Dr Gilbert
"Then I can't tell you either." The doctor whose name I now know to be Anderson replied, and I was alarmed. The instruction to help was given only this morning, without details only that it is a surgical operation.
Dr Anderson's swift glance at Sonia when he informed me that there would be no surgery today only succeeded in sowing the seeds of fear in me, and confirmed my earlier suspicion of Sonia not being a nurse - her clumsiness and cluelessness. Like who doesn't know a scalpel? I wasn't about to be fooled by the uniform she wore.
Now as I watched Dr Anderson in his swift movements, I wished he would involve me in the procedures. My first impression of him had been stringent and harsh. His response to me when I first knocked had been unfriendly. He had spoken to me from the shut door and asked me to stop bothering him.
Calling my boss was a great idea as he directed me towards the senior doctor's office where I met her hurrying down.
When Dr Anderson stepped out fully, I got to see him for the first time, and even though he wasn't terrifying, I felt the need to be cautious around him. Assisting him to lift the mayo stand was one hell of a decision as I feared he would rebuke me, but he didn't which was a good sign.
Although he spoke nicely to the clumsy nurse, I could bet his thoughts weren't as nice. The look on his face gave him away.
My attempt to engage him in a conversation was partially successful. He had stopped talking, noticing that I knew nothing about the surgery, and this had somehow heightened my fear. Are we doing something illegal? I kept asking myself.
A metallic clatter jolted me back to reality as a bunch of keys fell from Dr Anderson's hand. Still in a momentary shock, I watched him pick up the keys and proceed to the spot beside the bed where a bedside table was located. He made to open the last cabinet with one of the keys in the bunch but he could not, and so he resolved to try a different key, and the cabinet was immediately unlocked. Putting his hand inside the cabinet, Dr Anderson retrieved a plastic bag that contained bottles of varying sizes. He began emptying the bag, placing the contents of the bag on the table after which he motioned me over, and took long steps towards a large cupboard, situated right behind the door marked Medical Supply Cabinet.
With false bravery, I walked over to the table, eyes fixed on the 10ml bottles which were the same, and had no label. Dr Anderson soon came back with a pack of cotton wool and too many syringes. Without wasting time, Dr. Anderson began drawing up the contents of a 20ml bottle with a syringe and motioned for me to do the same. Since the syringes were 10ml in size, two draws emptied a bottle. He injected the young boy who lay lifeless on the bed all this while and I followed suit. We did the same to a similar bottle, and when I attempted to open a different 20ml bottle, Dr Anderson had stopped me fiercely, much to my horror and surprise so that I stood back and watched him instead.
When he began drawing on one of the 5ml bottles, he motioned me yet again to join him.
Unable to silence my curiosity this time, I heard myself ask, "What is this?"
"I can't tell you that." He answered almost immediately, giving way so I could draw too.
"What is it for?" I asked again, reducing the liquid to 3ml, just like Dr Anderson did.
"I can't tell you that either." Dr Anderson replied, leading the way to the bed, where the young boy lay.
Motioning me to the other side of the bed, he explained.
"We would inject him at once, on the count of three. Ready?"
I nodded my head in response, wondering what exactly was going on.
"One. Two. Three." He counted, and we injected him at once, as though we were hypnotized.
At once, the boy's head and a part of his chest shot up, his eyes flung open in a dreamlike manner and his respiration became rapid. He had a distant look on his face and he seemed to not notice our presence in the room.
Then as quickly as his head had shot up, it relaxed somewhat. His respiration became shallow and his eyes were beginning to close.
I wasn't sure whose heartbeat it was that I was hearing. Dr Anderson stood wide-eyed, transfixed to a spot. He was as panic-stricken as I was and that wasn't helping at all.
Suddenly the boy's eyes closed, and so did every trace of life in him. The shallow breathing was non-existent and so was his pulse.
"Stuart, please stay with me. Stuart." Dr Anderson called in a worried voice.
"He isn't dead. Is he?" I heard myself ask in a voice that I didn't recognize.
"I'm afraid he is." Dr Anderson replied, hands shaking visibly.
"What do we do now?" I asked again, still with the strange voice.
You should go to Dr Sofia's office and inform her, while I prepare the body". Dr Anderson replied, retrieving the bottles of drugs back in the plastic bag, after which he kept the plastic bag in the cabinet where he had taken it from.
As instructed, I walked out of the theater, towards the direction of Dr Sofia's office, as earlier directed by my boss. In front of the office, I met a nurse, who bid me into the office after stepping in to announce my presence.
Inside the office, I was surprised to find my boss, Mr Crawford, seated comfortably. With a wave, they both acknowledged my greeting and prodded me to give a brief narration of the surgery which was conducted by Dr Anderson and I.
After I succeeded in organizing my thoughts, I made to start but I was interrupted by Dr Sofia, who suddenly wanted me to relax my nerves, and most strangely, my boss didn't object. She headed towards the refrigerator and soon came back with a glass of wine.
"Go on, take a drink. You look like you've seen a ghost." She said and resumed her seat.
I looked on, not sure whether or not to convey Dr Anderson's message to them.
Out of nowhere, I blurted out, "Stuart is dead".
Dr Sophia's POV
Once I left the operating room, I headed straight to Anderson's office where I met nurse Abigail, desperately searching for the file containing Stuart's document. She had been shocked to the core to see me, and as usual, I had used her fear to my advantage.
"What the hell are you doing, upturning Anderson's office? Aren't you supposed to be in the operating room with him?" I asked, even though I knew what happened.
"I was asked by Dr. Stuart to fetch Anderson's file, but I can't find it" She explained in a quivering voice.
"That is no excuse. This is incompetence. The surgery has already started and you are here." I asked, my voice coming out in screams.
"And where do you think you are going?" I asked when she attempted to leave the office.
"To the operating room, ma'am." She replied.
"Where is the file containing Stuart's document?" I asked, looking pointedly at her.
When she could not provide an answer, I walked towards the door to take my leave. Once I stepped out of the office, I looked back at nurse Abigail who still hadn't moved.
"Take the rest of the day off," I said and shut the door, ignoring the panic that had enveloped her on hearing my last statement.
I headed straight to my office afterward, where I met Mr. Crawford, waiting for me. His presence helped me while away time as I waited for the end of the supposed surgery.
After about five hours of waiting, my phone beeped indicating an incoming message. It was from Dr Anderson.
"It is done." Read the message just as I heard a knock on my door, and nurse Angela came in and announced the presence of a doctor.
Just as planned, I tried to stall him in the office without arousing any suspicion but then he blurted out the message and for a moment I wasn't sure how to react. Getting a hold of myself, I shot out of my seat in pure agony.
"Oh no!"
Recalling that Anderson needed more time, I sat back, shielding my eyes with my palm. When my palm came off, there were lines of tears in my face.
Mr Crawford sat, unmoved. Occasionally, he muttered a "sorry" to me and insisted I get hold of myself before stepping out.
"Have Stuart's parents been informed?" I asked after long minutes had passed.
"No, ma'am." He answered.
"Then why are we still here?" We should head there immediately." I said, rising, and Gilbert followed suit.
Anderson should be ready for us now.