My pager starts beeping rapidly startling me awake, I look at it in the darkness and curse. It's the little boy with CF. I climb off the bed and rush for the door yanking it open and running down the hall. I reach his room and see the intern performing CPR "what the hell happened?" I ask pushing past him and doing the CPR before he can answer however I shout "I need a crash cart in here STAT" and I glare at the man.
"I was- i was checking him. He seemed fine" I glare at him again "what part of him coding seems fine?" I ask and he goes pale "just stand back, I hope you learn from this" when the crash cart comes in I grab the paddles and say "charge to 200" I stand over the boy and place the paddles down on him "clear" everyone moves away. I use them but still he doesn't revive. I do it again and thankfully this time it works. Sighing I push my messy hair from my face and whirl to the intern "outside. Now" I say through gritted teeth and he follows me.
Outside in the hall I glare at him "why didn't you page me sooner?" I ask and he shrugs his shoulders I sigh and place a hand on my forehead "if that kid had died that would have been on your head you know that right? If he had died you would have had to tell the parents you failed to care for their child" he is still silent so I continue ignoring the stares I am getting from other people around us "peds is no joke ok? Kids are more prone to coding, they are more prone to getting hurt. They are delicate" I take a breath calming myself down "now are you sure you were checking him every hour like I asked?" He shakes his head sadly "I may have missed the last one" he mutters and I fold my arms "you better have a good damn excuse as to why you missed" and I wait to hear it.
"I forgot" he says quietly "you forgot?" I ask seething, I step back "get out of my sight, you are off my service" and I go back into the room to calm him parents.
"His case is more drastic then I thought" I tell the parents, the mum looks like she is going to cry and I feel for her but push on "so I'm going to get the head of cardio to come and look at him, see if there is anything we can do" they nod their heads and I look at their little boy. "Will James be ok?" The father asks and I shrug my shoulders "I'm sorry but I just don't know" I give them a sympathetic look before I leave them with their son because Lord knows how long they have left with him.
——-
When I finally leave the room I go over to the nurses station "I heard you exploded at Jacobs" Karev says moving in next to me, this guy needs to get a life "that's one way of putting it" I say as I write some paperwork. He fold his arms and leans his back against the desk "what did he do to deserve that?" He asks and I sigh looking up "look ok I shouldn't be discussing patient information with you, go and do something for someone else I'm busy" I slam the folder shut and move to the elevator and thankfully he doesn't follow.
On the ride down to the cafeteria I text my sister 'I'll be your baby's god mother" and put my phone in my pocket. My pager starts going, it's Karev. That damn man. I ignore it and put it back in my pocket.
———-
In the cafeteria I sit by myself doing paperwork and munching on an apple. Alex and George walk past me "is she talking about me?" The shorter one asks and the other one scoffs "of course she is talking about you" I raise my head to see who they are talking about and it's a nurse Olivia I think, With the ginger hair. As they walk by Alex winks at me and I roll my eyes, that guy needs to stop I am his boss.
As I am working I over hear their little group of interns talking about how George has syphillis and I have to cover my laugh with a cough. So that's what everyone has been talking about today, poor guy.
———-
"Thanks for checking him over Burke" I say as we leave Jason Rodrigo's room and he sighs pushing his glasses up his nose "that boy has no hope, the CF is too far gone. Even for a transplant" I bite my lip "is there seriously nothing we can do?" I ask and he places a hand on my shoulder "I'm sorry Andy" I nod and watch as he goes.
I head into Reeta's room to see how she is doing "hey Reeta what's happening?" She is flicking through the tv but stops when she sees me come in "sup Doctor Tearney nothing much" I greet her mum who is sitting in the corner reading a magazine. "It looks like you can go home today" I say checking her chart, her face lights up "are you serious?" She asks and her mum puts down the magazine "yes, if all goes well I can discharge you tonight" she smile and Lois to her mum but then her mum asks "will she be able to ride again?" This is the question I have been dreading.
Reeta has been a serious rider for years, since she was 9 apparently and has had her heart set on doing it professionally. Slowly I close the chart and look between the two woman "there is a chance, if everything continues as it has that she will be able to ride again. Yes" there is a tense moment of silence "but there is a chance I won't?" She asks sadly and I nod my head "if you fall again there is a risk of damaging your bones too much to be able too" I tell her honestly and she looks heartbroken "just be careful ok?" She nods and I check on my next patient.
———
We have all been called into a meeting with Doctor Webber and it seems serious I wander what its about. Derek catches up to me as we make our way to his office "hey fancy going for a drink later?" He asks and I nod checking my phone "of course" when. I place it back inside my pocket he asks "why do you keep checking your phone?" I shrug "no reason" and head into Webber's office. This should be interesting.
He is standing behind a long desk with a older woman sitting beside him hands clasped on the table in front of her. "Three interns, four residents and six nurses on this surgical floor have been diagnosed with..." oh I know where this is going, so it is going to be interesting "syphillis" everyone starts taking amongst themselves and Derek looks at me from across the room "you?" He mouths and I shake my head, I ask him the same question and get the same answer. Well that's a relief. The woman then address us "there are over 70,000 new cases every year. Undiagnosed, syphillis can lead to blindness, insanity and death" she is acting as though she is not in the room with doctors who know how to treat and diagnose diseases.
"If you are having unprotected sex" The chief continues "with another member of the staff, get tested. This is not a request" some people start giggling, me included and he just rolls his eyes, "Patrica will now give you a safe-sex demonstration" oh this just got better. The woman stands up holding a banana and a condom and some people loose it.
———
After work I head with Derek to Joe's bar across the street and set up at a booth "I'll buy first round" he says and I nod getting my phone out and checking it. No new messages, ever since Ronny has told me she is pregnant I have been a little on edge. Not that anyone would blame me if they knew everything.
Derek comes back and I look at my phone again "ok what's up" he says noticing me again, quickly I shove it back in my pocket and take my beer "nothing" he rubs his forehead "ok I'll drop it" I give him a look "good" I say and I see Alex walk in with a girl, one of the nurses. I roll my eyes and focus back on Derek.
"You know I don't actually know that much from where you're from" Derek says as I down most of my drink "there isn't much to know, mum was a surgeon in the army so we moved around a lot. I have two sister Ronny and Bella we are close but not super close" I shrug "that's it" he hums and narrows his eyes at me before pointing "there is more to you then there seems Andy Tearney and I'm going to figure it out" I snort sitting back in my chair and sipping on my bottle of beer "good luck with that Doctor Shepherd"