This story is published for the 2024
On The Job Challenge 2024
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The intern Dr. Benjamin Smith arrived a few minutes early for his first month of work on the surgical team at Mercy Hospital. He had finished four months on the medicine ward and was looking forward to four months of surgery. Later in the year he would do a couple of months each on pediatrics and gynecology before switching over to emergency medicine, his chosen specialty, for the following two years.
He had enjoyed his surgery rotations in medical school and was looking forward to his next few months on Three West and Four West, the surgical wings of the hospital. Because he was not going to specialize in surgery, he knew he would probably not spend much time in the OR but would be working primarily on the two wards doing pre-op and post-op care. He was hopeful his time would help him with his evaluations in the emergency room in the future.
After the rest of the team assembled and introductions were made, the attending surgeon, the resident and the two interns started out on rounds. Every morning the team would go together with the head nurse to assess the patients, make team decisions about care needs and discharge plans. There was a lot of routine paperwork, except it was computer work now days, to make sure everything was done correctly, the right meds were prescribed and the correct wound care was ordered.
Ben's co-intern was going to specialize in surgery so he naturally would spend more time in the OR than Ben, something which didn't bother Ben at all. He enjoyed meeting and talking to the patients, which couldn't happen when they were under anesthesia. Because he was on the ward extensively, he got to know the nursing and ancillary staff well. One nurse in particular named Hannah caught his eye and he enjoyed working with her but he had long believed he should not get too familiar with the nursing staff he was working with. If feelings were hurt, for example, patient care could suffer. But he still enjoyed talking with her and ruminating in the back of his mind was the idea of asking her out once his four months were over.
After his first night on call where he slept in a quiet 'call room' just downstairs from the wards, he woke up to the faint hum of a vacuum cleaner in the hallway outside of his room. As it was time for him to get up anyway, he shut off the alarm on his phone, washed his face at the sink, tidied up the room and opened the door. The woman in the hallway appeared older than him, had ash-blonde hair and a warm smile.
"Good morning," he said as he smiled at her.
"Hallo, Doctor."
He noted a fairly strong Eastern European accent, returned her smile and introduced himself. "I'm Ben, working on the surgery team."
"I am Svetlana but people call me Lahna."
"I thought I detected an accent. And you say it like 'Lah-na' and not 'La-na,' right?
"Da."
"Nice meeting you, Lahna. My room's ready for you and thank you for keeping this place so clean."
On his way upstairs he thought about her. How did someone get to their hospital in their city in the middle of the country all the way from Europe, probably from Russia. Maybe if he had some free time someday, he might ask her.
The next two days were busy but he was able to keep the work under control. On the third day when he was again on call, he went down to his call room around three pm to rest. Two things an intern always does is rest and eat whenever there is a lull in the action. He was stretched out on the bed reading on his phone when he heard a soft knocking on the door.
"Yes?"
"Hallo, Doctor, I forget trash this morning. I empty it now. OK?"
"Sure thing, Lahna. Thanks."
When she brought the can back to his room, he sat up, smiled and asked, "Lahna, if I may ask, where were you born?"
"In Russia, near Moscow."
"Do you miss it?"
"
Da,
sometimes. I have no family so I not go back."
"Me, I'm from Maine and I don't get much vacation so I won't go back for a year. But you, it must have been a long time."
"
Da.
Twenty years."
"Twenty years! Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe someday you can go to visit."
"
Nyet.
It is now bad. I no wish to go back."
"Oh, I see. Well, thanks for the trash pick-up. I'll see you around."
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"You nice to me. Most doctors no talk to me."
"Well, my mom always told me I was the most talkative of her kids. I guess I like to get to know people."
"OK, I go now. Good-bye."
After she left, Ben wondered why people wouldn't talk with her. The cleaning crew was an essential part of the hospital. Sure, they didn't have tons of training and many were poor but if they didn't exist, the place would be a pigsty and infections would be a major risk. He also noted she seemed sad and didn't talk much but perhaps that was due to the language issue. But she was attractive. She kept her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face featured blue eyes, prominent cheek bones and a cute nose. She also had a nice figure with large breasts. Maybe she sported a few more pounds than ideal but he was sure she attracted some guys' attention.
Over the next month he would see her working on Four West but never on Three West where the cleaning crew consisted of a Hispanic appearing man and a tiny Asian woman. When he saw her on Four West, he would always greet her with a smile and ask her how she was doing. One time he thought he saw her blush after he met her in the hallway. 'What was that about?' he asked himself as he walked past her on his way to the ER.
On another day on call he was finished with his routine work by one pm and there were no scheduled admissions. If the emergency room stayed quiet, a word no one liked to use for fear it would jinx them, he could see himself getting a full night's sleep. He had learned never to plan on it but he did head to the call room to rest, just in case. As he entered the hallway to the call rooms, he ran into Lahna.
"Hey, Lahna. How're you doing?"
"Good, Doctor."
"Uh, I have a favor to ask."
"Favor?"
"Yeah. Maybe you can call me Ben. Please."
"No, Doctor. I must call you Doctor. They tell me."
"OK, how about when it's only the two of us?"
"No. I forget and call you Ben and get trouble. I call you Doctor."
"OK, I understand. Are you busy now?"
"No, I finish. I go home soon."
"Oh, where do you live."
"In trailer in Happy Acres."
"Oh, right down the street. That's convenient for work, eh?"
"
Da.
I walk here. I have no car."
"How do you go shopping?"
"I have bike and take taxi."
"Well, I won't keep you from going home."
"You nice to me. Can I ask question."
"Sure, what is it?"
"How old you are?"
"Twenty-five. And it's only fair you tell me how old you are."
"Forty-two."
"Wow, you were only, what, twenty-two when you came here."
"Twenty-one. I have birthday one week after I am here."
"I've always wondered what it would be like to move to a completely new country and start over. It must be hard. Why did you come here?"
"Is long story. In my family, my
ottsa,
uh, my father was dead. We have no money and we were hungry. I heard American men like Russian girls. A company helped me meet American man. I send letters, he send letters. I send pictures. He ask me to marry him and pay for trip. I come to America and marry him."
"Did you love him?"
"
Nyet.
I need money."
"Are you still married."
"
Nyet.
Bastard cheat. We get divorce after seven years."
"Why did you stay here?"
"No money to go home and they have no money. I am citizen now. I stay here."
"Wow. That's quite the story. Do you, uh, do you have a man now?"
