Chapter 1: The Accident
Chapter One: The Accident
Footsteps echo everywhere inside the clinic, and voices can be heard giving orders and directions from the medical staff to general workers. Panic arises when a sudden unexpected accident takes place inside the building. One of the male patients who came in the morning for a check-up suddenly vomited lots of blood all over the floor in the waiting area. The blood gets to some of the people who are sitting near him, causing others to either faint from seeing a pool of blood or vomit.
The medical staff rushed to the scene and started evaluating the male patient, while other staff evacuated other potential ones to the nearest waiting area. Medical assistants are ordered to care for those not affected by the accident and move them into another waiting area inside the MCH ward. Meanwhile, the cleaners have been informed to gather on the scene. After a safety brief, gloves, masks, and plastic aprons were distributed to clean up the mess.
A female medical assistant walks around asking if anyone needs help or feels unwell after noticing a lot of blood and vomit. Without warning, she feels the gentle grip of tiny fingers wrapping around her hand. Curiosity piqued, she turns to see a little girl standing beside her, her wide eyes sparkling with innocence and wonder. The girl’s hair is a cascade of golden curls, framing a cherubic face that radiates joy. She gracefully bends down, causing her sky-blue scrub to shift slightly as her name card slips and wobbles with the motion. The card, vibrant against the fabric, displays her name: Adyla Rafa, elegantly printed in clear, bold letters.
She smiles at the young kid and asks her if she needs anything. The girl only shakes her head while pointing to the opposite side of the building. She asks again if there is a reason why she wants to go over there. The girl softly mumbles a word, her voice barely rising above the ambient noise. Yet, Adyla manages to catch the faint sound. “Your mom over there?” she inquires. The girl responds with a small nod, her eyes darting toward the distant figure, confirming the unspoken question that lingered in the air between them. Adyla clasped her hands together with a warm smile, leaning down to the little girl before her. “I will bring you over there, okay?” she said gently. The girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her face lighting up as she nodded enthusiastically, a hint of joy dancing in her expression. Adyla couldn’t help but chuckle at the adorable reaction, feeling her heart swell at the sight. With a playful glint in her eye, she took the girl’s hand and led her toward the other building, the anticipation of adventure reflected in their footsteps.
Upon reaching the opposite building, she quickly goes to the waiting area inside the large room where the doctor’s office is located. There she asks the kid if either one of them is her parents. The young girl gazes anxiously around, her wide eyes scanning the bustling crowd for a glimpse of her mother. Just then, a woman in her mid-thirties approaches, her presence striking. She is adorned in a flowing, dark dress that hugs her figure gracefully, the fabric whispering softly with each step. The woman’s expression is calm yet determined, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, creating a stark contrast against the somber hue of her attire as she draws nearer to the girl Adyla crouched down to the girl’s level, her eyes searching for an answer. “Is that woman your mother?” she asked softly. A bright smile bloomed on the girl’s face as she nodded enthusiastically. With a sudden burst of energy, the girl let go of Adyla’s hand and dashed across the open space, her feet pounding against the ground. She flung her arms around the woman’s leg, wrapping herself in a warm embrace, her joy palpable. The woman beams at Adyla, her eyes sparkling with gratitude as she swiftly bends down to scoop the girl up into her arms. She places a soft kiss on the child’s cheek, her friendly smile exuding tenderness. “I’m so relieved to see you safe,” she says, her voice filled with tenderness, “and I can’t thank you enough for looking out for my daughter.” After a few exchanged words, Adyla realizes how the girl and mother separated and ended up on the opposite side of each other.
The young girl sat quietly in the waiting area outside the doctor’s office, her small hands resting in her lap as she glanced around the brightly lit room. The faint scent of antiseptic hung in the air, and the soft hum of conversation from other patients filled the space. Her mother had stepped inside, approaching the receptionist at the front desk with a look of concern as she inquired about their scheduled appointment. When the accident happened a few minutes ago, the girls sitting in the back seat of the last row were taken to the MCH ward waiting area, where Adyla met her.
It took around one hour and a half to finish cleaning the whole waiting area. After that, the medical assistant was informed to direct the others back to the waiting area inside the OPD ward. After moving the people back to the OPD ward, the clock already shows it’s almost eleven-thirty in the morning. The atmosphere back to calm and quiet inside the clinic. Meanwhile, the male patients have been transported to the hospital, and others who are fainting and feeling unwell because of that have also been transported to the hospital, and those who recover shortly after that are sent home too.
It’s now break time for the staff, and the clinic is closed down for one hour and thirty minutes. Some went home or picked up their children from school, and those who did not go home stayed inside their respective pantry or resting room. Adyla, one of the staff who is not going home, went to the pantry to eat her lunch.
Inside the pantry, there were already people accompanying the place, but she just went in. She said hello to the nurses and doctor who were sitting and eating their lunch. They saw Adyla walk in and quickly invited her to sit with them. Adyla smiled at them and sat beside one of the nurses. They talked nonstop about the accident and sometimes made a joke about it, but nothing rude or insensitive about the joke, just mostly related to medical terms. Adyla sometimes butts in but mostly stays quiet while eating her lunch.
Suddenly, a nurse in front of her, whom she called Ros, asked her if she was okay and not struggling working there. Adyla replied that it was quite fun working there, even though the first couple of weeks were hard. But, nonetheless, she enjoyed it. It also makes Adyla realize that it has been one year since she started working as a medical assistant at the clinic. Before this, she was a kindergarten teacher but changed when she got offered to work at the health center (clinic) near her home. One of the reasons why she accepted the offer is because she doesn’t have to think about transportation since she can come by bicycle. It only took her five minutes from home. And the hour of working is also too good to not pass.
After their finished their lunch most of them stayed at the pantry waiting for the opening of the clinic in the afternoon. When the time was for the opening of the clinic, everyone went to their respective area of work. Fortunately, the evening working time there is passing without any more accidents.
