Timothy
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtA7HOG7SD
Beep, beep, beep… Damn it, and I just fell asleep. My hospital pager is going off, and I roll over. My phone starts to ring, and I finally get my ass up to answer it. I know it must be important.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrLZ0xSFKS
“Orozco,” I answer as I rub my eyes.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU5zvHvO2e
“Dr. Orozco, it’s Penny,” she says. Fuck if she’s calling me to hook up again. I’m going to be pissed.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwI5Loqihe
“What’s up Penny?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby3XuZY4jl
“We have a patient en route with a mitral valve defect from Southern California. He coded twice.”79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEZ93uIpPe
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAPHeJW2UD
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCER2c4lZ1h
“How old is the baby?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRzWz0aOzj
“He’s four years old,” She says. My eyes go wide because these issues are detected at birth.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggS22MDBf3
“Four! They just now found this?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG2rmSRFJb
“That’s what they are telling us,” she says. “I’m going to send you the chart to go over it. We have an OR booked already, so we can prep him for surgery once the patient gets here. Go over the chart and let me know if we need to do anything special for the case.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9z9eYI1Hl
“Thanks, Pen.” See you soon.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp65w4ezfD
“Thanks, Timothy,” she says. “Hey, Timmy?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4101FDRKP4
“Penny, let’s keep this professional, please.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjoKZMEodo
“Yes, sorry, Dr. Orozco.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jggTGweOb
I get up and jump in the shower, and once I’m done, I grab my IPAD, and I read the chart of Noah Villa. There is no family history of heart issues on the maternal side, but the paternal side is unknown as the father is not in his life. That makes me sick to think a man would do that to his flesh and blood—what a piece of shit. I noticed that he has a blood type of AB, which is rare. I grab my phone and call Penny.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y29KYenck
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UBT6HLnhB
“Hi, Dr. Orozco,” she says.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7b8ltok0d
“Penny, check the stock of AB blood products, please,”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGnS48ZYlz
“Hold on, let me call downstairs.” She says. As I wait, I brush my teeth, look at myself in the mirror, and see the faint silverly scar that runs the center of my chest. “Dr. Orzoco, the lab says they have none, but they can ask Oakland Children’s Hospital.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiF5LrprEM
“Shit, okay, I’m leaving now. Tell the lab to expect me so I can donate blood.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqPNZidMhF
“Will do! See you in a few minutes.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw97cjerLW
I enter my parking garage and jump into my black two-seater, Maserati. The newest model and boy, it’s a beauty. I get to the hospital quickly, and I’m glad I have my parking spot. All the heads of departments have one. I’m the youngest department head at the age of thirty-one years old. I walk into the hospital and run into the lab. They are all prepped and ready for me.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iI0ZBonR0
“Dr. Orozco, you are such a gem for donating blood to patients. Not a lot of the docs do that.” Morgan, the head lab tech, says with a smile.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡessigOdF9d
“Well, that’s a shame,” I say, sitting down. She preps me and gives me a blue squeezy ball to squeeze. I put in my earbuds, and I listen to music. The earbuds alert me to a phone call from my brother Toby. “Toby, what’s up.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM57JcIeZGu
“Hey Timmy, are you on the Villa case?” He asks.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr7ZNTXnOl
“Yeah, why?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaEV7L8FVn
“I will be doing the physical therapy post-operatively.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKURQYJkTp
“Good, I need someone that will be on the same page as me.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP8cmFU20C
“Talk to you later, Hermano,” Toby says.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYKG1tQR5V
“Later, gator,” I say, hanging up. I’m finished donating blood in about thirty minutes. Morgan gives me some cookies and juice. “Thank you, Morgan. I will have my scrub nurse call for the blood when we are ready.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFF4qeLpUR
“I already have a sample from the patient, and we will do the necessary testing on your blood, per hospital guidelines. But it shouldn’t be a problem.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFD2ozNXqF
I head to the locker room, changing into my surgical scrubs and Power Ranger surgical cap, and I get in the elevator and head up to the baby nursery. My tradition before every surgery I do. I stare and the tiny babies and smile. It gives me peace, but today it makes me feel like something is missing. I stand there and sigh.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeeaJ352i2
“Wow, that was a deep sigh,” I turn and see Tatiana. My baby sister. “You okay, Hermano?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUHARZYSzO
“Hey, sissy, I’m okay. I'm just thinking about when I’ll find the one to settle down with and start a family.”
“What about Penny?” she asks.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2RLlKfEtG
“Penny? What about her?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFCmJRNSAb
“I thought you were together.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVHkINeJT7
“What, no, who told you that?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLp5xQDJkH9
“She did.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyekla24o7
“What the fuck? We hooked up twice, and I told her I just wanted to be friends.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYkTdeFm8p
“Are you sure she understood?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUrAWLN3xJ
“Tati, I reminded her again this morning. I have to go. I need to scrub in for surgery. Is one of these new babies your patient?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMXUTi4L6M
“Yup, good luck on your surgery Timmy. One day you’ll find your person.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMP2oBIwPX
“Thanks, Tati,” I say and fist-bump her. I make my way over to the surgical floor and see Penny. I peek into my patient's room, and he’s alone—poor little guy. “How long until his family is here?” I ask, and she shrugs. I hate when she does that.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck7DcgG5hj
“About four hours.” A male nurse says. I’ve never seen him before. “I’m Anthony, and I was his transport nurse on the flight.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUD9YXiAvX
“Nice to meet you, Anthony. What department do you work in?”
“Pediatric Cardiology in Los Angeles Children’s Hospital under Dr. Galli,” Joseph says. “I’m Dr. Galli’s scrub nurse.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XerNsGsDF
“How would you like to scrub in today. You know the patient and understand what is going on, which can be very beneficial to me.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD4mofxZ1K
“What?” Penny complains. “I’m your scrub nurse.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBirhRsGRS
“I promised the family that I would keep them updated,” Anthony says. “I don’t want to step on anyone's toes.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qgUczagHZ
“Penny can do that. Penny, you’re an excellent scrub nurse, no doubt, but today I need Anthony in there with me.” I say. She nods but rolls her eyes when she thinks I’m not looking at her. I hear faint crying, and I realize it’s my patient. I go into the room near the side of the bed and touch his light brown hair. “Hi, buddy.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WhTPuOoTX
“Mama, mama,” he cries.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZU7NXEUJD
“I know, bud, you’ll see mama as soon as we make you all better,” I say. I notice him looking at my Power Rangers scrub cap. “You like the Power Rangers?” He nods slowly. “Which one do you like?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWYNi81xog
“The wed one,” he says quietly.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyuMlXhsXW
“The red one! Me too! He’s so cool!” I smile broadly at him. he finally gives me a tiny smile. “Anthony, can you please take my new pal to the OR for me?”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0MXGcDODe
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrr7TrOZm5a
“Sure thing Dr. Orzoco,” Anthony says.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiYBf2lO8u
“I see, Mama?” Noah asks as his lip trembles.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGVASulOan
“Not yet, buddy. We’ll give you some medicine to help you take a nap. I’ll fix your sick heart; you’ll see Mama after that. Anthony, give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll be down there.”
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijETpzlJi7
I go down the hall into an empty room, put in my Airpods, and push play on my phone. The sounds of AC/DC’s Back in Black and start doing arm and neck stretches. I finish my little jumping up and down ritual, leave the room, nod my head to the music, and take the elevator down to the OR. I wash my hands, and Penny takes the Airpods out of my ears when I nod that the song is over. I put my feet into the sterile booties as I walk into the OR. I put my hands up and put sterile gloves and gowns on by Anthony.
79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTZjdGYtSS
“Thank you, everyone, for being here today; it looks like we’re in for a long one,” I say. My surgical team nods at me. “Let’s do this!”
ns 15.158.61.20da2
