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“Best hope I’m not around when you come back.”
With a shake of my head, I climb onto my bike and peel off out of the drive.
Me, too, Ellis. Me, too.
Scarlet
“Is it just me, or has this shift been the longest in history?”
I smile into my fist as I peer over the desk at Mia. “It’s because it’s a Sunday.”
“You’re right, it is. We should be at home… reading.”
I screw up my face. “Or eating roast dinner and sleeping.”
“Right, sorry. I forget you don’t read,” Mia sighs. “You’re missing out on worlds far superior to this one. One day you’ll cave.”
“Maybe,” I say, not bothering to tell her about the books I used to read.
“Here, you,” Annie interjects with a smile. “Take bay three. He’s an outlier and far nicer than eight. And you’ve been an angel today.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking the file she hands me and backing away as I grin at my friends.
Annie is a registrar—very nearly a consultant—and my favourite superior to answer to. She’s also a very good friend. Mia and I met in our foundation year here at the hospital. We were both lucky enough to get our first choice of rotations and crossed every hurdle we faced during them together. Both women have picked me up on bad days as I have them. Our bond was formed over a love of fixing people—and also our shared experience in love and loss.
They’re both as broken as I am and oddly, I liked that.
I push aside the curtain and smile at the gentleman in bay three. “Hello, Alfred. I’m Dr Lowell.”
The man grips the sheets in his hands and nods his head. “Hello.”
“Could you explain your symptoms to me? I can see you were seen by one of us on Friday night. You’re having trouble urinating?”
“Yes,” he croaks, pain lacing his words.
I’m instantly around the bed and grasping his arm in a soothing hold. “Okay, let’s get this sorted. When was the last time you were able to pass urine?”
“Days.” He winces. “It’s been days since I’ve been able to go properly.”
I frown and read the chart further. “And you were given antibiotics. They’re treating it as a UTI,” I realise. “And yet your urine test was negative.”
I note that he’s had a bladder scan and needs a catheter.
“It’s very painful. I can feel a lot of pressure.”
“Am I able to check your abdomen?”
He nods, and I assist him as he moves down the bed. The first thing I notice is his swollen lower abdomen, and then my hands make contact with the hard mass beneath, and my eyes widen.
His bladder is full and…
I step toward the curtain and poke my head out, knowing I’m out of my depth and should ask for help. “Dr Harlow, could I borrow you for a moment?”
“Sure,” Annie replies, handing Mia the folder she’s busy reading.
“Alfred was in with us two days ago and was treated for a suspected UTI. Could you take a look at his abdomen for me, please?”
“Of course. You’ll have to excuse me, Alfred. Dr Lowell’s hands are notoriously warmer than my own.”
