if you call for me, i'll run to you | a doug ross fanfiction

37.

37.
good touch, bad touch
October 30, 1997

just as i thought things were getting less stressful, mark told me that i needed to attend a hearing. he was being sued for malpractice by the gsw we both dealt with not too long ago. i guess i was a witness.
i put on a pair of tan trouser pants with a belt and tucked into those was a white dress shirt. i put my hair up in a clip.
i knew that i didn't do anything wrong with the patient, i was still nervous though.

i got off the l, and walked into the er. i headed upstairs where the hearing would be.
it was about forty five minutes of answering questions. i walked through the trauma and procedure. i was asked if i felt regretful toward the family. of course i felt horrible.
i hated sitting in front of the mother, her and the brother were both heartbroken. the brother reassured the attorneys that i wasn't at fault or that he wasn't sueing me in other words.
i checked my watch. it was 11:30 and my shift started at noon.

"what did you say?" mark said, creeping up on me
i turned around.
we were standing near the admit desk.
"walked them through the trauma"
"you told them i wasn't at fault for his death, right?"
"mark i told them what i knew about it"
"you didn't defend me?"
he was really angry
"well i told them that we did all we could to save him, he was stable when he left the trauma room"
"this wasn't my fault" he shouted
"mark i don't want to be apart of this either" i said.
he stormed out.
"i'm guessing that the hearing didn't go well?" doug said
"jesus christ" i scoffed
"i mean, it went fine"
"i'll talk to mark"

"your tests don't show any signs of pneumonia, it's just a common cold"
"are you sure doctor?"
"your only symptoms are a runny nose and sore throat, your ears and throat aren't red, your chest films are clear, you don't have a fever, your blood tests are normal"
"i'm sure"
"the weather is getting colder, flu season is right around the corner, if your symptoms worsen in the next few days come back and i'll check you out again"
"okay"
"have a good night mr. strough"
the day was so slow. i'd been on five hours and only had a couple patients, most were hypochondriacs too.

it was a little later, i was sitting at the admit desk filling out charts.
mark came down to the admit desk to clock out.
"how did it go?" doug asked
"i can talk with you about it if you just give me ten minutes"
"goodnight doug" he replied, angrily
i turned around
"part of me feels bad for him but then again, we've offered to get him help so many times"
"maybe this will be his wake up call" doug said.