Chapter 8

"Katie? You back there?" AJ called as he looked over the enormous stack of charts on the front desk. The brunette lifted her pale face over one of the piles.

"Oh, hey AJ, how're you feelin'?" AJ patted his stomach.

"Weak, dizzy, exhausted...should I go on?" Katie gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Did it keep you up last night" AJ sighed.

"I basically slept on the bathroom floor." The nurse pulled her hair back into a pony tail and gestured to her computer.

"Well, I was online before and I looked up this virus to see how much longer I would be feeling like crap and it said most patients need a week of rest before they can feel 100 percent again." The med. student groaned.

"A week?! Man! And that's with rest! We're around it everyday and we sure as hell ain't restin' in no bed!" He sighed. "How are you feeling?" She signed off one of her many charts.

"A little better, the vomiting has stopped, but I can only handle water right now." She told him, holding up her sports bottle. She handed him an unopened one. "This one's for you, Dr. Littrell says to keep drinking it and if you can't hold it down, I'm supposed to give you an IV to get through work today." AJ accepted the water.

"Thanks...Where's Dr. Richardson? Still sick?" Katie nodded.

"Yeah, but he's doing better, he HAD a day of rest, he was allowed to take off...what I wouldn't give to have worked here for more than a week so I could take sick days." AJ laughed.

"I know what you mean, so where's he at?" The nurse continued her chart review.

"Surgery with Dr. Turtle, who managed to avoid this nasty bug." AJ frowned.

"She's letting him operate with her, but isn't he still weak?" Katie smirked.

"He's holding the suction." AJ almost choked on his water.

"Oh she is good, she's really good." He leaned on the desk. "So my dear, what instructions did he leave for me?" She handed him a chart.

"You can see patients but you need to have Dr. Littrell sign off your charts and approve all your necessary tests and medications." AJ nodded.

"Where is Dr. Littrell and Nick?" Katie glanced at the board.

"Exam four with a kid with a high fever who had a seizure. You wanna' take the diarrhea and headache in one?" AJ made a hideous face.

"Do I have a choice?" She gave him a amused look.

"Well, you could sit here and sign all these charts that have been sitting here since last week and that Dr. Richardson told me I won't be allowed to move from till I finish." AJ started to reply when the doors to the ER flew open and Howie came rushing in pushing a gurney with an unconscious teenaged girl. Katie jumped up and ran to assist AJ. Howie gave the rundown.

"Seventeen year old Hazel Bennett found unconscious by a neighbor. Severe bleeding from the vaginal area and I suspect a concussion, looks like she was beat up." Howie told them sadly. "I started an IV in the field and tried to control the bleeding." He looked at the pale med. student in front of him that seemed frozen to the spot. "AJ? You need me to stay? Where's Kevin?" Katie noticed AJ's reluctance and ran to the phone to page Dr. Littrell. She looked at Howie.

"I think we got it, thanks. Dr. Littrell and Nick are just down the hall." Howie nodded and began to gather his supplies. "I hope she's okay." He said exiting. "I'll check back later." Dr. Littrell came rushing in with Nick on his heels.

"What do we got?" He asked, pulling on gloves and a gown. He noticed the shocked med. student and frowned. "AJ? You okay bud? If you're still feeling sick I want you to sit down right now." AJ shook his head.

"I know her."

Nick stopped from inserting a second IV and spun around.

"How?"

AJ swallowed hard.

"I treated her a few days ago...she was pregnant and her boyfriend didn't want the baby." He told them, realization dawning on his face. His eyes got red. "That son of a bitch!" Brian grabbed him and turned him to face him.

"Listen to me AJ, I know what your thinking. But right now our main concern is that girl lying on that table over there. After we fix her, then we fix the rest of the situation. Now are you okay to keep going?" AJ nodded. "Okay, lets do it then. AJ, you control the bleeding, Katie hook her up to a sonogram to monitor the baby's heart rate and Nick, you and me are gonna take the X-rays, Katie did you clear the neck of any injury?" The nurse nodded as she hooked up the machine. AJ concentrated on stopping the bleeding which he had slowed to a minimum and Nick wheeled in the X-ray machine. He looked to Brian "Now?" The doctor nodded. "Shooting!" Nick called. "Okay." He took the x-rays over to a light board and reviewed them. A saddened look came over Katie's face as she listened for the fetal heart rate and heard nothing. "Dr. Littrell?" She whispered. he turned to her.

"Yes?"

"There's no heartbeat." She told him sadly. The pediatrician closed his eyes momentarily and looked at the young girl, now in stable condition.

"Okay, lets send her to OBGYN and let them finish up, Nick you wanna take her up? Katie you call and tell them he's on his way." The nurse nodded and left the room after Nick. Brian turned to AJ who was in the corner staring at the wall. "You okay, buddy?" He asked the now paler young man. AJ nodded. "Listen, I know it's hard, but sometimes the odds are against us and we can't save everyone, why don't you take the rest of the day off, you're still sick and I know it's affecting you right now" AJ shrugged it off, shaking his head and continued on his way. Dr. Littrell sighed. It looked like the start of another long day.

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Dr. Richardson rolled his neck around as he scrubbed out of surgery, the weakness from the virus still affecting him. He looked at his red headed coworker and frowned.

"You all right Annie?" She gave a curt nod and continued scrubbing her hands.

"I know that was tough in there, but the man had already had six other surgeries on his heart and kidneys, the cancer had destroyed them...you gave it all you had and sometimes that's all you can do." He told her in reference to the patient they had just lost in the OR. She sighed.

"I could have done more.." She started to say when Kevin interrupted her.

"Don't say that. you did better than any other surgeon in that you gave him a chance. Most of us wouldn't have operated, but you gave into his wishes even though you knew what the outcome would probably be." Annie nodded again.

"I guess cancer's like that huh? You never know what to expect." Kevin looked up sharply.

"No, you don't. Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you're catching the virus." Annie shook her head confused at the sudden change of subject. He had been almost caring and then snapped right back into his usual attitude.

"No, I'm okay. I'm gonna get some lunch and then head down to the ER, you wanna' join me?" Kevin smiled a little and shook his head.

"I can't handle cafeteria food yet but I'll see you later." With that he disappeared. The red head watched him go.

"Yeah, see you later."

***

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