Feeling a strong light hitting my eyes, I opened my eyes in panic. My face was drenched in sweat, and the tension in my body was visible.
I had a nightmare again.
For the past few days, or can say for some months, I have been suffering from frequent nightmares. Not to mention my insomnia to top it.
I slightly slap my face with both hands to relieve myself and make my body realise that it is in reality now.Getting out of my bed, I grab my phone to check the time. Just perfect. I was almost 10 minutes earlier than my alarm.
Having confirmed that I wasn't late or anything, I headed for the washroom to freshen up. After being done with freshening up, I prepare my breakfast and sit down at the table to have it. But suddenly, looking at the outside morning view, something strikes my mind...hard.
From my teenage years, I had always been this alone. A cold, lonely house just to have a shelter, and me myself. Nothing more. Just me and this damn dead house. No family, no parents, no one to turn to or share the days I spend. I have nothing to be excited or happy for.
I shake my head slightly in hope to stop having these thoughts. To me these were just my wounds that refuse to ever heal.
My job is the only thing I am proud and happy for, 'cause I am a doctor. Trying to get this was getting to know what actual hell looks like. I won't even bother mentioning my parents or family. I don't want to even have a shred of place in my thoughts for them. Just because of them, I now basically fear happiness, because I know it's never true and lasting, and the moments after happiness are always horrible.
Finishing my house errands and getting ready for the hospital, I step out of my apartment, and lock the door. Then I head down the stairs to grab a taxi.
To many people, having fancy titles like a doctor means being rich. But to me it has always been different. I just want to see everyone happy and healthy around me, and most of the time, even though I work and am a Head of a Cardiothoracic surgery department in a very well and renowned hospital in my entire country, I still end up having no money for anything fancy. I don't know when money flows away like water. Many people compliment me for having achieved that at a young age, in my twenties, but honestly, it was sheer luck and my sufferings' result. I mostly treat people belonging to poor backgrounds and people who are not able to afford quality treatment. And my habit of giving off money to people in need is a whole different matter.
It's not that i am a saint or anything but, being a rich doctor doesn't go with me. Hence I am just like any normal person trying to push through life.
I get into a taxi and in no time, it stops in front of my hospital's back entrance,that is for the staff of the hospital only.
But before I could catch my breath, I see a person with a possible chest injury, being rushed towards the same entrance. It left me both confused and worried. Confused because patients are carried in the hospital only through the main entrance, not this back one.
I immediately rush out of the taxi, and handing the pay to the driver, I run off towards the entrance. I knew that this particular patient somehow would end up in my hands. I don't know why but my guts say so. After closing in to the entrance, a close colleague of mine suddenly approaches me.
"Possible bullet wound to the chest, Miss head buddy." His usual nonchalant demeanor now was nowhere to be seen, and he was utterly breathless. "The hospital chief was just about to call you, but thankfully I saw you on your way here, while rushing off." he huffs slightly.
"Catch your breath Aren. No need to worry." I tried to calm him down even though I was getting nervous for the first time in my entire career. "Is the wound bad?" I ask him almost hesitatingly.
"From my observation, it seems so. He has bled a lot." he replies frantically. "You should head fast." he adds.
"Of course." Before I could finish my words, I threw my things to my friend, and my body itself started to rush towards the surgery department. I couldn't even think of asking why that patient was brought through the back entrance. I just give it all to reach the OT.
Reaching the OT, a nurse approaches me after coming out of one of the OT rooms. Seeing my absolute nervous body, she rushes towards me.
"Miss Rosane, you will operate on the new patient with a shot wound to the chest, right?" she asks me in a hurry.
"Yes." I reply frantically.
"Please this way." She helped me enter the room where the man was already taken.
I tell the nurse to inform the hospital chief that I was already in the OT, and get ready for the operation. This was one hell of a way to start a day.......i was already on edge.
The surgery was one of a visit to hell....it took me four freaking hours to get out of the OT, soaked in blood and sweat. I basically wanted to throw up the moment I came out of the door, and the hospital air outside the door hit my nose like a damn fart.
But maybe the day's surprise didn't end. As soon as I get out of the room, and lift my chin up, I see a bunch of guys in black suits, possibly bodyguards, lining the way outside the door, on both the sides of the corridor neatly.
Before I could process what was the matter, a giant, a man seemingly in his fifties, comes calmly but hurriedly towards me, through that line of guards. All the guards were bowing as he kept nearing towards me. In a blink of the eye, that man is towering right in front of me.
"Greetings Miss Rosane. How is the patient you treated doing?"
He asks me in a steady, yet concerned voice.
It almost takes me aback, as the gaze of the entire room shifts to me. I had not been anymore uncomfortable being in the spotlight ever before this. I was still utterly confused about why that man was asking and who that man was to that patient. Even more confused i was on the fact that a literal swarm of guards were following and respecting him like he was from a royal family.
Even though my confusion was beyond anything, I still informed him of everything that I observed and came across while operating that particular patient.
"To be precise, he returned from the edge." i pause a bit. "But he is doing alright now. The bullet failed to invade any deeper, which could have injured his left lung almost fatally. The bullet also seemed to miss his heart by a close fraction." i spit out all the details, even if i had no idea of who that man was.
"Thank you Miss Rosane for your hard work. Please hand over the required medicines and other necessary requirements." he states.
I couldn't contain my annoyance from myself anymore. First of all the day started like a slap to the face, and now after almost four hours for a damn hell spawned surgery, a man whom i didn't even know, demanded i give him everything that was needed right after the moment i stepped out of the OT. But i contained my anger and spoke calmly to him.
"Yes, sure. Please give me a moment till i freshen up and right down the required necessities." i say to him.
He answers in affirmative, and I quickly head back to my office room. As soon as i reach there, i sigh in huge relief, partly because I stepped out of the gaze of so many people, and also because i could take a damn rest and bath. Yes my room had a washroom with a shower and some of my stuff was soap. No one ever knows when a doctor might need emergency cleaning. In fact every doctor has a room with a bathroom. I always bring extra change of clothes just in case, and I actually needed that today. Because i only wore the surgical gown, and apparently, my dress had some splats of blood on it and not to mention sweat. I hurriedly clean up, write the prescription and rush back to the patient's room. I see that same man sitting at the waiting section in front of the patient's room.
I walk up to him, and so does he stands up.
"Greetings sir. I wanted to hand over the prescription. Here are the required things." I try to smile though it felt awkward.
"Yes.. Thank you for your hardwork. I will have my assistant keep the things in your office once they get them." he replies with a smile.
"Then I shall take my leave." I tell him and hurriedly start pacing back to my office. Every moment I spent there seemed like an eternity. Maybe it was how self conscious I was in front of that man.....almost like I got a heavy feeling that he is something very important,although I had no idea. I almost half expected him to complain about why it took some milliseconds of his precious life, but he said nothing.
As I pace towards my office, I could feel him staring down at me the entire time until I went out of his sight. That made me feel so anxious.
Soon as I get into my office room, I sigh in huge relief. I slump back on my chair, and just stare at the ceiling for some time to process everything, and go on with the next steps for treating my other patients than that OT one. Man i don't even know that patient's name.....everything happened so fast i didn't even get to check the patient details and everything was a mess.
As i started checking some files and other stuffs, a man suddenly almost barges in my room.