Was God

(A novella a Short Fiction Workshop órára készült, az egyetlen megkötés annyi volt, hogy a főszereplőnek belgyógyásznak kell lennie)

“Saturation?” 

Andrew checked the monitor. 

“Normal” 

Jack nodded and crossed his arms. He was watching the surgery from the glass-walled observation place above the operating room. He had a perfect view on the patient’s opened up body and Shephard, the doctor performing the surgery. Andrew returned from the monitors. 

“Still nothing.” 

Jack shook his head. 

“I know it’s there. It has to be there.” 

Andrew put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. 

“Look, it’s okay. You are practicing for three years. It’s high time to be wrong for a change.” 

“I am not wrong!”, Jack yelled and looked the other in the eye. He was about to lose it. “It’s a tumor and it’s there somewhere.” 

“The blood test didn’t…” 

“It doesn’t always do. But everything else fits. It’s there.” 

Shephard didn’t want to do the surgery but finally agreed to open up the patient with one condition. “Thirty minutes. After that, I stitch it up and you feel like a stuck-up idiot you are.” 

“Twenty bucks say it’s there”, Jack answered and left for the observation room. 

Twenty-five minutes passed but Jack didn’t have a second thought, ignored Andrew and turned the microphone on. 

“Shephard, left to the serosa.” 

The doctor gave a defiant look to him but did what he was told. One of the assisting nurses burst into laughter and Jack knew it was inducted by a witty comment by Shephard concerning him. He couldn’t care less. 

Shephard suddenly stopped and leant closer to the small intestine to see something. Then he turned on the mic. 

“It’s there. There’s no need another surgery, I can do it now. You were right.” 

Jack struck into the air. 

“Gotcha! I’m a fucking genius and you owe me a Jackson!” He turned off the mic and turned to Andrew. “Coffie? Shephard pays.” 

“Sure.” 

They left the room and entered the corridor. It was late in the evening; things were getting quiet as much as it was possible in a hospital. Both of them were scheduled for the night shift, meaning that Jack was about to spend a whole day in the hospital. 

“I’ve been here since five in the morning”, he said. 

“Got a lot of patient?” Andrew asked. 

“Not really. Only the boy from the St. Martin’s with the gastric problem, but he’ll be fine now. Got some Euzephin, he can go home in the morning. Also, I’ve been doing some hours at the clinic.” 

Andrew nodded. 

“Yeah, I see. By the way, that was a nice catch with the tumor. Spotless.” 

Jack smiled. 

“Just the usual.” 

They entered the cafeteria. Only a one or two doctors were spotted at the tables. They were heading to the counter when Jack’s buzzer went off. 

“What’s that?” 

Jack’s face turned pale as he read the short message. 

“It’s the St. Martin kid. He’s dead.” 

Room 42, where the boy was lodged was just around the corner. Jack rushed into the room only to see Nurse Taylor pull the blanket on the kid’s face. She saw the doctor enter. 

“We couldn’t reach you.” 

Jack was puzzled. 

“I… I might have turned off my buzzer… I don’t know… What happened?” 

Nurse Taylor shrugged her shoulder. 

“Just a common heart attack.” 

“But… he had no problem with his heart. His bowles…” 

She gave him a look. 

“You were wrong. Apparently he had a heart attack in the first place, was brought in, and you misdiagnosed him. Giving him Euzephin caused atherosclerosis. We were too late to do anything. Sorry. But don’t beat yourself up about it. Common mistake, could have happened to anyone.” 

The nurse left the room, leaving Jack alone. Remotely he sensed that Andrew stayed in the cafeteria and was grateful for that. He collapsed on the chair next to the bed. 

“I’ve made a mistake? No… That is not possible. That’s…” 

He looked on the covered body. He was sixteen, and… And that’s all that he knew about him. Jack felt strange. 

“I’m sorry”, he said finally. 

He stayed there until the coroner arrived and took the body to the morgue.