Uncontrollable Flames

Just as I was about to take the first bite of my sandwich my pager went off. "Damn it, wasn't even able to get in one bite this time". That's one thing about being an ER doctor even when you get a break you never really on your break. Quickly taking a big bite of my sandwich before wrapping it up and putting it back in the fridge before washing my hands and heading to the nurse's station. As I reached the desk, I waited for the head nurse Sandy to give me the rundown. Sandy was new to the position and was still getting the handle on things, even before she became head nurse, she was already acting like one. From bossing nurse's around to resolving employee conflicts, the difference was she had a lot more work to do and lots of paperwork. "What'd we got?" I asked. She responded to me after giving one of the nurse's orders "We got an incoming multi-victim car crash collision on a bridge, Paramedics reported sixteen victims. Four were fatal and were already deceased, and twelve were injured. Looking through the ER glancing at the rooms then back at her "How many available rooms do we have? She looked down at her chart with a worried look on her face. "Not enough, we have six rooms available and from the looks of it we won't have any rooms free anytime soon, none of the patients here are ready to be discharged yet."

"Alright" I nodded my head "those who can be moved, aren't badly injured, or are waiting for results would have to be moved upstairs, we need all the rooms we could spare. Can you also call up the surgery wing and let them know". The patients might've not been in front of me yet, but I knew some if not half would be needing surgery, six rooms weren't going to work even if most of the patients did have to get surgery, we still needed more room. She nodded her head in agreement before grabbing a few nurses and ordering them to start moving patients. I was about to start preparing for the incoming patients and make sure everything was on standby when my phone in my pocket started to buzz. Quickly taking it out and looking at the screen I saw it was my brother Sebastion. Most likely he didn't want anything like always. Deciding I would call him back later, I ignored it, letting it vibrate as I put it back in my pocket.

Five minutes later the doors to the ER burst open, and the paramedics brought in the first patient. Still pushing the stretcher one of the paramedics began "We got a male mixed in his twenties, GCS 4 struck the dashboard, BP-ninety over fifty" he continued as we wheeled the patient to the first available room. Counting to three the paramedics, along with me and two nurses transferred the victim from the gurney to the hospital bed. Within less than two minutes after the first patient was brought in more and more paramedics came, bringing the remaining patients until there were no more to bring. The entire ER was full, even with some of the patients undergoing surgery. We were full to the point where we could no longer accept any more patients. By the time it started to dial down and clear out three hours had already passed. The patients that were sent upstairs earlier were almost all discharged, the last few patients that needed surgery were already on the next level and the patients that still remained in the ER were stable and doing good. Other than the four victims that died before they could get here, we had no casualties, all the patients survived, and considering what we see on a daily basis that was lucky. We could do everything, the best we can, and yet some patients don't make it.

Finally able to take a break I checked my phone and saw that I had six missed calls and a voicemail from Sebastion and eight missed calls from an unknown number. I tried calling Sebastion back, but I got no answer only his voicemail, that's weird Sebastion always answers his phone. I called him back a few more times and still no answer, now I was getting worried. Right, when I was about to listen to his voicemail I was paged yet again. Stuck in my head worried about my little brother I didn't even realize it when I reached the nurse's station. Shaking my thoughts away ready to focus on the next patient "hey sandy, what do we got" Sandy looked at me with sad heartbreaking eyes, I swear I literally saw a teardrop on her cheek. "What's wrong," I asked concerned. Attempting to clear her throat but not entirely succeeding she spoke. "Malia" she began but stopped as if she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. her voice was hoarse, and she used my first name, Sandy never uses anyone's first name unless it's extremely important. "Malia......I have some bad news" she began to tear up, wiping her eyes she continued "it's Sebastion" My entire body tensed up, and now I was more apprehensive than I was before. "What about my brother?" I asked impatiently "Sandy what about my brother," I asked again.

Before she had the chance to answer the ER doors opened, revealing the two paramedics that brought the first patient in from the crash earlier. They slowly pushed in a gurney with the body covered, they looked defeated. I raced to the patient "What do we have?" I asked the paramedics. A man with short brown hair wearing and t-shirt and shorts came in shortly after the paramedics and from the looks of it, he went for a run. "Are you Dr. Malia Dawson?" he asked. Nodding my head "Yes I am, who are you, and how did you know my name" he looked down at the floor and then back at me "My name is Grandon Michaels and your brother told me.....he" I interrupted him before he could say anything else parading him with questions "Wait you know my brother? how? have you heard from him? is he okay?" Without saying a word, I knew what he was trying to say when I saw him glance at the body covered up on the gurney, they brought it. No... No..No..Noooooo. Hoping I was wrong I slowly uncovered the body. I could feel my heart break as the sheet was pulled off and saw nothing but my little brother lying there pale, losing my composure I leaned over my brother's dead body crying. His body was cold almost ice called which meant he's been dead for over an hour. I could feel my throat closing up as it burned, my eyes filled with tears until I wailed in screams, and my heart was broken completely and utterly broken.