End of February



All the stars may shine bright

All the clouds may be white

But when you smile…

The sun coming through all the windows blinding her, Abby walked up to the admit desk and leaned on it, closing her eyes.

- All right? – asked Randi – I heard Weaver yelling at you. What did you do?

- Ah, nothing really.

- Want some cake?

- Cake? Are we, - she managed a weak grin – celebrating anything?

- Sort of. Dr Kovac’s new car.

- Oh, - she said, opening her eyes at least. Randi handed her a plastic plate with a piece of chocolate cake. There was a suspiciously curious exprеssion on Randi’s face as though she expected Abby to comment… on what? Luka’s car? The fact that buying a car was supposed to heal the wounds of the break up with her?

- Thank you, - she said to Randi and went down the hallway absentmindedly poking the cake with a plastic fork. And why would he treat the staff to a cake? Was that the way they celebrate such major purchase like a car there in Croatia?

She was half way through that piece when she heard the alert about multiple MVA coming in about three minutes and rushed out to the ambulance bay along with the others. Luka was already there, stood shadowing his eyes with his hand in the bright sunshine.

- Congratulations, - she said coming up to him – a Cherokee, isn’t it?

He turned to her smiling broadly.

- Yes. Want to have a look when we finish with this?

- Sure.

She wasn’t really that interested in the car. Surely, she had seen quite a number of Cherokee jeeps in her life, but he seemed so proud of it. Obviously wanted to boast. Men… and their toys.









The boy was really bad.

- Internal saw, - he commanded glancing briefly at Kerry.

She nodded, although he could see it in her eyes, - they were losing the battle. They had been working on the boy for about half an hour by now.

- Paddles.

Abby quickly passed him the tool.

- Clear!

Kerry’s eyes were fixed to the monitor.

- Charge to 15! Clear!

In the next room he saw Benton working on the girl. The boy, Dave, only got his license a few weeks ago. He was taking his girlfriend to meet his parents when a drunken truck driver had crashed into them.

- Charge to 30!

Kerry watched monitor for several seconds.

- That’s it, – she said. - I’ll call it. Time of death… 13.45.

He let Abby take the paddles from his hands, pulled off and discarded the bloody gown and strode away from trauma room through the hallway and heading to the Doctors’ Lounge. The truck driver was being examined in Trauma 2, but he looked perfectly all right.

With all of them still on his mind he felt as if his heart had stopped when a most unexpected sensation interrupted his thoughts. A small hand tugging his pant leg. Tata, tata, listen…Jasna’s voice was so clear in his mind. That was what she did to attract his attention...

- Dr Kovac!

It was Cleo Finch’s voice that brought him back to reality. She was looking at him with a worried exprеssion on her face.

- Dr Kovac, are you ok?

- Yes… I… I’m fine.

It was still there. He hasn’t been imagining. He glanced down and saw a strangely familiar little face. Lida. She was still clutching to his leg, her eyes red with crying and her clothes and hair in a mess and spots of blood. He crouched beside her, completely ignoring Cleo craning over. He quickly noticed Lida’s palms very unskilfully bandaged.

- Sto se dogodilo, draga moja? – he instinctively asked in Croatian. She didn’t answer, just threw her hands round his neck. – ne, ne, draga moja. He put his one arm round her shoulders, stroking her hair with another hand. – ne plachi, sve je u redu.

- Dr Kovac, I’m sorry! She ran away..

It was Ivan, her brother.

- Dr Kovac, let me take her!

Now it was Cleo.

- Dr Finch, I’ll take her, – he said, straightening up, with the girl in his arms. - She knows me. She won’t run away.

- Excuse me, Dr Kovac, I believe I’m the paediatrician here! She’s my patient and I can handle it, – she sounded quite annoyed, but he didn’t care.

- Listen, she needs treatment and we are wasting time.

Ivan was watching them with a confused look on is face.

- Ok. Fine, take her.

Cleo passed him the chart, turned on her heels and walked away making sure even her back showed the full extent of her disapproval and resentment.

- Come with me, - he said to Ivan, heading for Exam room 2.

- What happened? – he asked having put the girl on the exam table and started to take the bandage off her palms.

- She broke a glass and tried to collect the pieces. Typical, – he shrugged. He stood leaning to the wall, his hands in his pockets.

- What do you mean ‘typical’?

- She always gets in trouble. Just turn away for a sec and she’s broken something or hurt herself. It’s not the first time she’s taken to hospital. Normally mum can handle it, but she’s at work, and I … I was scared, there was so much blood… So I thought I’d better bring her here.

There were several cuts on each of her little palms. Some were no more than scratches, but one looked pretty nasty. He found a suture tray, reached for a stool and sat besides Lida.

- I’ll need wash it first and then sew it up, - he said to Ivan. – Sit. It will take some time.

- How long?

- Do you have to be anywhere else?

- Yes. If I miss my practice the couch will murder me.

- What do you play?

- Hockey. We’re in an interstate Junior High championship now. Next game with Iowa.

- Go then. Come back after practice to pick her up.

- Is it ok?

He could tell the boy really wanted to go, just give him a yes and he’ll sprint out of the door.

- Sure. We’ll look after her here.

- Ok. I’ll call mum. She’ll come after work.

- Good luck with hockey.

Ivan opened the door, and then looked back.

- Er… Dr Kovac. Thank you. And watch out! She’s a troublemaker!

- Ok. I will.

She didn’t say a word as he washed her wound and started to stitch. She didn’t cry aloud either, although tears kept running down her cheeks. He first worked on the easier cuts on her left hand and then turned his attention to her right palm. She jerked trying to pull her palm out of his hand.

- Ssh, draga moja.