FF: You & I...Collide Part13 pg145 July 27 - Page 7

It had been a crazy day, Geet thought. What else was she supposed to expect? The freeways of So-Cal were know for traffic jams and accidents – add to that the unseasonable rain, you had on your hands pure havoc. She'd been running from department to department all day. Then, when she thought it was all over she got paged to the ER. Finally after telling Mrs. Kelly that her contractions were only Braxton Hicks contractions, Geet was done for the day – all that was left was charting.

 

"So Dr. Handa, how was your day?" someone asked.

 

Looking up Geet saw her fellow colleague, Dr. Adi Mehta. He was a warm and kind person, not to mention one of the leading ER Trauma surgeons in the States.

 

"Lets see…" Geet began as she continued to chart, "…three deliveries, all happy healthy babies thank you very much, stopped a mother from going into premature labor, and my surgery was a success. All in all a damn good day! And you?"

 

"Hmm," Adi began as he looked up to the ceiling, "…first rain of the season, hundreds of accidents, bloody bodies, cutting people open…AWESOME!" The smile on his face looked like on a 5yr old might give when walking into a candy store.

 

Adi was just about to say something else but someone called to Geet from behind. "Dr. Handa, you're needed in Trauma 3."

 

Geet didn't even need to turn around to see who it was. "Nurse Leslie, I'm off duty. Dr. Lee is on OB/GYN, Dr. Smith is on NICU have one of them paged."

 

"It's not that kind of a consult," Nurse Leslie said, her voice low.

 

This time Geet looked at Leslie. She was a nearly 60yr old veteran nurse who'd been at UCLA Medical Center for the past 30 years. Don't let her age fool you, because to this day she could run circles around any of the twenty-something nurses.

 

"Nurse Leslie, I think you're age is finally catching up with your brain. I'm only the OB/GYN Attending. If it aint baby or woman related, don't come a knockin," Geet said.

 

She didn't miss the smirk on Adi's face when she'd made that age comment.

 

"Look young lady," Nurse Leslie began.

 

"Yikes! 'Young lady', Wow!" Adi said as he closed his chart. "I'll see you later Geet, if you're still alive that is." That was all he said as he quite literally ran away.

 

"Coward!" Geet called behind him.

 

Adi just shrugged his shoulder as he disappeared into the doctors locker room.

 

Nurse Leslie was nothing if she wasn't professional. Doctors were all addressed as doctors no matter what. That is why when she called anyone 'young lady' or 'young man' – watch out. You'd better run for cover.

 

"It's a possible rape victim," Nurse Leslie said.

 

"Ok, any of the trauma doctors can do a rape kit on her," Geet said as she returned to her charting. "I'm just finishing up these progress notes then I'm out."

 

"She specifically asked for you," Nurse Leslie said in a hushed tone.

 

This caught Geet's attention. She put her pen down and turned to Leslie again.

 

"What?" she asked.

 

"She specifically asked for you," Nurse Leslie repeated.

 

"Why?" Geet asked.

 

"Now if I knew that, don't you think I'd have told you already?" Nurse Leslie asked.

 

"She asked for me?" Geet asked.

 

"You are the only Dr. Handa that I know," Nurse Leslie mocked.

 

"What's her name?" Geet asked as she closed the chart she'd been working on.

 

"I don't know. All I know is that she's 19 years old," Nurse Leslie answered. "She wasn't even talking after they brought her in. I asked her but she never said anything. Then when you were paged to the ER she spoke. She simply asked me to get you. Then she became quiet again."

 

Geet frowned. She didn't know any 19 year old.

 

"Alright," Geet sighed. "Lets go."

 

Being a doctor meant doing what was best for those that came into your hospital – even if that meant that you'd be staying longer than the 48 hours you'd already put in. As the walked to the trauma room, Geet looked over the EMT's report and what notes Leslie had made. From the looks of it, the girl was pretty banged up.

 

When she walked into the room, the privacy curtain was pulled around the bed.

 

"Hello, I'm Dr. Handa," she said announcing herself.

 

Silence.

 

"Nurse Leslie told me that you requested to see me," Geet said.

 

More silence.

 

"Miss, how can I help you," Geet asked.

 

Still…silence.

 

Geet was getting frustrated now. This patient had requested to see her, but now she remained quiet. Geet was tired from her 48 hour shift, she'd been on her feet forever, she could feel the beginnings of a headache, and she was hungry.

 

"Can I come around the curtain?" Geet asked.

 

The patient said nothing.

 

That's it Geet thought. "I'm coming around," she said. If the girl wasn't going to answer her questions, she sure as hell wasn't going to ask them.

 

"How can I he…" Geet began as she walked around the curtain.

 

She gasped and involuntarily her right hand went up to her mouth, which was gaping open. The girl in front of her had blood all over her face, bruises all over her arm, both eyes were swollen and black, her clothes all but ripped off from her body. Geet could see the dry tear stains on her cheeks even. But that is not what shocked her. What shocked her is that she knew this girl.

 

"Naina…?" Geet half asked, half stated in a barely audible whisper.

 

The girl smiles weakly.

 

She hadn't seen the girl in nine years, but to this day she remembered her eyes. Geet clearly remembered the day she'd first met her. Naina had been a girl of only seven. Back then, Naina hadn't been Naina, she'd been Naintara. Geet and Naina both agreed that 'Naintara' was beyond old fashioned. So, they'd decided to take the 'tar' that ruined her name out, from then on she'd been Naina to near and dear ones.

 

"It's Tara now," Naina said in a soft, yet strained voice.

 

When Geet finally found her voice she asked, "Naina, what happened?"

 

At first Naina looked away from Geet. A few seconds later she looked back at Geet, tears swimming in her eyes. She didn't need Naina to answer to figure out what had happened.

 

"Oh Naina," Geet said.

 

All she wanted to do was hug her and tell her that everything would be ok. But she couldn't. If what she suspected is what had really happened, she couldn't risk contaminating any evidence.

 

There was a knock on the door and Nurse Leslie walked in.

 

"Doctor, the police are here to speak with this young lady," she said.

 

Geet looked at Naina, who shook her head slightly, 'no'. Geet gave her a reassuring smile.

 

"Nurse Leslie will help you into this hospital gown," Geet said as she pulled one out. "I'll be right back."

 

As Geet walked out she handed the gown to the nurse.

 

Outside she could see two men, dressed in the typical black policemen's uniform waiting for her.

 

"Can I help you gentlemen?" she asked.

 

"We need to speak to the victim about who could have possibly assaulted her. We need to know what happened," said the officer whose badge read 'Steve'.

 

"I'm sorry officer but the victim is my patient. She is in no condition to see anyone now," Geet said.

 

"You're not understanding us, we need to see her now. We've got other rounds to make," said the other officer, apparently named Bill.

 

"No, you're not understanding me…I'm her physician and I say that no one but hospital personnel related to her case are to see her until I give the ok. The girl has gone through a major trauma, I won't have you pressuring her. Now I'm sorry that her…situation…has messed you your little schedule, but I am not above lodging a complaint for harassment with your superiors. Understood?" Geet asked firmly. When none of them answered, she said, "Good. You're free to wait in the waiting room. Someone will come get you when its time."

 

With that she left.

 

She saw Dr. Vega running down the hall as he put on his white coat.

 

"So sorry Dr. Handa, you know the traffic out there. But I'm here now to take over your ER case," he said.

 

"No need," Geet said. "I'll handle this one personally."

 

"Old friend?" he asked.

 

"Not quite," Geet answered.

 

"If this poses a conflict of interest I'd be happy to…" Dr. Vega began, but Geet cut him off.

 

"No, it's fine. A very, very old acquaintance, no emotional ties what so ever," Geet said.

 

"Ok…" Dr. Vega said.

 

Geet simply nodded and walked away, towards Trauma 3. She was stopped by another uniformed individual.

 

"Detective Joyce Sykes, LA Crime Lab," she said as she held her hand out. "I'm here to collect evidence on the possible rape victim."

 

Geet gave a curt nod. "Right this way."

 

As the entered, motioned for Detective Sykes to wait behind the curtain as she went up to Naina.

 

"Naina, a detective from the crime lab is here to see you. Is it ok if she comes?" Geet asked.

 

When she Naina's approval, she signaled Detective Sykes to come forward.

 

"Naina, is there anyone you want me to call," Geet asked.

 

Naina simply shook her head, 'no'.

 

Geet frowned. "Naina…" she began, but took a breath. "Does your brother know?"

 

"Of course not!" Naina shouted.

 

"Give me his number so I can call him," Geet said.

 

Naina didn't budge; she didn't even look up at Geet.

 

"Naina, you know I have ways to get his number. You will only postpone the call by five, maybe ten minutes, if I have to search for it myself," Geet warned.

 

After giving it some thought, Naina mumbled the numbers under her breath.

 

"Thank you," Geet said. "I'll be right back."

 

As she began to walk away, she heard Naina mumble something.

 

"Did you say something Naina?" Geet asked.

 

Naina looked up at Geet and said, "You were right. Karma is a bitch."

 

And then, just like that, the worst night in her life flashed before her eyes reeking havoc on her emotions, causing old memories to resurface, and opening up long healed wounds.