A Heart Healed

Helicopter footage of the highway in question came onto the television, making Naomi pause her chewing. It was awful. There were at least six different cars that had been totaled. Several ambulances and fire trucks were already on scene, men and women in uniform making their way in and around the crash site itself. Naomi could see several people who weren’t as badly injured moving with paramedics in tears before the news went back to the anchor.

A few seconds later, Naomi’s phone started ringing. She just looked at Iris who was trying to climb onto her lap, the little creature’s locking target on the plate of food with the last of Naomi’s egg on it. With a sigh, she just placed it on the sofa, letting Iris go to town on it. Guess she should get to the hospital.

So much for a relaxing breakfast.

*****

It was if the entirety of downtown had dissolved into chaos.

First, it had already taken close to an hour for Naomi to even get to the hospital with all the morning rush hour traffic that was being redirected off of the freeway coming through her neighborhood. With more than twice the amount of cars coming through her road alone than any given morning, getting a cab on its own was like trying to signal for a helicopter in the middle of a sandstorm.

After the first half an hour, she had even given up and started walking towards the hospital. It was only when she had passed ten blocks and the intersection at the edge of her neighborhood with the German bakery and the Korean butcher that she managed to flag down someone she knew who was also called into the hospital to help out with the sudden influx of patients.

“Thank you for the ride. I was beginning to think I’d have to walk the entire way,” Naomi said with a grateful smile at the man driving the sedan she was sitting in.

“It’s no problem,” Dr. Adamson said. “I know that both of us will need as much energy as we can get for today. I’m sure you saw the damage on the news before the calls started coming in.” The man looked about as tired as she was as they made their way down the back roads towards downtown. He was only in his early forties, so he wasn’t as old as most managers at the hospital, but the silver streaks in his hair and beard were definitely evidence of the stress he went through every day.

Naomi was still grateful that all of the doctors that had passed by her direction, it was her supervisor. She knew the man had a kind heart, even towards her and the other residents since they started at the hospital, and he was often helping Olivia and herself out when needed.

“I did,” she said with a sharp nod. “It was terrible. Especially the damage that was done to that limo that was in the middle of everything. I hope the person in there wasn’t hit too terribly.”

Dr. Adamson glanced at her for a second before refocusing his eyes on the road in front of them. “They weren’t. Actually, they’re actually the reason I was called in now in the middle of my conference, but I can’t stay for more than today. As a special favor of sorts.” When she thought back on some of the previous cases that he had the interns observe on, Naomi could see why he would. The man was a brilliant physician and had some good connections with some of the more famous patients who came into the hospital in the past.

What he had said now had left a few questions in her head though. Who had called Dr. Adamson in, especially if they held enough sway to get him away from a medical conference? Also, what kind of person would need a doctor like her supervisor in the first place?

Whoever this patient was, they had to be badly injured.

“Naomi, I need you to work with me on this patient. Although I won’t be there for most of his recovery, I know I can trust you to make sure he’s well, right?” And there it was again, one of Dr Adamson’s million-dollar smiles. Naomi would never say it to his face, mostly out of respect for the man, but it reminded her of a used car salesman most of the time.

The kind they liked to use to make you comfortable even though you knew you were going to get a terrible car by the end of it anyway. As easy on the eyes as he was at his age, he still somehow looked suspicious when he smiled like this. Her gut didn’t even know what to feel about this offer either.

Damn it, gut. Why must you give up when I need you?

“We’re here,” Dr. Adamson said as he pulled into the hospital parking lot and stopped in front of the main entrance. The place was packed with cars that no doubt belonged to the families of the injured. “Head to the ER while I park the car. I’ll meet you there.”

She climbed out and headed inside, trying to compose herself for the long day that was sure to happen today. Good thing she wore comfortable shoes for this job.

*****

As soon as she stepped into the hospital, there were people everywhere. From the medical staff pushing patients in beds and wheelchairs from the emergency rooms to different parts of the hospital, whether it was for x-rays or to recover after they had been stabilized, to the family members who were crowding around the reception desk in their attempts to find out which room one of their members were in.

If it wasn’t for security keeping such a tight watch on the mess, she was sure some brave soul was going to go straight for the computers.

Naomi honestly didn’t envy any of these people. Didn’t exactly envy herself either.

“Dr. Bennett! In here!” she heard from one of the nurses peeking through the set of white double doors that led to the staff pathway that led straight to the emergency room. Naomi somehow felt the room get a little quieter before she rushed through them and let the doors lock behind her with a relieved breath.

Last thing she needed was a crowd of people following after her when she just got here.

“Traffic got you too, huh?” the nurse asked. Naomi knew this nurse. She was one of the newcomers who joined the staff around the time she finished her own internship. Jane?

“Yeah. Couldn’t get a cab anywhere.”

“Dr. Adamson called to say we had to keep an eye out for you. We have to get moving. High-profile patient apparently.” This is what her boss must have been talking about. Although she wanted to ask when the man had placed this call because he didn’t once reach for his cell phone the entire ride to the hospital, she chose to put it out of mind and follow the red-headed nurse to the patient she needed to see.

Time was always of the essence when it came to her job anyway.

*****

A few minutes later, the two women stepped into the private room where the patient was to discover Dr. Adamson there, already busy with a few paramedics and other nurses, moving them over from the emergency trolley and onto a bed.

She couldn’t see who it was immediately, the only piece on their patient’s body that wasn’t covered in red seemed to be the palm of their right hand. Left? Whatever it was, looked rather thin and pale for that second before someone blocked her view.

“Naomi,” Dr. Adamson called out for her, making her flinch before she saw the man looking straight at her. “Call the surgical theater and tell them to prepare. We have a lot of glass to remove and we’ll need blood as well. O positive. After that, scrub up. You’re coming in with us. Also,” he turned to the nurse next to her, “find Dr. Haskell for me, would you, Jane?”