Not Your Doormat Anymore

After celebrating Dad's birthday, I dove straight back into work.

Dr. Crowell had settled his personal matters. I heard he had gone through a divorce, with his ex-wife taking most of the assets and custody of the children. I had met him once before, and when he looked at me, the malice in his eyes had been unmistakable. Still, without a valid reason, he couldn't outright dismiss me.

Since that incident, the other doctors in the department began to distance themselves from me, especially Dr. Grey.

During every morning meeting, he would throw passive-aggressive remarks my way, but I didn't let them bother me. I was being assigned more and more night shifts, and the patients I was receiving were increasingly complex.

I knew they were subtly trying to teach me a lesson, but I still didn't turn down any of those patients.

These patients were in much more critical condition than others, and whether they opted for surgery or conservative treatment, the risks were always high.

Today, I was assigned a new patient in his 80s who had been admitted with a brain hemorrhage. He had been coming to the hospital annually, but in the past, Dr. Grey had always been in charge of his care. This year, however, the responsibility had shifted to me.

"He's too old for surgery. We'll need to go with conservative treatment and monitor his condition for now. You can take over," Dr. Grey said nonchalantly as though he were passing off an insignificant task.

But we all knew that situations like this were often the most difficult.

The hospital could provide very little in terms of treatment; it was mostly up to the patient.

The hospitalization was a precaution, ensuring he would receive immediate treatment in case of an emergency. It was a last-ditch effort to save him, especially considering his age.

"During this time, he shouldn't get out of bed or sit up. If he needs to get up to eat or for any other reason, you can slightly raise the bed but not too much. Family members should stay with him at all times. If any issues arise, call the nurse."

The family members who were taking turns caring for the patient appeared emotionally drained. Some had to work during the day while others had taken time off to be there.

His son approached me privately. "He's so old now. He could pass at any time. Can't the nurses keep an eye on him?"

"No. You're all aware of his condition. I've already issued the critical condition notice. He can't be left alone," I said firmly.

He looked conflicted, so I sighed. "I'll try to stay at the hospital as much as I can over the next few days. If anything happens, you can contact me directly."

"Alright," he replied, then turned and walked into the hallway for a smoke.

Suddenly, I remembered something important. "Don't let him eat anything too heavy, and make sure he doesn't try to get up on his own. And absolutely no smoking!"

This elderly man had been smoking for decades, and for patients like him, a sudden craving could be difficult to resist. Given his age and the fact that he was under observation, even a small mistake could be fatal.

venoveldrama

The man waved his hand, signaling that he understood.

I returned to my office, still feeling uneasy.

I had carefully considered the prescription, even cross-referencing it with the medications Dr. Grey had prescribed in previous years was meticulous with the dosage.

The elderly man was just one of many recent cases. While the others weren't as

critical, their conditions weren't much better either.

Each day, I spent a significant amount of time prescribing medications and developing treatment plans. On top of that, there were always patient incidents at night, which constantly disrupted my sleep.

This was the first time I truly felt overwhelmed as a doctor.

After three days of observation, the blood clot in the elderly man's brain had

shrunk slightly. I arranged for a CT scan and then went to find Dr. Grey.