Clock buzzing rapidly,
Jane silenced the alarm, half awake. Looked at her phone and was about to go back to sleep when her phone rang. She looked at the caller and was annoyed instantly. She didn't like it when anyone disturbed her while sleeping. Jane is a medical technologist by profession, with her daily work never ending and no time for her, which makes her frustrated and cranky. A medical technologist, in easy words, is a sort of laboratory scientist who performs clinical procedures and chemical and biological tests on patient specimens for medical diagnosis. She washed and dressed quickly, then grabbed a piece of bread from the oven. She ate her little breakfast while sitting on the subway train and listened to her favourite podcast of Austin Barr. The announcement for the next station was made, and it was Kramer Station where she was supposed to get off. The gates opened, and a crowd large enough to sandwich her entered the train. Jane got off the train and walked the distance to the Austin Medical Centre, which was a new quantum sensing centre aiming to transform disease diagnostics and prevention. She punched her ID and sat down at her desk, viewing her schedule that her assistant had prepared for her. And there she was, absolutely pissed off! Her assistant took a step back and one more until he was out of her office before she was about to yell at him. Let me tell you a little secret (she is not easy to work with). Someone knocked on her office door, Come in said Jane.
"I brought the documents you wanted, but why do you want to research quantum technology? It's not your department," said Andrew with inevitable curiosity.
"None of your business, okay!" Jane replied coldly.
"Well, I deserved a thank you, at least these were not easy to get a hold of", said Andrew, hoping to get some compliment. But his hopes soon turned a blind eye to him as he was ignored. I told you she is not an easy person to work with. But I wouldn't completely blame her for her personality; she did face some tragic things, which could certainly make someone bitter. Jane looked at the documents as if they had a part of her soul. Something which could give even a person like her a sense of satisfaction. Her pager beeped and she rushed to the conference room.
"Jane, there is a problem. 50 patients have arrived with a case of diarrhoea and vomiting, but no unusual activity was found on testing. "
We have to be prepared for the worst. If it's not a bacterial infection or a parasitic infection, then it might be the start of an epidemic.
Everyone looked at each other in panic and fear, whispering in low voices.
"Everyone, attention please, this is not the time to create panic, as the medical staff, it is our sole duty to perform our best and keep everyone safe. From now on until all the suspected samples extracted from the source are tested and we reach a conclusion, implement absolute quarantine in the emergency department. "
Jane Andrew, Evan, vice president, and all the resident chiefs are to report to the conference room in 30 minutes. Bring all the data on the recent mass infections that have happened in the last 5 years and a report on all the possible sources of outbreaks. We have to stop this with patient zero.
Jane and Andrew, you are responsible for collecting the samples from the location. Make sure you get everything. We cannot afford to make a mistake.
Evan goes to the nurse department and instructs the department that the hospital is on code red, demonstrates the emergency protocol, and gets all the nurses to work.
Resident chiefs of all departments have to brainstorm together and find the cause of the disease.
Alright, everyone, get back to work. Quickly, we do not have any time to waste
Vice President, please come with me.
We can't have even one day of peace Andrew said in a disheartened tone.
No one asked you to join medicine if you wanted to have fun; you might have become a bartender instead.
Yeah, no one argues with you, MS demon of surgeries.
Will you just keep blabbering or even help me with the samples? Just look at the room, what a mess they have made of it. No wonder they are sick.
Miss, not everyone has a huge house left by their parents like you said, Andrew, but I regretted it immediately. But before he could apologise, Jane went without saying anything.
Alright, I have everything. Did you check everything again said Jane
Yeah, let's go. I wonder what the situation at the hospital is. Said Andrew
Dean – vice president, we have to control the press and the media before they create panic among the people and escalate the matter out of our control
The test reports are out, it's not bacterial, it is sulfur poisoning, said Jane
Yes, exclaimed the vice president affirmatively. Why didn't we think of it before? Occupational exposure to sulphur is very common in factory workers.
Alright, since we know the cause now, it won't take much time to control the situation and get the hospital back in order. Well done, everyone. Let's start the treatment quickly.
Who might have thought that a presumed viral epidemic turned out to be just a case of sulfur poisoning? Do you know I was scared out of my wits? Let alone being in the emergency department.
Okay, enough with your drama, let's get back to work said Jane calmly
Heyyy, are you even human? Don't you have some sympathy with me? Haa, next time you'll want some documents, I won't steal them for youuu. Not even if you beg me, you insane Ms. Demon of surgeries
Jane paid no heed to Andrew and got back to her cabin. She made her favourite black coffee with three cubes of sugar and relaxed in her chair with her eyes closed.
There she was again with the same nightmare she had faced for the last 14 years of her life, haunting her every time she closed her eyes. Same darkness, same loneliness, and a similar connection with the dream. Unanswered questions, as always, yet no chance of finding a way to find those answers.
Jane! Jane! Lisa woke up, Jane frantically got up, and the dean has asked everyone to come to the conference room right now. Janee, why are you still sleeping? You wanna get a real scolding, do you?
The darkness seemed to disappear, and Jane woke up shivering
Where asked, Jane was still shivering.
To the conference room, where else! The dean has notified everyone to assemble there. I heard from the chief residents about a new department opening.
Let's go said Jane. its time
Time for what
You'll get to know when we are there. Stop eatinggg
I am not a robot like you who doesn't sleep or eat. I am human, which I am sure you don't understand right, hey, wait for me
Everyone has assembled correctly. Dear doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other people. I have waited for this day for a long time, although I wanted to announce this thing before, but as we know, a sudden unexpected situation turned up, but now that it is solved, thanks to the smooth cooperation between everyone.
I hereby announce that we have opened the quantum medicine department.
It is an excellent opportunity for the young doctors and medical scientists at our hospital to use their deep interest in the relationship of quantum theory with medicine to develop a cure for inoperable diseases and have a breakthrough in this field.
The department will be led by doctor jane. Over to you, Jane