Wild Turkey Night
Part One
By Zoinks
ergirlz@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Three words and a comma: characters, not mine



The ER and OR were swarming with patients. It was the night before Thanksgiving, Wild Turkey Night, as it was commonly referred to. Drunkards from every side of Chicago lined the hallways and sat shoulder to shoulder in chairs. Med students walked around with a look of amazement on their faces. They could not believe the amount of those with exceptionally elevated B.A.L.’s demanding treatment so early into the night. Experienced doctors and nurses did their best dodging such cases, opting to wait for a more interesting one. This routine was repeated, year after year, at County General. It was becoming somewhat of a tradition as employees begged and pleaded with their supervisors for the evening off, hoping to escape what always proved to be a night of multiple scrub changes. It was once speculated that more people threw up on this one particular night, than any other night in the entire year. Yes, this was one of the most uneventful (interesting wise) nights of the year; however, this one particular Wild Turkey Night would turn out to be more exciting than ever expected.



Wednesday, November 22, 2000: 8:42pm

"Someone paged me?" Elizabeth asked, entering the admits area.

"Yeah, we’re a bit shorthanded down here, would you mind detoxing some of these drunks?" Kerry asked.

"Why, so they could just go back out and get smashed all over again?"

"That’s the plan."

"Alright, hit me with one."

Kerry handed Elizabeth a chart. She rubbed her temples as she looked at the board. Signing Corday up for ER work, she wondered how pissed Rocket would be when he found she was squandering his surgeons to perform "ER scut work." Not wanting to worry about it, she grabbed a chart and headed for Exam 2.



8:55pm

"Kerry," Mark called out. Weaver looked up to find Mark face to face with her.

"What time are you off?"

"10 o’clock," Weaver replied.

"Were all meeting at the new bar across town, to celebrate, it’s called ‘Guzzlers’, so if you wanna, come on over when you get off."

"Sounds great, I could definitely use a drink after tonight."

Mark smiled, "Tell me about it, I’ve been thrown up on so many times tonight, I just want to get drunk and do the puking myself."

"That’s great Mark," Kerry replied, a little disgusted by his comment. Mark said goodbye and headed for his locker. He was so happy to be off work, it had been a long day. On his way out, he extended his invitation to Elizabeth, Dave and a cluster of nurses who were gathered around the front desk, arguing over who got what drunk. They all gratefully accepted and moved on out to their respective exam rooms to begin rehydrating.

9:00pm

Elizabeth walked into Curtain 1, she looked at the chart and absently stated the name listed, "David Kotlowitz," she said.

"Please, heal me, Doc," an obviously drunk Kotlowitz slurred.

"Dr. Kotlowitz?" Corday asked. Suddenly she blushed, feeling embarrassed for both of them. She knew he went to County to not be recognized. He did not seem to know where he was at though, so, she thought she’d stick the motto Kerry had hanging in the lounge; ‘Treat um’ an Street um’. She did what she could to help him and left the room as quick as she could.

Seeing him like this was just weird.

9:10pm

Jing-Mei gripped her steering wheel tighter. There was no way she was going to let John beat her to the bar. The pair had been side to side for the first mile of the trip, and know, she had broken out in the lead. Abby turned her head, "Their gaining on us!" she exclaimed. Jing-Mei pressed in the accelerator and focused her eyes on the dark road as the spedometer climbed up to 80.

"What are yah doing man?" Mark questioned, "are you gonna let a couple a’ girls beat us? Look, their a whole car length ahead."

"My car won’t go much faster," John said loudly. The last thing he wanted to do was lose to Chen.

"Dammit man, hold down the accelerator!" An excited Benton yelled.

John dug his foot into the accelerator, and his car slowly began to pick up speed. Before they knew it, they had reach 95 and were coasting past Jing-Mei, Abby and Cleo. Peter waved to Cleo as the guy’s car passed by the girl’s.

"Step on it Chen," Cleo said in a loud expressionless voice. It had been Jing-Mei’s idea to race, and John had suggested guys against girls.

9:15pm

Kerry walked tiredly through the ER. "Hey Chief, when do I get a break?" Malucci asked.

"When you get puked on three times, spit on twice, slapped once and have your life threatened four times," was the sarcastic reply.

"Great," Malucci said, taking off his stethoscope, "I’ll be outside." Malucci proceeded out to the ambulance bay. Weaver sighed, she should have chosen higher numbers.

"Is it possible to close to drunks?" Elizabeth asked. She grabbed another chart and walked over to the board.

"I wish we could," Weaver replied.

"This is ridiculous. After tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever complain again when it’s slow."

"Tell me about it, I got a migraine the size of this freakin’ city."

"Well, why don’t you take a break?"

"Because," Kerry replied, "Malucci’s taking his."

"Kerry, it’s stupid to make yourself sick by treating these people. They did this to themselves. Go rest, if someone more worthwhile comes in, I’ll page you."

"That sounds great, but I can’t leave you to run the ER. Elizabeth started laughing, "Who said I was running it? Luka’s here somewhere, he can do it."

"Okay, I guess I’m on break then."

"Hope you feel better," Corday called after her as she set out for chairs. It was time to collect another patient.

9:20pm

"Elizabeth, can you give me a consult?"

"I thought you were on break?"

Dave laughed, "Yeah, five minutes ago. Luka saw me and started screaming his head off about how I had to get back to work. I tried to tell him that I worked for six hours straight and needed a break and he said that it was more important that I help inside, and put my own intentions aside. Then I said something like at least I come when I’m scheduled, and he got all fired up and started yelling shit in a different language, and…"

Elizabeth interrupted his ramblings, "Dave," she said, "I have absolutely no clue what the hell you’re talking about."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Now, what is it that you want?"

"A surgical consult."

"I’ll be there in one minute."

9:27pm

Jing-Mei pulled ahead of John’s car. Cleo screamed something about nailing the curve, "It’s the key to winning the race, if you get the inside track and maintain your speed, we should win."

"They’re gaining on us!" Abby yelled.

Ignoring the 25mph caution sign for the curve, Jing-Mei accelerated to 96, and attempted to switch to the inside track. Just as Chen was lane changing, John, who already had the inside track, quickened his car’s speed to 100 on Peter’s orders.

This was enough to send the two cars hurling into each other.

Jing-Mei’s car spun wildly into the right lane and bounced off the guardrail. It continued to spiral out of control until it finally came to a jarring stop in the middle of the road. John’s car rode up the left guardrail, threatening to flip over it. Finally, the guardrail gave, and the car fell down a small hill, head first into a ditch.

A truck driver, following the same back road on his way to a weigh station, slammed on his brakes to avoid a collision with what remained of Chen’s car. He immediately grabbed his cell phone and called 9-1-1.

9:46pm

"Dave," Elizabeth yelled, "Go get Kerry, she’s resting in the lounge, we’ve got a major trauma coming in!"

"How many?" Dave asked on his way to the lounge.

"EMT said six major, there was a nasty crash on Sidecurve Road."

"Oh man, that street’s a bitch," Dave said, entering the lounge.

Kerry groaned as Dave relayed the news to her. She was off in 14 minutes. Was there ever a day that I got out of here on time? she thought.



9:49pm

"Whatta we got?" Elizabeth said as the paramedics let the first victim off the ambulance. A male EMT began rattling off the ABC’s. Elizabeth listened as they brought the patient into Trauma 1. Then, she looked at the face, "Someone get Kerry in here now!" she exclaimed. Then she looked back at the patient.

"Everything’s going to be okay Jing-Mei," she said shakily, "we’re going to take good care of you."

Then a horrible thought stung her, "How many people did you say were involved in that crash?"

The EMT looked at her, "two cars, six victims," he said as he left the room. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt sick to her stomach.

Somehow, she had a terrible feeling that all six victims worked at County. Just then, Haleh walked into the room, "Kerry can’t come, but, she said she needs you in Trauma 3."

"I can’t go, it’s Jing-Mei," Elizabeth said in between the medical jargon, "Page Rocket, and get Dave and Luka."

Haleh shook her head in agreement. Kerry was working on Mark, she didn’t realize Jing-Mei was also involved in the accident. She ran into Kerry’s trauma room and reported the news of Elizabeth’s patient. It was at that moment that Weaver realized the six patients were all from County, and that Mark began crashing.

"Haleh, grab the crash cart," she yelled.