Chapter Text
0818
The emergency room floor buzzed as usual as the patient flow started to pick up for the day. Dr. Mel King was sitting at her station, documenting some recent patient notes from her last lap around the floor when -
“Possible OD, male 30, tachy and hypertensive, coming in hot!” Dana called out to the surrounding staff.
“King, take this while I finish up with our case in 2” Robby motioned in passing, as Mel donned her gloves and gown, heading into the trauma bay promptly as the EMTs wheeled in the case, followed by Whittaker and Princess and Jesse.
“Watch yourselves now he’s a live one- found him unresponsive, perked up a bit with the narcan as you can see. Patent airway, GCS 8 pre meds and sitting pretty at 14 now.”
Mel nodded and watched the man thrash against the soft restraints as they transferred him to the gurney. “I see, thanks guys-“ she narrowly missed a swing as Jesse jumped in to fasten the restraints to the man’s right.
“Okay team- let’s get 5 of Droperidol IM as soon as we can, the quicker we can asses the better,” Mel moved to his left side to attempt a quick neuro assessment. She regretted this decision in hindsight.
“Okay sir! You’re safe, can you tell me—“
“Fuck off bitch!” The man bellowed yanking his left arm from the restraints and throwing his closed fist out with enough force for him to lurch forward, and for Mel to go flying. His fist connected with the side of her head, and sent her back, her temple crashing into the obs machine and eventually causing her head to find itself on the floor with a shocking and notable thud.
“Fuck- Mel!” Whittaker jumped to attempt to restrain the patient as Dana rushed into the room to the unfortunate residents side.
“Get me 5 Midaz now!” He ordered as they worked to restrain the situation.
Mel’s vison refocused and the stars around her eyes dissipated slightly as she felt the trickle of blood pass over her cheek. She moved to get up and was quickly stopped by the charge nurse in front of her.
“Take it slow kid y-“ Dana started before a certain blue eyed senior resident came in to focus at the door.
——————————————————————————
Dr. Frank Langdon heard the commotion before he saw the issue. He knew that he saw Mel enter the room with the very agitated patient, a minute later he heard a crash and some yelling, at which point he decided to briskly make his way over. Appearing at the door, the scene in front of him became instantly clear. Agitated patient, the swarm trying to settle the situation down, and worst of all, Mel, on the floor. “What the fuck happened?!”
Dana sharply turned around and motioned for him to calm down with her hand as he kneeled on the floor.
“Volatile patient, tried to c-check him over, just uh, a knock to the head is all,”
“Yeah and another when she landed on the floor, no LOC” Dana muttered.
Franks Jaw visibly tightened, but he was relieved to see her awake.
“Get her sitting down, I want obs ASAP” he decided, gently grabbing Mel’s elbow to stabilise her as she stood.
“That’s so unnecessary, really I’m fine,” she protested
“Uh-huh, no cutting corners Dr. King; Doctors orders!” Dana shot Langdon a knowing glance as she led Mel out of the room.
Obs stable, tracking well, pupils reactive and equal, ice pack applied.
“Any dizziness? Nausea? Headache?” Dana asked across the passing light.
“No, no and only faintly” Mel sighed.
“I appreciate the concern, but I have patients so-“
Langdon caught her arm as she stood up and attempted to pass by, and turned to face her quietly. “If anything changes, and I mean anything-“
“It won’t” she shot him a small smile before briskly returning to her patients, patting his hand in return.
1100
When did the lights in this place get so bright? Mel rubbed her temples as she reread the same three lines on her chart again.
“Earth to Melanoma?” Santos waved her hand in front of the screen and Mel jumped back slightly
“Uh- yes? Hi!”
Her fellow resident looked at her quizzically, “Hey you okay? You’ve been a bit off since-“
“Oh yeah, no I’m all okay! Just a slight headache but I can understand-“
“How bad?” The low voice appeared behind her and she met blue eyes looking down at her, brow furrowed. Santos glanced between the pair before throwing her hands up and walking away “Okay, that’s my cue I guess!”
Dana snorted from across the station.
Mel rolled her eyes and returned to charting. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t hover..” She mumbled.
“And I’d really appreciate it if you took your situation seriously, so how bad is it, Dr King?” Frank replied bluntly. They locked eyes again.
“3. Out of 10, it’s nothing.” She retorted “happy now, Dr Langdon?” He tightened his jaw but said nothing for a beat.
“Just-“ He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “Please, Mel..”
Her gaze softened at the tense look on his face, she nodded. He sighed again and moved back into the vicinity of the exam rooms, passing Robby who was chuckling to himself at the ordeal.
“Something to add, boss?” Langdon replied, perhaps too curtly.
Robby gazed over the top of his glasses, “No no! Seems you’re all over it Doc”, patted the other man on the shoulder. Both of them watched Mel rub her eyes back at her station. “Do keep an eye on her, though” he said, quieter.
Langdon had been doing just that.
1345
Langdon really started to worry when Mel very suddenly and swiftly excused herself from a patients bedside out to the hallway. After apologising to the patient he followed her direction, instead catching Dr. Mohan’s gaze.
“Mel?” He mouthed and held his hands up to question
“Bathroom!” She mouthed back, unaware of the situation and mildly confused.
Shit. Shit shit shit.
He too set out in that direction, arriving as she was exiting the door.
“Oh!” She exclaimed, blinking hard and reaching for the doorframe for support. She tried to play it off. He clocked it.
“What was that? You nauseous?” He questioned as he gently took her arm and guided her closer to the nurses station, noting the clamminess of her skin.
She shook her head and leaned on the desk ever so slightly, “Just a little, it’s passed now-“ she went to face him but stumbled, he gently stabilised her waist,
“Melissa don’t tell me you threw up”
“Don’t call me- I’m fine, I can work”
He closed his eyes briefly, “Fuck, Mel..” he swore under his breath so only she could hear.
“You’re swaying, you’re squinting, you- Hey, I need you to look at me”
She did, he swore again. Tracking delayed.
“I’m fine…” She looked down at her shoes again.
“Please let me help you, you don’t have to push through like this..”
“Don’t you dare bench me.”
“Mel, I-“
He was cut off by the trauma alarm blaring. Fuck.
“I have patients who need me” she snapped and readjusted herself, as quick as she could manage she moved to trauma bay one.
——————————————————————————
“King, you good?” Robby says as she arrives in the bay, swaying slightly, snapping gloves on. “Cause you need to tell me now if-“
“Nope, all good” she lied. The room swayed.
Frank arrived behind her at the door,
“Mel-“ he starts, feeling the gazes of his colleagues settle on the scene. She shakes her head but keeps working. Robby glances at him, and sighs.
“Ohhkay then, I need you both on the airway,”
Mel swallowed deeply and took her place at the head of the bed, dragging over the intubation tray with her. And truly, it was fine for a moment, until;
Princess exclaims,
“BP’s crashing!”
Mel feels for a pulse and glances at the sats, the numbers suddenly blurring together and swaying in her vision. She opened and closed her mouth to say something that slipped, knuckles white on the tray. Langdon hadn’t taken his eyes off her. He took over swiftly.
“Sats are down, we’re intubating”. He says bluntly, eyes still on the swaying doctor beside him.
“Dr. King” Robby says firmly. “Take a step back!”
She shakes her head, the ringing in her ears becoming difficult to ignore, vision closing in. She reaches for the laryngoscope, and without realising it clatters to the floor.
“Mel!” Says the voice beside her, but it’s too late.
Her eyes roll back and she crumples to the floor, Langdon can only just catch her head before it hits the floor.
“Goddammit” Robby swears, “I need a gurney in here! Santos take over now!”
Langdon leans over Mel’s now limp body,
“Mel? Mel!” He tries to keep his voice, steady, clinical. He hasn’t managed to. He rubs her sternum with his knuckles to illicit a response, “C’mon Mel, please-“ he says, desperate, louder than intentioned. Nothing.
“Frank, pulse? Airway?” Robby’s eyes flick between the doctors on the floor and the scene in front of him.
“I’ve got it.” He snapped
Pulse slow but steady, shallow breathing, patent airway. Another sternum rub.
“Open your eyes Mel..”
Finally, she groans and her eyelids flicker. He lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he lifts her onto the stretcher.