Freckles

The ICU was in chaos – the Code Blue called seconds before had turned a normally placid environment into bright lights, pounding feet, shrill alarms and strained voices struggling to remain calm. Twelve people packed into one tiny, curtained room left only milliseconds to obtain a glance of what was occurring within.

Orders came fast and furious as the team performed individual duties. One nurse straddled the tiny body in the bed, sweat dripping off her brow as she tried to get the little heart beating again, while her own was breaking. Another nurse prepared the paddles, ready to administer pure electricity to the pale, cyanotic skin peeking through the generic green gown. One more was forcing oxygen into the exhausted lungs. White coats and purple gloves flapped around the room, giving the action a serpentine, writhing quality.

Yet another nurse, the nurse for this patient, tried to deliver life-saving medications through the IV in the delicate arm she was holding. The syringe wouldn’t budge; the IV was blocked. “BITCH!!!” she screamed inwardly. Her mind raced as she thought why it would be blocked – she had given the blood thinners through the line. She had flushed the line frequently. Why wasn’t it working!?

She snapped her head up to call for another IV kit… and her eyes met those of the wan, exhausted red-headed woman who was clinging to the dark-haired man next to her. Tears flowed unobstructed down the faces of the couple as they watched their child being put through the horrific agony of resuscitation.

The nurse felt renewed energy flow through her. With a heartfelt prayer, she inserted a fresh needle into the lifeless, freckled arm draped over her knee. The saline solution flushed cleanly through the new line, as did the chemicals that were made to jar the heart into a regular rhythm.

They all waited, many sets of watery eyes trained on the little being in the bed who loved pink and lace and guinea pigs.

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Word Count: 330

Trifecta: Week Sixty-One

This week's word is:

BITCH (noun)

1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
2 a : a lewd or immoral woman
b : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse
3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant

Please remember:

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.

• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.

• The word itself needs to be included in your response.

• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.

• Only one entry per writer.
• Trifecta is open to everyone. Please join us.