Chemistry

Slow it Down

"Good morning," she croaked out, answering the phone, her mouth as dry as if she'd eaten a handful of cotton balls.

"You sound bloody awful. Are you feeling any better today?"

"Just a bit foggy, that's all."

"And you're still going in today?"

"I have to; the other residents will crumble under Eric's tyranny if I don't."

"Promise you'll go home and rest if you feel ill again?"

"I promise," she said as she sat up in bed while the rest of the room followed her in slow-motion.

"Okay then. I'm sorry but I have to go. Call if you need me, all right?" His soothing voice set her whole mind and body at ease.

"Will do. Bye," she replied and ended the call.

Maybe I should stay home, she thought, glancing longingly at her pillow.

"No, put on your big girl knickers and get to it," she urged herself on and into the shower to get ready for the day.

***

"Are you sure you should be here today? You don't look so hot," Eric queried from behind his desk.

"I'm fine. Just a little under the weather is all," Rebecca replied flatly, sipping on her water bottle. She noticed Eric looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Now, don't give me the 'no food or drink in the lab' speech," Rebecca quipped. "You know our desks are considered a clean area, and our attending told us we could. Besides, the contaminated area is behind the partition."

Eric smiled thinly. "No, I just haven't seen that water bottle before. Normally, you're always drinking out of the silver one with your name engraved on it. Remember?"

Rebecca scrunched her eyebrows together. "Dr Isaacs? From three terms ago? I don't remember you in that class! Then again, it was quite large."

Eric leaned back in his chair and quirked an eyebrow again. "It was large, yes. Dr Isaacs is known for giving out an engraved water bottle as a prize to his student with the highest marks." Rebecca nodded, recalling the gift. Eric continued "I remember you, because I was second. You beat me by three points," he finished coldly.

Rebecca laughed, ignoring the change of attitude from Eric. "Oh, bollocks! We both know you're always first to get the diagnosis right in our slide reviews! You're amazing at clinical correlation."

Eric laced his fingers behind his head and continued to stare at Rebecca. Thankfully the phone rang, interrupting the moment.

"Rebecca Thomson's desk...yes...two of us...now? Okay...I'll be right there." Hastily she hung up the phone and scurried out of the lab.

"Where are you going?" Eric called out.

"Getting some core samples to check the viability of a kidney donor. Get the cryostat ready, I'll be right back."

A moment later she returned and Eric had everything at her station prepared. "Brilliant, Eric. Thank you."

"Sure thing Rebecca, anything you need. Let me know."

Rebecca froze the samples for the cryostat and snapped the metal base into the machine. She quickly sliced through the tissue cores and got her samples stained then sat down in front of the scope and slid the glass slide into view. As she read the slide, she typed the results into the donor form on the computer. Finally, she leaned back and called out to her lab mate.