Hospital Night Shift

The thunder outside was deafening. Doctor Jennings was working the night shift at the intensive care unit.

"I should have gone into plastic surgery!".

"You can't be serious Doctor!" said Jane, the head nurse. Jennings suppressed a curse, she should not pick up his little expression of frustration.

"Sorry Jane. I'm just tired."

"No wonder in the middle of a ten hour shift. Will we ever be able to fight this disease?"

Jennings still felt this depression. How many patients have they lost already? "Sure we will" he replied to the nurse but he felt that she didn't believe him. How could she, if he himself couldn't believe it?

ICU was already stuffed with patients, all barely alive, when they brought a ten year old boy with high fever and a very faint pulse. Probably he would not survive past the end of his shift. "I can't stand that any longer" Jennings thought to himself.

Two hours later, Jennings was still trying to save as many lives as possible when Jane called him: "Doctor, please come, quick!".

"What is it?"

"The little boy! You remember him? They brought him ..."

"Yes I remember, is he ... ?"

"No, he is fine. That's why I called you. Fever is gone and he will survive".

Jennings sighed with relief. "That's good to hear".

"But wait there is more!"

"More?"

"I checked his blood just a few minutes ago. He has built an immunity. I found antibodies in his blood".

"You mean....?"

"Yes Doctor! We can create a remedy for this disease!"

"Well done!" That's all he could say. "Prepare the boy to get more of his blood, I'll have some phone calls to do". He was no longer tired and depressed, he just decided to do a double shift tonight.