Rebel Hero

It was a rainy and stormy Friday night. The front of the hospital was thick with pedestrian traffic. I stare at my glaring mobile screen: 21:00. The day had just begun for me and I could already sense tonights graveyard shift was going to be a drag. I take the staff elevator up. The strained sound of mechanical whirring takes me to level 8.

One left turn and I am in the staff locker room.

“Are you just starting your shift?” The nurse busy with her locker cocked her head in my direction waiting for my answer.

“Yes?” I said while doing a pat down of my stethoscope, watch and pen. Sensing an undertone of distraught in her voice I did a double take. “How’s tonight-?”

The nurse disappeared out the exit before I could catch another glimpse of her.

I look down the blinking corridor of Ward 8. “What is going on?” I whispered under my breathe. Peering into each of the rooms in the corridor, none of the routine staff in the ward were to be seen.

The usual sounds of beeping monitors and chatter between nurses and doctors were replaced by complete silence. For the first time I could hear the soles of my shoes touch the vinyl floors.

My eyes did a panicked sweep across the reception desk that was strewn with patient reports and files. Amidst the mountains of paper work was a small black notebook reserved for handover notes. Bookmarked 3/4 into the notebook was where I flipped the pages to.

In capitalised handwriting were the words “Code Orange — all staff to assemble on level 2”. Before lifting my head up to gather my thoughts, a hand had grabbed me by the wrist and spun me around. It was the nurse from before.

“There was an outbreak in one of the wards. They need as many hands and help as they can get. That is why there was no news of this outbreak until I reached the hospital. They won’t let any staff out until-“ The nurse broke into tears. “It sounds bad… especially for the patients who shouldn’t be in here”, the nurse said while choking back tears.

A code orange light began covering the whole ward in a flashing orange colour, stifling the atmosphere even more. “Have you tried calling outside or spoke with any of the security guards?” I asked.

“Don't you think I’ve already tried that?" The nurse snapped back. “They blocked all cell networks in and out of this building. All emergency calls are now going to another hospital a few miles away from here. Also, the elevators are blocked from the top down.”

“Is this the usual protocol when we have an outbreak within the hospital?”

“Hardly. Staff should have been notified before coming into work so they aren’t faced with something dangerous, naturally!”

“Lets go see what this is all about”, I take the trembling hand of the nurse and press 2 in the elevator. “The name is Lisa by the way”, the nurse smiled weakly. It wasn’t before long when the opening of the elevator doors began filling our ears with the echoes of quick chatter.

The foot of the podium was where we made our way to. Wedging our way between flailing arms of distressed staff and the out stretched arms of people trying to angle their phones up in the air. We pulled ourselves against the stage looking up at the man behind the podium. The man immediately averted his attention to his assistant before returning to the microphone. “Can I please have all of your attention. I have some news that just erupted this evening. An outbreak has occurred and the floor is currently being contained.”

He cleared his throat and continued with a magnanimous tone. “I understand everyone at this point is burning with questions to ask, however, I would like to reinstate the decision the board and I have taken.”

The assistant placed a page on the podium. “As healthcare workers, we all understand the nature of this job. Our job has always carried the risk of infection but our job carries a selfless element of placing our patients first. There are 129 patients contained in this hospital right now. From this evening and onwards, they are now in the direct care of the 47 healthcare workers that are rostered to work tonight.” A disgruntled murmur rippled across the tightly packed room.

“What we are doing is essentially a procedural lock down of this hospital, no patients are to go out or come in. Dr. Anders from the Infection & Control department will now take over and explain the nature of this new infection that has just broken out.”

A man in circle glasses with straw coloured hair made his way to the podium. A team of people in white coats tailed him onto the stage. After readjusting the microphone several times and rearranging the pile of papers in his hands he began.

“We are facing a dangerous and novel disease. We don’t know how to treat it and we don’t know how to control it. We have so far only determined the symptoms and how quickly it spreads.”

A projectile screen lights up with graphs and tables. “What makes this disease so distinct is how quickly the disease can progress within a person. From the first instance of infection, to the onset of symptoms and death.” More pictures appear on the screen. First was of a patient with purple tinted lips and skin. Next, a picture of purple rashes at the joints.

A voice darted from the back of the room, “Is this possibly a circulatory infection?”

Squinting from beneath the spotlight, Dr Anders replied. “Further investigation is needed before we can determine anything."

Packages of biohazard suits began making its way around the room.

“Beyond this room. we are dealing with an unknown threat that is only noticeable through those characteristics I have already mentioned.”

Once the room transformed into a sea of yellow suits. People started filing out of the hall and the somber voices followed and drained into the rest of the hospital.

“My patient’s health has been deteriorating in the last few days, she needs to be with her family”, Lisa whispered helplessly. “I’ll follow your lead”, I smiled.

The elevator brought us back to level 8 and we marched down the corridors until we found room 809.

“What’s going on out there?” The elderly woman standing in the room asked as soon as we walked in. “We just got news of an outbreak from within the hospital and we can’t leave because of it", I replied.

“Will this mean my family won’t be able to visit me?” the woman’s expression drooped. “You will see your grandkids soon Jasmine. We first need to make sure you are suited up for the occasion.” Lisa started pulling out a spare hazmat suit from inside her own hazmat suit. I giggled at the ingenuity. “The perfect disguise and protection, of course.”

The elderly woman who was agitated at first let out a big sigh and waddled back to bed. “I know my days are short but the idea of being locked up in a big ol’ hospital away from my family is not easy to think about.”

A unanimous sounding giggle was let out between all three of us.

“So, here is the plan. You said your family home is on 90 acres of farm land in Bilpin Plains south-west of here?”

“That’s right Lisa.”

“Right then, your ticket home is sitting on the roof of this hospital.”

“Lisa, you lost me.”

“My husband is the pilot for the hospital and we are going to fly you back home Jasmine.”

“Ah, we are going airborne!” Jasmine wiggled her two feet into her slippers and clapped her hands together. “Time for some adventure, where do we go from here?”

“I know Katie has been working in this hospital for some years, she might know a way to go incognito.”

I nodded in sheer delight. “Past the janitors there will be a door that will lead to some lifts. One of those lifts are used only for patients arriving by helicopter. This will take you directly to the roof.”

It wasn’t long before all three of us gathered at the front of the lift. Only having narrowly snuck past a team of doctors discussing feverishly between each other in the staff room.

“Joe, will take it from here. Give him this ring and tell him Lisa sent you. He will understand, he is a good man.”

Jasmine nodded coyly with tears boiling up to her eyes. “You two have risked a lot for me.” A folded piece of paper was pushed into our hands. “Thank you girls”. The piece of paper was a cheque for $20,000. Standing in disbelief, the elevator door drew to a close before we could utter any words.

Level 9.

Level 10.

Level 11.



“She will get to see her family again", Lisa smiled warmly as the numbers on the elevator flickered.

“Who should we pay a visit to next?” I asked playfully.

Lisa looked back at me with a grin before we both headed back into the hospital.