CHAPTER NINE: WHEN THE MONITOR SCREAMS.

      It was a new day, but the hospital still carried the heavy grief of the patient they had lost.

Emily walked towards Jasmine with two cups of coffee in her hands.

"Morning, Jasmine. Coffee?" she offered, holding one out.

Jasmine looked up at the cup.

"I don't drink coffee during work hours, Emily."

Emily raised a brow. "But you drank half of mine yesterday."

"That was different," Jasmine said.

"How?"

"You were exhausted," Emily said.

"And today I'm energetic," Jasmine replied.

 Emily gave her a look.

“Thank you,” Jasmine said with a smile as she stretched out her hands to collect the cup.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then Emily said, “His daughter came back this morning.”

Jasmine’s hand stopped halfway to her mouth.

“The patient from 307?”

Emily nodded.

“She wanted to see him.”

Jasmine looked toward the empty room.

“She still hasn’t accepted it,she kept asking whether the team could have done more.”

Jasmine lowered the cup.

“What did you tell her?”

“That everyone tried.”

Emily’s voice weakened. “But she kept asking.”

Jasmine understood.Grief did not listen to explanations.

It searched for someone to blame because blame was easier to hold than loss.

“She was crying again,” Emily continued. “Her relatives had to take her outside.”

Jasmine looked down at the report. The previous day returned in fragments. The alarm,the emergency trolley, the commands, the compressions, the monitor and finally the silence. She had thought she was prepared for anything that would happen but she wasn't.

 Sharon Bennett walked into the hospital, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was watching. She stopped at the nurses' station and signed in, scribbling 7:30 a.m. next to her name.

"Sharon, is there a day you're not late? At least be honest with the time," Emily said as soon as she saw her.

"You should learn to mind your business," Sharon hissed, slamming the pen down hard on the counter.

“Yesterday was horrible.” Sharon continued.

Emily looked up. “You were not even inside the room.”

“I heard everything.”

"So did everyone.”

Sharon lowered her voice. “The woman’s wailing was terrible. I couldn’t sleep after my shift.”

Jasmine remained quiet.

Sharon glanced at her. “You were there, weren’t you?”

“Morning Sharon,” Jasmine said gathering some new charts as if preparing to leave.

“Did he die immediately?”

Jasmine ignored her 

“Did he suffer?”

Emily frowned. “Sharon.”

“What? I’m asking.”

Jasmine closed the report.

“We should not discuss a patient like gossip.”

Sharon rolled her eyes. “I’m not gossiping.”

“Then choose your words carefully.”

Sharon opened her mouth, but Emily interrupted.

“Sharon you should go change into your uniform”

Jasmine stood, “Later Emily,” she said.

She left the nurses’ station before the conversation could continue.

    Harrison was awake, staring at the television mounted on the wall. The sound was muted, but a news channel displayed images of traffic, business updates and a scrolling headline when Jasmine entered the room 

His eyes moved toward her. “You’re late.”

Jasmine checked the monitor. “Good morning to you too.”

“What happened yesterday?”

She looked at him.

“What do you mean?”

“The entire ward sounded like a disaster.”

“A patient in Room 307 went into cardiac arrest.”

“And?”

Jasmine checked his pulse.

“And the resuscitation was unsuccessful.”

Harrison watched her.

“Dead?”

“Yes.”

“How old?”

“Older adult.”

“Cause?”

“We are not discussing another patient’s private medical information.”

His eyes narrowed. 

We protect patient confidentiality.”

“How convenient,” Harrison scoffed.

Jasmine adjusted the blood pressure cuff.

Harrison looked at her face.

“You were there?.”

“I was there.”

“You tried to save him?”

“Yes.”

“And failed.”

The words were blunt.

Jasmine removed the cuff and placed it aside.

"We did everything we could, but he died."

Harrison didn't even blink. His eyes stayed fixed on the television, as if she hadn't spoken at all.

Jasmine recorded his blood pressure.

“Your breathing?”

“Fine.”

“Any chest discomfort or dizziness?”

“No.”

“Pain?”

“Four.”

“Everyone looks incompetent if not why would a resuscitation fail?” Harrison muttered.

Before she could answer, the monitor beeped sharply..

Jasmine immediately turned toward it.

Harrison’s oxygen saturation had dropped. She checked the probe on his finger, then his breathing.

“Mr Harrison, Take a deep breath.”

He inhaled but it was shallow.

“Again.”

Harrison tried, but his expression tightened.

“Something is wrong,” Jasmine said.

“I’m fine.”

“You shouldn't speak”

She raised the head of the bed and checked his oxygen level again but he number continued to drop.Harrison’s breathing became faster.

Jasmine reached for the emergency bell as the door flew open and nurses rushed inside.

“Call Dr. Lawson,” she instructed one of the nurses.

 “Now.” she added 

Harrison reached toward the bedrail.

“What is happening?”

“Stay still.”

“I can’t… “he struggled for breathe. “I can't breathe”

Jasmine’s attention sharpened. “You’re going to breathe. Stay with me”

“Bring the emergency trolley. Call the respiratory team.”

The monitor began to beep more loudly.

Harrison’s chest rose and fell rapidly, but each breath seemed less effective than the last.

“Look at me.” 

His eyes found hers.

“Try to breathe slowly.”

He attempted to obey but then his body suddenly stiffened. The monitor blared without stopping and Jasmine knew she was to check if he was still responsive.

“Harrison?”

But there was no response.She checked his breathing and yet nothing was normal.

Harrison Cole lay motionless beneath the sheet. The man who questioned everything finally had nothing to say.