Malia Ryland has just arrived in Chicago and is starting her first shift as a nurse at the Chicago Medical Center while waiting for a vacancy in one of Chicago's firehouses as a paramedic.
Warning : some chapters contain scenes with sexual content.
...
The next day, Tuesday, I do the follow-up ultrasound and everything is fine with the baby. I still have tears whenever I hear the little sounds of his heartbeat. I take this opportunity to save it and send it to Kelly. I then go down to the emergency room to take my shift. I am very happy to see all my colleagues again.
After taking care of a few minor injuries, I find myself at the central emergency office to update patient files.
When suddenly, Hank, who is another nurse, drops his tray on entering a treatment room. He leaves the bedroom frightened. I've never seen him in such a state. With other nurses, we join him in a separate room and he explains to us that he knows the patient and how he knows him. I remain shocked and wonder how we can do something like this to a child and even to any person in general. He returns home without finishing his shift, too emotionally unstable.
At the end of the morning, there is an admission in the Baghdad room to which Maggie assigns me. We're treating a 23-year-old young man. "His motorcycle hit a car on the road. His Glasgow is at 12, his blood pressure 110/70, his heart rate is 120 and his saturation is 98%", tells us the first paramedic who brings him.
The second paramedic explains "obviously he is in a lot of pain, most of the trauma is in the chest". "Okay, let's do a chest x-ray right away," Dr. Rhodes asks. "Yes doctor" answers another nurse.
Dr Rhodes "very well on my signal 1, 2, 3". They transfer the patient to the hospital bed, the latter moaning in pain so much he is in pain.
"We'll ease your pain first, okay," the doctor told the patient. He speaks to me "we give him 50 gammas of fentanyl".
The patient grabs Rhodes' wrist, "I am a carrier of HIV" he informs. Meanwhile, I inject him with the dose of fentanyl.
Rhodes replied "thank you for telling me, but don't worry, we're used to it, we'll take care of you". He takes off his cervical collar, "Here you go, can you move your head up and down?". The patient does it. "Perfect, and now from left to right, very good nothing to the neck," says Dr Rhodes. They tip him over on the bed and we remove the board. The patient moans as he is moved.
Rhodes looks at me and says, in a not very sympathetic way I have to add, "Malia what are you waiting for to give him fentanyl?". "It's done, I already gave it to him," I retort.
He looks at me astonished, "okay give him the chest x-ray". We make him the radio.
Rhodes looks at it "you have a lot of broken and displaced ribs. To stop the pain, we will have to operate on you to align the ribs with metal plates, do you agree?" He asks. "Yes, it's good" answers the patient.
Rhodes says, "tell Cardiothoracic Surgery we're coming. We are going to take him, go it's good we are going". I inform the surgery while they bring the patient.
While I am updating files, Dr Choi asks me "Malia what happened with Hank this morning?".
"It's his private life doctor, I don't think that's your concern. If Hank wants to talk about it, he will come and tell you. It's not for me to talk about his life without his consent. And consent is something essential that should not be taken away from someone," I say.
"The quality of the care given to patients depends on it" retorts Dr Choi, who must not be used to having his questions not answered as he wishes.
Monique who is next to me, retorts "Your patient is a pedophile. He was Hank's piano teacher when he was younger, he raped him when he was still a little boy".
I look at her with round eyes. Me who had just said that I won't say it without Hank's consent, she doesn't hesitate to throw it out like that.
During my two days break, the baby moved quite a bit and Kelly could finally feel his little strokes. He shed a few tears the first time he felt his little kicks.
On Thursday night, Kelly has a guys night out with Matt. Friday Matt is busted, he took advantage of his evening. Then I take my guard. Fortunately, it is happening without too many events.
On Saturday I am on shift. As we take care of Sydney, an acquaintance of Maggie who needs a kidney, she asks me to take her blood.
"Are you serious Maggie?" I ask her. "Room number 4 is free, let's go," she says to me without answering my question. Just because she feels guilty, when it's not her fault, for the patient's condition doesn't mean she has to make such a drastic decision. I do her blood test but frankly I don't like it.
On Sunday the whole barracks is at the annual polar bath. It's a charity event in Lake Michigan. While the category "city employees" is called, all the firefighters and paramedics from the barracks run into the lake. I get chills just to see them. They are all in swimsuits while I am in fleece with a big coat and my scarf over it. Once they are out, I hurry to give them towels. I surround Kelly with his and rub his body with it. He would not fail to catch a cold.
I open my coat and place Kelly's hand on my stomach as the baby gives lots of little nudges "I think this little boy is very proud of his daddy". Kelly puts his second hand on it smiling and kisses me on the forehead with a big smile.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
