One Day (Part 5)

Chad looked up at the clock.  8:50pm.  Just 10 more minutes until the next shift arrived, 25 minutes until he could get home to his wife.  Things had been a bit rocky at home.  With his wife getting up early and him working late, they barely had any time to spend together and their relationship had suffered.  He wished he could fix things, just patch them up the way he so often did with his patients, but this wasn't an issue that could be fixed in just one day:  it was a chronic, recurring issue that would require extended treatment to cure.  Still, even ongoing treatments had to be faced on day at a time.

That was how Chad tried to view his marriage:  one day at a time.  He and his wife loved each other.  He knew they did.  They just needed to work at it, build their relationship, rekindle the romance.  One day at a time.

Look at the clock.  8:52pm.  Just 8 more minutes until the next shift arrived, 23 minutes until he got to go home.

That was when his pager exploded.  With a frown he looked at it.  Gun shot wound, surgery needed immediately.

Chad did not waste any more time pondering his personal life.  As much as he loved his wife, he was willing to lose her if that was what it took to save lives.  That was his duty as an ER surgeon.  He rushed from his desk and darted down the hall to surgery room B to wash up.