Writing Prompts: Medical Professional

Here’s the prompt that I chose for this week: write for 20 minutes * A Medical Professional * the third time is the charm

Dr. Weston threw down her scalpel in disgust as the heart monitor gave out the worst sound she could possibly hear: the sound of yet another patient flat lining. She pulled down her mask. “I can’t believe I lost another one.”

“Don’t worry Doctor. You’ll get that grant,” an intern tried to encourage her.

She turned. “I’m not worried about the grant! Well, I am, but only because it will help these patients that I’m trying so hard to save.”

“Sorry, Doctor,” he apologized.

“This is still an experimental treatment,” the surgical fellow reminded her. “We still have plenty of time to perfect it.”

“Yes, but in the meantime, these patients keep dying!”

“Well, we have another scheduled for this afternoon,” the fellow reminded her. “You know what they say: ‘The third time is the charm.’”

Dr. Weston stared at him. “This is no time for your jokes. I need to go research some more. You should also. I’ll be expecting you in on that surgery this afternoon.”

She banged through the doors of the operating room to go wash up. She looked through the window separating the room from the OR to make sure no one was watching and then she slid to the floor. “I’m never going to get this treatment working,” she muttered to herself.

She heard someone coming so she quickly stood back to her feet and stripped off her gloves. She hit the lever to turn on the water and began scrubbing her hands furiously. “Everything okay, Doctor?” the intern asked.

“Yes, fine. Meet Dr. Roacke and me in the conference room after you finish cleaning up. We have a lot more work to do if we want to be ready for the next surgery.”

She didn’t wait for her intern to agree. She knew he would be there. He had to be if he wanted to stay in the internship program. She left the OR and headed for her office before deciding to go to the cafeteria instead. She needed coffee badly. Maybe it would help her concentrate. Maybe it would help her find an answer.