Post by Thursday on Nov 10, 2009 1:14:43 GMT -5
Death has a smell. Indescribable, but unmistakable. Unfortunately for Patience Kaslow, it was a familiar smell. She was accustomed to death and its various forms and was no longer troubled by it. But she still felt the loss. It was filed away in the back of her mind to be dealt with later, in private. The scent lingered outside Jason Robert's room. Patience sighed as she grabbed the chart hanging outside the room and frowned reading it. She opened the door quietly and nodded to Robert's mother reading in a corner. The woman looked strained, tired. Her face looked older than Patience knew it really was. Harsh lines of worry furrowed her brow. Meeting her eyes, Patience could see Mrs. Robert knew as well as she did what inevitably was going to happen to her son. Jason had been flown in a few days ago presenting with severe head trauma caused by a hiking accident. After several somewhat successful surgeries, Jason had lapsed into a coma. His vitals tanked more every hour and Patience cursed under her breath. The low hum of the respirator covered up the more sinister sounds. The beeping of the heart monitor sounded frantic and seemed to be ticking away the minutes of the young man's life. Patience checked his IV and the settings of the machines that were keeping him alive, knowing full well there was little she could do now. She delayed looking at his face, dreading what she would see. He was young, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. His color was off, unnaturally gray against the stark white bandages.
"Mrs. Robert? I think it might be time to say goodbye."
The woman closed her eyes and shuddered once. When she opened them, Patience could see the glistening of tears but she nodded.
"Thank you, Dr. Kaslow for everything you've done."
Patience left the room to give her some privacy and replaced the chart. A parent should never have to bury a child. It was days like this that made her question her occupation. She knew what it must feel like to be Atlas, the weight of the world on your shoulders. Patience was young but if age was measured by experience, she would be older than the mother in that room. Five years as an army doctor had shone Patience the horrors of war and it had left its mark on her soul. She walked down the hall to the break room slowly, reflecting on the day. Three of her patients had died that day. One heart attack, one renal failure, and the last died under her hands on the operating table. Days like this were rare but when they happened, it sapped Patience's hope and optimism. At the nurses station, she updated Robert's status and told them it wouldn't be long now. People bustled to and fro all over the hospital, a sea of faces. Patience badly needed a little peace but she knew it wouldn't be found until her shift ended. In the break room, she poured a cup of coffee and sank heavily onto a threadbare couch.
"Rough day?" Her best friend, Kate asked hurrying in. Kate was an ER doctor and always seemed to be in a rush.
"You could say that," Patience told her, as she poured her own cup of joe and sat beside her friend on the sofa.
"How's it on your side of the world?"
"Gloomy," Patience told her, letting out her breath in a huff.
"That bad? Well, cheer up. Tonight we are going out! We are going to get you laid!"
Patience laughed, the mood already lightening.
"Is that your answer for everything?" she asked, teasingly.
"What exactly are you implying Dr. Kaslow? I don't like your tone." Kate answered, mock offended.
Patience grinned at her. Kate was the one person whom she could tell anything without fear of being judged. She understood better than anyone what had happened to Patience in the war, though she spoke so little of it.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kate." she said poking her with her index finger.
Kate giggled helplessly.
"I know! I know! It's true!"
Their laughing was interrupted by a young nurse who poked her head in the door.
"Dr. Kaslow? There's someone here to see you."
"Okay, I'll be right out. Thank you." Patience answered still laughing slightly. She took a few deep breathes, composing herself.
"I'll talk to you later," she called to her friend.
"Okay, you think I'm joking about tonight but I'm not!"
Patience smiled, shaking her head at Kate. She felt remarkably better already. Then she caught sight of her visitor. The smile died slowly and Patience approached the man warily. The uniform was unmistakable.
"Dr. Kaslow," the officer greeted her.
"I'm going back, aren't I?" she asked already knowing the answer. The word hung heavy in the air, like a bolt of lightning waiting to strike.
"Yes."
"Mrs. Robert? I think it might be time to say goodbye."
The woman closed her eyes and shuddered once. When she opened them, Patience could see the glistening of tears but she nodded.
"Thank you, Dr. Kaslow for everything you've done."
Patience left the room to give her some privacy and replaced the chart. A parent should never have to bury a child. It was days like this that made her question her occupation. She knew what it must feel like to be Atlas, the weight of the world on your shoulders. Patience was young but if age was measured by experience, she would be older than the mother in that room. Five years as an army doctor had shone Patience the horrors of war and it had left its mark on her soul. She walked down the hall to the break room slowly, reflecting on the day. Three of her patients had died that day. One heart attack, one renal failure, and the last died under her hands on the operating table. Days like this were rare but when they happened, it sapped Patience's hope and optimism. At the nurses station, she updated Robert's status and told them it wouldn't be long now. People bustled to and fro all over the hospital, a sea of faces. Patience badly needed a little peace but she knew it wouldn't be found until her shift ended. In the break room, she poured a cup of coffee and sank heavily onto a threadbare couch.
"Rough day?" Her best friend, Kate asked hurrying in. Kate was an ER doctor and always seemed to be in a rush.
"You could say that," Patience told her, as she poured her own cup of joe and sat beside her friend on the sofa.
"How's it on your side of the world?"
"Gloomy," Patience told her, letting out her breath in a huff.
"That bad? Well, cheer up. Tonight we are going out! We are going to get you laid!"
Patience laughed, the mood already lightening.
"Is that your answer for everything?" she asked, teasingly.
"What exactly are you implying Dr. Kaslow? I don't like your tone." Kate answered, mock offended.
Patience grinned at her. Kate was the one person whom she could tell anything without fear of being judged. She understood better than anyone what had happened to Patience in the war, though she spoke so little of it.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kate." she said poking her with her index finger.
Kate giggled helplessly.
"I know! I know! It's true!"
Their laughing was interrupted by a young nurse who poked her head in the door.
"Dr. Kaslow? There's someone here to see you."
"Okay, I'll be right out. Thank you." Patience answered still laughing slightly. She took a few deep breathes, composing herself.
"I'll talk to you later," she called to her friend.
"Okay, you think I'm joking about tonight but I'm not!"
Patience smiled, shaking her head at Kate. She felt remarkably better already. Then she caught sight of her visitor. The smile died slowly and Patience approached the man warily. The uniform was unmistakable.
"Dr. Kaslow," the officer greeted her.
"I'm going back, aren't I?" she asked already knowing the answer. The word hung heavy in the air, like a bolt of lightning waiting to strike.
"Yes."