the bandaid solution

just got home from my first cover weekend in general medicine. i've covered before, of course, on monday nights, on queen's birthday, and at the queen elizabeth, but two fourteen hour days of running around seeing patients that are not mine have left me exhausted. it's a constant stream of decision making. i better get used to this, a part of me says, if i ever want to become a medical registrar. but another part of me says, don't ever become a medical registrar.

when i'm tired, i make dodgy decisions. i eat crap food, i screw up conversations, and i miss veins during cannulation. but these things are all forgivable. what is not forgivable is when i become insensitive and hurt people, run risks on my patient's behalf, and neglect to write good handover notes.

i must stop thinking 'she'll be right' and make sure i take time off for coffee. booyah.

*
ACT THREE, SCENE FOUR

It is the end of spring. We are on the verge of summer and the leaves of the trees are brilliant green. There are shafts of sunlight bursting through the canopy down onto the ground. The music of birds fill the air and on the footpath next to the drinking fountain are JANE and GALAXY. They are both completed buggered after a ten-kilometre run. JANE'S chest is heaving and her red tank top rises and falls as she tries to regain her breath. Her legs are brown and shines with sweat. GALAXY is lying crumpled on the grass next to the footpath, his sweatshirt is drenched and he looks like he's having an asthma attack. Except he's not of course. He's Asian. Asian people don't get asthma.

JANE
(Gasping) That - was - pretty - awesome.

GALAXY
(Struggles to breath) That's - one - way - of - putting - it.

JANE
(Slowly regaining her breath) You nearly ran over that dog back there. Haha. That was hilarious.

GALAXY
That's what happens when I don't look at where I'm going.

JANE
What the hell were you looking at then?

GALAXY
Uh.

He was checking out her arse.

GALAXY
I don't remember.

JANE
Yeah right. I bet you were checking out that blonde chick with the big boobs.

GALAXY
I swear I wasn't.

JANE pauses to drink from the water fountain. She gets some water on her tank top. One of her nipples becomes pronounced in the process. GALAXY is struggling to maintain his cool. He finally seems to make up his mind.

GALAXY
Hey I've been meaning to tell you something.

JANE
Yeah what? Have you finally won your battle with those self-retracting IV cannulas?

GALAXY
Well, one of my patients died today.

JANE
Oh really? Was he one of your favourites?

GALAXY
She. She was a cat. For some reason she's been here since my first rotation. And now she dies. On my last rotation. I've known her for like, a whole year, man.

JANE
Far out. (Pauses and reaches out to hold GALAXY'S hand) I'm so sorry. (Pauses again) What do you mean she was a cat?

GALAXY
It's a long story. (Grasps JANE'S hand tighter and lifts it up to his face) And, afterwards, I had to certify death, and believe me, her death certificate was a piece of really complicated mambo jumbo, but after that, I was just kinda slumped at the write up desk. It was, like, my whole life has been wasted.

JANE
Don't think like that. People die. That's what happens. It's just harder when we get to know them. That's why we have professional boundaries. That's why we have friends and family outside of medicine and work to remind us of what is real and important in our lives.

GALAXY
Well, that's just it. (Stares intently at JANE'S nipple over the top of her hand) That's what I realised. What is important to me? I mean, killing uber-Diablo; and my homebrew; and playing stupid card games.

JANE
Right…

GALAXY
No, let me finish! And you. You are important to me. Most of all.

JANE
(Suddenly realises where this is going) Uh…

GALAXY
I have seen the way you look at me. The way you looked at me the other day, when we were walking back to the hospital after the run…

JANE
(Laughs) That's because you had birdshit all over your hair and you didn't realise it.

GALAXY
(Falters) But… how about the way your knees touched mine the other day during grand rounds?

JANE
They did? That was an accident, I assure you. Oh yeah, that's because that RALPH guy sat down next to me. He's a real creep.

GALAXY
(Defeated and crestfallen) Oh. Oh! (Pauses) What's RALPH doing at a grand round anyway?

JANE
Exactly. How creepy.

GALAXY
But I think… I think I love you.

JANE
Gary. Gary. I can't. I have a girlfriend. And we're just running buddies. And anyway we work together. We can't be going out. It'd never work. Work relationships never work out. They just don't. And in the end… it'd be a disaster!

GALAXY
How can you say that without - without giving it a go?! What if it works? What if we are great together?

JANE
Well, the fact still remains that I am a lesbian and I already have a girlfriend.

GALAXY
What? You're a lesbian? Who is your girlfriend?

JANE
Uh, well, actually, she works at the hospital…

GALAXY
Did you just say that work relationships never work out?

JANE
Um… I did, didn't I?

GALAXY
Who is she?

JANE
Well, I don't know if you know her, but her name is GINGER.

Blackout