//------------------------------// // First Shift // Story: My name is Anna Maus // by Gallants //------------------------------// I opened the door to the exam room a brown stallion sat on the table, a visible hourglass as his cutie mark, "Hello Mr. Turner, I'm Dr. Maus and I will be examining you today unless you'd like a different physician," I said opening the sheet the nurse had given me when I entered the clinic. "Oh no I don't want to be a bother, Ditzy made me come here anyhow, I don't think peeing 19 times a day is that big of a deal," I looked up as he said that. "And how long have you been urinating 19 times a day?" I asked him grabbing a pair of gloves, not a perfect fit, but griffon gloves worked just fine, putting my inkpot down I dipped my quill in and prepared to get more information. "Oh every day for just over a month," he said, causing me to drop my quill to the floor. "Alright stand up, turn around, and flag your tail please, I need to check your prostate," I told him while checking him over I didn't notice any strange swelling, "Alright, I don't feel anything strange, I'm going to order some tests to be done and get a specialist involved so wait here for them to arrive while I see another patient," I said putting my gloves in the trash and stepping out of the room, "Nurse Wrap page Urology for a consult in exam room three please," I asked the nurse getting a curt response, wishing Redheart was working today, before the putting my folder down and picking up another and headed to exam room four. I opened the door and was yelled at by a very red mare, "THERE YOU ARE MY LITTLE GIRL IS SICK AND NEEDS HELP RIGHT NOW!" I looked over the shoulder of the mare to see a filly looking not too hot, but not horrible, "Well what are you waiting for cure her," she demanded me. I took a seat next to the filly and immediately took note of some yellowing around the edges of her eyes, "I'm Dr. Maus, now I know you don't feel good, but that means your body is fighting-," I started to say placing the back of my hand against her forehead shaking my hand a little I frowned, "-you're a little warm, open your mouth and say ahh," I told her she quickly opened her mouth shining in a light I looked her over, "I'm seeing some swelling, that's a good sign means your immune system is working hard," I said walking to my counter and grabbing a swab and a thermometer, "Now I'm going to take a swab and send it over to pathology so we know exactly what's wrong and we can treat you, so keep that mouth open," I told her swabbing around her throat while using the thermometer. Looking down at her temperature, "Well, that's not good," I said standing up and going to the internal phone system, "I need a sepsis team and cooling packs to exam room four stat." I calmly called out into the electric void. "Cooling packs and sepsis, what do you need those for?" the mares mother asked poking me with her hoof. "Ma'am, how long has your daughter been sick?" I questioned dodging her request. "A few weeks, why?" she not so nicely shot back. "I have reason to believe she has entered a state of sepsis while trying to fight off an infection, we need to get her fever down and have a team of specialists, who are trained for exactly this kind of issue, help her make a proper recovery, she does need to be admitted as her life is in danger without the proper intervention," I explained, her muzzle scrunched. "I see this is some lie to get me to squeeze out extra bits, my priest warned me about you non-ponies and your unscrupulous and unethical words and business," she spit out poking me some more, "we're going home and she will be healed by harmony itself." she said with the conviction of a pope. "It's your fillies life and you are free to refuse treatment," I told her stepping to the side while finishing off some notes for the response team, "go on, just don't come crying to me if something goes wrong." she hesitated before taking a seat next to her daughter, and the sepsis team showed up not to long after. Handing over my notes to the team lead I stepped out and walked over to the nurse's desk, "A consult and an ICU transfer," I told him leaning my cane on the side, "how exciting for my first day." I said with a sigh. "What kind of a doctor were you?" He asked with a raised brow. "I was a combat medic before transferring to family medicine," I said chuckling before looking at the door to see Redheart soaked and panting, "Hey Snow, aren't you off today?" I asked as she focused on me. "Anna, we need you in trauma there was an accident and we can't treat it and the new ER team isn't experienced enough and I'm not trained for this." she panted out, grabbing my cane I followed her down the hall. It was a mess one of the doctors was puking in the corner, another was just holding the guts from the screaming disemboweled griffon shaking not looking at anything. "DEAR GOD, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, GET ME ANY PAINKILLER, FUCK TIGER BALM WOULD BE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU PANICKING IDIOTS ARE DOING!" I yelled grabbing a pair of gloves and performing a look over, "His fucking ribs are broken, his hip is dislocated. It is amazing how I don't need to put my hands on him considering how fucked this poor guy is," I complained, "How the fuck are you conscious?" I questioned the bird, "GET ME SOME DIAZEPAM!" I demanded from the puking doctor, he looked at me with thankful eyes and ran out, "AND SOMEONE PREP MY GODDAMN THEATER, BEFORE I PUT ONE OF YOU IN IT!" I worked on slowing the bleeding, "Fuck this is just like Bahrain," I muttered remembering running the field hospital, the screams from Bahrain echoed down the halls reaching me, as I swallowed I searched through the loose organs hoping that they weren't punctured. Redheart unlocked the gurney snapping me out of my stupor. "OR 1 is prepped," she stated pushing the diazepam; putting the griffon into a deep sleep as she started to push him, "Run ahead and scrub in," she told me, with a nod I ran to the operating theatre and preparing my scrubs started and scrubbing in. The surgery lasted till the end of my shift, somehow we pulled through and got him stable, "That was intense seeing your work was amazing... and the administrator would like to have a word with you," Redheart told me. "THE WAY YOU SPOKE TO YOUR COLLEAGUES-" the administrator screamed at me, "-WAS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE!" she stepped around her desk as I stood still in parade rest, "YOU CAN'T INSULT, THREATEN, AND SCREAM AT THEM!" her breath slowed down, "How did me yelling at you feel?" she asked full of compassion. "To be frank Ms. Form, it felt amazing-" she took a step back, "felt like I was back in the Navy," I said sighing, "and I am so sorry, the situation reminded me of a field hospital I was running in an active combat zone, it was tough and caused emotions to run high," I explained, "When I dealt with the severe traumas and mass casualties which suddenly arrived on our doorsteps, I found yelling was the best way to get my team to focus and threats helped motivate them," I told her, "I know it's not acceptable in this hospital now and I don't want to mess this up, I would like to apologize to the ponies who were on my team," I continued, "and also if you will allow me, run some drills and do some training to get your new ER team prepped for events like these." she gave me a wide smile. "That would be wonderful-" she told me cheerfully, "-but I'd like to say this, you are on thin ice," she warned me.