Midnight Rose

Chapter 1

"Code blue; room 6613, 6 lime. Code blue; room 6613, 6 lime. Code blue; room 6613, 6 lime..." That phrase ran through my head over and over, forcing me to repeat the events of the day, though I'd been trying to suppress it from my memory

.........

It was my patient that was announced on the code blue, as soon as I heard the room number being announced overhead, I jumped out of my seat and ran down the hall to her room.

I skidded to a stop in front of her bed, my heart hammering in my chest. In a tight voice, I asked my coworker what she needed me to do.

"Do you have the code cart?" she asked between measured breaths.

"It's here!"

I reached into the drawers and pulled out the medicine I needed and administered it into the IV site on her hand. Another nurse behind me set up the defibrillator pads.

"Is the AED ready?" I asked as I took over compressions for my coworker.

"Coming!"

"Give me the stickers," I said, placing the rectangular pads on her body. One up by her left shoulder, and the other on the lower right side of her rib cage.

"Set to 275,"

"Ready."

"All right, clear!"

Once I had moved my hands away, the shock was administered. After it was safe, I pressed my fingers to the inside of her wrist to check for a pulse.

Nothing.

"No pulse." I said.

"Set to 300."

"Ready."

"Clear!"

Another shock was given. After a few seconds, I felt for a pulse again.

Still nothing.

"No." I murmured.

"How long has she been down?" One of the providers asked us.

"Twenty minutes, alternating compressions and defibrillations," I said.

"Have you felt for a pulse?"

"Yes, after each shock that was administered. I didn't feel anything." I told her.

"Try one more shock, and if there still isn't anything, we'll call it."

"Okay. Set to 325."

"Ready."

"Clear!"

Once we were given the okay, the provider and I both felt for a pulse. We waited several minutes, in case something would come, but nothing did.

"Ella, do you want to call it?" She asked me.

Before speaking, I looked down at my watch to make sure of the time.

"Time of death, eleven forty-seven p.m.," I said, feeling my heart shatter to pieces.

I pulled the blanket over her head and helped clean up the mess before closing her door on my way out.

Numbly, I went to sit at my computer to chart for the rest of my shift.

"Was that your first code?" my coworker, Megan, asked me.

"Not my first code, but my first patient death. It really sucks," I said.

"I know. But it gets a little easier each time," she said, trying to reassure me.

"I hope so."

.........