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“Yes,” they echo, raising their brows expectantly.
“That being said,” I continue, “and with all due respect, of course, but Jess is a trauma surgeon, and Mel a general one. While you both need to do your fair share of standing, you also get to rest a bit in between surgeries. We’re way understaffed in the ER, and even without breaks, we’re not keeping up with the demand.”
“Fair enough,” Jessica agrees, but her tone makes it clear that she’s not finished. “How about we make you a deal?”
I groan, wanting nothing more than to go home and catch a couple of hours of sleep. Jessica gives me a sympathetic smile, which is also the only indication that she heard me before she pushes on with her idea.
“For the next four Mondays, Mel and I will donate two hours before our shift to help out in the ER,” Jessica says, her lips slowly curling up into a smug smile because she knows it’s an offer I can’t refuse. We’re drowning down here and could really use some help from upstairs. Unfortunately, shift schedules don’t work that way, and it’s not like the operations can be put on hold either.
I roll my eyes and give in. “Fine, but only if we go to the Base Club across the street.”
“Yay!” Melissa claps her hands in excitement.
“Of course, we’re going there,” Jessica confirms. I allow myself a small smile, relieved that at least there’ll be other doctors around to eventually distract my friends long enough for me to slip out. I’m still hoping to get to bed before midnight.
“I’m just going to bring the attending up to speed, and then I’ll meet you in the break room,” I tell them before turning on my heel, not waiting for their answer.
I aim for the nurse’s station, knowing that there’s always someone around, but change my course when I see Dr. O’Donnell there. I’m in no mood to gently turn down his advances, and I’m too tired to come up with a plausible excuse as to why I don’t want to have dinner with him.
“Shouldn’t you be off by now?” my attending’s voice comes from behind me, startling me.
“Oh, Dr. Smith, I didn’t see you there,” I say awkwardly, forcing a polite smile on my face.
Dr. Smith furrows his grey eyebrows as he gives me a grandfatherly look. “You’ve been on for a shift and a half. You should really go home and get some rest.”
It’s what I would like to do too, but unfortunately, my friends have different ideas. I don’t bother explaining that to my boss and instead point at the tablet in my hand.
“I’ve updated and signed all the charts,” I tell him. “Bed three is clear for discharge, and the woman in bed four should be, too, if her results come back clean. The nurses are taking care of the frequent flyer in bed two, giving him a wash and a trim.”
“Homeless?” Dr. Smith asks, and I nod, handing him the tablet. “If there’s nothing else, then you should get going before a disaster strikes, and we lock you down in doing another shift. You’ve already been putting in way too much overtime. I’m seriously impressed that you’re still standing.”
I give him an awkward smile, knowing that he’d never understand the real reason why I’m still able to function. Though I’ve only been on for a shift and a half, I’ve been on for two straight ones before that, with only three hours off in between. That’s what we get for not having enough doctors in the hospital. There’s only one efficient way to fight the lack of sleep, and though it also comes in a black liquid, it’s nowhere near as tasty as coffee—perks of being a witch.
Same as drugs, even potions can be overused and abused. I’ve been drinking way too many energy potions lately, and I should really get some sleep to prevent my body from crashing. I won’t be able to help people if I sustain any permanent damage myself.
“Good night, Dr. Payne,” Dr. Smith dismisses me with a firm tone.
“Good night,” I reply and walk away, determined to make it to the break room without getting sucked into an emergency.
Life in the hospital is an adventure in itself. There’s a lot of drama to go around, and a rollercoaster of emotions to take a spin on. While I’m doing my best to stay away from it all, there are some paths that even I can’t entirely avoid. Speaking of...
“Helia.” Dr. O’Donnell smiles, putting his hands on my arms to steady me when I nearly crash into him when turning a corner.
“D-dr. O’Donnell,” I stammer, my tired brain desperately looking for a way to get out of whatever conversation that’s about to take place. “I didn’t see you there. I’m in a bit of a rush.”
“I can tell,” he says, his blue eyes watching me with softness. He lets go of my arms and runs his fingers through his short blonde curls. “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Liam?”
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, averting my gaze to the floor to discourage him from flirting. “I should really go. Jess and Mel are waiting for me.”
“I just saw them in the break room,” Liam comments, misreading all my signs. “They were talking about the Base Club. Are you going?”
A swear word bubbles up my throat, but I swallow hard to push it down. I can’t exactly lie to him.
“Only to get them off my back,” I reply, forcing the corners of my mouth to lift. “I can’t wait to get home and crash.”
He glances at his wristwatch. “My shift doesn’t end for another half an hour. Hopefully, you’ll still be there by the time I get off.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, walking backward to put some distance between us and finish this conversation before he puts me in an uncomfortable spot. “I should go.”
