"Good morning" Joan greeted the girls while sitting with her breakfast tray.
"Good morning"
Like always Joan and the girls, had their breakfast amidst peaceful chatter, with cups of hot tea.
"I already changed Miss Beatrice's dressings earlier this morning, which left only Mrs Price to assist in changing clothes as she had just been admitted" Joan reported her work.
"I already helped her with that," Agnes said "there is no need for you to do it all, as there aren't many newly admitted patients today,"
"It's fine, I can handle this much, no problem" Joan replied, reassuring.
"I can see that, but don't push yourself too hard if you need help"
"I will definitely ask for help if I need it"
Joan replied seriously.
It's been nearly four days since Edith left her post for a special duty with Dr William's recommendation. And it was arranged after seeing Joan's capabilities, that she will be put under the two remaining nurses' supervision, as she doesn't need special attention.
During the past few days, Joan's routine had remained mostly unchanged.
She attended to patients, assisted during rounds, took notes, and occasionally received help from the other trainees whenever the ward became particularly busy in the mornings.
Without Edith constantly watching over her shoulder, Joan found herself interacting more naturally with the other nurses—offering help when needed and receiving it in return.
Aside from the arrival of a new resident doctor named Harrison, nothing particularly unusual had happened.
"Severe nausea and nosebleeds every other day, what is your diagnosis Dr Harrison?" Dr William asked for an opinion from the new Dr who was taking notes.
"Thankfully, she has had a normal temperature since she was admitted, so we can rule out Febrile diseases like typhoid, which leaves us considering afebrile illnesses instead, we already did urinalysis, with the rest of symptoms, it's likely Bright disease" Dr Harrison replied with confidence while adjusting his glasses.
"What do you think is the best course of action in her case?" Dr William asked patiently.
"The usual treatment of the disease will be blood letting and Diaphoretic Treatment or using Hot Wet Pack, following milk diet " said the young doctor, pausing with hesitation " but I personally don't recommend that"
"And why is that?" Dr William asked sharply, as Dr Harrison is not the first who objects on the treatment of afebrile diseases like Bright. With new graduates doctors a lot of them are too eager to fly without complete wings.
"Dr William. By this point, you have already noticed that most patients who don't get the treatment get to live longer than the one getting it"
"Dr Harrison, I understand your point of view, but we are doctors and we can't be asked to step aside doing nothing while the patients are dying, without our intervention most of them would have died in their first hours with diseases, these treatments are the Conclusion of centuries of doctors, you can't say that we are smarter than centuries of experienced doctors"
William paused before asking
"Also do you think discussing this in front of the patients is fine?"
"No, it is not okay,cim sorry doctor, I over stepped" Dr Harrison reluctantly admitted his mistake in front of his fellow residents and nurses including Joan.
Dr William patted him on the shoulder, before heading to the next bed.
Joan silently admired the young doctor's courage.
At the same time, she could not help mocking her own helpless position as a trainee nurse.
During the few weeks she had worked at Bellevue, she had already witnessed similar situations more times than she could count—patients growing weaker beneath treatments that were meant to save them.
More than once, guilt had settled heavily in her chest as she stood quietly beside the beds, unable to interfere.
Unfortunately, her position alone was not enough to question a physician's decisions.
Even suggesting gentler alternatives often earned her disapproving glances from Edith and some of the senior nurses.
Though Doctor William appreciated initiative when it came to patient care, Joan understood clearly that questioning long-established medical practices was another matter entirely.
To most doctors of this era, hesitation toward traditional treatments was not wisdom.
It was weakness.