When Elias got to neurosurgery, maintenance workers were taking down my photo.
“What are you doing?!”
Elias looked absolutely livid as he picked up my portrait from the floor.
“Who told you to take down Elara’s photo!”
The maintenance worker recognized Elias. “Dr. Shaw, this…”
The head nurse from neurosurgery heard the commotion and came out, dismissing the worker. “Elias? What’s with all the yelling? This is a hospital! Don’t disturb everyone else!”
Elias tried to force a polite smile, but it looked more painful than crying. “Nurse Thompson, I’m here to see Elara. Could you get her for me?”
The head nurse glared at Elias with heavy sarcasm. “Dr. Shaw, is your news always this outdated? Our Elara has already…”
She wiped away tears and snatched the photo from Elias’s hands. “Our neurosurgery resident’s photo isn’t something for the great orthopedic surgeon to be handling!”
I wanted to cheer for the head nurse–she’d earned all those coffees I’d bought her. But my heart also ached for her.
Don’t cry for me. If your eyes get all puffy, you’ll lose your edge when you go battle it out with administration later.
Elias stared blankly, as if he hadn’t understood what she said, mumbling, “Come on, Nurse Thompson, don’t joke around. I know Elara’s mad at me. She’s always been dramatic–I should’ve been more patient with her.”
He strode into the department with his long legs, reaching the doctors‘ office in just a few steps. “Elara? Elara?”
Then he suddenly saw that my desk had been cleared out. His expression crumbled, and he grabbed Ryan by the collar, jaw clenched and veins bulging. “Where’s Elara’s stuff? Why is it all gone?”
Luckily there were other doctors in the office. Seeing one of their own being bullied, they couldn’t just stand by and
watch.
Someone immediately grabbed Elias’s arm and shoved him hard against the wall.
“Why is it all gone? You didn’t know that?! I heard from anesthesiology that they called you down THREE TIMES and couldn’t get you off that operating table! What dedication to your work!”
Ryan, who’d started at the hospital the same time as me, looked ready to tear Elias apart.
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My Orthopedic Boyfriend Chose His Childhood Sweetheart on the Operating Table
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Chapter 7
“Two patients admitted at the same time! One with a compound fracture, one with surface wounds–does that make any sense? Elara had such obvious signs of transient amnesia. Why didn’t you suspect brain hemorrhage and get her a CT scan before sending her back? Do you orthopedic guys only think about bones?”
“She was already in the ER, in the hands of you so–called experts, and look what you wrote–multiple soft tissue contusions? If orthopedics didn’t have doctors or beds, you could’ve sent her back to us or we could’ve picked her up! Our department had plenty of people who could’ve treated her! This is medical malpractice!”
Dr. Conrad Grant, my beloved attending, heard the commotion and came to the office. He first looked around and told everyone to sit down.
Then he turned to Elias, speaking with icy politeness.
“Dr. Shaw, I’ve already requested Elara’s medical records be sealed. Whether there were any… ‘issues‘… we’ll take
our sweet time reviewing them. Our department is rather cramped; so don’t let us keep you!”
Elias was kicked out, completely devastated.
But who could he blame?
I told you I couldn’t remember how I got hurt, but you believed Zora and thought I was lying.
I told you I was dizzy, but you told me to stop playing victim because Zora couldn’t wait.
In the end, I had no strength left and could only tug at your coat for help, but you still said I was being dramatic.
Elias, I had made it to the hospital. I should have received proper, objective medical care, but your bias delayed my
treatment.
You’re the one who killed me.
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