Welcome! This week our word prompt is "dance", a little challenging for my story, but I managed to use it. We have another episode of "Unforgettable" this week. Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and the other excellent stories. Thanks for coming.
******************************
“Thanks for coming. This way. We’ll get you outfitted and put you to work.”
Cary followed along. He remembered snatches of the conversation he overheard. Words like “twelve-hour shifts” and, “wash your hands after every encounter, every touch of anything” and “the mask will prevent you from touching your face.”
Doctor
Snider gave him over to Nurse Carol Crawley.
“What are you treating on this floor?” Cary
slipped the scrubs shirt over his head. Carol stared blankly.
“Covid-19. The entire hospital. Nothing but
Covid-19.”
Cary’s eyes grew wide. “Good God! There are that
many?”
“Don’t you watch the news? Thousands more. In
every hospital in the city.”
Cary’s heartbeat spiked. Sweat broke out on his
forehead. He put on his scrubs hat and looked for a tissue.
“Here you go,” Carol said, pointing to a box on a
stand. “Yeah. The numbers make us all sweat.”
“And you stay well?”
“Didn’t Dr. Snider give you the drill?”
“Wash your hands and don’t touch your face?”
“Yeah. That’s it. Do that, dump your clothes in
the wash the second you get home, take a hot shower and you should be okay.”
Cary was assigned to shadow Dr. Snider.
“Just for today. Tomorrow you’ll be ready to be on
your own.”
“You sure?”
“You have to be. We’re too shorthanded.”
Dr. Snider returned. “We’re short on ventilators, so we only put the
most dire cases on. As soon as you think someone’s recovered enough to breathe on his own, take him off. There will probably be five more people waiting for
it.”
Sweat soaked Cary's shirt. “How is it possible to treat everyone?”
“I have no fucking clue. But we’re doing it.” Dr.
Snider picked up the chart of the next patient. Next stop, the break room.
“Bring juice and a snack. You’ll need it to make
it to dinner.” Alan grabbed two bottles of apple juice and handed one to Cary.
“Thanks.”
“You need to keep your strength up. Where you
from?”
“Pine Grove.” Cary uncapped the beverage.
“Pine Grove? That sounds like someplace out of a
soap opera or something.” Alan laughed.
“Yeah. Small town.”
“So you don’t get anything like this there do
you?”
“Nothing even remotely close. No. Nothing.”
“Hell, we don’t get anything like this here in New
York, either. It’s all new. We’re doing the dance as best we can. The supply shortage
is killing us.”
Well done. Hope things don't get too grim during his "Baptism of Fire," but considering the news, it probably will.
ReplyDeleteThe intensity is building. My heart goes out to him in his quest to help. With LEO children, I am all too familiar with the urgency of removing and washing clothes in the garage as soon as you get home. Sad times.
ReplyDeleteAmazing detail of being at the heart of the epidemic. I especially like how you point out the sudden sweat. Being in such a situation would be terrifying. Great job!
ReplyDeleteGreat story snippet to a story that's more factual than fiction. You're doing great with this tale, as agonizing as the times are.
ReplyDelete