Skies in your Ocean Eyes (Sky Series 3)

Diagnosis 37: Sutures

A suture is a stitch or series of stitches made to secure apposition of the edges of a surgical or traumatic wound; used also as a verb to indicate application of such stitches.

My legs finally receive their much-needed stretching after standing for seven hours straight during the surgery. As I relax on the floor, still dressed in my OR gown, I feel all of my muscles release. Even Dr. Enriquez, who is fully aware of the surgery's success, lies down on the floor next to the blood spill. The entire crew is exhausted, and we're all staring blankly ahead with smiles on our faces, having just saved an emergency patient who appeared to be hopeless at first. Because we really just plucked our patient's soul from the river on its journey to the hereafter, I respect the medical team's skill to defeat the god of death.

We achieved the unthinkable.

I raise my hand and punch the air with my fist.

"First time?" Dr. Enriquez asks, his brow raised as he casts a peek at me.

I nod as I lean against the wall. The patient we just saved had multiple stab wounds on his chest, causing his heart, lungs, and even trachea to bleed out. During the surgery, he coded twice, and I was certain he'd die on the operating table. He is a fighter, though, and we are his army.

"I think this calls for a team dinner." He says, smiling. He stands up and takes off his gown and gloves. It's unusual for him to smile, which makes Addi and I look at each other in surprise. "It's on me." He adds. It's eleven o'clock in the evening, but a late meal has suddenly become quite appealing to me. I'm famished.

Addison immediately gets up from the floor, grinning as she follows Dr. Jaile. "I'm G! I don't want to eat in the cafeteria, though."

"Ang choosy mo naman. Libre ko na nga, e." Pagkunot naman ng noo into.

"Oh, please, we deserve a great meal and not bland foods from the hospital's cafeteria." She says with an eye roll. "No offense, Gia. But your hospital needs an upgrade in the food department."

"24 hours 'yung Yabu sa tabi ng Hospital, Doc." Dr. Andrada, the Anesthesiologist suggests.

"Oo nga! O kaya Korean barbecue na lang!" Atlas suddenly reappears after running out in the middle of the surgery because one of his patients in the ICU has coded.

"Kasali ka ba? Bakit bumalik ka pa?" Tanong ni Jaile sa kaniya.

He grins. "Nakarinig kasi ako ng libre."

"Oh, tara na! Let's go out na! Wala na tayong scheduled surgery buong night kaya sana wala nang emergency patients. Jusko 'yung pagod ko good for 1 month na. 'Di ko na talaga kaya." Reklamo ni Addison habang nakapamewang sa pinto ng OR theatre.

I chuckle at her as I stand up to stretch my tense muscles. "Wait lang, bilangin muna ulit natin 'yung mga sponge bago tayo lumabas."

"Tapos na 'di ba, complete naman, e!"

I scratch my head, thinking. "Ginupit ni Dr. Enriquez 'yung isang 8x4 na gauze 'di ba? Nabilang ba natin siya as a whole or baka na-count as two siya? Parang 'di ako sure."

Nanlaki ang nga mata ni Addi at napatakbo agad siya sa basin sa floor at isa isa hinalungkat ang madugong sponges doon. "Shit, shit, shit!" She chants as she rummages through sponges. "Hindi ba natin nabilang nang maayos?"

"Hoy, gago, 'wag kayong ganiyan!" Atlas turns white as the blood drains from his face. He crouches down beside Addi, helping her count. "Hoy, Jaile, may naiwan ka sa loob?"

Dr. Enriquez glares at us as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. He's quite meticulous when it comes to surgery, and I think he knows I'm just messing with them. And besides, he also knows that I'm also particular about my instruments and sponges, which is why, unlike Atlas and Addi, he's not panicked.