Scrub Up!
Long Day.
I hear noise, and a rustling of papers closer to me than the overall hullabaloo.
I open my eyes, my mouth feels awful, and the light stings, I groan.
“Good afternoon, Sally.” Says Ben as he finally comes into focus. He comes closer as he starts to speak again. “Stay still, this will sting a bit…” He flashes a light in my eyes, it burns! “Reactions are normal. How do you feel?”
“Fine.” I lie, “I have a headache.” I wince as he presses my bruise.
“You haven't got a concussion.” He sighs as he sits back behind the desk in the room doing more paper work, this is when I realise the room doesn’t have the acrid smell of bleach, but the more pleasant smell of vanilla air freshener and Ben’s aftershave. I sit up I'm in an office, I’m on a single bed in this office, his office.
“I didn’t have chance to tell you I hit my head…” I mumble, lying back down.
“You didn't but one of the 2nd years found me seconds after you collapsed and said you had left too fast for anyone to help you.” He smiled.
I sit up slowly, I feel fine. Ben gets up, from the edge of his desk which he is sitting at again and helps me stand as my knees buckle for a second I fall forward on to him arms on his chest, I look up at him as I stand up straight his arms on my elbows I don’t move for a long moment until a knock is heard, and as the door opens we step apart, “Was that a moment! Sally you can’t have any moments with Ben he is your attending and your still with Robert!” I shout in my head as the door squeaks open.
“Benny?” his sister Lisa walks in holding a tray of food. “Oh hey, your up” she smiles as she places the tray down noticing me, “Sally, you gave Benny a little scare” she smiled as she called Ben her nickname as he gave her a little sigh meaning – why would you say that.
“Lisa, you didn’t have to bring me lunch,” he smiled. “How is Pip? heard he was FOS on a big accident,” he asked concerned.
“Six school children, Benny all of them were D.O.A. We managed to save the driver, turned out he was a drunk.” She shook her head, on the brink of tears, He hugged her. I got up and quietly left the room. I found the nearest toilet. On the clock it just said 4pm. I had slept most of my whole first day. I turned on my phone; I had a message on the hour every hour up until 3pm from Robert, each one said "phone me". Then my phone beeped full message box stupid crappy phone, I was about to call him when I thought, “No wait until your home, make boundaries.”
When I had been to the toilet, I walked to the locker room grabbing my stuff, I went to say goodbye to Ben. As I got to the office door Lisa was leaving, she gave me a weak smile.
I walked in after a quick knock. Ben was also packing up. I smiled and said “Goodbye.”
“See you tomorrow.” He replied clipped and emotionless.
I walk out of his office as a gurney is rushed past and Pip is in charge he looks emotionally wrecked. I hear words like, “I found this man, he’s on the edge get me Carter!”
I run to Ben’s office and before I can say anything, his pager goes off, I nod when he says “Are you ready?” I throw my bag and jumper on the bed and run after Ben.
We arrive to find Pip, giving a cardiac massage, while the cardiologist scrubs up. Ben pulls on some gloves and starts to assess the leg trauma; he then makes a split decision, “Call an orthopedic surgeon he’s got to lose this from half way up his thigh.” The nurse obeys his orders. I start to clean them up and I feel a twitch in his leg just above the knee.
“Dr Carter, I think they should go from knee down the muscle here isn’t necrotic yet.” I say, he ignores my request.
I repeat it. He gets annoyed and takes me out of the cubical. “Miss Harrison, I have decided to have him amputated from that position for the reason that his blood is infected. Please do not talk over me in a trauma situation, if you don’t think you can hold your tongue then go home.” he all but shouts at me he’s been off with me since the near kiss moment thing.
I then go back and observe quietly as they prepare the man for surgery, I wanted to speak up, but unfortunately there were too many injuries which was making it harder to I.D the dying man, who was guzzling O- blood. I left the cubical to see if anyone had turned up to claim him and see if they would know his blood type.
I see the pandemonium of the Friday night A+E as already drunken people wobble around the reception it is only 4.30pm. I walk towards a group of crying adults.
“Hello, are you the parents of the bus children?” I ask the adults they nod, “Do any of you know who the man, they’ve just found is he has blonde hair and a banana yellow shirt?” They shake their heads.
I thank them and start to walk away, I am just out of ear shot when I hear Lisa’s voice say “Mariam what are you doing here?”
Miriam replies sombre “Lisa, the bus broke down, the school put the children into minibuses, didn’t you know?” Miriam looked concerned, “Your Luke was coming to ours, he was on the minibus with James,” Mariam walks towards Lisa who is still oblivious to what Miriam means, “Lisa, Luke and James where in the crash.” She starts to tear up. I walk over and hold Lisa’s hand, I ask her to come with me and I seat her in Ben’s office. I then run for Ben, I make it to the cubical as Ben is leaving, he looks stressed. I tap him on shoulder.
“What, now Sally!” he snaps.
“Lisa, just found out that Luke was on the bus,” I panted not ready to be this emotional and out of breath.
He slumped down, “The man I just called time on was killed in the accident by the driver. The driver killed seven people, because he supposedly had ‘One’ drink at lunch and you’re telling me my nephew is also one of the six.” He said monotonously. It sinks in. Now it was almost official Lisa and Pip had lost a son and Ben had lost a nephew. There was no hope left, besides the Man having to live with this, also going to jail.
I let Ben cry on my shoulder until Pip and Lisa came over. Pip told me I could go. I hugged Lisa and asked her to tell Ben I’m here for him as well as the both of them.
I walk to the office and collect my belongings. As I leave the building finally this has been a long day, I then get a phone call.
I open my eyes, my mouth feels awful, and the light stings, I groan.
“Good afternoon, Sally.” Says Ben as he finally comes into focus. He comes closer as he starts to speak again. “Stay still, this will sting a bit…” He flashes a light in my eyes, it burns! “Reactions are normal. How do you feel?”
“Fine.” I lie, “I have a headache.” I wince as he presses my bruise.
“You haven't got a concussion.” He sighs as he sits back behind the desk in the room doing more paper work, this is when I realise the room doesn’t have the acrid smell of bleach, but the more pleasant smell of vanilla air freshener and Ben’s aftershave. I sit up I'm in an office, I’m on a single bed in this office, his office.
“I didn’t have chance to tell you I hit my head…” I mumble, lying back down.
“You didn't but one of the 2nd years found me seconds after you collapsed and said you had left too fast for anyone to help you.” He smiled.
I sit up slowly, I feel fine. Ben gets up, from the edge of his desk which he is sitting at again and helps me stand as my knees buckle for a second I fall forward on to him arms on his chest, I look up at him as I stand up straight his arms on my elbows I don’t move for a long moment until a knock is heard, and as the door opens we step apart, “Was that a moment! Sally you can’t have any moments with Ben he is your attending and your still with Robert!” I shout in my head as the door squeaks open.
“Benny?” his sister Lisa walks in holding a tray of food. “Oh hey, your up” she smiles as she places the tray down noticing me, “Sally, you gave Benny a little scare” she smiled as she called Ben her nickname as he gave her a little sigh meaning – why would you say that.
“Lisa, you didn’t have to bring me lunch,” he smiled. “How is Pip? heard he was FOS on a big accident,” he asked concerned.
“Six school children, Benny all of them were D.O.A. We managed to save the driver, turned out he was a drunk.” She shook her head, on the brink of tears, He hugged her. I got up and quietly left the room. I found the nearest toilet. On the clock it just said 4pm. I had slept most of my whole first day. I turned on my phone; I had a message on the hour every hour up until 3pm from Robert, each one said "phone me". Then my phone beeped full message box stupid crappy phone, I was about to call him when I thought, “No wait until your home, make boundaries.”
When I had been to the toilet, I walked to the locker room grabbing my stuff, I went to say goodbye to Ben. As I got to the office door Lisa was leaving, she gave me a weak smile.
I walked in after a quick knock. Ben was also packing up. I smiled and said “Goodbye.”
“See you tomorrow.” He replied clipped and emotionless.
I walk out of his office as a gurney is rushed past and Pip is in charge he looks emotionally wrecked. I hear words like, “I found this man, he’s on the edge get me Carter!”
I run to Ben’s office and before I can say anything, his pager goes off, I nod when he says “Are you ready?” I throw my bag and jumper on the bed and run after Ben.
We arrive to find Pip, giving a cardiac massage, while the cardiologist scrubs up. Ben pulls on some gloves and starts to assess the leg trauma; he then makes a split decision, “Call an orthopedic surgeon he’s got to lose this from half way up his thigh.” The nurse obeys his orders. I start to clean them up and I feel a twitch in his leg just above the knee.
“Dr Carter, I think they should go from knee down the muscle here isn’t necrotic yet.” I say, he ignores my request.
I repeat it. He gets annoyed and takes me out of the cubical. “Miss Harrison, I have decided to have him amputated from that position for the reason that his blood is infected. Please do not talk over me in a trauma situation, if you don’t think you can hold your tongue then go home.” he all but shouts at me he’s been off with me since the near kiss moment thing.
I then go back and observe quietly as they prepare the man for surgery, I wanted to speak up, but unfortunately there were too many injuries which was making it harder to I.D the dying man, who was guzzling O- blood. I left the cubical to see if anyone had turned up to claim him and see if they would know his blood type.
I see the pandemonium of the Friday night A+E as already drunken people wobble around the reception it is only 4.30pm. I walk towards a group of crying adults.
“Hello, are you the parents of the bus children?” I ask the adults they nod, “Do any of you know who the man, they’ve just found is he has blonde hair and a banana yellow shirt?” They shake their heads.
I thank them and start to walk away, I am just out of ear shot when I hear Lisa’s voice say “Mariam what are you doing here?”
Miriam replies sombre “Lisa, the bus broke down, the school put the children into minibuses, didn’t you know?” Miriam looked concerned, “Your Luke was coming to ours, he was on the minibus with James,” Mariam walks towards Lisa who is still oblivious to what Miriam means, “Lisa, Luke and James where in the crash.” She starts to tear up. I walk over and hold Lisa’s hand, I ask her to come with me and I seat her in Ben’s office. I then run for Ben, I make it to the cubical as Ben is leaving, he looks stressed. I tap him on shoulder.
“What, now Sally!” he snaps.
“Lisa, just found out that Luke was on the bus,” I panted not ready to be this emotional and out of breath.
He slumped down, “The man I just called time on was killed in the accident by the driver. The driver killed seven people, because he supposedly had ‘One’ drink at lunch and you’re telling me my nephew is also one of the six.” He said monotonously. It sinks in. Now it was almost official Lisa and Pip had lost a son and Ben had lost a nephew. There was no hope left, besides the Man having to live with this, also going to jail.
I let Ben cry on my shoulder until Pip and Lisa came over. Pip told me I could go. I hugged Lisa and asked her to tell Ben I’m here for him as well as the both of them.
I walk to the office and collect my belongings. As I leave the building finally this has been a long day, I then get a phone call.