dimanche 2 septembre 2012

The one who was preoccupied about her toothpain at 4 a.m..

Accidents and Emergencies - Short-term care - Any hospital
Any training year


"- Good evening !
Er, Good morning !
Er, Good night !

Anyway, excuse me for that, what can i do for you ?"
"- Good Night. I am here because I have this horrible toothpain. Here."
"- Here ?"
"- Here."
"- Since... ?"
"- Since yesterday night. The problem was that it was saturday, so no dentist could have me in. So, i took painkillers.
And... Well, it doesn't work, i am in pain. So, here i am."
"- Mm."
"- Mm ?"
"- Mm.
Well, we are going to give you some painkillers.
And then, since it is sunday, monday actually, and it is four in the morning, well, i guess you won't immediately find some dentist to take care of you. Even here, in the university hospital.
Because, you see, i am not a training dentist.
The guy there, i mean my boss, i mean my senior, well, he isn't a dentist either.
In fact, the problem is that hospitals and emergency departements are unfortunately full of physicians but not of dentists."
"- And so, about my tooth ?"
"- And so, about your tooth, here is your prescribtion.
I wish you good luck for the rest of the treatment. With the dentist.
Normally, there are a lot of them available on mondays. Dentists, i mean.
Did i use too much the "dentist" word ? What time is it, already ?"
"- Four a.m. . Goodbye, Doc."
"- Actually, i am only a medstudent, as far as i am concerned. Only a medstudent. Under the resident stage, so not really important. But it is me who's pernickety.
M'am ? Hello ?"

Because i believe that everyone has already met The Ethereal Toothpain of the middle of night.

Like a scottish ghost never at peace, it goes from any University Hospital to any University Hospital, from any big hospital to any tiny hospital, from any "developed" country to any other "not-so-lucky" nation.
It cracks preferentially after the twilight, most oftenly in the last hours before dawn. Those exact long hours during when all the senses are shaken and the tiredeness is everywhere under the strained white coat.

Nobody have found a remedy to cure that Pain yet.

Legend has it that it will last until a dentist will be on call as well as a brave orthopaedic surgeon for the whole night.
Waiting for that we, unfortunate members of the medic-corp, are doomed to meet them wandering about in the Emergency departements in the middle of the night. Only equiped with our poor WHO grades of painkillers to fight back.

Oh, High Priests of the Health Board, do hear our humble prayer.