4 CHAPTER FOUR: TEAMWORK

THE NEXT DAY AT RAVENSWOOD MEDICAL SCHOOL, PROFESSORGALLEN HAS A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE TO HIS STUDENTS.

PROF. GALLEN: TOMORROW IS PERFORMANCE DAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, RIGHT?

ALL: HOSPITAL TOURS!

PROF. GALLEN: GREAT! THE DOCTORS GAME AN INVITATION TO LET MY STUDENTS ASSIST THE DOCTORS TOMORROW. BUT WITH RESTRICTED INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FROM THE HOSPITAL ITSELF, IT STATED THAT I, THE PROFESSOR, WILL SORT MY STUDENTS INTO A PAIR BEFORE ASSIGNING TO THEIR RESPECTED TASK TOMORROW. I HAVE ALREADY THE LIST OF PAIRS. PLEASE, PAY ATTENTION.

PROFESSOR GALLEN CALLS HIS STUDENTS INTO PAIR FROM LARRY WITH ASHLEY TO RANDON WITH ELISE. ELISE WAS SHOCKED FOR PAIRING HERSELF TO RANDON. BUT RANDON WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE NEWS. BEFORE THE CLASS ENDS, PROFESSOR GALLEN SUGGESTED EACH PAIR TO MAKE PLANS AS TEAM MATES TO GAIN A POSSIBLE HIGH SCORE FOR TOMORROW. THEY WILL BE GRADED AS PAIR, NOT BY INDIVIDUAL. ALL THE STUDENTS EAT SOME LUNCH AT THE CANTEEN. RANDON, LARRY, AND ASHLEY ARE IN ONE TABLE. RANDON IS SEARCHING FOR ELISE TO MAKE PLANS FOR TOMORROW WHILE LARRY AND ASHLEY ARE STRUGGLING FOR THEIR OWN AND THEY ARE THINKING THAT THEY MIGHT FAIL TOMORROW.

RANDON: ARE YOU BOTH OKAY?

ASHLEY: OBVIOUSLY, NOT. WHEN I AM WORKING WITH LARRY. WE FAILED.

LARRY: THANKS, ASHLEY. IT HELPS ME A LOT.

RANDON: BUT YOU DID A GREAT TEAM DURING RESEARCH.

LARRY: THIS IS DIFFERENT

RANDON: WELL, YOU CAN WORK ON THAT.

LARRY: LUCKY YOU, YOU PAIRED WITH SOMEONE ELSE, NOT ASHLEY.

ASHLEY: LIKE HELLO, I HEARD YOU.

LARRY: I KNOW.

RANDON LAUGHS AT THEM UNTIL HE SEES ELISE AT THE COUNTER ORDERING MEAL FOR HER LUNCH. RANDON APPROACHES HER AND ASKS HER ABOUT TOMORROW.

RANDON: HEY, ELISE. AMM.., I WAS THINKING IF WE SHOULD SET PLANS FOR TOMORROW SINCE WE ARE A PAIR.

ELISE: YOU MEAN TEAM MATES.

RANDON: YEAH, TEAM MATES. ANY PLANS TO GAIN A POSSIBLE PASSING SCORES FOR TOMORROW. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD MAKE PLANS.

ELISE: LOOK, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT TOMORROW. I KNOW HOW A SPORT WORKS. IF IT IS OKAY FOR YOU, RANDON.

RANDON: OKAY, TOMORROW WILL DO. WHAT TIME?

ELISE: I MEAN DURING TO OUR HOSPITAL TOUR TOMORROW. IF WE ARE CLEAR ABOUT THIS, CAN I HAVE MY PROPER AT PEACE?

RANDON: LOOK, I KNOW YOU ARE MAD ABOUT LAST NIGHT. I AM SORRY.

ELISE: I AM NOT MAD. I AM SCARED, RANDON. I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT ACTIONS BUT IT SCARES ME.

RANDON: I AM JUST, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM NOT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME. I AM DIFFERENT.

ELISE: THEN, SHOW IT, ACT LIKE ONE, RANDON. EXCUSE ME.

ELISE FEELS GUILTY AGAIN ABOUT WHAT SHE SAID TO HIM BUT SHE NEEDS TO SAY THOSE WORDS. SHE'S TRANSFERING IN RAVENSWOOD FOR A REASON, A VERY IMPORTANT REASON. SHE IS SITTING ALONE AT HER TABLE UNTIL A MAN ASKS HER PERMISSION, IT IS PATT.

PATT: I AM SORRY FOR DISTURBING YOUR LUNCH. CAN I SIT HERE IN YOUR TABLE? MOST OF THE TABLES ARE OCCUPIED.

ELISE: OFCOURSE, SORRY ABOUT MY REACTION. I JUST DONT EVEN KNOW.

PATT: MY NAME IS PATT BY THE WAY. YOU MUST BE THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN.

ELISE: YEAH, HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZED ME AS THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN?

PATT: YOU ARE LITERALLY ALL ALONE.

ELISE: WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU NEW? YOU ARE ALL ALONE TOO.

PATT: NO, I LIVE HERE SINCE BIRTH. I LOVE MY PRIVACY, MAYBE THAT IS WHY I AM ALONE.

ELISE: DONT YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS?

PATT: I DID BUT ITS COMPLICATED.

ELISE: OKAY, MY NAME IS ELISE.

PATT NEVER SPEAKS TO ELISE. AFTER EATING HIS LUNCH, HE STANDS UP AND LEAVES ELISE.

PATT: I HAVE TO GO, ELISE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TABLE WITH ME TODAY.

ELISE: IT IS NICE MEETING A NEW FRIEND HERE, PATT.

PATT: BYE.

ELISE SMILES AT PATT BUT HE NEVER LOOKS AT HER. A MINUTE LATER, ELISE LEAVES TOO. BUT RANDON HAS BEEN WITNESSING THEIR CONVERSATION. LARRY OBSERVED RANDON. ASHLEY NOTICED PATT WHEN HE LEFT.

ASHLEY: WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT NEW GIRL? I AM INTRIGUED.

LARRY: SO DO I, WHAT ABOUT YOU, RANDON?

RANDON: LET US GO NOW. WE ARE EARLY FOR TOMORROW.

SO, THEY LEFT THE CANTEEN. THE NEXT DAY AT RAVENSWOOD HOSPITAL, PROFESSOR GALLEN INTRODUCES THE HEAD NURSE, MS. USHTER, TO HIS STUDENTS.

PROF. GALLEN: MAY I INTRODUCE TO YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MS. REBECCA USHTER, THE HEAD NURSE OF RAVENSWOOD HOSPITAL.

USHTER: WELCOME TO RAVENSWOOD HOSPITAL, NOW, YOU WILL BE GIVING A CHANCE TO WORK WITH DOCTORS AND TO MAKE ROUNDS WITH DIFFERENT PATIENTS. PROFESSOR GALLEN ALREADY SORTED YOU INTO A PAIR OR A TEAM. I WILL BE THE ONE TO GIVE YOU YOUR ASSIGNED PATIENT. YOUR TASKS ARE OBSERVING, TALKING, AND FINDING THE PATIENT'S MEDICAL CONDITION. FOR EXTRA TIP FOR YOUR PATIENTS, I DO ALLOWED YOU TO KNOW SOME OF THEIR MEDICAL INFORMATION. AFTER, I WILL ASK YOU AS A TEAM FOR WHAT IS YOUR FINAL DIAGNOSIS TO THE PATIENT'S CONDITION. ARE WE ALL CLEAR?

ALL: YES, MS. USHTER.

MS. USHTER GIVES EACH PAIR THEIR PATIENT'S ROOM NUMBER AND MEDICAL RECORDS. AFTER, EACH PAIR IS MAKING TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PATIENT. ELISE AND RANDON WALKS TOGETHER SILENTLY TO THEIR ASSIGNED PATIENT. THEY ACCIDENTALLY HOLD THE DOOR KNOB TOGETHER BUT ELISE LOOSEN UP HER HAND THEN RANDON OPENS THE DOOR FOR THEM. ELISE IS TALKING TO THE PATIENT ALREADY WHILE RANDON IS READING THE PATIENT'S MEDICAL RECORDS. THE PATIENT ASKS RANDON A QUESTION.

PATIENT: WHY ARE YOU SO SERIOUS, YOUNG MAN?

RANDON: I AM SO SORRY ABOUT IT.

PATIENT: I KNOW I HAVE A SERIOUS CONDITION, HAVENT I?

RANDON: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

PATIENT: YOU, DOCTORS ARE LIARS.

ELISE: SOMETIMES, LYING CAN BE COMFORTING.

ELISE LOOKS AT RANDON WITH A SMILE.

PATIENT: I HOPE WE CAN EVEN LIE TO OUR DEATH, RIGHT?

RANDON: (LAUGHS)

PATIENT: SEE DOCTOR, LAUGH IF YOU ARE STILL YOUNG AND HEALTHY. I ALREADY BEEN DEALING WITH MY AGONY AND YOU GAVE ME THOSE LOOKS EARLIER.

RANDON: I WILL NOT TO DO IT NEXT TIME. I WILL PROMISE YOU.

PATIENT: FALSE HOPE!

ELISE: (LAUGHS)

RANDON: (LAUGHS)

ALL OF THEM ARE LAUGHIN, THEN MS. USHTER VISITS THE ROOM.

MS.USHTER: IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING FUN.

PATIENT: AND YOU MUST BE OUR PARTY KILLER.

RANDON: (LAUGHS) SORRY, MS. USHTER.

MS.USHTER: YES, I AM. MAY I BORROW THEM FROM YOU?

PATIENT: THEY ARE ALL YOURS, PARTY KILLER.

ELISE: WE HAVE TO GO. THANK YOU.

ELISE KISSES THE PATIENT'S FOREHEAD AND RANDON SEES HER SWEETNESS TO THE PATIENT. THEN, THE PATIENT HOLDS ELISE'S WRIST.

ELISE: WHAT IS IT?

PATIENT: JUST LOOK AFTER YOURSELF. OKAY, MY DARLING?

ELISE: I WILL.

PATIENT: JUST PROMISE ME

ELISE: I PROMISE YOU

MS.USHTER: MS. GRAVEL, LET'S GO.

THEY GO OUT FROM THE ROOM AND ELISE AND RANDON WILL GIVE THEIR DIAGNOSIS TO THE PATIENT'S CONDITION. MS. USHTER SEES ELISE IS HOLDING HER WRIST.

MS.USHTER: ARE YOU OKAY, MS. GRAVEL?

ELISE: YES, SORT OF.

MS.USHTER: SHE'S LIKE THAT, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND.

ELISE: IT IS OKAY. MS. USHTER.

MS.USHTER: NOW, WHAT DID YOU OBSERVED, RANDON?

RANDON: BASED TO HER MEDICAL RECORDS, SHE'S ENCOUNTERING FREQUENT HEADACHES, VOMITING, VISION PROBLEMS, AND SEIZURES. DOES SHE HAS A BRAIN TUMOR?

ELISE: RANDON, WE SHOULD NOT CONCLUDE THAT FIRST. WE NEED MORE INFORMATIONS.

RANDON: BUT FOR ME, IT'S FAMILIAR SYMPTOMS FOR A BRAIN TUMOR.

ELISE: BUT SOMETIMES SYMPTOMS CAN BE MISINTERPRETED.

MS.USHTER: WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?

RANDON: I WANT TO KNOW HER NEUROLOGY INFORMATION LIKE X-RAY.

MS.USHTER: OKAY, LET US GO TO THE LABORATORY, SHALL WE?

ELISE: OKAY, MS. USHTER.

IN THE LABORATORY, MS. USHTER GIVES THEM THE PATIENT'S X-RAY. ELISE AND RANDON OBSERVE THE PATIENT'S BRAIN THOROUGHLY.

ELISE: I GUESS YOU ARE RIGHT, RANDON.

MS.USHTER: JUST GUESS, MS. GRAVEL?

ELISE: I MEAN LOOK AT IT. IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT NORMAL BRAIN. IS SHE ENCOUNTERING SEIZURES AGAIN?

MS.USHTER: YES, LAST MONDAY.

ELISE: IT IS MENINGIOMA.

MS.USHTER: IS THAT YOUR FINAL DIAGNOSIS?

RANDON: NO, YOU ARE MISTAKEN, ELISE. AS YOU OBSERVED EARLIER THAT THE PATIENT HAS AN UNUSUAL FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OR BEHAVIORS. THE PATIENT LOOKED ME LIKE FOR SOME TIME. THE PATIENT WAS FIGURING WHAT I LOOKED LIKE. DOES SHE HAS ATAXIA?

MS.USHTER: YES, RANDON.

RANDON: SO, THE PATIENT IS DEALING WITH THE DIFFICULTY OF ITS NERVOUS SYSTEM.

ELISE: IF IT IS NOT MININGIOMA. THEN, WHAT IS IT?

RANDON: MY FINAL DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE PATIENT IS ENCOUNTERING GLIOBLASTOMA.

MS.USHTER: IS THAT YOUR FINAL DIAGNOSIS?

RANDON: YES.

MS.USHTER: MS. GRAVEL?

RANDON: YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THIS TIME, ELISE.

RANDON LOOKS ELISE SINCERELY THAT HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PATIENT'S CONDITION.

MS.USHTER: MS. GRAVEL, DO YOU AGREE?

RANDON: ELISE, PLEASE. BELEIVE ME ON THIS.

ELISE: (DEEP SIGHS) OKAY, MY FINAL DIAGNOSIS IS GLIOBLASTOMA.

MS.USHTER: NOTED. I WILL BE ANNOUNCING YOUR RESULT AFTER THE OTHERS. YOU MAKE REST FOR A WHILE AT THE LOBBY.

RANDON: THANK YOU, MS. USHTER.

ELISE: RANDON, HOW SURE ARE YOU?

RANDON: A HUNDRED PERCENT, IT WAS MY GRANDFATHER'S CONDITION BEFORE HE DIED.

ELISE: I AM SORRY FOR THAT.

RANDON: IT'S BEEN YEARS AGO. LET'S GO, SOME OF OUR CLASSMATES ARE WAITING AT THE LOBBY.

ELISE: OKAY.

AFTER OBSERVATIONS BY PAIR, PROFESSOR GALLEN ANNOUNCES THEIR SCORES.

PROF. GALLEN: AS YOU CAN SEE, MS. USHTER IS NO LONGER HERE TO JOIN US BECAUSE SHE HAS A VERY IMPORTANT DUTY TO DO THAN THIS.

ALL: (LAUGH)

PROF. GALLEN: OKAY, HERE ARE THE RESULTS. FOR LARRY AND ASHLEY, YOU BOTH GOT 88.

ASHLEY: YES! WE MADE IT!

LARRY: YES!

PROF. GALLEN: WHY ARE YOU SO HAPPY?

LARRY: WE MADE IT, PROFESSOR.

PROF. GALLEN: WITH 88?

ASHLEY: IT IS A WORLD RECORD.

ALL: (LAUGH)

PROFESSOR GALLEN STATES THE SCORES IN EACH PAIR,THEN, RANDON AND ELISE'S SCORE REMAINS. PROFESSOR GALLEN IS VERY QUIET IN LOOKING THEIR GRADES.

PROF. GALLEN: FOR RANDON AND ELISE, YOU BOTH GOT 98.

LARRY: WOW, CONGRATS, RAN.

PROF. GALLEN: MS. USHTER ERASED 100 TO 98 BECAUSE AS SHE STATED HERE THAT BOTH OF YOU ARE LACKING IN TRUSTING ONE ANOTHER AS TEAM MATES. NEXT TIME, YOU MUST WORK TOGETHER WITH TRUST. OKAY?

ELISE: YES, SIR.

PROF. GALLEN: NOW, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU MAY NOW GO TO THE BUS.

ALL: YES!RANDON: HEY, ELISE. CONGRATULATION.

ELISE: YEAH, SAME TO YOU.

RANDON: YOU LOOKED UNHAPPY.

ELISE: I AM TIRED. I NEED TO GO TO THE BUS NOW.

RANDON: OKAY.

RANDON OBSERVES ELISE THE WHOLE TIME WHEN THEY ARE RIDING THE BUS BACK TO SCHOOL. HE IS PUZZLED TO ELISE'S MOOD. HE IS CURIOUS IF SHE IS OKAY OR NOT BUT HE DOESNT WANT TO BOTHER HER THAT TIME. SO, HE LET HER BE. AS THEY MOVED OUT FROM THE BUS, LARRY INVITES RANDON AND ASHLEY FOR A TREAT TO THE BIG BILLY'S DINER. HE IS SO HAPPY ABOUT HIS RESULT EARLIER SAME AS ASHLEY.THEY ARE ENJOYING THEIR MEALS BUT RANDON IS ALWAYS STARING AT ELISE. HE OBSERVES THAT SHE SEEMS PREOCCUPIED ALL THE TIME.

ASHLEY: I AM TIRED ALREADY.

LARRY: LET'S GO HOME. WHAT ABOUT YOU RANDON?

RANDON: YEAH, LET'S GO HOME.

AS THEY GO OUTSIDE THE DINER, ELISE CALLS RANDON FOR A TALK.

ELISE: RANDON, CAN WE TALK FOR A MINUTE?

RANDON: SURE, LARRY, WAIT FOR ME A MOMENT.

LARRY: OKAY, RAN. WE ARE JUST WAITING INSIDE THE CAR.

RANDON: THANKS. WHAT IS IT, ELISE?

ELISE: I AM SO SORRY ABOUT EARLIER.

RANDON: IT IS FINE FOR ME. IT IS ALREADY ENOUGH.

ELISE: NO, IT'S NOT OKAY. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PERFECT SCORE.

RANDON: IT'S OKAY ELISE.

ELISE: NO, I SHOULD TRUST YOU. HONESTLY, SOMETIMES MYSELF IS TELLING ME NOT TO TRUST YOU. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, RIGHT?

RANDON: I DONT BLAME YOU FOR NOT TRUSTING ME BECAUSE I GAVE YOU REASONS FOR NOT TRUSTING ME. BUT EARLIER, I WAS STILL HAPPY BECAUSE AT LEAST YOU TRUSTED ME THAT TIME, AT LEAST YOU HAVE TRIED. THAT'S FINE FOR ME.

ELISE: OKAY, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOTH OF US.

RANDON: YES.

ELISE: I HAVE TO GO BACK INSIDE.

RANDON: APPRECIATED.

AT DEAN'S HOUSE, RANDON SEES HIS MOTHER AT THE PORCH. SHE IS READING MAILS. HE HUGS HER WITH GLADNESS.

DR. DEAN: WHAT IS IT, SON?

RANDON: YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, MOM.

DR. DEAN: ARE YOU HAVING FUN TODAY?

RANDON: MOM, TELL ME HONESTLY. YOU DID IT, DIDNT YOU?

DR. DEAN: DID WHAT?

RANDON: YOU SENT A LETTER TO OUR PROFESSOR AND PAIRED US AS SUGGESTED FROM IT. IT WAS YOUR DOING, WASNT IT?

DR. DEAN: (SMILES) I THINK THAT MY SON NEEDS A HELP FROM HIS FAIRY-MOTHER.

RANDON: (LAUGHS) THANK YOU,MOM. YES, I WAS HAVING FUN.

DR. DEAN: HOW ARE YOU WITH THIS NEW GIRL?

GOVERNOR DEAN HEARS THEM TALKING AND INTERRUPTS THEIR HAPPINESS.

GOV. DEAN: SO, YOU ARE BUSY WITH THIS NEW GIRL, ARENT YOU RANDON?

RANDON: SHE'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK, DAD.

GOV. DEAN: YEAH? I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU. MY DEAREST FRIEND, MR. LEONARD LEIGH AND HIS LOVELY WIFE INVITED FOR THEIR UPCOMING PARTY NEXT WEEKEND.

DR. DEAN: A PARTY, FOR WHAT REASON, FORD?

GOV. DEAN: THEIR DAUGHTER, VERONICA, IS COMING. THEY ARE PLEASED THAT MY SON WILL BE THERE.

RANDON: WE DONT HAVE A THING ANYMORE, DAD.

GOV. DEAN: AND MAKE THAT THING WORKS AGAIN. RATHER THAN WASTING YOUR TIME WITH THIS NEW GIRL.

GOVERNOR DEAN WALKS OUT TOGETHER WITH HIS WIFE. DOCTOR DEAN LOOKS AT HER SON FOR COMFORT THEN LEAVES RANDON ALONE. RANDON AND LARRY IS HAVING BOXING IN RANDON'S MINI GYM. LARRY NOTICES RANDON'S BEHAVIOR.

LARRY: ARE YOU OKAY? IT'S YOUR FATHER AGAIN.

RANDON: DONT I DESERVE MYSELF TO BE HAPPY THE WHOLE DAY?

LARRY: WHAT MAKE YOU HAPPY, THEN?

RANDON: (MUTES)

LARRY: IS THAT ELISE? THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN THAT RUNS YOU WILD. TELL ME, WHAT IS IN THAT GIRL THAT CANT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF HER?

RANDON: I FIND HER COMFORTING AND MAYBE THAT'S THE REASON WHY I AM SO ATTACHED TO HER.

LARRY: EASY TO THAT FEELINGS, DUDE. YOU JUST KNEW HER WITH HER OUTER LAYER NOT THE DEPTH ONE.

RANDON: WHAT THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

LARRY: IT DOESNT MEAN THAT I DONT WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY. BUT EVERY TIME, YOU STARED AT ELISE, IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE VERONICA'S

RANDON: I KNOW BUT SHE IS DIFFERENT.

LARRY: IF YOU WANT MY ADVISE, CONTROL YOUR FEELINGS FOR HER FOR AWHILE UNTIL YOU FINALLY KNEW HER. I DONT WANT TO WITNESS THAT RANDON BEFORE AGAIN, THE ONE WHO WAS SUICIDAL. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT, RANDON.

RANDON IS FEELING A BIT SCARED AND WORRIED FROM LARRY'S ADVISE. LARRY IS RIGHT. YEARS BEFORE, AFTER RANDON'S FRIEND DIED FROM AN ACCIDENT, FROM HIS FATHER'S SECRET AFFAIR AND FROM VERONICA'S CHEATING TO HIM, HE BLAMED HIMSELF BY HURTING HIS OWNSELF. LARRY WAS THERE TO BE A BROTHER OF RANDON. HE TRULY UNDERSTANDS ABOUT LARRY'S CONCERNS ABOUT HIS FEELINGS TO ELISE.