33 Conflict

You're in the middle of closing Helena's stab wound in her vital organ. You've been at it for almost four hours but you refuse to give up on her as you know that this will break Nick. You step away for a few minutes to just crack your neck and do a few stretches to prepare yourself for the next few hours.

"Are you okay, doctor?" Tracy looks concerned at you.

"I'm fine, thank you. Would you inform Nick that we're still busy but things are looking up, please?"

"Sure"

She walks away when you stop her again in her tracks. "Tracy"

"Yes?"

"Please also rotate with another nurse and take a breather, maybe get some sleep?"

"Are you sure, doctor? I can still go on?"

"No, please go and freshen up, I need everything to go smoothly with this surgery, please?"

"I'll do as you say, doctor" She turns around and leave the room.

You stand and look at the open cavity in front of you. You know that this is Helena, the one that you didn't like just a day or two ago and now you're busy saving her life. You shake your head in disbelief of how life likes to throw you a curveball every now and then. You were just thinking of how Nick will see that she's no good for him and now she got herself hurt. You crack your fingers and then get back to work just as the new nurse walks in to assist.

NICK'S POINT OF VIEW

He lays down on the very same bed he left this morning. The only difference is that there's so many more patients then what there was this morning. He looks around and sees his fellow teammates and other soldiers laying around him in severe pain. Some have bullet wounds, knife wounds, and even internal bleeding. He winces ever so often as they clean his wound and injects him to stitch him up but he never reveals his true pain to anyone.

His mind races back to Helena and how he was so busy with you, instead of looking after his girlfriend. Helena doesn't deserve to be treated that way and he shouldn't have treated his girlfriend like that. That's not the man he is. He's a loyal boyfriend and when he's committed he gives everything to them. When he thinks of what happened between you and him, he feels an overwhelming shame that comes over him but then he shakes the thought of being with you.

He falls back on the pillow and thinks of what a disloyal man he's become and how disappointed his mom would be with him.

(How could you do this Nick? How can you treat the woman that you spend the most time with like that? How can you kiss another woman while you're still in a relationship? What does make me? Am I then a cheating man? Have I become my fath-)

"Nick? Can you hear me?"

Nita stands next to him with a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head in Nita's direction.

"I'm sorry, yes, yes I can hear you, sorry. What did you say?"

"I said that you should please stay off your leg for another four hours, okay? Otherwise, you could potentially lose your leg. Please, Nick, don't do it, okay?"

"Oh god…yeah, I understand. Thank you so much for helping me"

"Always, Nick. Always. I have to go, but please look after yourself, okay?"

"Okay thank you, Nita"

He lays back into his pillow and closes his eyes. Exhaustion overtakes him and he falls asleep. A few hours pass and he wakes up with Tracy calling his name.

"Nick, are you awake?"

"Uhmm…yeah?"

"Sorry to bother you but Dr. McPherson asked me to give you a message about Helena?"

"Yes, please. Is she okay?"

"Yes, she says that there's still a few hours to go but everything is looking good so far"

He releases a long breath of relief and then nods. "Thank you so much. Are you going back in now?"

"No, nurse Nadine is taking over. I'm going to rest a little now. Please do the same and rest, okay?"

"Oh, okay. I'll do that. I'm sorry but Dr. McPherson, is someone taking over for her too?"

Tracy laughs at his remark. "No, no….No one can take over for her. She's our only surgeon" She turns around and leaves the tent.

Suddenly he's confused and doesn't know what to think. One moment he's feeling guilty and have regret but then he hears that you're busy with saving his girlfriend's life and you've been busy for four hours straight. You must be so tired after the night you had with him in the hospital and then after attending to all the patients from the shooting.

The feeling of empathy for you consumes him and everything in him wants to help you. He wants to be by your side and make you feel better. He can't control this overwhelming feeling that possesses his being. He feels a complete and utter longing for you. Then he shakes his head and knows that he isn't supposed to think about you but about Helena that's laying on the table, lifeless.

He closes his eyes again and tries to rest, signing loudly.

KIM'S POINT OF VIEW

It's been six hours and you've finally closed the wound with many close calls in between. You pat the last bit of blood around the wound and ask the nurse to close the cavity for you. You walk over to the washing station and discard the gloves and your mask. You sit down on the closest chair you could find. You feel the pain radiating from your back to your legs but you know this feeling very well. The longest you've been in surgery was twelve hours. One of the orderlies brings some food to you and you thank them very gratefully. You sit and have almost finished your dinner when another nurse calls you for your next surgery. You jump up and start to wash up for surgery.

This is the life of a surgeon and surely one that's for the only surgeon on the camp.

NICK'S POINT OF VIEW

He opens his eyes and realizes that the night has arrived. A Nurse comes walking up to him.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Roberts but I have a message from Dr. McPherson. It's regarding the patient you brought in?"

"Yes please?"

"Your patient is fine and has been put under an induced coma for her safety. She will be woken up in about two days. Dr. McPherson specifically asked me to let you know that Helena will heal sooner if she's induced"

Nick sighs in relief and gives a smile to the nurse. "Thank you so much. Could I possibly talk to Dr. McPherson myself?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Roberts but that wouldn't be possible"

Nick frowns in concern. "Why?"

"Oh, she's still in surgery"

"But you said that the surgery went well on Helena?"

"Yes but Dr. McPherson went into another surgery right away"

"Oh, thank you…"

The nurse leaves Nick alone again. He can't control the severe concern he feels for you and that feeling of being by your side overwhelms him once again.

Turmoil and unrest slowly creep into his heart and an inner conflict begins inside himself.