Working Christmas Day
<p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="triage">triage</span> <span word="nurse">nurse</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clean">clean</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="patients">patients</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nurses">nurses</span>' <span word="station">station</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="cider">cider</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crockpot">crockpot</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="admitting">admitting</span> <span word="clerk">clerk</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="patients">patients</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="evaluated">evaluated</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="whined">whined</span>, "<span word="Five">Five</span>, <span word="how">how</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="five">five</span>; <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="room">room</span>."</p><p>"<span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="signed">signed</span> <span word="in">in</span>." <span word="So">So</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="name">name</span>. <span word="Five">Five</span> <span word="bodies">bodies</span> <span word="showed">showed</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="triage">triage</span> <span word="desk">desk</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pale">pale</span> <span word="petite">petite</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="somewhat">somewhat</span> <span word="rumpled">rumpled</span> <span word="clothing">clothing</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="sick">sick</span>?" <span word="I">I</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="suspiciously">suspiciously</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Yes">Yes</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="weakly">weakly</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lowered">lowered</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="head">head</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Okay">Okay</span>," <span word="I">I</span> <span word="replied">replied</span>, <span word="unconvinced">unconvinced</span>, "<span word="who">who</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="first">first</span>?" <span word="One">One</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="sat">sat</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="usual">usual</span> <span word="preliminary">preliminary</span> <span word="questions">questions</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="descriptions">descriptions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="presenting">presenting</span> <span word="problems">problems</span>, <span word="things">things</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="vague">vague</span>.</p><p><span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="headaches">headaches</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="headaches">headaches</span> <span word="weren">weren</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="accompanied">accompanied</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="normal">normal</span> <span word="body">body</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="holding">holding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="squinting">squinting</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="grimacing">grimacing</span>. <span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="earaches">earaches</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="affected">affected</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="complained">complained</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cough">cough</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Something">Something</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="picture">picture</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="hospital">hospital</span> <span word="policy">policy</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="patient">patient</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="them">them</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="explained">explained</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="doctor">doctor</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="empty">empty</span>, <span word="ambulances">ambulances</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="several">several</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="critical">critical</span> <span word="patients">patients</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="back">back</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="responded">responded</span>, "<span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="warm">warm</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="here">here</span>." <span word="She">She</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="smile">smile</span>, <span word="guided">guided</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="brood">brood</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="room">room</span>.</p>
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