Post by Callie Black on Jan 21, 2007 16:00:20 GMT -5
Callie pulled her rubber gloves over her hands tightly, and then began to adjust her mask. Ruby shuffled past, tying back her long blonde curls.
"Hey," said Callie. "How long does this last?"
Ruby gave her a withering look. "6 - 8 hours, Callie. How many times?"
"Oh... right..." said Callie, grumpily. "That long? We're spending that long trying to save some guy's life- whose gonna throw it all away the second he gets the chance?"
"Callie," said Dr Gregory, rounding on her. "That's the patient's choice. I don't give a damn about your personal opinion- you just better do your job. Got it?"
Callie growled, but luckily, Dr Gregory didn't hear her. Callie didn't much like getting ordered about. Usually she was the one who did the ordering about. She couldn't wait until she was a resident. God help her interns though...
Dr Gregory led them into the Operating Theatre, where Mark Durno lay, strapped up all the different machines. A couple of interns hovered about him, making last minute preparations for the surgery, carefully setting out the instruments, checking his various wires- and all that prep-surgery jazz.
Mark, Callie was pleased to note, did not look his usual cocky, argumentitive self. On the contrary, his eyes were blood-shot, he looked quite sweaty, and his skin was a delicate shade of grey.
"Now, Mr Durno," said Dr Gregory in a calm, almost comforting voice. "You understand the procedure, don't you?"
He nodded, try to steady his nerves. He gave a lop-sided grin. "Yeah... I know alright. I get a new liver- and I don't die."
Dr Gregory smiled. "And you know what'll happen afterwards?"
"Yeah... grumpy explained it," said Mark, turning to grin up at Callie instead. "I have to take medication, I shouldn't drink, etc, etc."
"But you will still be able to live, and have a perfectly happy, healthy life."
"Thanks, I guess!" he half-laughed. He was terrified- and Callie loved it.
Dr Gregory moved away, speaking with another intern, who was new to this sort of area. Callie moved around, Mark's bed, smiling down at him. He glared back up, eyes like daggers.
"Can't say nothing here," he said. "Dr Gregory will have your ass."
"If you'll remember," she said calmly. "You were the one who shouted at me, not the other way round."
He grinned. "We've had some good times."
She snorted. "Bloody great arguments at any rate."
"Felt just like home," he said, sighing. "Can't wait to get back there."
"You're staying here a few nights, in case you reject the liver."
"I won't ruddy reject it!" he spat. "Whose stupid enough to do that?!"
"It's something you've no control over," she hissed.
He snorted. "Why are you bothering with this surgery? Haven't you told them I won't stop drinking?"
"Not my choice," she said, looking over at Dr Gregory.
"Stupid bastards," he groaned.
She smiled. "That's the only thing we've ever agreed on."
At that moment, Ruby appeared beside Callie, glaring at her. "Don't agitate him."
"For once, she's not," pointed out Marc.
"We're going to put you to sleep now," said Ruby. "Okay?"
"No."
"Shut up, Marc," said Callie, turning to Ruby. "Can I?"
Ruby laughed sarcastically. "No-oo!"
Callie sighed. "Whatever, your Highness."
Ruby pulled over the needle, testing it carefully. Marc eyed it warily, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Callie looked at him, and for a moment, her heart opened.
"Just think, Marc," she smiled down at him. "You won't feel a thing..."
He looked up at her, surprised by her soft tone. Suddenly, he looked just like a small, scared child. "Promise?"
Callie smiled and nodded. "Would I lie to you?"
"Good point," he grinned, and then took a deep breath. "Just do it, Dr Marst- I'm ready."
Ruby nodded, and slowly injected him with the drug. Quickly, his eyes drooped and a sleepy smile spread over his face. "See you on the other side, Dr Black..." he murmured, drifting away.
"Let's go," said Dr Gregory, picking up the knife and making the incision.
Callie sighed, looking up at the clock and then back at the blossoming blood. This was going to take a while...
"Hey," said Callie. "How long does this last?"
Ruby gave her a withering look. "6 - 8 hours, Callie. How many times?"
"Oh... right..." said Callie, grumpily. "That long? We're spending that long trying to save some guy's life- whose gonna throw it all away the second he gets the chance?"
"Callie," said Dr Gregory, rounding on her. "That's the patient's choice. I don't give a damn about your personal opinion- you just better do your job. Got it?"
Callie growled, but luckily, Dr Gregory didn't hear her. Callie didn't much like getting ordered about. Usually she was the one who did the ordering about. She couldn't wait until she was a resident. God help her interns though...
Dr Gregory led them into the Operating Theatre, where Mark Durno lay, strapped up all the different machines. A couple of interns hovered about him, making last minute preparations for the surgery, carefully setting out the instruments, checking his various wires- and all that prep-surgery jazz.
Mark, Callie was pleased to note, did not look his usual cocky, argumentitive self. On the contrary, his eyes were blood-shot, he looked quite sweaty, and his skin was a delicate shade of grey.
"Now, Mr Durno," said Dr Gregory in a calm, almost comforting voice. "You understand the procedure, don't you?"
He nodded, try to steady his nerves. He gave a lop-sided grin. "Yeah... I know alright. I get a new liver- and I don't die."
Dr Gregory smiled. "And you know what'll happen afterwards?"
"Yeah... grumpy explained it," said Mark, turning to grin up at Callie instead. "I have to take medication, I shouldn't drink, etc, etc."
"But you will still be able to live, and have a perfectly happy, healthy life."
"Thanks, I guess!" he half-laughed. He was terrified- and Callie loved it.
Dr Gregory moved away, speaking with another intern, who was new to this sort of area. Callie moved around, Mark's bed, smiling down at him. He glared back up, eyes like daggers.
"Can't say nothing here," he said. "Dr Gregory will have your ass."
"If you'll remember," she said calmly. "You were the one who shouted at me, not the other way round."
He grinned. "We've had some good times."
She snorted. "Bloody great arguments at any rate."
"Felt just like home," he said, sighing. "Can't wait to get back there."
"You're staying here a few nights, in case you reject the liver."
"I won't ruddy reject it!" he spat. "Whose stupid enough to do that?!"
"It's something you've no control over," she hissed.
He snorted. "Why are you bothering with this surgery? Haven't you told them I won't stop drinking?"
"Not my choice," she said, looking over at Dr Gregory.
"Stupid bastards," he groaned.
She smiled. "That's the only thing we've ever agreed on."
At that moment, Ruby appeared beside Callie, glaring at her. "Don't agitate him."
"For once, she's not," pointed out Marc.
"We're going to put you to sleep now," said Ruby. "Okay?"
"No."
"Shut up, Marc," said Callie, turning to Ruby. "Can I?"
Ruby laughed sarcastically. "No-oo!"
Callie sighed. "Whatever, your Highness."
Ruby pulled over the needle, testing it carefully. Marc eyed it warily, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Callie looked at him, and for a moment, her heart opened.
"Just think, Marc," she smiled down at him. "You won't feel a thing..."
He looked up at her, surprised by her soft tone. Suddenly, he looked just like a small, scared child. "Promise?"
Callie smiled and nodded. "Would I lie to you?"
"Good point," he grinned, and then took a deep breath. "Just do it, Dr Marst- I'm ready."
Ruby nodded, and slowly injected him with the drug. Quickly, his eyes drooped and a sleepy smile spread over his face. "See you on the other side, Dr Black..." he murmured, drifting away.
"Let's go," said Dr Gregory, picking up the knife and making the incision.
Callie sighed, looking up at the clock and then back at the blossoming blood. This was going to take a while...