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The first thing Dr. Samuel saw when he rushed into the hospital room was the tornado of nurses centered on a man’s bed. The second was the Medbot standing motionlessly in the corner.
“What’ve we got?” Samuel asked.
Even though he had pointedly questioned a nurse, the Medbot responded in its monotone.
The patient has a brain hemorrhage and is in cardiac arrest.
“He’s coding,” said Samuel. “Defibrillators!”
He looked expectantly at the Medbot. The machine did not move.
The nurse quickly grabbed the AED off the wall and handed it to the doctor who mechanically applied the pads.
“Clear!” he cried before sending a high-voltage electric charge into the man’s body.
The patient’s chest rose and collapsed violently. Samuel administered another shock.
He glared at the monitor and held his breath. He exhaled when he saw the patient's heart rate flutter, a shadow of life, and start to rise steadily.
“Stabilizing,” Samuel said. “Get him to surgery, stat.”
He took this opportunity to get a better look at his patient. God, this kid’s young.
Samuel’s face hardened when he looked up and met the cold, black eyes of the Medbot.
“Explain yourself” he said, clenching his jaw.
Brain hemorrhage caused by blunt force. He is not getting enough oxygen to the brain and has already lost a substantial number of brain cells. The diagnosis is fatal.
“I didn't ask for a diagnosis. I’m asking why you failed to act when the patient went into cardiac arrest.”
Taking into account the patient's condition, the likelihood of survival calculated at less than a 5% chance, and the absence of brain activity, resuscitation is contraindicated.
“You were going to let him die!”
It was an act of mercy.
Samuel laughed harshly.
“Is that what they’ve programmed you to say? What do you know about mercy?”
I am programmed to prioritize the patients’ well being above all else. In this case, the most humane course of action is to allow the patient to die in order to minimize his suffering.
Samuel felt his whole body shaking. This is the future of medicine?
“Don’t speak to me of humanity,” he growled. “You are designed to protect the hospital, not the patient.”
You have only prolonged the inevitable. His brain has been permanently damaged. He will be brain dead.
The Medbot said all of this very matter-of-factly through the perpetual thin-lipped smile etched into its polycarbonate face.
“There’s still a chance,” Samuel said. “There’s always a chance.”
His eyes fell on the unconscious man in the hospital bed. Samuel turned to the nurses who had been following the tense exchange.
“Prep surgery,” he said.
The nurses shared nervous glances with one another before the young female nurse who had helped him spoke.
“Um, doesn’t hospital protocol state that in an emergency, full authority is granted to the Medbot?”
“Yes, Nurse Andrews,” said Samuel, sighing heavily and rubbing his long, gray beard. “That is protocol.”
The nurse’s eyes moved to her peers and back to the doctor.
“The hospital could be sued. We could get into a lot of trouble.”
“Then why did you help me revive my patient?”
She stalled. Samuel watched the nurse shift uncomfortably underneath his steely gaze. His features softened. Sometimes, I forget that I’m not in the military anymore. And yet, I’m still fighting.
“I know why,” he said, smiling sadly. “I understand the consequences, nurse, and I am willing to accept full responsibility for whatever happens. But the day I let a machine tell me whether or not a fellow human being is worth saving will be the day I resign. We’re moving him to surgery.”
When the nurses saw that they could not dissuade him, they wheeled the patient out of the hospital room. Only the doctor and the Medbot stayed behind.
This exchange has been logged and will be brought before the medical board for review, said the Medbot.
There was no insult or bitterness in its voice. It was simply stating a fact.
“Shut up,” Samuel said.
* * *
Samuel sat in his office, staring at the medical degree hanging on the wall. He removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. There was a knock at his door.
“Come in.”
The door opened to reveal the Medbot standing there awkwardly. Samuel beckoned with his hand, and the machine stepped forward.
“Well? How’s my patient?”
The patient is stable. The swelling has reduced significantly.
The doctor hesitated, hopeful.
“And?”
Still no evidence of brain function.
“I see,” said Samuel, the smallest tremble in his voice.
The Medbot exited. Alone in his office, Samuel found himself envying the machine. It must be nice not to feel at times. He buried his head into his hands.
* * *
Dr. Samuel’s termination came swiftly. After receiving the Medbot’s log which detailed Samuel’s insubordination, the medical board sided with the machine and agreed that Samuel had acted recklessly and stubbornly, endangering the patient and the welfare of the hospital. He was fired effective immediately and told that he should consider himself lucky that he wasn’t being sued for malpractice.
Unceremoniously, Samuel gathered his few belongings from his office. As he was leaving, he bumped into Nurse Andrews. He had not seen her since the day of the incident.
“I heard what happened. I’m sorry,” she offered. “For what it’s worth, I think you made the right call.”
They stood there in an uncomfortable silence.
“Thank you, Nurse,” said Samuel after a moment.
“For what?”
“For helping me save my patient. For reminding me that I was never fighting alone. Good luck with everything.”
The corners of the old man’s mouth turned upwards showing the faintest hint of a smile. The nurse followed suit. The hospital doors opened, and Samuel stepped out to greet the daylight, breathing in the fresh air.
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Heart Problem
One doctor's fight