and the cops agreed to be back tomorrow in the afternoon.
I walked with Calum to June's little sister who was currently sleeping. We stopped infront of her door where I could see her laying in bed trough the small window next to the door.
"How is she?" I asked Calum who was leaning with his back against the door.
"A few small burns and some scrapes but beside that she is fine. The amount of smoke she inhaled in also minor due to her face being covered and her getting out pretty fast." The usual optimistic tone Calum gave when a patient was Barely injured wasn't there.
"The poor girl kept asking for her parents when she came in. I tried to reassure her they would be here when she would wake up. I guess I'm gonna have to dissapoint her."
My head fell back against the wall. That was something I didn't want to think about. No one deserved to lose their parents so sudden.
I looked at the small figure that was sleeping on the bed. Molly looked so peaceful compared to June. They barely even looked like sisters. My patient had brown straight hair while Molly had blond hair that curled.
"Are you going home?" I asked.
Calum shook his head as he took his weight off the door. "I'm gonna stay here tonight incase she gets a nightmare or something. There's also a big chance she's gonnna want her parents as soon as she wakes up."
"Yeah probably a good idea. I'm gonna check on June but then I'm going home to get some sleep but I'll be back early again. June probably won't like me staying."
Not that there were many hours left to sleep due it being already 2 in the morning.
"Goodnight." Calum said as I went to walk out of the room.
"Goodnight."