"Hey, have you seen Jacob? He's running late."
The question greeted Ashley as she entered the casualty. It was Hayden.
"Yeah," she said. "I just saw him. We traded duties."
"Oh, okay. Have you already completed your emergency medicine rotation?"
Ashley nodded yes, and the handover went smoothly. Before leaving, Hayden gave her a warning.
"Nearby colleges' exams got over today. You might have to break up some drunken brawls."
It was practically a tradition. Students would go out to celebrate, and some of them would eventually end up in the ER—either too drunk or involved in fights. Adrenaline would be high in the casualty.
"Great," Ashley muttered to herself. "I was just wondering what else could go wrong."
Hayden left, and she reported to the resident doctor.
Dr. Richardson was on duty tonight. He had a reputation for being the cool doctor among interns. Just over thirty-two, he didn't overwork them and would even send them to sleep for an hour or two if the casualty wasn't hectic.
Ashley felt relieved.
"Trauma incoming," an attendant called out from outside as the ambulance sirens wailed.
Here it begins, Ashley thought to herself, feeling adrenaline surge through her veins.
The next few hours flew by. After the trauma case was handled and transferred to the ICU, another patient was brought in—this one in cardiac arrest. Even though she and Dr. Richardson performed CPR for almost thirty minutes, the patient was gone.
Then, one by one, the casualty filled up, and both doctors were completely occupied. As Hayden had predicted, a few drunk students showed up as well. Thankfully, they didn't start a fight in the casualty this time.
By the time her replacement arrived, Ashley was completely exhausted.
As soon as she stepped outside, she grabbed a coffee and called Jacob.
"Hello."
His greeting was missing its usual playful vibe. She had been about to tell him how hectic the duty had been and how he owed her big time—but hearing the gloom in his voice, concern replaced irritation.
"What happened with Amy?"
"Nothing."
Ashley wasn't convinced. Jacob was a chatterbox. For him to be reduced to monosyllables, something major had to have happened.
"You can tell me, you know," she said gently. "I might be able to help."
There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then Jacob laughed—though she could tell it was forced.
"What are you thinking? Nothing happened," he said. "I tried. It didn't work out. But there are plenty of other fish in the pond."
Ashley was surprised.
Even though Jacob had once been a complete playboy, after he became interested in Amy, he was a total goner. Ashley couldn't even remember the last time he'd gone out on a date. Although she was curious about what had happened the previous night, she sensed he wasn't in the mood to rehash it.
"Take care," she said softly. "You know I'm here if you need me, right?"
Jacob sighed. "Yeah. Bye."
She dragged her exhausted body back to the hostel, craving a much-needed nap. All she wanted was to collapse into bed. But thinking about the sweat—and other possible fluids—on her scrubs, she forced herself to take a bath and wash them first.
By the time she came out of the bathroom, she wasn't that sleepy anymore. But she had night duty again tonight. If she didn't get some sleep now, the next shift would be even harder. And if she woke up by five, she could also squeeze in a little studying.
There was an exam at the end of internship—one that would determine whether she could choose her specialty.
So she lay down slowly, and as her body relaxed, her thoughts began to wander.
One of the few benefits of such a demanding career was that it left her with very little time to think. Ever since childhood, she had been either studying or doing chores at the orphanage where she grew up. She was one of the oldest children there.
From what the orphanage staff had told her, she had been abandoned in front of a dustbin at the orphanage when she was six months old, badly injured. There were bruises all over her, and she had gathered that she had been severely beaten by someone. She had been barely clinging to life at the time.
There had apparently been some media coverage surrounding the incident. A few people even came forward to adopt the "dustbin baby." But she had suffered a brain bleed from head trauma, and there were concerns about how it might affect her long-term development. No one wanted to sign up for a child with special needs, and they eventually backed out.
The media attention faded, and she became a fixture at the orphanage.
She often wondered about her birth parents—why they had hated her so much. At times, she consoled herself by believing she was better off with this life. When other babies from the orphanage were adopted, she tried hard not to feel jealous, forcing herself to be happy for them.
She made a promise to herself.
She would become a good person.
She would become something—so that the people who had left her in a dustbin like trash would not win.
She would make something of herself.
This thought was what drove her—never letting her give up, and helping her rise from the hardships of the orphanage to become a budding doctor.