Chapter 2: Blame

A few days had been tough for John Percy. After that conversation with his father-in-law, his self-esteem seemed to cripple in his throat as he was neglected in the department as well.

The resident neurosurgeons and the nurses all walked past him without any greeting. Not even long glances. Well, Dr. Patt gave him a quick sympathetic gaze and then quickly strode past him.

The department was never that busy. Neurosurgery in Wichita isn't something too common compared to Boston. But John Percy knew that OB Medical Group had already been claiming its golden seat in Kansas alone. 75% of the Kansans have full trust in OB Medical as the only privileged hospital to cater to almost all illnesses in the state. They were almost as competitive as Boston.

But ever since the OB Medical Group became well-known, they started to neglect John Percy's department. Or maybe was it because of him?

He shrugged off the thought as he got back to his desk inside the department office. Everyone was out there assisting in the emergency area without him.

Dr. Anthony Washington told him to stay put. What was he supposed to do?

After that frustrating internalization, he decided to pull out several books from the shelf beside his desk. He studied his last patient's case. It wasn't over for him when she died. It was so troubling him day and night.

He remembered trying to pull himself up as he watched the relatives mourn at her wake. He was only watching from afar, crying all by himself.

He blamed no one but himself for her demise.

She was just a teen. 14 years old, to be precise. She had a long way to build her future but her accident took away a lot from her. She should've survived that operation if only she had come a bit early. She should've at least had a chance to regain her strength, but a lot of blood and time were snatched from her.

In the middle of John Percy's reminiscing, he heard a commotion outside. He heard nurses in the corridor yelling. That alerted him.

He automatically dropped the book back onto the desk and left the room quickly. He looked at the troubled faces of the staff and resident doctors.

He approached one of them. "What's happening? Is there something wrong?" John Percy asked hastily.

The two resident doctors looked at each other with indifferent gazes. After they exchanged invisible conversations, they finally looked at him.

One of them was a guy around 27 years old. Hispanic Kansan. He cleared his throat and looked at him. "Dr. Morgan, the emergency is bizarre! There's a building collapsed in Goddard," he reported.

John Percy widened his eyes in shock. "How many?"

"At least 6 patients were being transferred here at the same time, but they said that we'll expect 9 more..."

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath and left the two resident doctors. He hurried to the emergency area and found the real situation.

It was chaotic. He saw about 6 patients on stretchers. Some from the thoracic department tried to keep the air going to some of the unconscious patients. Some were wailing in excruciating pain.  Most of them were males.

A nurse approached John Percy with a hasty look. "A-are you from Neurosurgery Department, sir?" she asked, trembling.

He nodded. "Yeah, what's their status?"

"Most of them occupied most of the Thoracic doctors. But we're running out of available operating rooms, sir. We need your help!"

Beads of sweat suddenly formed on his temples. After he contemplated, John Percy finally nodded at her. "Okay. Show me their status..."

He began to help each of the doctors assigned to the patients and helped them focus on what to do.

There was this man on the stretcher that was literally gargling his own blood. The young resident doctor was trying to stop the bleeding on his left ribcage. His stance was too stiff.

"What  do you think you're doing?" John Percy asked him grimly. "Why are you putting so much pressure on the patient's wound?"

"I know what I'm doing! You just keep away from us and stop being a distraction!" he yelled at him in a snap.

"W-what?"

"Enough!" another voice interrupted them.

Most of them turned to that voice. Then, John Percy saw Professor Albert Weins, the professor of the Thoracic Department. He started walking closer until he was almost towering over him.

"What's the trouble here? Are you trying to educate my doctors, Dr. Morgan?"

"N-no, Professor. I was just trying to help. The pressure is too tight and the patient is already dying!" he reasoned.

He moved his upper lips. "I don't see the need to tell them that. My doctors know what they're doing. The least you could do is get away from my face or I'll report you to the management for insubordination!"

John Percy jumped a little after hearing him yell once more. He was about to say something but suddenly, a loud beeping sound came in behind them.

He heard the nurse gasped. "His vitals are dropping! We need to do something, Doctor!"

The young resident doctor just looked at his professor with the hope of salvation from that situation. "P-Professor..."

The professor gritted his teeth and groaned in frustration. "Useless as always!" he yelled at him. He walked towards him and pushed him aside. "Get out of the way!"

Prof. Albert Weins tried to salvage the patient as soon as he asked them for the AED. The nurse was the one who put a little pressure on the wound. No matter what John Percy tried to suggest, they just wouldn't listen. The patient was already having difficulty in breathing but they were still ignoring him. They hadn't even performed an ounce of a defibrillator to revive the patient. Then, the monitor only showed them a flatline.

*****

"You did what?!" Dr. Anthony Washington was shocked after John Percy explained everything to him. "How many times have I told you to stay put? And now you're barging at the Thoracic's cases? Are you dumb or what?"

"I-I'm sorry. That patient could've lived if his resident doctor took my advice. He was putting a lot of pressure on the rib which hindered him from breathing enough air. It would've been differ—"

"What's so grand about being knowledgeable when you're a fucking idiot? He told you to back off, right? They already told you! And now, they're gonna call you tomorrow for some disciplinary action!" he butted in. His face was already red in outrage. He kicked the wooden chair in front of him that fell to the ground.

John Percy was standing there, speechless. No matter what he explained, no one would listen to him. It was always like this. They would always make fun of him for being too smart. But none of them believed in his skills. They just prefer to call him "Dumb Bookworm Doctor". To them, he wasn't someone they could call a part of the team. A part of OB. He was an outcast.

*****

The day of the disciplinary action meeting had begun. They were telling John Percy things for the first time in his life he never came to understand. He was that smart guy who walked among these experts and proved himself worthy of being called a Professor. But today, he was just being treated as a mouse trapped inside a cage.

It was too much for him to bear. All of them gleamed with arrogance as they looked at him.

"Your license is now in the process of revocation, Dr. Morgan. You're out," the Hospital Director said. His name is Dr. Jill Franco. His face was full of mockery of him. John Percy could feel the itch trying to boil the doctor inside. "I am so sorry, but the whole committee has decided to let you go. This incident has exceeded a large scale of medical malpractice..."

"W-what did you say?"

"The committee has received a large volume of medical malpractice allegations against you, Dr. Morgan. We couldn't keep on protecting you like this. I'm sorry..."

"I-I didn't do anything wrong. How is this a matter of malpractice? I thought you were calling me because of insubordination. What's this supposed to mean?"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Morgan. This committee has decided to let you go. You're on your own..."

He was immediately escorted outside the hospital after I put all the things inside the box.

He wandered helplessly on the sidewalk. He had nothing in his mind. All blank. He was trying to process everything that happened earlier.

All that he understood was that no one in his family knew about this. They all abandoned him.

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt a pang of pain in his head. He remembered himself looking at the world spinning before his eyes. Then, the darkness took over...

*****

John Percy opened his eyes and saw a familiar setting. He saw the familiar one-seater couch colored in mahogany. He groaned, trying to shake off the dizziness taking over him.

He opened his mouth and let out a silent protest as he winced in pain. His head was throbbing hard.

Suddenly, he heard the tick-tacking of shoes across the room. It came from the large table in front of him. He automatically turned in that direction. His eyesight adjusted slowly until he recognized the man with his hands below his chin.

Dad?

"I suppose you're fully awake now, John..." he uttered as he was busy looking at the papers on his table. He suddenly signaled someone behind John Percy. Then, he felt someone trying to remove something behind him. That was when he realized that his hands were tied behind him.

He looked at his wrists and at his father-in-law with a confused look. "W-what's happening? Why am I tied up, dad?"

He laughed. "Aren't you gonna beg me first?" he asked sarcastically.

At that moment, he knew what was happening. He felt so much shame and started to lower his head. He properly knelt and sobbed. "D-Dad, I'm so sorry! Please, help me. I don't wanna disappoint you, especially Clarisse! Please. Help me prove my innocence!" he pleaded. He even crawled to him until he reached his feet. He started hugging them, desperately pleading for his life.

His father-in-law's cackle got louder after John Percy did that. He looked at him and waited for his response.

"Do you think I'm some kind of bandage, John?" he asked him, gritting his teeth. He shook his head. "This scandal is already in the news. They're now bashing you on social media! You think I can still redeem you?"

"B-but, Dad. I didn't do it! I swear! I didn't do anything to upset you. I'm framed. They're doing this to remove me from the Neurosurgery Department. This— this is—"

"Enough of your excuses!" Dad snapped. He slammed his fist against the table making him jump. He sighed. "You need to take the punishment, John..." he suddenly said.

His jaw dropped. "D-Dad..."

"If you love Clarisse, then own up to your mistake!" he yelled.  "Do this for her sake. It's for the better. Leave OB Medical. After that, we'll figure out something to get you out. That's the only thing that I could offer to help, Percy. That is all..." He signaled his men again.

Suddenly, two of them reached his side and started to drag him.

The door was slammed in his face as the two men pushed him out of Dad's house.

At that moment, he was left all alone again.