Doesn't Surprise Me

Chapter 4

7:50PM

"Don't touch me!" The man screamed at those who were trying to help him. It was the Alamo festival in Texas and with everyone running around with 'muskets' and dressed in period fashion there was bound to be havoc, the ER was full.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down! Calm down! We're trying to help you!" TC tried to calm the man down but he wasn't having any luck. Looking to Lori, eyeing his intention, she nodded.

"Get me 2 of ativan I.M. and somebody page Dr. De La Cruz!" Lori requested. She had met Landry on a few occasions but rarely to speak to, more passing by than anything. She had been aware that TC and the psychiatrist were in some form of relationship. "We're trying to help you." Lori shouted.

"Somebody grab the hard restraints." TC called.

The man was thrashing and screaming in the doctor's faces and Lori had decided that she would try and restrain him. She began trying to examine the teenager but with arms and feet all over the place she didn't have time to move out of the way when an elbow headed straight for her face knocking her back and into the machines. Knocking her over.

Still trying to restrain the patient TC looked over his shoulder and checked the new doctor who seemed to be seeing two as she tried to balance herself. "Shit..Lauren? Someone get Dr Alister outta here and seen to."

The Alister waved her hand and assured the other doctor "It's okay, I'm okay." Reaching for her nose, she felt the liquid run down to her lip. Just what she needed.

"Dr Ali- what happened?" Jordan began but soon cut herself off.

"I'm fine." Lori dismissed.

"Yeah, I got a Christian Scientist." She said still observing the red mark across the new doctor sported on her left eye and the blood that began to trickle. "Hey, Lo. Your patient has come in. The chrodoma."

"T, are you okay here if I call up to the ward?" When he hummed in response, she added. "Page if ya need me."

9:20PM

"But no. I need someone to assist on this case and if the on call's not back in the next twenty minutes. I'm riding solo." Lori stated. She had someone with a chordoma and she needed someone to help with the surgery. Her fellow neurosurgeon had been on leave so she was left on her own, most staff were too ill-qualified and not really people she needed in her OR.

"Riding solo is not an option." Ragosa shook his head. "Can't let you do that Alister. It's against protocol."

Lori couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Everything we do in this hospital is against protocol." She shook her head, sometimes she really couldn't believe this man. He was a paper pusher, nothing more. "If you haven't notice, it's a teaching hospital and 4/5 staff have military background. You're not going to wash the 'protocol' stuff with us."

"Well. Ms. Alister." Michael began, making Lori grumble. She was a doctor and she earned her title. "-if you had kept to protocol in the 'military' we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, would we?" He remarked.

"We both know you're wrong there." Lori bit back.

"I'm not sure your Commander agrees, especially since you blatantly went against protocol when you performed a battlefield surgery whilst you yourself was suf-"

"Sorry to interrupt." Molly apologised tightly. Offering a small smile to the woman, she then turned to Michael Ragosa. "-Dr Landry's looking for you, something about the M.D.M.A trial."

The man nodded. "Maybe you should get some ice on that eye Dr Alister. I'm not interesting in another lawsuit today." He said, referring to the mess Jordan Alexander had gotten herself into at the start of her shift.