â¿ C H A R A C T E R S
Chapter 1
The pager chimed and her half-eaten sandwich fell back to the plate. Chewing whatever mouthful she had, she retrieved the device from her white coat.
Code blue.
"Oh no!" she mumbled and stood up, eyes darting towards the counter of the hospital canteen. "Bhaijaan please take this and keep it away, I will come back later." she gestured to her half-eaten plate and beeping pager.
"Are Allah," the man groaned, signaling her to get going, meaning 'rush to the room she was needed in'
Smiling sheepishly, she made a run to ER-4 as the text indicated. The hallways are crowded with relatives who keep pressing the staff to get a glimpse of the family member they admitted in the emergency.
"Child my son..." An old frail voice made her stop, the woman looked worried, her eyes crystal and lips trembling with the anticipation of all the bad news in the world.
"Dadi-Ji, trust me. I'll do my best." she quickly assured, with a comforting smile and pat on her arm. She felt bad for her as she'll be waiting for the next few hours of constant panic. "Tension na lena app, Dadi ji."
Entering the bursting ward, she rushed to the nurses and doctors gathered around the patient, wearing her gloves she got to work quickly. "What's the status?"
The question was the start of several medical terms, quick actions, and the process of revival from a severe cardiac arrest they were fighting against. The next few hours in the room with adrenaline rushing through her veins, she forgot her last half-eaten meal or the fact that she was in the 21st hour of her shift. Her end of shift and rotation was long forgotten as her mind worked extra fast in the case of a 32-year-old man who suffered from a silent cardiac arrest.
"Vena cava stable now" she assessed the stage and cheers erupted. Everyone sighs with relief and fatigue.
"Another saves Qureshi," her fellow doctor said, the smile of relief evident in his features.
"Teamwork Maqbool, Teamwork" she chuckled.
He shook his head laughing "So humble"
"Why Thank you kind sir" she joked and threw her soiled gloves in the bin. "Now I get to deliver the happy news to Dadi-Ji."
This was the best part of being a doctor, pulling long shifts, starving, and working under pressure did not matter until the greatest joy, to see relief donning the family's faces when you tell them the news of success. It was like the best gift a doctor could ask for. They shower them with all the blessings in the world and remember them for life.
With her best smile, she walked towards the lady who sat on the edge of her seat, looking tired and more aged in past years. "Your son is all right Dadi-Ji. He's stable now. We'll be keeping him under observation for the next 36 hours and then we can shift him to another room."
"Th...Thank you" she croaked, tears of happiness falling down her eyes. She took her palms in hers and kissed them, blessing her with all the happiness in the world. "You saved him."
"Now you take some rest okay? We don't want your son to get up and find you all sick and tired now. Right?"
The woman nodded slowly, her lips trembling.
"Sana" a voice called from behind and she snapped at the voice. She frowned seeing the head nurse panting and running towards her in quick steps.
She gave a smile to the older woman and covered the distance between them. "What got you frantic like that Appi?"
The woman pulled her to the side, tone shushed "I told you not to treat that girl without paperwork, suicide cases are not to be taken in against standard protocols, Sana. Now Mr. Adami got the whiff and he wants to see you in his cabin."
Sana tries speaking when Nurse Arefa cuts her off.
"No. Listen to me. You go tell him that her parents pestered you to take her and start treatment. I'll get everyone on the same page here so he doesn't lash out at you. This is already the fourth time in a year."
"Appi I'm not lying, it's against my ethics."
"You and your ethics will kill you someday Sana. Just do what I say. Senior Mr. Adami is also not there today or else he would have saved you" Arefa whined, wiping her face down. Eyes praying to God for some help.
"I'm not afraid of him and I don't need Chacha-Jaan to protect me. I'll deal with this owl on my own" Sana grumbled, huffing. Pulling her coat sleeves up she started walking towards the lift.
"Sana..."
"I got it, Arefa Appi. Everything is in control so now don't think so much or you will have to ask Jameel for an Anti-ageing pill" she said back turning, laughing as the elder woman scoffed. She winked at her while walking backward.
"Don't rile him, Sana."
"I know the drill, Appi" She showed two thumbs up to the older woman who still glared at her with disagreement.
Punching the button for the management floor of the hospital, she passed smiles to all the other occupants of the lift, making funny faces at a small baby and making him giggle with her antics. The lift was emptied by the last second floor.
She tapped her foot for the metal box to climb up soon. The doors parted and she sauntered inside, her steps determined even though she felt like hitting the first couch she saw. She was already pulling up extra hours of shift when her 18-hour shift ended long back. She smiled mischievously seeing the secretary's desk empty and the wooden door shut.
Knocking once, she pushed the dark brown door open, startling the figure behind the desk. Impeccably groomed, dressed in his ever-favorite gray shade, and all fresh even when he was here in this cabin for hours now. On the other hand, she had to look like a zombie with dark circles, a tired face, hair pulled up in a tight bun, and wrinkled and dirty scrubs. She grumbled seeing him staring at her with disapproval evident in his eyes.
"What? You can't expect me to wait till you permit me to enter. I'm hell tired" she jumped on the couch, arms curling around a throw pillow and head leaned back, neck muscles stretched.
"You did not wait for my permission Dr. Qureshi, like always" he gritted, sighing as he closed his file folding the edge of the page.
Sana sat back with her eyes closed and relaxed on his couch.
He shook his head, stood up, and walked to the other side of the desk, leaning his hip against it, he glared at her figure.
"What am I hearing, Dr. Qureshi?..." He started.
"How I am supposed to know what you are hearing?" She chimed in between.
He glared but ignored her continuing, "This is the fourth time..."
"of me breaking the hospital protocol and not worrying relatives with paperwork when their loved one is dying right in front of their eyes. Another time I prioritize saving lives before so much paperwork the hospital authority has tagged as a standardized procedure. I as a doctor should be responsible and accountable to the organization and not be impulsive. You're giving me another warning and extra shift this week to teach me how important following protocols are." She finished his words, an innocent smile on her face "That's what you say every time right? Or did I miss anything?"
"Dr. Qureshi" he called her name in warning "You're taking rules too lightly because you think no one can terminate you and Mr. Zohar Adami got your back?" he cocked a brow "Is that what makes you act so confident? Because let me clear it out that." he gestured towards himself "I take the decisions now and no way I'm tolerating your behavior in my organization. You want to work here; you work following the rules and not the way you want to."
"No, I don't want to work here so why don't you go ahead and terminate me?" she asked getting up "Please do the favor, Mr. Mudassar Adami, if not as a boss do it as my ex-best friend so that I can go away from you, and this city. Terminate me and get done with the last tie between us."
"Don't bring past in this conversation, Sana" he glared.
"So, you remember my name?" she asked faking surprise "I really thought you forgot it when you hit your head one night and decided to dump me and every relationship between us away just like that."
"There was no relationship between us except friendship to be on the same page." he stated, "Also, this is my office and we talk business here not past grudges against each other."
"Grudges? You name it that?" She asked sneering. "Well good for you that I don't wish to talk with you, business or not. Next time I repeat this, which I will definitely would, send me an email and fire me. No need to call me up here all the way just for you to shout when it's have been you all the time taking decisions for both our lives. Decide this too." She snapped, walking towards his desk and grabbing the energy bar kept in his pen stand.
"Sana, I'm not done talking to you, and that's mine." he tried snatching it back when she hurried towards the gate.
"Consider it my payment for spending time in your company." she peeled the bar and took a bite. "And this bar is more for us doctors who work their asses off unlike people in management who just check reports and order around."
He pinched between his eyes, sighing. "Can we have a civil conversation?" She cocked a demanding brow up "Please" he added.
"Okay. You got 5 minutes. After that I want you to drop me back home because I'm nowhere near to driving after working 22 hours straight, of course as my boss and nothing else because you can't afford to lose such a good doctor in a car accident, now can you?" His body stiffened; eyes darkened with anger "I was joking Mady. I really need sleep, I can barely walk out." she stated sheepishly, muffling a yawn.
"Okay. I'll do now sit back here," He pointed to the couch and she immediately plopped down again and sighed in relief. Eyes closing down with fatigue. "Did you have a proper meal?" he asked picking up his receiver.
"If you call three bites of a sandwich and eleven cups of coffee a meal then I did have one." she yawned, leaning back against the backrest.
"You're addicted to caffeine" he mumbled, ordering something for them both in his cabin.
"Can you stop mumbling under your breath? I'm already trying hard not to doze off here," she said with drooping eyes.
"You really flip, Sana Qureshi, one second you were fighting now you can't sit straight. Will you be normal anytime soon?" He mocked.
"I'll someday, Inshallah" she grinned sleepily.
He sighed "Inshallah"