4.Promotion

A melodious tune resounded in the background and I chuckled reminiscing the old memory I had with my younger brother. We all have grown up and now here I'm laughing out loud looking at our childhood photographs with my granny listening to her favorite songs.

"Granny! Look at Syong's first makeup." I exclaimed looking at the photograph in my hand and granny chuckled looking at the little Syong.

"Your mother, she wishes to have another daughter but have your brother who was cute as a doll so she dressed him in frocks." I picked another photo of Syong wearing a frock.

"You remember this child fashion event which had happened during our vacation in malibu and your mother made him walk in the runway wearing a princess gown." Granny picked up a photograph and showed it to me.

"Of course granny. Syong was so upset at that time that he didn't talk with mom for a whole week and he threw tantrum at the stage." That year I was nine years old and Syong was five. He did not understand much about the dresses so mom dressed him in my favorite gown which he tore later making me sad for a whole day.

"Syong is stubborn since he was a child and now look you two have grown up to a big man and a beautiful woman." Granny took my hand in hers and caresses it with a warm smile plastered on her face.

"I love you granny." I wrapped my arm around her neck and hugged her tight.

Granny patted my back as if I'm still her little girl and my phone rang interrupting our emotional moment. I pouted pulling away from her and picked up my mobile which was placed on the coffee table. The screen display mom and I accepted the call sitting comfortably on the sofa.

"Mom." I called out placing my mobile near my ear.

"Choco! I'm on my way. Have you given the fruits to your granny?" Mom inquired from the other end and I could hear the sounds of vehicles.

"Yes. We're looking at the photographs. And I have to leave in....an hour." I answered glancing at my wristwatch.

"Okay. I will arrive till then." Mom replied ending the phone call.

"Granny! It's time for me to get ready." I said getting off the sofa and passed her the glass of juice which I had bought earlier.

"Go on. I will put them away." Granny pointed at the photographs scattered on the coffee table.

I nodded walking towards my bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. I combed my hair tying it into a ponytail and applied nude lipstick. Then I heard noises from the living area indicating the arrival of my mother.

After taking a glance at the mirror I placed the lipstick on the dressing table and walked out to the living room. There were shopping bags placed on the sofa and granny was placing the photograph container inside the rack placed left to the coffee table.

Some noises came from the kitchen and there Mom was placing the groceries bags on the kitchen island.

"Choco! Your mobile vibrated a while ago. It seems a message. Check it out." Granny said while I was near the sofa and I picked up my mobile where Bell's name was displayed indicating a short message. I tapped on it and read the message.

Choco! Meet me at my cabinet the minute you entered the hospital. I have got a surprise for you. Miss you.😘

I chuckled reading the word surprise and replied with a plain okay. I then walked to the kitchen and helped mom to place the vegetables in the refrigerator.

"Choco! Your aunt wishes to see you. Visit her someday." Mom reminded placing the noodles in the racks.

"Sure." I agreed to meet my mom's darling sister who lives in the next city with her only son.

"Mom. I'm leaving now." I bid her goodbye and went to the living room where Granny was drinking the juice.

"Gran! It's time for me to leave. Don't forget to take your medicine." I pecked her cheeks and after seeing her gave a firm nod, I walk out the door to the elevator.

There were already six people inside and when I entered, it became a little crowded. I greeted the elderly Mr.Paul and nodded towards his son.

After walking out of the elevator, I headed to the parking spot and hopped inside my car driving towards the hospital.

When I reached the hospital, I couldn't get a spot in the doctor's parking area so I drove to the emergency ward where only a few spots were empty.

I parked the car and get out to walk to the opposite building when three ambulances entered at full speed ringing the sirens. The ward boy helped the patients to get off and the scene became chaotic.

The patients were hurriedly taken inside the emergency ward and I too walked inside placing my mobile in my jeans pocket.

Inside was more chaotic than outside as the patients were elderly and they all seemed to have been in an accident. More than 20 people were admitted at once and the number of doctors available was less.

"Dr.Shalifa." Nurse Linda called when I walked inside.

"Alert the doctors who are having a break. It's an emergency." I put on the white coat and picked up the stethoscope.

"Doctor! Please check my wife. Doctor." An old man cried looking at the unconscious old woman who was lying on the bed.

His voice attracted the other patients and they too started crying for help. I shake my head signaling Nurse Linda to act fast.

"Everyone please maintains silence. More doctors will arrive soon." One of the doctors tried to coax the elderly and soon the doctors arrived checking out the patients.

I walked towards the old man who was shouting for help and checked the woman lying on the bed. After checking her I called a nurse to bring a glucose drip and looked at the old man who was holding the patient hand tightly.

"Grandpa. Grandma will wake up soon. She fainted due to shock. It's nothing major. Let me check you." I walked towards him and checked his heartbeat which was beating fast.

I glanced at the bed and knew that he was afraid of losing his beloved so his heart rate was accelerating. I did not talk about it and looked for other injuries but there were none.

"Grandpa. You should rest. Let her check your BP." A nurse came forward with the equipment and I walked to the next bed. Nurse Linda came to help me checked the next patient and the patient told us about the accident.

"We were going to the picnic but on the way, our bus crashed against the truck and we suffer this injury. Luckily the driver saved us at the last moment." The patient grimaced recounting the incident and the others too prayed to the heavens for keeping them alive.

I then moved to the next bed and likewise I was finished checking the fifth patient when suddenly a man severely injured was wheeled inside in the stretcher.

Everyone stopped breathing and paused looking at the man in the stretcher. His whole body was covered in blood and his legs were in bad condition.

"Driver! It's the driver." Someone shouted and they sighed looking at the person who had saved them.

Few of the elderly carried looking at the grave scene and yelled at the doctors to save him. I was about to walk towards the patients when Dr.Frida move forward and wheeled him into the operation theater.

"Is she doing the operation?" One of the doctors muttered shaking his head in disbelief.

I was not surprised to hear that as all the doctors know who is Dr.Frida and her medical achievements.

She is the only daughter of the hospital dean who has studied in the best university yet her skill is not proficient.

And it's a know fact that due to her powerful background she could work here as a doctor. But it is not the major issue as the powerful always suppressed the weaker.

The major drawback is her attitude. She is free to do whatever she likes and does not put anyone in her eyes. It is hard to get along with her so everyone is astonished to see her taking the initiative to perform the operation.

I glanced around to see the doctors resumed their work and nurse Linda gave me a worried look.

"I will head to the OT." I gave a reassuring look and stride towards the OT.

When I entered inside, the nurses breathed a sigh of relief and without further interruption, we performed the surgery. The operation lasted for two hours and Dr.Frida was quite cooperative which was a new sight to behold.

The sad part was that we needed to amputate the driver both legs and he seemed to come from a poor family. As I walked out of the OT, a middle-aged woman came hastily forward with eyes full of tears.

"Doctor! How is my husband? He..." The woman sounded distressed and I felt bad for her.

"Congrats. The operation was successful." Dr.Frida who walked ahead of me beamed making the woman sigh then the patient was wheeled out of the OT.

The woman ran to look at her husband and she cried looking at his amputated legs which were wrapped in white gauze.

"We're shifting him to room no 403-" A nurse informed and the woman walked away wiping her tears.

"Congratulations Dr.Shalifa." Dr.Freida voiced made to tear my gaze away from the woman.

"Choco!" Bell called from the opposite side and I turned to see her hastily walking towards me.

"Thank you. Congrats to you too." I gave a polite smiled to Dr.Frieda yet she gave me a disgusted look walking away.

I furrowed my brows in confusion and Bell halt beside me. I glanced at her to see her glaring at me and I was even more confused.

I raised a brow at her asking what's the problem but she huffed making me irritated.

"Choco! I told you to meet at my cabinet. But you-" I grabbed her arm stopping her from speaking further.

"I was in the OT." I clarified my reason for the delay.

"Oh! But you should have-" I walked away without listening to her and she followed behind.

"Choco! Wait for me." Bell cried grabbing my arm and we walked out the emergency ward striding towards the opposite building.

"You haven't left yet." I glanced at my wristwatch then at Bell who had a smug smile plastered on her face.

"I was waiting for your arrival. You have forgotten about the surprise, yeah?" Bell looked at me with anticipation and I chuckled shaking my head.

"Choco!" Bell whined tugging at my arm.

"Dr.Shalifa!" Head nurse Nina called when we were passing by the reception and we halted our conversation.

"Congratulations. You deserve it." Her sudden shout gained the attention of everyone making me feel quite awkward.

"Thank you." I smiled intending to walk away but everyone started congratulating me one after another.

My face hurt from smiling too much and I was bewildered to see Dr.Frieda who had just arrived looking at me with contempt.

"It's just a promotion. Why need to make so much noise? And we do not know what measures she used to achieve it." Dr.Frieda snorted making everyone shut their mouth.

"You? What do you think of everyone? Everyone is not like you who-" Bell fumed losing her calm.

"Bell!" I stopped her from saying further and dragged her towards my cabinet.

"Choco! Leave me. I will show that bitch what doctor is." Bell struggled to get free but I pushed her inside the cabinet and closed the door before she could escape.

"Bell! Stop. Tell me about the promotion Dr.Frieda was talking about. And the congratulations...weren't they for the surgery I performed just a while ago?" I inquired wanting to know the whole thing.

"No choco. They're congratulating you on your promotion. It is a surprise I was talking about." Bell gave me a warm smile and pulled me into a hug.