When They Found Out
David Morgenstern
By Elena Ridgeway
spunkie_2003@yahoo.com

Everytime I think I miss the excitement of the ER, something brings me back to reality. I had a good, low key Valentine's Day, and sat down to watch the eleven o'clock news for the latest news. -

-"We have a breaking story for you. Two staff members at Cook County General Hospital in downtown Chicago were brutally attacked by a psychiatric patient. The attacks reportedly happened in the ER. The names of the victims have yet to be released , but we have been told both are in surgery. The supposed attacker is Paul Sobriki, a 25 year old law student. He escaped shortly after attacking the staff members, and may be armed and dangerous. He was last seen wearing a hospital gown. We have an old picture of him. (flashes on screen) Sobriki is suspected to have schizophrenia. If you see him, do not approach. Call police right away. In other news.."

-I sat there, shell shocked. I had worked there for years, and to hear of something like this was scary. Come to think of it, people I know still work in the ER. It could have been any one of them. Someone I know and could be up in surgery as I sat there, staring dumbstruck at the television. What was this world coming to?

-I knew better than to think that whoever it was would be out of surgery soon, and decided if I got to sleep and woke up for the six o'clock news, there would be more information. That's all that was on my mind at the moment. I started thinking of how the hospital administrators would act, and how to handle it. Then I reminded myself that I didn't work there and didn't have to worry about it. Still, I was concerned, and went to bed. The sooner I knew what was going on, the better.

-I awoke at 5:56, and ran for the television. I never realized how stupid the commercials were that early in the morning. It seemed like a year before the news came on and the report began -

-"We have the latest news from the stabbings at Cook County General. Paul Sobriki is in the psych ward, under police watch at the same hospital where he took one staff member's life and grievously injured another."

I gasped. Who died?

"Lucy Knight, a fourth year medical student, died of complications after having been stabbed four times in the neck, chest, and stomach." I gave a sigh of relief. I had no idea who she was. It was really sad that she died, but it would have been extremely hard if it was Mark or Kerry or someone like that. I hoped the next one was a new name, too.

"Dr. John Carter, a third-year emergency resident, is in critical but stable condition after suffering two stab wounds in his back. He is expected to live. Dr. Carter is the son of..."
- The news report continued, but I didn't hear any of it. I just stared blankly at the screen, wondering why god had chosen Carter, the soft-spoken compassionate young doctor who's ambition out did anyone's I had seen. He really learned a lot from Benton, who I am sure is a wreck over this. I wonder if it is some kind of a calling for him, but it didn't make sense. Violence just doesn't make sense.

-I wanted to call and find out more about the whole incident. I wondered if it could have been prevented. I wondered if I had been there if any of it would have happened. But that's not the way I should be thinking. I should think that it was unpreventable. It makes it easier. The only way to deal with any news like this is to make it easier. I just wish there was someway to make it easier for Carter.