Anna froze upon hearing the monstrous voice. Her vision faded as the growls echoed louder inside her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to control the uncontrollable beast inside.
"Ma'am…" a familiar voice broke through the dreadful noise. "Ma'am… are you okay?"
Anna turned around and saw the patient's son a few feet away from her. She looked around and realized that she froze in the middle of the hallway going to their station. She reluctantly smiled and nodded.
"Y-yes, I am okay." She answered. "Sorry for worrying you, sir. I just thought I forgot something." She added.
"Oh, I see." The son sighed. "You were standing there for more than 2 minutes, I thought you saw a ghost or something." He said.
"Oh no. Of course not." She nervously laughed. "I-I have to go…and…umm…get these things disposed." She said.
The son nodded and went back to his grieving family while she raced to the station, frantic about what's going on with her. When she arrived at their station, she immediately placed the tray on the empty table and went into her bag scouring for her medications.
Her hands shook violently as her stomach grumbled and cramped. She finally found the bottle and opened it despite her struggling with her tactile touch. She looked back and saw Samantha approaching the station. Anna immediately took the a few tablets in the bottle and drank it.
She closed her eyes and prayed that the effect would be immediate or else, she would have to explain to her friend why she was shaking so violently.
"Great!" Samantha exclaimed as she dropped the patient Deodato's chart on the table. "I have to chase the physician just to get all the information up and clarify his orders." She sighed as she slumped on the chair.
Anna didn't reply. She was still trying to control the monster inside her.
"Anna?" Samantha leaned over the table. "Why are you not answering?!" She asked.
Anna could feel her heart bumping against her chest as if it was trying to escape from its fleshy cage. Her stomach still grumbled. However, with the medication she took, it was no longer cramping as badly as what she felt earlier.
"A-anna… hey, Anna!" Samantha's voice shivered as she efforted to calling her once more. "Stop that! You're freaking me out!"
"Freaking you what now?" Anna forced herself to look as normal as she could.
"Y-you weren't responding to me!" Samantha emphasized.
"Sorry, I was just praying." Anna lied.
"Praying?!" Samantha squinted at her. "I never knew you were that religious?"
Anna squinted back at her. "Well, now you know."
"Huh!" Samantha nodded.
"Anyway, why are you so grumpy now?!" Anna asked.
"This doctor!" Samantha sighed while passing the chart to Anna. "He wouldn't sign because he has a conflict with the patient's attending physician!" She clicked her tongue.
"Why? Whoa! Wait a minute…" Anna's eyes were wide opened. She took the chart and flipped through the doctor's notes. "Oh my… Dr. Lozada! This is his ex!" The one that got married last month!"
Samantha nodded in confirmation.
Their stressful start of the shift eased out as they gossiped about the doctors' love story. In her mind, Anna was relieved that she was able to control her hunger while making sure that Samantha didn't know. After finishing the paperwork, the deceased old man was finally taken out of the room and was transferred to the morgue.
The night went back to its serene yet hectic order of reviewing nurse's notes, medications, and other orders that the previous shift might've missed or forgotten to tell them. Fortunately, there were no errors. Their night continued to be peaceful moving forward and their shift became entertaining as they gossiped even more.
Anna was glad to be partnered with Samantha. Aside from her being her classmate during college, she loved her for being a ball of sunshine. She was talkative and fun to be with, especially with all the gossips she knew about their workmates.
"So, I wonder how would Dr. Lozada react to this tomorrow?" Samantha asked.
"Well, I just hope they work this thing out…" Anna sighed. "Or else, it might cost them their job!" She added.
"Well, I hope so too…" Samantha said while looking at the medication tickets. "Dear…it's almost nine fourty-five!" She clicked her tongue. "I'll give out these meds for now!"
Samantha left Anna alone again to give some medications at that time. Left behind, Anna took another dose of her medication and finally reported her situation to Ms. Dagondon.
"Good evening, Ms. Dagondon." She began her text. "Can I have an early appointment with Dr. Illustrado as soon as he is available?" She asked.
While waiting for the secretary's reply, Anna went back to reading the nurse's notes. When she was done with that, she went ahead with arranging their forms and equipment just to distract herself from thinking about what happened earlier.
She was almost done with her arrangement, when her phone rang.
Anna immediately grabbed her phone and hoped that it was Ms. Dagondon who texted. She opened her phone and was relieved to see the secretary's reply. However, it wasn't something she was hoping to received.
"Good evening, Ms. Sanbwan. Unfortunately, Dr. Illustrado is currently on a personal leave and would not be available until the end of this month. Is there anything needed to be addressed immediately?" The secretary asked.
Anna had reservations of telling the secretary about her recent episode. She's not sure why, but she doesn't trust Ms. Dagondon as much. But, this was a matter of emergency, she had to let her know.
"My cravings suddenly began again after seeing blood." She texted. "I almost succumbed myself to drinking blood after seeing a lot earlier."
Seeing Samantha heading back to the nurse's station, Anna immediately hid her phone and went back on arranging the papers.
"Did I missed anything?" Samantha jokingly said.
"Well, if you consider boredom an event," Anna sarcastically answered. "Then you missed quiet the episode."
Both of them laughed at her answer.
"How were the patients?" Anna asked as she looked at the medicines at the medication table.
"They're doing okay." Samantha answered while writing on the medication chart. "Geez, I hope not to experience another patient Deodato tonight." She sighed.
"Hey," Anna immediately pinched her friend upon hearing her remark. "Don't say that! Don't get yourself in hot water from your reckless remarks!"
"Ow! Alright! Alright!" Samantha nodded.
Just as they finished their conversation, a nurse from the ER knocked on their door.
"Good evening, ladies!" The nurse greeted.
"Oh, not you again!" Samantha sighed. "Ow! Don't shove your elbow at me!" She complained.
"Errrr…sorry about that Bernadette!" Anna glared at Samantha.
"Well, well…" Bernadette shook her head. "If it isn't the chaotic duo." She smiled.
"Hahaha! What do you got for us tonight, Berns?" Anna laughed.
Bernadette immediately gave the chart to Anna and explained the situation.
"We got here, John Majores, 26 years old. Almost ended his life by jumping off from his balcony. It was a stunt gone wrong. Fortunately, he landed on his mother's plant collection. He is currently intoxicated. No anesthesia could get into him. He has bruises and cuts all over his body, the biggest one is a cut on his left part of his head. 42 stitches. Needed to be soft restrained for his and our safety." Bernadette reported.
"Damn! How far did he fell?" Samantha asked.
"About two-stories" Bernadette answered. "He danced on his underwear while hanging on the bars of the balcony." She clicked her tongue.
The three of them cringed at the thought.
"Anyway, his vital signs need to be checked every two hours at the moment. He's given an IV to get rid of his alcohol consumption. Then, you can start the anesthetics after." Bernadette added. "So, the rest is listed at the doctor's order. Good luck!" She waived her goodbye and went back to the ER.
Not soon after, Anna and Samantha could hear a ruckus in the hallway. The patient's shouts echoed through the hallway. Anna curiously peeped at the window and saw a bound young man rampaging from the stretcher.
"Oh no! This is going to be a long night." Samantha clicked her tongue.
"I know." Anna sighed. "Well, I had to check this guy out and maybe take some vital signs… if possible." She rolled her eyes knowing how difficult that would be.
Anna took the chart and went to the patient's room. She could already hear the patient's muffled screams from the hallway. She shook her head just trying to imagine how loud and unruly the patient is once she gets to meet him… and she wasn't room.
As she opened the patient's door, she heard loud cursing noises coming from the patient. When she opened it, she was welcomed by the distraught faces of the patient's significant others.
"Good evening, ma'am." She greeted the older lady that looked to be the patient's mother.
"G-good eve---" The mother was trying to answer back when the patient rudely interrupted.
"FUCK! FUCK! FICK! FUCK!" He shouted loudly while trying to get his way out of the restraints. "My head hurts!!!AHHH!!!" He complained while he kept on knocking his head on the pillow.
Anna approached him and tried to calm him down, but he wouldn't listen. The patient became angrier and more started to bite her, fortunately she was able to avoid it on time. Out of frustration, the patient banged his head again against the bed until his stitches were undone.
"Sir don't move your stitch—" Before Anna could finish the sentence, blood squirted from the patient's wound and into her face.
Blood trickled from her forehead, down to her cheeks, until it was able to roll down her mouth. Just the smell of the blood triggered her stomach once again, and the growl inside her head became louder.