Zoe smiled at the crying little girl in front of her and put her stethoscope back around her neck.
"Well your heart and your lungs sound healthy. So that's good." She said.
She looked up at the little girls mother.
"How long has Olivia been having the pain?" Zoe asked. Olivia's mother shrugged.
"Since this morning!" Olivia said before bursting into tears again.
"Okay, and where does it hurt the most Olivia?" Zoe said. The little girl looked down at her body and pointed to her stomach.
"My tummy!" Olivia said.
"Is there a specific spot on your tummy?" Zoe asked gently. Olivia looked down at her stomach and pointed at the lower right area.
"That's where it hurts the most." Olivia said as tears streamed down her face.
"And does it always hurt or is it only sometimes?" Zoe asked.
"All the time." Olivia said. She squeezed her eyes shut in pain. Zoe nodded and heard the door open. She turned around and saw Evan standing there.
"Okay Olivia, this is Doctor Hansen." Zoe said. Olivia nodded as Evan walked towards her.
"Hi Olivia. I'm Doctor Hansen. I heard that your tummy's been hurting. Can I take a look?" Evan asked gently.
Olivia nodded and rolled her shirt up. Evan gently pressed on different sections of Olivia's stomach. Olivia yelled in pain when he pressed on the lower right area of her stomach.
"Okay Doctor Murphy, can you order an ultrasound? I'd like to see if there's anything abnormal." Evan said. Zoe nodded.
"Absolutely Doctor Hansen." Zoe said. She walked out of the room.
+++
"Okay Olivia. This is going to be a little bit chilly okay?" Evan said gently. Olivia had stopped crying and looked at Zoe.
"Is it gonna hurt?" She asked, her eyes widening. Zoe crouched beside Evan and looked at Olivia who was clutching her stomach.
"No. Ultrasounds don't hurt. It's going to be a little bit cold but it won't hurt. We're just trying to look in your tummy to see if there's anything causing the pain. But it won't hurt okay?" Zoe said. Olivia nodded.
"What do you think it could be Doctor Murphy?" Olivia's mother asked.
"It could be any number of things. It could be-"
"Appendicitis." Evan said.
"What?" Olivia's mother asked.
"Olivia has appendicitis. We'll have to take it out as soon as possible." Evan said. He wiped the gel off Olivia's stomach and Olivia tugged at Zoe's lab coat. Zoe looked at the small girl and smiled.
"What's app...append..."
"Appendicitis?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah! What is that?" Olivia asked.
"Well, there's a little tiny tube that's attached to your intestines. It's called the appendix. And sometimes, it can get blocked up by food that you eat. And when that happens, it becomes swollen, and that's why your tummy is hurting." Zoe said. Olivia looked at Zoe.
"What's an intestine?" Olivia asked.
"Well its a big long tube that is attached to your stomach. And it squeezes your food into tiny little pieces." Zoe explained.
"Is there a kind of medicine you can give her?" Olivia's mother asked.
"Well right now she's on morphine to help the pain. The most effective way to get rid of it would be to take out her appendix. It's a very simple procedure and it wouldn't take more than 45 minutes." Evan said. Olivia's mother sat beside Olivia and smiled.
"Okay. If you think that's the best thing to do." Olivia's mother said.
"I do. Surgically removing the appendix will prevent anything further from happening." Evan said. Olivia's mother looked at Zoe.
"What do you think Doctor Murphy?" She asked.
"Well Doctor Hansen is the Head of General Surgery. If he says we should do an appendectomy then I think that's the best course of treatment." Zoe said. Olivia pulled at Zoe's lab coat.
"Will I get a new appendix?" She asked. Zoe smiled.
"The cool thing about your appendix is that you don't actually need it. So you don't need a new one." Zoe said.
"Does Doctor Hansen have his appendix?" Olivia asked. Zoe smiled and nodded.
"He does." She said.
"Do you?"
"No. I got mine taken out when I was 16." Zoe said.
"So are we like in a special club?" Olivia asked. Zoe nodded.
"Of course. And I can give you more details about our club when we come to get you for surgery okay?" Zoe asked. Olivia nodded and Zoe and Evan walked out.
+++
"Come on. We have Olivia's surgery." Zoe said in between kisses.
"Who said that you're scrubbing in?" Evan said.
"I'm the Head of Paediatric Surgery. It's not a negotiation. Besides, we have to talk about the No Appendixes Club. Which you're not allowed to be part of." Zoe said getting up. Evan laughed and followed her out of the on-call room and into the hallway.
"Doctor Murphy!" A voice called. Zoe spun around and saw an intern running up to her.
"Yes Doctor Ramirez?" Zoe asked, looking at the gasping intern behind her.
"I saw that you're performing-"
"It's just an appendectomy Ramirez. It's nothing special. I don't think we need three surgeons in the operating room." Zoe said.
"Oh. I was just hoping because I'm interested in peds." The intern said. Zoe looked at Evan who shrugged
"I suppose if it's alright with Doctor Hansen, then you can take my place and I'll be there if you need out." Zoe said. Ramirez smiled.
"Thank you Doctor Murphy!" She said.
"OR 3 at 3:00. Do not be late." Zoe said. Ramirez nodded before running back down the hallway. Evan looked at her and smiled.
"So me and Valentina are cutting Olivia's appendix out?" Evan asked. Zoe smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Try and let her do something, this is a teaching hospital." Zoe said. Evan smiled as Zoe took off running before gliding on her heelies.
"You're a dork!" Evan yelled. Zoe stopped and turned around. She blew Evan a kiss and smiled.
"You love it!" She called before running off and gliding away on her heelies.
+++
"Okay Olivia, so we're gonna put you to sleep for a bit. And when you wake up, you'll feel much better. Okay?" Zoe asked. Olivia nodded.
"Awesome, can you count backwards from 10 for me?" Zoe asked.
"Ten... nine..."
A mask was put over Olivia's nose and mouth.
"Eight..." she trailed off. Zoe smiled and turned to Evan and Valentina.
"Okay. You two are ready to begin whenever." Zoe said.
"Okay Doctor Ramirez. Would you like to take the lead?" Evan asked. Valentina looked at him.
"Wh-What?" She stuttered.
"Would you like to take the lead on Olivia's surgery? I've done hundreds of appendectomies. If you'd like to take the lead you can." Evan said.
Valentina nodded and the nurse handed her a scalpel. She made the first cut and Evan smiled.
"Well done Doctor Ramirez."
+++
"Hi Olivia!" Zoe said gently. Olivia rubbed her eyes and Olivia's mother smiled.
"Hi baby." She whispered.
"Mama." Olivia said softly.
"Do you feel better baby?" Olivia's mother asked.
"Yeah." Olivia said, hugging her mother.
"Okay so we just need to keep her here for a few more days to make sure her incision heals. But she should be able to go home at the end of the week if there are no complications." Zoe said.
"Doctor Hansen!" Olivia said. Evan smiled and walked into the room.
"Hi Olivia. How are you feeling?" Evan asked.
"Better." She said. Evan turned to talk to Olivia's mother and Zoe turned to Olivia.
"Well done Olivia. You are officially part of the No Appendixes Club." Zoe said. Olivia smiled and grabbed Zoe's hand.
"Thank you Doctor Murphy." Olivia said. Zoe smiled.
"You're welcome Olivia."