(DISCONTINUED) Triage [English translation] by Sammon_scene

Chapter 1: Loop 1

Translator's Note: Only Chapter 1 is available from now on. I will not publish the rest. Please buy the official English version once it is out. More information will be announced soon.

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Thud!

It was the sound that woke me up from my slumber. I jerked up from leaning over the table to sit up straight. I looked around me and for a moment I thought, where was I.

"Dr. Tin!" Someone's voice calling my name has seized my attention. I looked at Nong(1) Aim, and saw the young nurse was placing her hands on the table. Then I realized that the sound I heard earlier was from Nong Aim who was trying to wake me up by knocking the table. "How could you sleep when there's a war outside? Could you go out and help the others?"

"...Really? I'm sorry." I bent down to take my favorite black edition stethoscope that had fallen down from my neck onto the floor a while ago. "Phi(2) was only going to eat for 10 seconds and return. Didn't think that I would fall asleep like this."

Nong Aim glanced at my dish that was almost left untouched, and sighed. "Ao, you fell asleep instead while eating. Dr. Tin, are you alright? Do you want to take leave?"

I stood up and hung the stethoscope on my neck. "Even when I'm not okay, having a cold, diarrhea, fainted, or getting hit by a ten wheels, I can't rest if I'm not dead." I turned to Nong Aim who was standing with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Even if I die, I must revive myself and come back to work."

Nong Aim laughed a little, "You are so funny, now get out!"

I gave her a mocking salute, stepped out and turned around the small pantry next to emergency room (ER). I tried to fix my dishevelled hair which had not been taken care of for a while. My current life was like the worst moment in my life since I was born. I stayed up late to finish my case(3) conference that was badly criticized by my professor. Then I had to work the morning and afternoon shift without a break. Did I make the right decision about continuing my study in the emergency medicine?

But soon it would be my last year as a resident(4) in this hospital. Only some time left, then I would return to work at my hometown hospital.

The first thing I saw after walking into the ER was a chaotic war. An old man was pushed on an emergency bed in front of me. Nong Gap and Nong Pin, the first and second residents were running between the beds. Two externs(5) were in no different situation. One was running to pick up the new case that had just passed in front of me. The other person saw me and made a face like he just saw God.

"P'Tin!" It was Nong Wan, calling out my name loudly. "Please help me!"

I rushed to Nong Wan who was watching the middle-aged man who had difficulty in breathing. Nong Wan was an extern who had just started to work in the ER for a few days. He was still lacking of experience in dealing with emergency cases. It was my duty to help by teaching and assist them in this field. "What's the case?"

"A 52 year old man suffering from asthma. He had a bronchodilator(6) and a spray. He felt tired for 20 minutes before coming to the hospital. The first vital sign was a rapid heartbeat, oxygen level 94% and there's a wheezing sound in the lungs. So I ordered the nebulizer(7). He has consumed three doses but he's still tired. But the oxygen in his blood looks good."

"Yes it is, but he still couldn't breath well." I took my stethoscope and listened to the uncle's lungs. I heard a loud wheezing sound in both sides. The heart was beating so fast. "Uncle must use his abdominal muscle to breath. This is a sign of respiratory failure. The oxygen level is fine, but uncle is still very tired. You need to put on a ventilator(8)." I told the patient. He nodded his answer as he was unable to speak. "Insert the ventilator. Get a tube no. 7.5 with 10mg of valium(9)."