Time passed quickly in the week following, I didn't have time to dwell on what Dr. Brans said as an overflow of patients kept coming into the hospital, it was consult of consult and today was no different.
Just like every other Thursday since I had been here, I went through my consultations as normal, asking the same questions I always did and the patient was responding just the same.
"Recently had any fevers, headaches or joint pains?" a beat of silence passed and there was no response from the patient. I had been notating Ms. Iyla's file so I wasn't looking at her, and now finally looking up, I wish I had kept my head down.
Blood… that's what I saw first and then came the awful sounds of retching and gurgling. She was drowning in her own blood. It was coming up through her mouth and nose with her eyes rolled back fully white like a sick possession unfolding before my very eyes.
Her body was seizing and violently shaking, slowly sliding down the chair she was sitting in.
"Nurse!" The shout left my mouth before I was able to register that I was actually the one screaming for a nurse at the top of my lungs. Unsurprisingly, no one came, most likely too preoccupied with other patients and not deeming my cry desperate enough for them to pay attention.
At this point I slightly regretted not talking more to everyone instead of journaling because this patient was going to die and I was not cleared by Dr. Brans to do anything but a consultation without a tenured resident there.
I kept screaming for a nurse, but still no one answered my call, no one was coming to my aid.
Then the shaking stopped, I realized Ms Iyla wasn't moving anymore, shallow breaths leaving her body, she would be dead in a minute if nothing was done. Protocols be damned, I dropped to my knees while turning her to her side to try and clear her airways as soon as possible.
A gush of red poured down the side of her face, eyes no longer rolled over but wide in fear and an awful wheezing sound, likely from her lungs trying to get air instead of blood in them. This went on for a few seconds while I kept bellowing for a nurse and still no response.
Where the hell was everyone?
I scrambled to the already ajar door checking to see if anyone had heard my cry but the hall was still empty. I ran to the door next to mine and it was still empty, those were the only two consult rooms in this area meaning, aside from myself, at the moment no one was here which in and of itself was odd, but I didn't have time to think about that right now. I ran back to Ms Iyla to find her completely still, a literal wide eyed dead stare expression , looking off into the nothingness, no breaths, no awful wheezing sound.
"No, no, no, no" my shaky voice echoed off the walls, knees landing with a thud beside her. No response, no sign of life, nothing to indicate that she was alive. I checked for a pulse or any sign of normal breathing and still, nothing.
Quickly maneuvering her to her back, I placed my hands in the center of her chest, one hand over the heel of the other and began chest compressions. I had no idea whether it would work or not because while she did drown, it was blood, not water so the liquid was a lot more dense and sticky, making it harder to leave services.
My shoulders pushed in a rhythm, willing her back to life, "come on, wake up, please wake up." I could hear the cracks in vocal chords, both from the lump of emotions lodged in my throat and the shouting only seconds early.
*COUGH*
A series of loud coughs ricocheted through her chest as she spat blood and once again got her on her side. I was so ecstatic about the sounds of her cough that I didn't realize someone had arrived until I heard a gasp behind me.
My head snapped toward the door where a middle-aged nurse stood hands over her mouth in shock and saucer-sized eyes to match. I felt Ms Iyla go limp in my arms and I started to panic again but I could see the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Not bothering to look back at the nurse, I said, "Get help, she's still alive."
…..
The beep of the monitor was a welcomed disturbance in the otherwise very somber atmosphere, my anxiety slipped onto me like a second skin.
The clacking of heels moving to my direction and without needing to check I knew it was Dr. Brans, only she was capable of making steps sound like impending doom.
"Dr. Azurine, with me right now." Not even waiting to see if I had followed her she sauntered off.
In her office, I had barely managed to close the door before she started going off at me. I tuned her out still reliving the events from an hour ago.
"...why didn't you call for help or find someone?"
A chuckle cracked the tension in the room as I looked in her direction for the first time since being here.
"Why didn't I call for help you say, and what if I say I did call for help hmm? What then? What if I say I was screaming for help at the top of my lungs but no one answered me for minutes." Silence enveloped the atmosphere once again.
"Someone almost died, yet all you have the nerve to talk about is protocol. Well you know what, fuck you and your protocol, I am doctor who wants to see people live so I'll be damned if I stand by and watch someone die while I can help it. If you don't intend to help me then stay out of my way and let me do my fucking job."
The last thing she heard was the slamming of her door as I left the room.
Willing my feet to carry me as far away from the room that I needed to be without blowing a fuse, just roaming around until I ended up at the restricted area once again. The same word came to my mind once again, peculiar.
With the events of the day unfolding as they did, I gave fucks all about protocol anymore and my curiosity got the best of me. Moving towards the door I doubt it would be opened but it was worth a shot. I tried the handle and it rattled but nothing happened as I expected, I was about to move away when I heard a voice in my head.
'Twice to the left, once to the right'
Gone as fast as it came, I wondered if I was hallucinating hearing. I looked around trying to see if there was someone around who had whispered it to me, but no one was there. The words rang in the back of my mind once again but not quite like the first time, more an afterthought. The voice wasn't mine, but was somehow implanted into my consciousness.
Thinking about what it could mean I heard voices getting gradually louder and heading in my general direction. With all the speed and precision I could muster I ran, throwing myself around the corner opposite to the direction the voices were coming from and landing with a soft oompf.
Pulling myself on the ground, I was able to peer around the corner to the same hall I just ran from and saw once again Nurse Joyce accompanied by Dr. Brans. They moved toward the door and opened it with practiced ease, but what really caught me off guard was the motion that was used to open it. The last time I was here, my back was turned to her but now I could clearly see what she was doing, twice to the left and once to right, just like the voice in my head had said.
The door opened without so much as a sound or any form of resistance, and they disappeared into space there not even a soft click being heard when the door closed. I probably looked ridiculous, belly first on the tile in a full army crawl so I swiftly rose to my feet.
My curiosity wanted me to go and see what was behind the door since I knew how to open it now, but given they had just entered, I thought it best to not do that.
Making my way back to my room, which by now should have been cleaned, I calculated in my mind the perfect time to escape my duties and check out what the hell was happening back there. Already formulating a plan, I was lost in thought working out the logistics right back to when I got to my room which was indeed blood free.
I was about to sit and prepare myself to keep working when a note sitting atop my desk caught my eye. In black inked sleek handwriting, a simple text 'You've been noticed.'
Not warned, not threatened, just noticed.
Now what the hell was that supposed to mean.