Broken Baby

So, Baby has been broken since Tuesday afternoon. Something abut torque and cyclic. I understand it a little, but not enough to describe using words other than thingamajiggy and dohickey. There was something about a cam and some other part that had to be shipped in, so work didn't start until Friday. I imagine there were mechanics crawling all over like ants by the time they got going. I called at 8, 1, 5 and 7 to check status and see if I had to go in. I had to be available for whenever they were ready. After 7 I decided to say fuck it and go to dinner with the cop. Naturally, we were going to dinner when I heard we might be up and running soon. I got the "time to come in" call at 1130 last night. After all that waiting, I was a little pissed. The medic I was working with lives over an hour away, so we weren't in service until 1am. What a fucking waste of time.

So on my break between shifts I worked in the ED. The first night I planned on going in for a "princess" and staying late. We were busy as hell, on diversion (no ambulances except for multi-system trauma) and the waiting room was full. I planned on staying until at least 3am..... until the evil British coordinator found out. She told me (at 10pm) that they no longer needed me to stay. Nobody could figure out her rationale except that she and I don't get along and she is known for letting personal feelings interfere with professional judgement. I felt really bad leaving the Green Mile in shambles..... they really needed the help.

Did 8 hours the next night. Easy easy easy in yellow. No traumas at all, lots of drunks sleeping on stretchers in the hall. New SOCM medics trying to figure their ass from a hole in the ground. Finally did a 12 hour Wednesday night. Hell on wheels on the Green Mile. Had a vented asthmatic who kept waking up with versed and propofol drips, a dislocated shoulder who took two attempts and almost 500mg (and 250mcg fentanyl) of propofol to reduce. Then every psych patient and little old lady in the department started screaming. It was like a round of "Row, row, row your boat" just more obnoxious. The little asian lady kept throwing herself on the floor. I just made sure that the nurses head was still in the air and didn't worry much beyond that. The self proclaimed "drunk hippie" in police custody laughed hysterically at everything I said and at 3am a drunk guy came in to be "checked" since his girl had a wart on her..."you know" (that's exactly how is was described to me.

Wow, that place is still insane. I was happy to get outta there.