The Real Tales of an Intern Part 4
Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console.- Charles Caleb Colton
“Phew what a call. Chad didn’t lie to me.” “Who is Chad?” “He is a senior colleague. He had asked me to do my internship elsewhere.” “Did he have options for you?” “Great question; we know how scarce internship spots are. I couldn’t heed his advice on the spot.” “See Sam, this place has its challenges, yes. Always apply yourself and you’ll be fine. Remember, perspective matters a great deal.” “Are you sure you are an intern like me? You sound like a supervisor.” Fabian laughed at Sam’s comment as they walked into the ward.
The culture was to see new admissions first. It was imperative to track progress, chase results, and alter treatment when necessary. “Good morning Dr. Fabian, Dr. Sam. Please see the patient on bed ten. He is gasping.” “Which patient is that?” “That’s the diabetic admitted during the call.” Sam became attentive. That was her patient. She grabbed the crash cart and pushed it to bed ten. Her patient looked frailer than in the emergency. She was so scared and sad. She looked at his vitals. Nothing seemed out of place but this fellow was gasping. With Fabian at her side, they went through the motions of resuscitation. Sam had a gnawing feeling he would not make it and she felt guilty. He passed on. Fabian squeezed her shoulders and pushed the crash cart away.
Sam ran away as fast as she could with tears streaming down her eyes. She found the nearest doctor’s room and entered to cry to her satisfaction. The cleaner interrupted her ritual as she came in to clean up. Sam immediately dried her tears, muttered a greeting, and left the room. She was not ready for the ward round. She needed some time but she was not sure if her supervisors would accommodate her absence for long. Definitely not the female ‘slave driver. She stood by the railings staring into oblivion while the birds chirped away in a nearby tree. After sighing many times, Sam walked back to the ward, feeling defeated.
The ward round was in progress. No one seemed to notice when she joined. Maybe Fabian had taken an excuse on her behalf. She was present in body but absent in spirit. She did not even notice that four hours had elapsed. After the ward round, Sam sat on the seat in the middle of the ward, giving Fabian time to join her. “What next?” She asked. “We are done for the day.” “Really?” “Yeah, you can go home now. Please take it easy.” “How do you deal with this?” Sam asked Fabian. “You get used to it. Maybe that’s why some doctors choose pediatrics or community medicine as specialties. In general, the prognosis and mood overall are better. Adult medicine is grim. It does not get better. Please go home, chill as much as possible. Tomorrow is another day.”
Photo by Adhy Savala on Unsplash
Sam nodded, grabbed her bags, and left. She thought of going home but decided against it. She did not want to get into a conversation with her mother yet. She knew it would bring fresh tears. So, she asked the taxi man to take her to a nearby mall. She went to the movie theatre straightaway. There were options; action, comedy, and romcoms. Sam always loved action but she felt too fragile and instead opted for a comedy. She said to the young guy manning the stand: “I hope this is one of those comedies where you don’t stop laughing. I don’t want those types where we see the laughter only in the previews and nowhere else”. The guy laughed. “Oh, you mean the scam comedies? No this is a true comedy.” Sam laughed at the term scam comedies. She had never heard it before but she loved it. This was the second thing that made her laugh today.
