Nurse Isabelle and the Kanto Pokédex: the Diary of a Travelling Nurse

#057 Primeape

Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. The evolved form of Mankey. When Primeape becomes furious, its blood circulation is boosted. In turn, its muscles are made even stronger. However, it also becomes much less intelligent at the same time.

A very unfortunate encounter with a Primeape happened only a couple years ago, when Isabelle had just graduated from Nursing school. Now, without her friends, helping Pokémon was a lot more daunting. These Pokémon weren't actors and were really sick.

To gain more experience, Isabelle's mother had obtained her the opportunity to be a Joy's assistant, joining her on all her shifts to get used to the life as a nurse. As the months progressed, Isabelle was allowed to do more and more alone.

Filled with confidence laced with doubt, Isabelle started her very first shift alone. It was very early in the morning and the lobby Joy told her that her first patient was a Primeape who'd gotten injured while jogging with his trainer in the morning. Nothing serious, just a bleeding cut on his forearm, the report said.

Feeling very professional, Isabelle entered the fourth treatment room, where she'd be during her shift. The Primeape sat on the bed, already bristling with rage as he held his injured arm in his gloved hand. A slightly worried looking body builder sat in the chair nearby, who instantly smiled in relief when Isabelle entered in her pink dress and white apron.

"Nurse, I'm so glad you're here. Primeape has been very agitated because of the pain. The sooner we can fix him up, the better."

Isabelle agreed with the man, reached in a cabinet nearby for antiseptic and bandages. Cuts were easy to do. She'd done them all the time at school. Primeape would soon feel better.

While the trainer stroked his pig monkey over his shaggy head, Isabelle stood at his right arm. She laid her right hand on his glove, stroking it soothingly while moving to dab the wound with the antiseptic. However, she forgot to mention it stings some, and this Pokémon did not expect it to like the simulation patients.

Shrieking in pain, the Primeape did what was his nature to do: he attacked. He stomped the offending hand away that had been causing his wound to sting. Izzy's left wrist got caught between the wall and Primeape's fist, causing it to break with a very painful 'crunch'. Upon the nurse's scream of pain, the Primeape leapt back, startled and fearing punishment from his trainer, who stared at the nurse on the ground cradling her broken wrist.

The Lobby Joy came rushing in, took in the scene, and called for a colleague to take over here while Izzy would be taken to a hospital herself. Tears ran down Izzy's cheeks. Not only from the pain, but also in humiliation. Merely fifteen minutes into her first shift alone and then something like this happened.

At the hospital, Izzy's wrist was put in a cast. Primeape are very strong and had shattered most of the bones. The doctor warned her left hand would never be the same anymore. Izzy didn't listen much. She just sat there, still cradling her wrist.

Only when her mother came in, sat next to her on the bed, and pulled her only daughter into a hug did she finally break fully. She cried for a long while, had over a litre of tea while sharing stories of failed treatments, and eventually felt better. It had been a very painful lesson, but a necessary one nevertheless.