Clash Of Cultures

9. The Miracle Baby

Noor

I peaked at the grey sky from under my umbrella. It was really pouring today.

I saw Kimberly on the opposite side of the road, her head tilted towards her shoulder as she talked on the phone. Both her hands desperately held on to her own umbrella. She was my co-intern this month and we had gotten to know each other quite well. I waved to her as she hurried across the road, so we could catch the shuttle to the outpatient center together. On that 20 minutes trip, I was grateful to have someone to chat with. Someone who was fun and laid back, and didn't care that I was different from her in many ways.

The pace of work in our primary care clinic was so different than my previous inpatient rotation. For one, patients were scheduled at least a day ahead so it was easy to read up on them and be prepared.

And secondly, Kimberly and I worked under the direct supervision of an attending. So there was no self-absorbed senior resident to bother us.

Kimberly was still chatting away on her phone. So I let my mind wander to the last day of Gen Peds rotation. I was still haunted by the sudden death of our teenage patient, and embarrassed by what had happened afterwards.

I could see the despair in Sal's eyes when he had to call the time of death for our patient and the agony with which he stumbled out of that room. The attending had left soon after to break the news to the child's parents and everyone else started attending to their other duties. It was clear to me that no one had noticed Sal's reaction to the events that had just happened, or didn't care. So I went to look for him, which is when I had found him on the floor in the supplies room. Every instinct had told me to turn around and run when he yelled at me. But how does one let another human wallow in so much pain, even if that person had been the bane of your existence over the last month?

Something came over me in that instance forcing me to step way out of my comfort zone. I could feel him staring at me angrily when I sat on the floor next to him and held his hand that day. I almost immediately regretted those impulsive actions, but by then I had no way to exit the room without making a further fool of myself. So I had shut my eyes hoping he would just ignore me like he always does. Thank goodness for my pager, though, that went off a few minutes later. Allowing me an excuse to escape from the hole I had dug for myself.

I spent the rest of the day tip-toeing around him and was grateful the next rotation required me to work outside of the main hospital. He probably thought I was an idiot for intruding his privacy and to be honest, if I ever had to re-live that moment, I may choose differently. But for now, what was done was done. I was just glad that had been the last day of my rotation.

In the week after that he did send me a 2 sentence email.

'Hey Noor
Wanted to thank you for your help with the code last week. You did a good job with the CPR.

Sal'

I didn't know what to say in response, or if it was even appropriate for me to ask him how he was doing. So after mulling on it for a day I just replied...'Thanks Sal!'

Ugh...I hope I never run in to him again!

"Hey girl!" Kimberly exclaimed, finally off her phone.

"Good morning!"

Just then our shuttle came to a standstill in front of us, and we quickly got on, trying to escape the downpour.

"Ladies, please put your seat belts on. It is a pretty rough ride out on the streets today.", the driver remarked.

"Will do! Thanks Mr Martinez", we replied in unison.