Doctor on the grid

1. A hard day's night

Agh - i huffed angrily as my phone went on again. I just sat down to have a coffee in my room, and OK, I maybe closed my eyes for a second. Being a consultant anaesthetist had its true perks as one had zero time for resting on call nights. This must be another C-section – I thought and picked up without even checking the callers ID.

It was the middle of March and a cold wave just hit the area. I came in a rainstorm that morning and the grey city of Northampton was nearly visible in the thick fog on the way. I even got a cold the other night. During weather changes the delivery room is loaded and we are often called in to help with cesarean sections.

"Yes, its Doctor Horner speaking" I said in a harsh voice and cleared my throat.

"Clara, it's me, Christian" said the caller and I suddenly realised. It's my uncle who called me in the middle of the night. We haven't speak since Christmas, so his call made me quite curious.

"Hey Christian, I didn't see it's you calling." I excused myself.

"Ok, I guess you're in the hospital then" he mumbled nervously.

"Yes, I'm on call. Third time this week. Why? Is there a problem?"

"Well yes, indeed there is, sorry in other case I wouldn't bother you this time of the night."

I started to get nervous. I was afraid that maybe it's one of the kids. Geri and he had two incredible kids, Olivia and baby Monty. On holidays we always visited them in their house, otherwise around the year sadly we didn't meet. Busy families.

"Well, it's one of our drivers. You know Max, right?" he asked.

"Of course I know him from TV, I always watch your races!" I resented. "Well, if I have the time" i added.

"Glad to hear that. Well, the thing is that we just arrived back from Australia an hour ago. He started to cough we he left the plane, and during our drive to Milton Keynes he got dizzy and short of breath. I need somebody to examine him without the media circus. Can I count on you?" he asked.

"Of course Christian, get in here, I will check on him."

"Thank you Clara, we are on our way." We hung up.

I drank my coffee while I started to think what could get a healthy young athlete these symptoms. Allergy? Asthma? Middle East respiratory syndrome?

Barely ten minutes passed and Christian called me and said they've arrived to my floor. I went out to the elevators. It was my uncle and the young dutch driver who looked really frightened, and clearly short of air.

"Hey, Clara. He got even worse on the way. Please help us!" My uncle was even worried than Max. I turned to him.

"Hey I'm Clara. Come with me" as I saw that he's in need of prompt therapy I lead him to our private patient room in the Intensive Care Unit and closed the door behind us.

"Thank... you... i'm... Max" he breathed. I nodded and got him an oxygen mask, I checked is breathing and blood pressure.

"I need you to breath through this, while I take some blood"I told him and started to get ready for taking some blood samples. I got him an IV as well and ordered a regime of asthmatic medication.

"Did you have anything like this before?" I asked the guy with a serious face.

By my examination he clearly had an asthmatic attack. Maybe it's the sudden weather change, but barely his first one cause asthma usually starts at a younger age.

"Well" he started, speaking through the mask still breathing heavily, wheezing. "There was something... like this when i was a child. My parents told me... I'll grow out of it. And if I run... i always get behind my trainer... because i can't breath... But nothing this serious." he said and I nodded.