Doctor Shania

Doctor Shania


The last bus left in the late afternoon from the bus stop at the University of Sacramento. On board, there were for the greater part students from the medical faculty who had just finished their final theoretic exams. Most of them only had their practical tests awaiting the next morning.
At the back of the bus sat Shania Richman, a twenty-three years' old blond woman, showing exhausted and with a dispirited look on her face. She took place at the last but one bench of the bus and was quiet, very quiet for someone with such an extrovert personality. It was very obvious that today hasn't been the best of days for this young lady. Her scattered thoughts wandered off continuously towards her final theoretic exam of this afternoon. She had failed, that she knew almost for certain. If most of her former exams were more or less just satisfactory, then this latest huge test was a total disaster. She knew it, this final year of her medical studies will not be completed successfully, although she still has the practical tests of tomorrow. Already she took it as an accomplished fact that she would never be able to make up all the arrears. With great aversion, she looked forward to the day of tomorrow as if it were a true crucifixion.

After cruising through some suburbs, the bus drove on to the highway and gained speed. It was raining slightly. Shania's thoughts kept on moving about her exams and thus she didn't notice immediately that the bus was slowing down rapidly. Only when it stopped rather abrupt, she lifted her head and looked surprised through the window. Everywhere around the bus, she saw immoble cars and here and there people where stepping out, eagerly looking towards what was in front of them. "Quite certain an accident", she heard two students saying to each other right next to her. Shania rose slowly from her seat and stepped decisively towards the front of the bus. Through the big windscreen, she saw a tumult of cars in the distance with some smoke rising from it. Without thinking any further about it, she summoned the driver to let her get out of the bus which he promptly granted. With her bag under her arm, she walked through the rows of parked cars in the direction of the smoke cloud. The closer she got, the harder she ran until she arrived almost out of breath at the scene of a huge ravage.
She counted seven cars, shoved crisscross through each other, several of them heavily damaged. Here and there she heard moaning from the wounded but above all, she remarked the irresolution from several tens of drivers who were viewing this spectacle in a wide circle from nearby, unable or unwilling to lift a finger.

Shania hesitated only for a split-second before she dropped her bag and her coat right next to the closest vehicle where an elder lady was loudly screaming for help. Looking inside the car, the young woman noticed immediately that both legs of the driver were stuck under the destroyed steering column. "Remain calm", said Shania. "I know you're in a lot of pain but keep as still as you can, we're going to release you as fast as possible". She turned around quickly and beckoned two young men, enjoying a cigarette and regarding this mini car dump from a close distance. They approached rapidly and she asked them to search for some sort of lever to open the smashed car a little in order to free the legs of the wounded woman. Both men accepted this job and Shania hasted immediately towards the next car. This second one had caught fire but the incessant rain extinguished the flames timely. In the car were an old couple of which especially the woman showed severe burning wounds on her upper arms. The raw, burned flesh was clearly visible and a penetrating odor of roasted meat filled the interior of the car. The young woman ran back towards some bystanders and asked at the top of her voice who could help her with some sterile bandages or similar.
"Bandages I can't give, but I do have a box of pampers in my car", said a young female carrying a crying baby in her arms. "Excellent" replied Shania, "can I use them"? And without awaiting the reply, she hurried already to a third vehicle. Inside was a youthful guy, unconscious, his face covered in blood. A slight death-rattle made it clear to the future doctor to be that the man was still alive, but with a very irregular respiration. She felt his pulse which was extremely weak. Immediately she decided to open his windpipe and therefore she ripped open his chemise and his T-shirt. By means of a pocket-knife, which she nota bene always carried in one of her trouser pockets as some sort of a talisman, she drilled a small hole just underneath his chin, right into his trachea.
At the same instant, the first police car arrived at the scene. Two very young officers, a black and a white male, stepped out and neared Shania. Promptly she asked the white cop if he would be willing to assist the young driver in holding his head slightly backwards in order to breath more freely. She explained quickly that she was studying to become a doctor, while putting a fresh pamper in his hands to dab most of the blood. "Please keep a close eye on him, makes sure he is able to breathe freely and warn me the second his condition is worsening", commanded Shania.
"How long yet till the first ambulance will be arriving", she suddenly asked the other policeman. "No idea", he replied, "but I do know that they will have the utmost difficulties in getting through this chaos to arrive at this spot. Even we only got here with some amazing efforts and a lot of luck". Shania deliberated not a second longer, but already took off to the following wrecked car. After establishing the gravity of the injuries, she summoned again two bystanders to give her a hand. While doing this, she spotted from the corner of her eye how the black officer took up her bag and her soaked coat to place it into the back of his patrol car. It was a very reassuring sight for her so she could fully concentrate on everyone in need of medical assistance.
Another full quarter she was on the go till finally three ambulances arrived with wailing sirens. Shania swept the wet locks of hair from her eyes and walked towards a doctor rushing forward to her. She gave him a detailed report of the nature and the status of the wounds from all the people she has treated. The doctor nodded approving, asked specifically for her name and sped with a first-aid bag under his arm towards the first smashed cars while loudly giving orders to his fellow-colleagues. The black policeman took Shania gently by the arm and guided her silently to the patrol car. "You can rest for a while now" he spoke to her softly. "As soon as the road is clear to pass through, I'll bring you home. You have done more then enough for one day". Shania could only nod before falling asleep seconds later on the front seat of the police vehicle.
She remembered vague how she was driven to her home in the pouring rain. She was dropped off at her apartment after which she went straight to bed and fell into a deep sleep. Only very late in the morning, she awoke the next day.
"My goodness!" she shouted, I overslept! The practical exam.... I missed it..... OH NO!" Completely dejected she dropped flat on her back on the bed and didn't fight against her tears. The young student realized now for certain that this school year was finished for her.

Less then a week later, the various diplomas where distributed at the University to all those students that were successful. Shania was present there as well after lots of asking and beseeching by her fellow-students. She heard the headmaster loudly calling over, one by one, the students to the stage in order to present them their certificate. Shania sincerely hoped she would be there on that stage next year. After all, she had just not failed her theoretical exams in the end and already she was building up strength to make a fresh start in a few months.
Continuously the headmaster kept on shouting the names. Suddenly, it became quiet for a moment.
"Shania Richman" it sounded through the speakers. The young woman awoke with a shock towards reality. "How can this be?!" she thought aloud.
"Shania Richman", repeated the voice and she was piloted to the front towards the stage while loudly applauded by her fellow-students. A bunch of broad-smiling faces welcomed her and with wobbly knees she carefully approached the headmaster. Her eyes were full of question marks and fell into supreme astonishment when behind his back appeared a person who's face she could recall vaguely, somewhere recently.
"Now I remember", she mumbled. "You're the emergency doctor that greeted me at the scene of the accident", and she slowly shook his stretched out hand.
"Congratulations Shania", he said. The young woman understood no iota of it anymore. The headmaster smiled kindly to her and presented a carefully rolled-up piece of paper, tied up with a red ribbon.
"Congratulations!", repeated the doctor, " ...with your doctor's diploma. You did fail indeed to attend the final practical tests, but what you have performed that rainy evening of the accident was to me the best completed practical test anyone could accomplish. I had a long talk afterwards with your headmaster and the board of the University and they have decided unanimously to present you this well-deserved diploma".
Shania cried affectedly. She shook the headmasters' hand, looked very grateful in the eyes of the doctor and descended from the stage under an ear-splitting applause. She walked towards her bunch of friends who were shouting at the top of their voice "Doc-tor Sha-nia!, Doc-tor Sha-nia!"
For the twenty-three years' old Shania Richman, a long awaited dream of life became a beautiful reality in an extraordinary manner.





Copyright© 2004 by Voyager9940
All rights reserved

Very nice and kind story Voy! Thank you for sharing! We all just need a bit of kindness in this world!

Merci again Sunnylady, for your cheers and kindness!
Art is also writing, so I included this into my portfolio! This story was written 16 years ago, when my English was still at a lower level!