C1 One

"Code blue!" shouted Anna, finding her patient unconscious, lowered the head of the bed so that it was level and then performed a heart massage.

"Code blue 12 room 10, Code blue 12 room 10!"

Not long after, an announcement sounded to inform the Code Blue team that a patient was suddenly critical. They were followed by a woman with curly hair approaching Anna, wearing gloves and taking an Ambu bag.

"What happened?" the woman asked, trying not to panic. She positioned himself above the patient's head after removing the headboard to provide more freedom. Then, pull up the pillow that supports the head and provide breathing assistance.

A few moments later, five people came together, including the doctor wearing glasses as the head of Code Blue. One of them was dragging a trolley containing medicine and emergency equipment.

"This is Jhon, 28 years old, who was treated for a drug overdose a few days ago," Anna reported to the doctor while continuing to massage the patient's heart. "At first, he was fine because he planned to go home today."

"So, he was fine?" asked the doctor wearing Erick Smith's ID.

Anna shook her head quickly. "Yes, Doc! He was fine. But, when I came to give him anti-pain medication, he was already unconscious. He has a history of using narcotics via injection."

"Is the IV tube still attached?" asked Doctor Smith.

"Sorry, I took off the IV because he was coming out today, Doctor Smith," answered Anna, feeling guilty.

"Okay, now put the IV back in and give him the Narcan!" the doctor ordered another nurse with short hair on duty as a team administering medicine.

Those given the mandate immediately installed a new IV line in the left arm. Before long, blood from the vein flows into the flash chamber and is then connected to saline fluid.

"The IV is in place," she reported, followed by the defibrillator-monitor nurse putting on the blood pressure monitor and AED pad. "Narcan is in," she added.

"Okay. What's his pulse?" Doctor Smith looked serious even though his tone sounded very calm.

"164 times per minute," answered the monitoring nurse.

"Continue CPR. How is his airway, Anna?" asked Doctor Smith.

"Safe, Doc!" answered the nurse with Demi Moore-style hair who was pressing the Ambu bag balloons in an even manner.

"Intubate. And for the IV, please inject 1 milligram of epinephrine right now," asked Doctor Smith, continuing to give instructions.

In room ten, the atmosphere became increasingly tense when the patient had not improved. It was as if the medical team was tugging on the patient's life with angels watching and waiting impatiently. All the emergency equipment was installed while Anna tirelessly continued to use her energy to pump the heart.

Doctor Smith looked at the watch on his left hand, counted how long the pulse stimulant medication had been in, then said,

"Okay, it's been two minutes. Prepare DC shock 120 joules, please!"

The defibrillator-monitor nurse adjusted the device to the number requested by the doctor. The device beeped loudly as Doctor Smith instructed the nurses around the patient not to touch him while administering the electric shock.

"Clear!" exclaimed Doctor Smith.

"Clear!" shouted the nurses, taking a few steps from the patient's bed.

"Shocking!" Doctor Smith exclaimed as the patient's chest swelled for a few seconds.

"Switch!" His order moved Anna and the senior nurse who had previously installed the intubation.

The patient's heart rate increased to 200, and the doctor who led the rapid response team ordered him to continue performing CPR. The green line on the monitor screen rushes, showing abnormal vibrations, which indicate that the heart is racing non-stop, but there is no beat. If it is not stopped immediately, the heart may experience sudden fatigue.

The doctor asked the nurse to inject magnesium sulfate, so the erratic heart rate decreased quickly. The situation became increasingly critical when the image on the screen became faster and faster until a second cardiac shock was administered.

"Shocking!" Doctor Smith exclaimed after telling the nurse to move away as the patient's chest swelled again from the shock.

Anna shook her head slowly, almost on the verge of giving up but not wanting to give up. She watched the green lines like grass codes on the monitor screen displaying rapid movements and then checked the patient's pupils. Dilation.

"Still no change, Doc!" Anna exclaimed, trying to be calm, even though it was the opposite of her panicked mood.

It would be a significant burden for Anna as a nurse if a patient suddenly declined drastically. Moreover, the age of the man betting his life is the same as him and will cause regret if he dies. Once, Anna fell and was unable to hold on to one of the patients who had only been treated for a few days after abdominal surgery. Crying uncontrollably and has no appetite due to feeling guilty towards the patient's family.

However, she was constantly reminded by his friends and seniors that conditions at the hospital were unpredictable. Now it's getting better, but an hour later, suddenly, their heart stopped. Apart from that, they say that nurses or doctors are not God who have the right to determine human life and death. The medical personnel whom the Creator trusts are only third hands who only delay when their lives will return to God.

"Put amiodarone in and take an ABG for electrolyte evaluation," Doctor Smith asked the defibrillator-monitor nurse. "We will increase the electrical power to 300 joules if there is no improvement."

A few moments later, like a light illuminating the night, a faint smile appeared on Anna's lips when the pulse rate and heart recording line began to slow down. Even though it couldn't be said to be expected, Anna found hope and immediately checked the carotid. She breathed a sigh of relief, reporting to Doctor Smith that the patient's pulse felt weak.

"Put one milligram of atropine; it seems to be starting to lead to the third AV Block," said Doctor Smith. "If there is no improvement, give five micrograms of dopamine per kilo of body weight per minute. Then report to me; the target blood pressure must reach 80."

The defibrillator-monitor nurse pressed one of the buttons to measure blood pressure while listening to Doctor Smith give instructions for close observation of this patient.

"His blood pressure is 70/40 without dopamine, Doc. Pulse still feels weak at 38 beats per minute."

"Okay, we'll monitor it while we contact the Coronary Care Unit so we can be further evaluated there," said Doctor Smith.

"Thanks, Doc!"

###

"I'm tired," complained Anna while stirring coffee in the ICU pantry. She yawned widely like a buffalo and was not embarrassed that her partner was sitting in front of her. Forcing her legs, which felt sore in the calves, she sat beside the curly-haired woman named Shanon.

For a few moments, Anna smelled the Arabica beans deeply, filling her chest cavity; at least, this was the way to real despite how busy the activities that had to be done were.

"Cheer up, Annie," said Shanon, calling Anna's name Annie because it reminded her of her cousin who had died many years ago. "In a few hours, you will be free from your contract, her neck, at least, this was the way to relax, and I... feel sad." Shanon's tone sounded unwilling.

"Oh, Shanon..." Anna leaned her head on Shanon's shoulder, touched by the excellent relationship developed during the three months of working at Fairfield Hospital. "I'm not going straight back to Indonesia. So, we can hang out like you planned last week. Dance like crazy at No Lights No Lycra or laugh until your stomach hurts at Comedy Nights?"

"Both of them!" Shanon exclaimed enthusiastically. I was cupping and patting Anna's chubby cheeks with joy. "Don't forget Black Star Pastry's watermelon cake. We have to come early because they will be having a summer sale. I don't want to run out again."

"Good. I can't wait to raise my sugar levels after all the hard days we've been through," said Anna, remembering that the last weeks in the ICU had been tough.

She sipped her coffee again while occasionally massaging the nape of her neck, which felt stiff from almost twelve hours of continuous standby. On the other hand, doing short-term work like now is profitable. Anna collected nearly four thousand dollars weekly during three months of working in the intensive care unit. Well... although sometimes, a glass of caffeine doesn't work to keep you from feeling sleepy while on guard duty. Just look at the dark circles under her eyes that look terrible if they aren't covered with foundation. Maybe soon, people will compare her to the panda at the zoo.

"I know," said Shanon, patting Anna's hand and holding her. "Where are you going on an adventure after this?"

After her work contract finished the following day, Anna was silent, reviewing the list of things she wanted to do. In silence, Anna's dark brown eyes studied the pantry ceiling as if an answer was being dug up there until Shanon followed the sweet girl's gaze. Anna wanted to rest for at least three days before returning home or taking a new work contract in another Australian state.

"Are you imagining someone until you're drooling, Annie?" whispered Shanon, squinting her big eyes. "I'm curious."

Suddenly, Anna hit Shanon's arm, firmly dodging what her friend said while laughing out loud. Anna didn't have time to think about men if they could only hurt her. Parasitic man! At least it was perfectly imprinted in Anna's head from her sad story last time. Moreover, when she thought about it again, she felt that women could explore their lives more freely and happier than when they were with a man who only used words of affection. Moreover, many women have decided to achieve their dreams and advance their careers so they don't just fall into the arms of cheap men.

"Maybe I'll take a leave of absence," said Anna, interrupting Shanon's wild imagination. "My mother needs me, Shanon."

"I see," said Shanon, curling her lips sourly. "You're a hard worker, Annie. Keep breathing, and don't forget about vacation to keep your life balanced."

"Thanks." Anna drank her coffee until there was nothing left. Her heart was touched by Shanon's words, who cared about her like an older sister. Suddenly, Anna wanted to know what it was like to have a sibling willing to lean on her. She took a deep breath, shaking off the mirage in her head that couldn't possibly come true. "I can't wait for us to go on holiday together," she continued, changing the topic.

"And looking for a man," continued Shanon, rolling her eyes. "It's time to feast my eyes on sightseeing, get to know a hot guy, and have fun enjoying life as a single."

"Hot man? Ah... that's not a good idea," Anna joked, taking another sip of her cold coffee. "Unless they are Ian Somerhalder."

***