Chapter 9 - BACK AT THE DOORElena returned to full ER duty after recovering.
First night.
Busy.
Of course.
A businessman approached the restricted doors while talking loudly on his phone.
“My wife is back there.”
Elena stepped forward.
“You'll need to wait here.”
He looked irritated.
Her body remembered Richard before her mind could stop it.
Muscles tightened.
Breathing changed.
For one second she saw the floor again.
Then the man lowered his phone.
“When will someone update me?”
“As soon as the medical team can.”
He nodded.
Sat.
That was it.
Elena stood there for a moment longer.
No security.
No Malcolm.
No dramatic reveal.
A frightened person accepted a rule.
Exactly how it should work.
Near dawn she checked the triage board.
No gold symbols.
Names sorted by clinical need.
Child with breathing trouble first.
Donor with minor injury waiting.
Nothing collapsed.
No billionaire withdrew oxygen from the building.
The hospital still functioned.
Better.
Elena almost laughed.
May you like
For years executives talked as if equal triage would destroy philanthropy, efficiency and modern healthcare.
Turns out the emergency department could simply act like an emergency department.
