Keeping Secrets (Completed)

Twenty-Three

Doctor Simone Smith

"I am so exhausted!" I groaned to some of the nurses as they changed some of the bed sheets after some of our patients discharge. "Thankfully, I am off in the next thirty minutes, I just plan to lay low until th−"

"Doctor smith to EMERGENCY. Doctor Smith to Emergency." I heard over the hospitals PA system.

"Spoke too damn soon!" I rolled my eyes as the girls giggled, and stripped off my gloves, making my way to the elevator. I had just worked a full 15-hour shift; which consisted of my regular patients, and three emergency surgeries. I loved the thrill and a sense of pride being in the hospital, especially since I was one of the youngest black doctors on the floor. However, my body was craving the feeling of my bed, I was dying for a glass of wine and to be able to binge watch 13 reasons why.

I hopped off the elevator and sent a text to my mom, to let her know I was going to be home late; once again. As I slipped my phone back into the pocket of my scrubs, I stepped into the emergency section and within seconds the trauma nurse ran over to me. "We just got a gunshot victim in room 501, along with a couple in room 510 injured in a car accident. We are short on staff tonight, and I need as much help as I can get."

"Where is the other party from the accident?" I asked,

"Presidential wing."

"Alright, walk with me." My eyes scanned over the families in the waiting room, "can I have the state of the gunshot victim?" I said low, slipping on a fresh pair of gloves.

"Critical, due to the state he came in, I don't know if it even makes sense. Right now, our prime target is to stop the bleeding."

"What do you mean?" I raised my brow and looked down on her. "why aren't you booking an O.R. or at least trying to remove the bullet?"

"There is an extreme amount of blood loss Simone, he is critical condition and just moving him up to the O.R. we could be risky it all."

I pushed my way into room 501 and watched as the residents scattered around the room; trying to add enough pads to stop the bleed. The man looked young, maybe younger than me; he was growing pale within the minute. "You're right, with that amount of blood loss we need an O.R. It's too risky." I said, pushing some of the residents in the room out of the way.

"Just take it out right here..."

My heart jumped at the sound of the man that laid on the bed, his eyes were closed but the fact that he was still conscious after that loss of blood was phenomenal. "Sir, how are you feeling right now?" I asked, I grabbed my stethoscope and pressed it against his chest, hearing a faint beat.

"What do you think?" he groaned, heaving after his sentence. "Just take this out of me, please."

"Sir. I plan to take it out, as soon as I get an O.R. for you. Right now, I just need you to relax as best as possible until then."

"Listen ..." he took a deep breath and struggled to open up his eyes, the moment he gazed into mine he paused before saying another thing. "I'm an aspiring medical student, I know it isn't the safest but I need you to do this right here. I know you can get a hold of a scalpel and get it out."

"I respect that sir, but I need to know where the bullet is. If I take it out and damage any surrounding tissues; you could lose much more blood."

"Doc... I have a daughter at home. I don't know if you have kids or can relate.... But if you can please take it o−"

The heart monitor began to beep and I watched as his eyes started to shut, "Nuh uh, you are staying with me!" I was running out of time. I had two options; let him die or to not follow protocol and just take this thing out right here. Either way the he could end up dying in both scenarios. "We're losing him!" one of my nurses yelled as she tapped against the heart monitor.