<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Justin,\u201d Dr. Elizabeth O\u2019Brien said quickly as she passed med student Justin Timberlake on his way into the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning, Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d Justin replied tiredly. It was a Saturday morning in mid-September, and after a late night with Britney, Justin was exhausted, having gotten only a few hours of sleep. He was glad he at least had Sunday off so that he could catch up on sleep.<\/p>\n
Justin made his way into the lounge, where his temporary supervisor, Dr. Jack Palmer, was also getting ready to start his shift.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Dr. Palmer,\u201d Justin said, opening up his locker.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Justin,\u201d Jack greeted. He waited until Justin was ready, and then the two men walked out into the hall together. They went first to the nurses station, where nurse Natalie Spade was sorting through charts.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Natalie,\u201d Jack greeted her.<\/p>\n
Natalie looked up and smiled. \u201cOh, hi, Jack. I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here. I have a patient for you. Seventy-five-year-old man complaining of fatigue and dizziness. Exam 3.\u201d She handed him a chart.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I come with you or take somebody else?\u201d Justin asked. Now that he had been working at the hospital for almost a month, Jack had been letting Justin examine patients himself, rather than tag around with him all the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cNat, you got another patient Justin can have?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u2026 here you go,\u201d she said, giving a chart to Justin. \u201cThirteen-year-old girl, complains of abdominal pain. Exam 4.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d Justin replied, glancing at the chart as he walked down the hall to the exam room. Kristine Miller, age thirteen, abdominal pain.<\/em> Justin tossed the information around in his mind. He reached Exam 4 and walked in to find a girl sitting on the gurney. She looked small for thirteen and had wavy brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. In a chair beside the gurney sat a woman, probably Kristine\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Kristine,\u201d Justin addressed the girl, offering a slight smile.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Kristine replied softly, gazing at him with pale blue eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd are you Kristine\u2019s mother?\u201d he asked the woman.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m Ellen Miller.\u201d Studying him for a minute, she asked, \u201cAre you a doctor? You look awfully young.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a med student,\u201d Justin replied. \u201cMy name\u2019s Justin Timberlake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d said Ellen, continuing to scrutinize him. Her gaze made him uncomfortable. After a pause, Ellen added, \u201cKristine will be examined by a real<\/em> doctor, won\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, ma\u2019am, I\u2019m required to show all my patients\u2019 charts to a resident before I can treat or discharge them,\u201d Justin said, trying to hold back his anger. She obviously thought of him as some incompetent kid. Well, he would show her.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Kristine,\u201d Justin started in, ignoring Ellen\u2019s stare, \u201cI hear you\u2019ve been having some stomach pain.\u201d<\/p>\n Kristine nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Well, I\u2019m going to ask you some questions first, and then I\u2019ll examine you, and we\u2019ll get to the bottom of this, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Kristine said.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, first of all, what other kinds of symptoms have you had? Any fever, nausea, vomiting?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, everything except the fever part,\u201d Kristine replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Justin said, writing it down on her chart. \u201cHave you eaten anything out of the ordinary lately?\u201d<\/p>\n Kristine frowned, thinking. Then she shook her head. \u201cNot that I can think of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about allergies? Do you have any allergies?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Kristine said, glancing at her mother.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no allergies,\u201d Ellen confirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2026\u201d Justin noted it on the chart. To her mother, he said, \u201cWell, it\u2019s probably just a stomach bug, but I\u2019ll examine Kristine to make sure it\u2019s not anything serious. I\u2019ll send someone in to get a gown for Kristine, and I\u2019ll be back in a little bit to do the examination.\u201d<\/p>\n With that, he went back into the hall, where he met up with nurse Lance Bass.<\/p>\n \u201dLance, could you get a gown for the patient in Exam 4?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Lance replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, and do you know where Dr. Palmer is?\u201d Justin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 last time I saw him, he was with a patient in Exam 3,\u201d said Lance.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Justin replied and went next door to Exam 3 to find Dr. Palmer. Sure enough, there he was, examining an elderly man. Justin stepped into the room and asked tentatively, \u201cDr. Palmer?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced away from his patient. \u201cYeah, Justin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, can I talk to you in the hall when you get a chance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Jack said. Turning back to his patient, he said, \u201cExcuse me for a minute, Mr. Franklin.\u201d He stood up and followed Justin out into the hall. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin handed him Kristine\u2019s chart. \u201cThirteen-year-old complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. No allergies, and she hasn\u2019t eaten anything weird lately.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded, skimming over the chart. \u201cOkay. So, what do you think it could be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGastroenteritis or appendicitis,\u201d Justin replied.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Jack said. \u201cCheck her belly, and if anything feels strange, come get me, and we\u2019ll do an ultrasound.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Justin replied. \u201cThanks, Dr. Palmer.\u201d With that, he turned and went back next door to examine Kristine.<\/p>\n Psychiatrist Dr. Lynn Michaels looked up from her desk as she heard someone knock on her closed office door.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in!\u201d she called. The door opened to reveal the tall, thin frame of a teenage boy. Lynn smiled. \u201cGood morning, Oliver,\u201d she greeted. \u201cCome on in and have a seat.\u201d<\/p>\n The boy walked slowly into Lynn\u2019s office and sat down in one of the two chairs in front of her desk. He clasped his hands tightly together in his lap and fidgeted, looking nervously around the room.<\/p>\n \u201cRelax, Oliver,\u201d Lynn said gently. Oliver glanced at her and stopped fidgeting. But he continued to sit stiffly on the edge of the chair and look anywhere but into her eyes. \u201cSo, Oliver\u2026 how are you doing?\u201d Lynn asked.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d came Oliver\u2019s quick reply.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you really? You look much better physically, but what about emotionally?\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver raised his head sharply and glared at her with his deep brown eyes. \u201cI\u2019m not crazy,\u201d he hissed.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re not. You know, psychiatrists help more than just insane people,\u201d Lynn said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need a shrink,\u201d Oliver muttered, glancing down at his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a \u2018shrink\u2019,\u201d Lynn replied. \u201cI\u2019m a psychiatrist, a doctor. I help people. I\u2019d like to help you, if you\u2019ll let me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need any help. I\u2019m better now.\u201d But Lynn could clearly see that he was not.<\/p>\n On the outside, sixteen-year-old Oliver Williams seemed like the kind of boy who had everything he could ever want. He was good-looking, with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was popular at school, especially with the girls. He was a good student who had always tried hard and made A\u2019s and B\u2019s in all his subjects. But the thing he prided himself most upon was soccer. Oliver loved soccer. He had played the sport ever since he was a little boy and had always excelled at it. He had been playing on his school\u2019s varsity team ever since he was a freshman, and now, as a junior, he was the captain and star of the team. Oliver had everything going for him. At least, that\u2019s what people thought.<\/p>\n In reality, Oliver had been suffering from depression for two years, ever since the death of his younger brother, Johnny. No one in his family had ever really recovered from Johnny\u2019s death; each of them were suffering in their own ways and making others suffer as well. Since Oliver was now his family\u2019s only child, he had been put under an incredible amount of stress and pressure to succeed. His father, without meaning to, always pushed Oliver beyond his limit. The one who had gotten Oliver interested in soccer as a child, James Williams wanted his son to be the best. He demanded Oliver devote all his free time to soccer, and Oliver feared that if he messed up, he would be letting his father down. Oliver\u2019s mother, Caroline, was not much better, for she refused to let go of her dead youngest son. For two years, she had lived her life in a daze, thinking of nothing but Johnny. Her marriage had suffered from this, and so had her son.<\/p>\n By the start of his junior year, Oliver was desperate. His life was a living hell. He and his friends were drifting apart, for after so many months of Oliver avoiding doing things with them, they had stopped trying to include him. His grades, which had once been good, had slipped and were now mere D\u2019s and C\u2019s at best. The only thing he could concentrate on anymore was soccer. It was the one thing that was still going right for him, the one thing that still mattered. The problem was, it mattered too much.<\/p>\n Thirty seconds left in the game. The score was all tied up. The other team had the ball. Oliver stood in the goal, his eyes focused on the black and white soccer ball, as it came steadily towards him from the opposite end of the field. He knew the other team was going to try to score a goal in the last few seconds. All he had to do was block it, and the game would go into overtime, giving his team another chance to win. But if he missed it, the game would be over. His team would lose one of the most important games of their season, the game against their biggest rivals. He couldn\u2019t let that ball get by him. He couldn\u2019t let them score.<\/p>\n The ball came nearer. Oliver saw the kicker\u2019s foot go back and come forward swiftly to connect with the ball. The ball soared through the air, coming towards the goal, just to the left of him. His arms outstretched, Oliver dove to the left, trying to stop that ball from reaching the goal. But he failed. He went too far left; the ball sailed past his right side and hit the net with a light swishing sound.<\/p>\n Immediately, the field erupted in cheers. But they were not coming from his teammates. The other team leaped up and down, hitting each other on the back and hugging. With that final goal, they had won the game by a single point. And it was all Oliver\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n That night, nearly a month ago, was utterly miserable for Oliver. His coach and teammates tried to console him, to tell him that it wasn\u2019t his fault. But he knew it was, and he knew he had let everyone down \u2013 his coach, his team, his school, and most of all, his father. Later that night, Oliver was brought into the ER. He had overdosed on his father\u2019s sleeping pills in a suicide attempt.<\/p>\n Miraculously, Oliver survived the overdose and had been discharged the previous week. While he recovered in the hospital, Lynn had been called in on a psychiatric consult and had spoken with him several times. This was her first appointment with him as an outpatient. Oliver obviously hadn\u2019t wanted to come, but his parents had forced him to. Lynn was glad they had, for Oliver needed help, and she hoped she could give him that help.<\/p>\n Jack was just leaving a patient\u2019s room, when his med student, Justin, approached him.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Palmer?\u201d asked Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Justin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI examined the girl in Exam 4, and her belly felt normal,\u201d said Justin. \u201cShe said the pain is mostly on her right side, but her belly was soft, not rigid, and it didn\u2019t hurt her any worse when I touched her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you get some bloodwork done to check for infection?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but the results aren\u2019t back yet,\u201d Justin replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Well, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s appendicitis, but wait for the bloodwork to come back just to make sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if the bloodwork comes back fine? Do we just send her home? She seems to be in a lot of pain, more than stomach flu or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack thought for a moment. \u201cWell, we could do an ultrasound, just to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin nodded. \u201cOkay. I\u2019ll come get you when her bloodwork gets back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, thanks, Justin.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced at his watch as Justin walked away. It was almost nine-thirty in the morning. Time for a coffee break.<\/p>\n Justin strode into Exam 4, the results of Kristine\u2019s bloodwork in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs. Miller, these are the results of Kristine\u2019s blood test,\u201d he said, holding up the packet he held in his hand. \u201cThey showed no sign of infection, which pretty much rules out appendicitis. However, I\u2019m concerned about the amount of pain Kristine is in, and I\u2019d like to do an ultrasound to make sure it\u2019s nothing serious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Kristine asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, it doesn\u2019t hurt at all,\u201d Justin said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a way to see inside your stomach, to make sure nothing is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Kristine said nervously.<\/p>\n Justin smiled slightly at her. \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he said again. \u201cWe\u2019re just being cautious. You probably just have the flu.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Nurse Bass,\u201d said a tentative male voice, surprising Lance, who nearly dropped the suture kit he was holding.<\/p>\n \u201cOliver!\u201d he exclaimed, turning around to find the lanky teen standing behind him, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. \u201cWhat are you doing here? Can I help you with anything? Or do you just want-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cI just came from my first counseling session,\u201d Oliver interrupted. \u201cThought I\u2019d drop in and say hey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Lance smiled. \u201cWell, hey yourself. How did your appointment go?\u201d<\/p>\n The boy shrugged. \u201cOkay, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201dAre you seeing Dr. Michaels?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s good. You like her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good. How are things going at home?\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver shrugged again. \u201cMy mom rarely lets me out of her sight, and my dad took the damn door off my bedroom and locked up all the meds. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Lance said with a sympathetic smile. \u201cBut you know they\u2019re just doing that because they love you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Oliver said hollowly, \u201cI know. Well, I guess I should be going now. You\u2019re probably busy.\u201d<\/p>\n Lance nodded slowly. \u201cWell, listen, you take care of yourself, and if you ever need to talk to someone other than Dr. Michaels, stop by. I can always make some time to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver smiled slightly. \u201cThanks, Nurse Bass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLance,\u201d Lance corrected. \u201cJust call me Lance, Oliver.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. See you later\u2026 Lance.\u201d<\/p>\n Lance watched as Oliver schlepped away down the hall, a strange feeling gnawing at his stomach. Though he didn\u2019t know the teenager very well at all, Lance felt a strong connection with him.<\/p>\n There was a rule about getting too involved with patients, and Lance had broken it with this particular one. He had spoken with Oliver while he was in the ER. At the time, he was sullen and angry, angry at himself for failing at his suicide attempt, angry at his parents for finding him and calling the paramedics before the drugs he had ingested could finish him off, angry at the hospital staff for saving his life. Basically angry at the world. Going against policy, Lance had told the boy about his own demons, about his sister\u2019s suicide and his own battle with clinical depression. He thought that if only Oliver knew that other people could empathize with what he was going through, it would help him deal. And it had seemed so far. Oliver had opened up to him that day, sharing his feelings, telling him what sent him over the edge that night.<\/p>\n When Oliver had been moved from the ER to another room, Lance had come to visit him a couple times. And now that Oliver was discharged, he was coming back to visit Lance. It seemed to be the beginning of a friendship. An unconventional friendship, maybe, for there was a ten-year age difference between them, and other than depression, they had little in common. But that was enough. The thing that brought them together was the very thing that alienated Oliver from his family and friends. And, as a sufferer of depression himself, Lance knew Oliver needed someone he could relate to, a sort of confidant. And Lance was willing to be that for him.<\/p>\n Shaking his head, Lance delivered the suture kit he was holding to one of the exam rooms, hoping all the while that Oliver was going to be okay.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Kristine, what kind of stuff are you interested in?\u201d Justin asked casually, as Dr. Palmer performed the ultrasound on his patient. He watched the screen the ultrasound showed up on with interest.<\/p>\n \u201cI play volleyball,\u201d Kristine said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cVolleyball. That\u2019s cool,\u201d replied Justin. \u201cSo, are you on your school\u2019s team?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCool. What grade are you in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEighth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, do you like school?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou get good grades?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCool. So\u2026 uh\u2026 you got a boyfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n Kristine gave her mother a quick sidelong glance, then said quickly, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin smiled and nodded, trying to think of something else to ask her. His thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Palmer.<\/p>\n \u201cJustin, take a look at this.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin glanced back at the ultrasound monitor and squinted. He couldn\u2019t make out anything abnormal.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you see anything?\u201d Dr. Palmer asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 no?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither do I,\u201d Dr. Palmer replied, and Justin nodded, relieved. To Kristine\u2019s mother, Dr. Palmer said, \u201cMrs. Miller, everything looks fine. It\u2019s probably just a stomach virus or something she ate. Have her take some ibuprofen or antacid tablets for the pain, and if it\u2019s not better in a few days, bring her back in, or call your family doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d said Ellen Miller. \u201cThank you, doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKristine, go ahead and get changed, and then you can go home,\u201d said Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d said Kristine in relief.<\/p>\n Dr. Palmer and Justin left the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Siara, if Elizabeth asks where I am, tell her I went on lunch break,\u201d Jack announced to his fellow ER doctor, Siara Reily, right at noon.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Jack,\u201d Siara replied, as Jack pulled a jacket on over his green scrubs and left the lounge. He made his way out of the ER and walked the two blocks to Sully\u2019s, the little caf\u00e9 where many of the Memorial staff members ate lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n Inside the restaurant, he found several of his good friends from the hospital \u2013 Josh McCartney, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, and Brian\u2019s girlfriend, Ivory Harnett.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jack!\u201d they all called to him, waving him over to the two tables they had pulled together.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, guys,\u201d said Jack, taking a seat next to Josh. \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d He got a mumble of the usual, \u201cnot much\u201d and \u201cnothing\u201d.<\/p>\n Jenny, one of the waitresses at Sully\u2019s, who was always there at lunchtime, came up to their table right away to take Jack\u2019s order. He ordered his usual double cheeseburger, fries, and Mountain Dew, and sat back to wait for his food to come. The others had already ordered, but were still waiting for their food as well.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Aje, how\u2019s Bianca doing?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cReally good,\u201d AJ replied. \u201cShe was thinking about coming back to work on Monday, but I told her to wait another week. She doesn\u2019t realize how much it\u2019s going to take out of her, going back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded. \u201cYeah, tell her to take her time. She\u2019s only been gone three weeks; she should take at least another week off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, is Howie off today, AJ?\u201d Brian asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s got Dani for the weekend, so he\u2019s off,\u201d AJ replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is Dani, anyway?\u201d asked Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s doing pretty good. She\u2019s not back at school yet, but Howie said she\u2019s recovering just fine from her surgery,\u201d AJ replied.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a relief,\u201d said Jack. \u201cGod, I couldn\u2019t imagine going through something like that. If it was my daughter\u2026\u201d He shuddered at the thought. The others nodded in agreement, falling into a solemn silence.<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026\u201d AJ said, to break the pause, \u201cyou guys all ready for tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n The five men of the group exchanged grins, while Ivory just looked confused.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys night out tonight, honey,\u201d Brian informed her.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, really<\/em>? And you were going to tell me when<\/em>?\u201d Ivory asked, miffed.<\/p>\n Brian smirked. \u201cRight now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Ivory rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the big deal? You and your chick friends are always going out together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201dSo where are you guys going then?\u201d Ivory asked, ignoring her boyfriend.<\/p>\n \u201cJust J\u2019s house,\u201d Jack chimed in. \u201cThe remodeling in the basement\u2019s finally done; we gotta celebrate!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Ivory smiled. \u201cWell, have fun then.\u201d<\/p>\n At that moment, Jenny came back, carrying a large tray of food for them. As everyone began to eat, the conversation died, and they fell into silence again.<\/p>\n Around four o\u2019clock that afternoon, Justin sat in the lounge on his break, playing a video game on the hospital\u2019s Nintendo Gamecube with nurse Lance Bass, who was also taking a break. The Gamecube was supposed to be there to entertain patients, but for some reason, it always ended up in the staff lounge.<\/p>\n Justin\u2019s concentration on the game was interrupted when Addie Burke burst into the lounge. \u201cJustin!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust a minute; I\u2019m almost done with this level,\u201d Justin murmured, his tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration, his body jerking back and forth as he steered his sports car on the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cJustin, now!\u201d Addie demanded, causing Justin\u2019s car to veer off the road.<\/p>\n Slamming his controller down, he stood up. \u201cI\u2019m on break; what is it?\u201d he asked, none too kindly.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you treat a Kristine Miller earlier today?\u201d Addie asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah; she went home hours ago,\u201d Justin replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she\u2019s back now, and she\u2019s in bad shape. Jack\u2019s working on her in Trauma 1. You better get in there,\u201d said Addie with a grim expression, turning and hurrying out of the lounge before Justin could utter a word.<\/p>\n \u201cShit,\u201d Justin whispered, his eyes wide. What could have happened to her? Worried, Justin ran out of the lounge and down to Trauma 1 as fast as he could.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was complaining of a stabbing pain in her stomach, and then she just collapsed!\u201d cried Ellen Miller, Kristine\u2019s mother, her eyes filled with frantic tears as she looked down on her daughter, who lay unconscious on the gurney.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can for her, Mrs. Miller,\u201d Jack promised.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what happened? You said it was just a stomach virus! You said she\u2019d be fine!\u201d Ellen shouted, her voice rising shrilly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know yet; we\u2019re trying to find out what\u2019s wrong with her now,\u201d Jack said. \u201cAddie, could you show Mrs. Miller to chairs now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d replied Addie, who had just come back into the room. \u201cCome with me, Mrs. Miller. You can\u2019t be in here while the doctors are trying to work.\u201d Putting her hand on Ellen\u2019s back, she led the hysterical mother out of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Justin cried, bursting into the room just after Addie and Ellen had left.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know yet,\u201d Jack told him gravely. \u201cShe was just brought in by the paramedics a few minutes ago. Her pulse is weak, and her blood pressure is extremely low. Her mother said she was complaining of a stabbing pain in her abdomen, and then she collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get an ultrasound,\u201d said Siara Reily.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we did one this morning!\u201d Justin exclaimed. \u201cEverything looked fine, right Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack didn\u2019t reply. Instead, he helped Siara get the ultrasound equipment ready. While Siara rubbed the transducer across Kristine\u2019s stomach, Jack watched the monitor. Suddenly, he gasped. \u201cShe\u2019s bleeding internally! Belly\u2019s full of blood!\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened??\u201d Justin asked again. \u201cIt was fine just a few hours ago!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head. \u201cI have no idea. Addie, page the OR and have them get a room ready. This girl\u2019s going to need surgery right away.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie, who had just come back into the room, immediately got on the phone in the room, while the other doctors and nurses bustled around Kristine, inserting drugs into her IV lines and checking her monitors.<\/p>\n To one of the other nurses, Jack said, \u201cGo get Dr. O\u2019Brien. We need to find out what\u2019s wrong with this girl.\u201d<\/p>\n The nurse ran out of the room and returned minutes later with Dr. Elizabeth O\u2019Brien, who was head of the ER.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do we have here?\u201d she asked, and Jack explained everything, starting with when he and Justin had examined Kristine that morning.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone get me a copy of her ultrasound from this morning,\u201d Elizabeth said.<\/p>\n One of the nurses got the ultrasound films from Kristine\u2019s chart and handed them to Elizabeth, who took them out in the hall to study them. She came back in a few minutes later.<\/p>\n \u201cCould you make out anything?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to tell,\u201d Elizabeth said. \u201cHer chart doesn\u2019t mention it, but could she be pregnant? It looks like it could be an ectopic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPregnant?\u201d Justin asked in disbelief. \u201cBut\u2026 but she\u2019s only thirteen!\u201d<\/p>\n Elizabeth shrugged. \u201cBelieve me, thirteen-year-olds these days do more than we think they do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you think she\u2019s got an ectopic pregnancy?\u201d Jack asked in surprise. Ectopic pregnancies, which occurred when the fetus was growing inside one of the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus, were rare, and in a thirteen-year-old girl, it was something he would have never suspected.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not positive; the ultrasounds don\u2019t reveal anything. But her symptoms all add up to it \u2013 sharp pain on one side of her abdomen, vomiting from morning sickness, and now internal bleeding. Her fallopian tube has burst. She needs to get to surgery right away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe already paged surgery,\u201d said Siara<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Someone page OB, too, and get someone to come look at the ultrasound.\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, all at once, it seemed, all the machines Kristine was hooked up to went haywire.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s dropped her pressure!\u201d cried one nurse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re losing her pulse!\u201d shouted another.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s in V-fib,\u201d said Siara. \u201cGet the crash cart; charge the paddles to 200!\u201d<\/p>\n Addie wheeled the crash cart up to the gurney. \u201cCharging paddles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere, let Justin shock her,\u201d said Jack, when the paddles were charged. Addie handed the paddles to Justin, who took them in awe, having never used them before. \u201cJust say clear and then press them to the pads on her chest,\u201d Jack instructed.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Clear!\u201d Justin said nervously and pressed the paddles to Kristine\u2019s chest. Her body jumped with the jolt, and so did Justin, in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cStill in V-fib. Charge again,\u201d Siara said. Justin handed the paddles back to Addie, who charged them up and gave them to Justin again.<\/p>\n \u201cClear!\u201d<\/p>\n The process repeated again and again. The paddles were charged to a higher voltage each time, but Kristine\u2019s heart did not respond. Finally, the line on the heart monitor went completely flat.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s in asystole,\u201d said Siara.<\/p>\n \u201cStart CPR,\u201d said Jack, nodding at Justin.<\/p>\n Justin nodded in reply and cupped his hands together to start doing chest compressions on Kristine, as he had been taught in med school. For nearly half an hour, he pushed down on her chest repeatedly, praying with each compression that her heart would beat. But each time, he was disappointed.<\/p>\n Finally, Siara said, \u201cHold compressions.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin pulled away, exhausted. The heart monitor continued to wail, the line running flatly across the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d said Siara. \u201cShe\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin was tired, and his arms ached from doing the CPR for so long, but the thought of giving up was too much to bear. \u201cNo!\u201d he cried. \u201cNo, she\u2019s not gone! Just a few more minutes. Give me a few more minutes. I can get her back!\u201d Gasping for breath, he bent over her body again and started chest compressions once more. \u201cOne and two and three and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJustin,\u201d Jack said. \u201cJustin, stop.\u201d<\/p>\n But Justin ignored him and kept going. \u201cFour and five\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJustin, she\u2019s already dead,\u201d Siara said gently. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to get her back. It\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d Justin cried, shaking his head furiously. \u201cNo, I\u2026\u201d He let out a breath of air and stopped, his body sagging in defeat.<\/p>\n Siara watched him in sympathy. Jack looked at his watch. \u201cTime of death \u2013 17:10.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie turned off the beeping monitors, and the other nurses disconnected Kristine from them and removed the IV\u2019s from her arms until her body lay alone on the gurney, a sheet covering her lower half. Slowly, Addie pulled the sheet up to her chin.<\/p>\n Just then, a woman appeared in the doorway. \u201cIs this where they needed the OB consult?\u201d she asked in surprise. Jack turned to see that it was Dr. Melanie Reyes, one of Memorial\u2019s obstetricians.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he said. \u201cWe think this girl might have had an ectopic pregnancy. She came in this morning with abdominal pain on her right side and complained of vomiting. We ruled out appendicitis and sent her home, thinking it was just the flu or a virus. She came back in about an hour ago with internal bleeding and arrested half an hour ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Melanie nodded. \u201cSounds like an ectopic,\u201d she said. \u201cDid she know she was pregnant?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Jack said. \u201cNo one thought to do a pregnancy test on her. She\u2019s only thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you do an ultrasound?\u201d asked Melanie.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Come on; I\u2019ll show you the films. My student and I both looked at them, and so did Elizabeth O\u2019Brien, and none of us could see anything wrong,\u201d Jack said, as he led her out of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, they can be tricky to read sometimes,\u201d Melanie replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jack, do you want me to talk to the mother?\u201d Addie called, as Jack started down the hall.<\/p>\n Jack stopped and turned around. \u201cNo, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d he replied. Then he continued on down the hall with Melanie.<\/p>\n Justin sat in the lounge, his chin in his hands. He stared out the window without really seeing anything. He felt so empty, so depressed, so devastated. He now knew what it was like to lose a patient. Kristine had been his first. The feeling was horrible. He wasn\u2019t grieving for Kristine as a person; he hadn\u2019t really known her as a person, just as a patient. But it was awful knowing that he had had a chance to save her life, and he had failed. Like Susanna had said, maybe there really was nothing he could do for her. But he couldn\u2019t help but feel that if he had just tried harder, she might still be alive.<\/p>\n \u201cJustin?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin slowly looked up to see Jack standing in the doorway. He did not reply.<\/p>\n Jack walked into the room and sat down beside him. \u201cYou win some; you lose some,\u201d he said, glancing over at Justin. \u201cI know that\u2019s hard to accept, but that\u2019s the reality of being in the medical field. You can\u2019t fix everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin hung his head. \u201cI know,\u201d he murmured softly. \u201cBut I feel like we should\u2019ve caught this earlier. If we had known this morning what was really wrong with her, this wouldn\u2019t have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Justin, but there\u2019s really no way we could have known. Even Elizabeth said that. Dr. Reyes, the OB, looked at her ultrasound, and sure enough, she had an ectopic pregnancy. But how were we supposed to guess that? She was only thirteen; most people don\u2019t get pregnant at thirteen. She was only a couple months along, so it was impossible to tell that by looking at her. She had morning sickness and had probably missed her period, but at thirteen, the menstrual cycle isn\u2019t always regular anyway, so I\u2019m sure she never suspected she was pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201dBut what about the ultrasound?\u201d Justin asked. \u201cShouldn\u2019t it have shown that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf it was a normal pregnancy, we would have been able to see it. Sometimes you can detect an ectopic on an ultrasound film, too, but not always. I couldn\u2019t make it out either. If we had known this girl was pregnant, we would have gotten an OB consult this morning, and it could have been discovered. But we didn\u2019t know she was pregnant, so no one thought that was necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin nodded. He understood that it wasn\u2019t really his or Jack\u2019s fault. It wasn\u2019t anyone\u2019s fault. It was just a horrible tragedy. But he still blamed himself. \u201cSo did you talk to her mother?\u201d he asked Jack.<\/p>\n Jack nodded. \u201cYeah. It was one of the harder ones. Not only did she find out her daughter was dead, but she also discovered that her thirteen-year-old had been having sex behind her back with a boyfriend her mom had forbidden her to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin remembered Kristine\u2019s expression when he had asked her if she had a boyfriend, the look she had shot at her mother, and her quick no. He understood now.<\/p>\n \u201cWas she mad?\u201d Justin asked. \u201cThat we didn\u2019t know what was wrong this morning?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, she was,\u201d Jack said, sighing. \u201cA lot of people get that way. Some try to sue the hospital for malpractice.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin\u2019s head shot up in alarm. \u201cDo you think she\u2019ll do that??\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe might. But I already asked Elizabeth about it, and she said she doesn\u2019t think the mother would win if she tried. She\u2019s an experienced doctor, and she couldn\u2019t even see anything on the ultrasound. Probably only an OB or maybe a surgeon would be able to tell it was an ectopic pregnancy, and under the circumstances, we didn\u2019t see the need for a consult. That would be our defense if we needed it in court. But it probably won\u2019t get that far, even if the mother does threaten to sue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Justin said, sighing with relief. The last thing he needed was to be accused of killing a girl one month into his third year of med school.<\/p>\n Jack glanced at his watch. \u201cWell, we\u2019re off at six, and it\u2019s quarter till now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Justin said. He sighed and buried his face in his hands again. \u201cI just want this day to be over with,\u201d he moaned, his voice muffled.<\/p>\n Jack studied him for a moment, then got an idea. \u201cHey, Justin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Justin looked up. \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the guys and I are having sort of a \u2018guys\u2019 night in\u2019 at AJ McLean\u2019s house \u2013 he\u2019s one of the paramedics. Why don\u2019t you come? You need something to get your mind off this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Justin asked, surprised at being included in something Jack and the other staff members were doing.<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Jack replied, smiling. \u201cYou did a good job today, Justin, even if you did lose someone.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin broke into a slight smile, touched by Jack\u2019s compliment. \u201cWell\u2026 okay,\u201d he said finally. \u201cI\u2019ll come. Where is it and what time?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack gave him the directions to AJ\u2019s house and told Justin to be there at eight. \u201cWell,\u201d he said, standing up. \u201cI\u2019m gonna go now. I\u2019ll see you tonight, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Justin said. \u201cSee you tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Justy, I thought we were going to spend tonight together!\u201d Britney protested.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Brit, but I already told Dr. Palmer I was coming. Besides, I want to go. It\u2019ll be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, for you. But what do you expect me to do? Just sit around here and wait for you to get home?\u201d Britney glared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026 I dunno. But I won\u2019t be there the whole night. I\u2019ll come home, and we can have sex then,\u201d Justin said brightly.<\/p>\n \u201cHa, we\u2019ll see about that,\u201d said Britney with a smirk.<\/p>\n Justin rolled his eyes. \u201cOh, come on, Britney, you want me, and you know it,\u201d he said smugly.<\/p>\n \u201cI can have any guy I want,\u201d Britney continued, tossing her hair. \u201cWhy should I stay tied down to some arrogant doctor wannabe who\u2019s never around?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause this arrogant doctor wannabe is gonna be rich someday, that\u2019s why,\u201d Justin said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to need someone to support you and pay for all your boob jobs, you know.\u201d Seeing Britney\u2019s look of rage, he quickly added, \u201cBesides, this arrogant doctor wannabe loves you.\u201d He kissed her lips, and when he pulled back, there was a smile on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI love you, too, Justy,\u201d Britney cooed, and the couple kissed again.<\/p>\n Hours later, the party was in full swing, with AJ and his friends from both the hospital and outside of work gathered around his newly-remodeled basement.<\/p>\n Having already downed several beers, Justin was having a great time. He had already forgotten the depression he had suffered from earlier that evening. Now he just wanted to get drunk and have fun.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Dr. Palmer,\u201d he said, waving, as he headed for the bar.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Jack, Justin,\u201d Jack replied. \u201cYou can call me Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJack,\u201d Justin said, nodding. \u201cThis is a great time, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure is,\u201d Jack replied. \u201cI can tell you\u2019re having fun,\u201d he added under his breath, snickering as he saw Justin weave his way to the bar. He couldn\u2019t poke too much fun at Justin though; he was already pretty loaded himself. Normally, he tried to watch himself with the alcohol because Addie didn\u2019t like it when he was drunk off his ass. But tonight, there was no Addie to reprimand him, and he planned to take full advantage of that fact.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jack,\u201d said Kevin, coming up to Jack. \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d Jack replied. \u201cI\u2019m having fun. How \u2018bout you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n In the background, Jack heard the music blaring from the stereo change, and Dr. Dre and Eminem\u2019s \u201cForgot About Dre\u201d came on. He paid no attention until he heard a familiar, whiny voice attempting to rap along at the top of his lungs. Both he and Kevin turned and stared in disbelief as they watched Justin climb on top of the counter of the bar and rap right along. Well, try<\/em> to rap anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God, who the hell is that?\u201d snickered Kevin, his green eyes dancing with amusement at the curly-haired white guy trying to be Dr. Dre.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be Bianca\u2019s med student, Justin Timberlake,\u201d replied Jack, never taking his eyes off Justin, who was making a complete ass of himself in front of the rest of the crowd, who had stopped what they were doing to stare at him.<\/p>\n \u201cNowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin\u2019 ta say, but nothin\u2019 comes out when they move their lips, just a buncha gibberish, and muthah\u2019-f*ck that \u2018cause they forgot about Dre,\u201d<\/em> rapped Justin, waving his arms around in an attempt to be \u201cghetto\u201d.<\/p>\n Before they knew it, Chris Kirkpatrick had leapt onto the counter as well. \u201cWhoo! Go Justin! Go Justin! It\u2019s your birthday! Go Justin!\u201d he shouted, mocking Justin.<\/p>\n The crowd began to chant along, and poor Justin, who didn\u2019t realize he was being made fun of, continued to act like a big rap star and make a complete idiot of himself.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God,\u201d Jack gasped, out of breath from laughing so hard. \u201cI hope he doesn\u2019t remember this once he\u2019s sober. He\u2019s never gonna live it down at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin grinned. \u201cThat\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, that was one tight act you put on there, Justin,\u201d commented AJ teasingly as he passed by Justin an hour after his \u201cperformance\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cYo, you can jus\u2019 call me J-Dawg from now on, g,\u201d slurred Justin in ebonics, staggering towards the bar once again. He helped himself to a beer and nearly missed the bar stool when he tried to sit down. He just laughed idiotically at himself, popped the top on his beer, and finished off the can in three gulps.<\/p>\n \u201cYour med student\u2019s completely smashed over there, dude,\u201d AJ said to Jack, pointing at Justin.<\/p>\n Jack rolled his eyes. \u201cNot my problem. I\u2019m not in charge of him here. He\u2019ll regret it when he wakes up tomorrow with the world\u2019s worst hangover.\u201d He took a sip of his own beer and sidled over to where AJ\u2019s hired strippers were dancing for Josh and the rest of the men crowded eagerly around him.<\/p>\n By midnight, most of the guys had left. Only a few of them remained, some stumbling drunkenly around AJ\u2019s basement, helping him pick up, while others sat at the bar or in front of the TV, still drinking. Justin, who had spent much of the latter portion of the night in the bathroom, was passed out on one of the couches.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody should probably go wake him up now,\u201d Josh said casually to Jack, nodding to Justin.<\/p>\n Jack snickered, remembering Justin\u2019s rapping. \u201cHe\u2019d probably rather sleep forever than face going back to work on Monday. I have a feeling by the time Chris gets to work, the whole ER will know.\u201d<\/p>\n Josh laughed. \u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Doug, one of AJ\u2019s friends from college, who called out, \u201cHey, could one of you doctor people come over here?\u201d He was leaning over the unconscious form of Justin.<\/p>\n Jack and Josh exchanged worried glances. \u201cShit, I forgot all about him,\u201d Jack muttered, as the two hurried over to the couch where Justin was passed out.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s doin\u2019 so good,\u201d Doug said, motioning down at Justin. \u201cHis breathing sounds really weird.\u201d Sure enough, Justin\u2019s breathing was very slow and shallow.<\/p>\n \u201dCheck his pulse,\u201d Josh said, and Jack knelt down and felt Justin\u2019s wrist.<\/p>\n \u201cShit, his pulse is weak,\u201d Jack said. \u201cHe\u2019s had way too much to drink.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlcohol poisoning?\u201d Josh asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Jack said grimly. Raising his voice, he shouted, \u201cSomebody call 911!\u201d<\/p>\n Episode 7: Forgot About J \u201cGood morning, Justin,\u201d Dr. Elizabeth O\u2019Brien said quickly as she passed med student Justin Timberlake on his way into the hospital. \u201cMorning, Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d Justin replied tiredly. It was a Saturday morning in mid-September, and after a late night with Britney, Justin was exhausted, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-195","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/195\/revisions\/207"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}+++<\/h4>\n
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Episode 8<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"