　"You can't forgive people who waste their lives, can you... even now"

　"And yourself, for not being able to save your sister..."

　This voice echoes in my head over and over.

　The scene I had almost forgotten. And her last words then...

　I'm a doctor working at the Advanced Emergency Medical Center now.

　I have to assess the lives of the patients who are brought in every day.

　No matter what situation they are in...

　Doctor, are you sleeping there again?

　Early in the morning, a night shift nurse says to me lying on a long chair.

　"Oh, good morning"

　"Good morning. Were you at the hospital all day today?"

　"Well, yeah"

　"Are you going home properly?"

　"Yeah, sometimes"

　As if rummaging through my dull head, my vague consciousness is brought back to reality.

　Home, huh. I haven't been back for five days.

　Even though I'm not on call, I often lie down on the long chair in the ER conference room.

　Is it because I'm busy?

　It's not an easy job, that's for sure. But it's not as busy as when I was a resident and had no time to sleep.

　Right now, there are three fellows in my team.

　But I was also working as a fellow just a few years ago.

　You could say I'm now in the middle ground between the chief and the fellows.

　Or rather, it would be better to say that I'm in the gap between the chief and his subordinates, the specialists.

　Well, there are higher-ups above me.

　This is a university hospital, and there are professors who are like beings above the clouds. But they are people who I don't see or care about.

　In other words, I retired from the promotion race at the university hospital early.

　Then why am I in this hospital that seems like a bureaucratic, rank-oriented place?

　I don't need to stay in this environment if I'm out of the flow of the promotion race.

　I should be able to secure my place in a municipal medical institution as well.

　I should be able to...

　The answer is simple.

　I'm here because I like this environment where I can be myself. As long as you follow some iron rules, no one will say anything at a university hospital. You can move around quite freely.

　I just want to devote myself to reviving the fading lives in front of me.

　But the one who started to cut into me was her, who came with that "rooftop suicide girl".

　I check on the girl I treated yesterday in the ICU next to the conference room.

　Her vital signs seem to be more stable than yesterday.

　But she's still unconscious.

　"Good morning, Dr. Tanabe"

　When I turn to the voice, there is ER chief Yasuyuki Ogata looking at me with his usual blank expression.

　"Did you stay at the hospital again?"

　"Yeah, well"

　The morning conversation with the chief is always like this.

　But today is different.

　Rituko was standing next to him, a step back.

　I deliberately look away from her presence, and as if he sensed it, he says "Oh, this is the doctor who will join our team from today. I've heard from the professor. You knew each other..."

　"Well, not so much as acquaintances"

　I throw a warning shot.

　Rituko didn't change her expression at all.

　He sighs and says "Well then, let's introduce you to everyone in the conference room. This way, Dr. Iwamisita"

She follows him without saying anything and bows lightly.

"I'm Rituko Iwamisita, and I'll be working at this emergency center from today. Thank you for having me."

She hasn't changed at all. She's exactly the same.

As she was then...

She was Rituko Iwamisita, my classmate at medical school.

She was always at the top of her class. We trained at the same university during our residency. After that, she went into neurosurgery and I went into general surgery.

The last time I saw her was a year before she transferred to an American university.

That's right, it was at her sister's funeral.

Mayumi Iwamisita.

My senior doctor and mentor.

And...

When I see Rituko's face, I can't help but recall Mayumi's image.

Sisters are a painful existence for me now.

......Even though enough time has passed by now, my heart is still closed.

"Alright, let's do our best today!!"

The chief's anticlimactic cheer.

"I hope it's a slow day!!" says Nakaoka, praying.

Indeed, it's not desirable for us to be busy.

But reality was not so kind.

The first emergency call of the day rang out.

"Yes, this is Jokanetu Emergency Medical Center"

A multiple car accident involving 27 vehicles occurred on the highway.

Many injured, more than 30 people.

We don't have the details of the situation yet.

We are considering accepting transfers from you. Is it possible?

Nakaoka, the fellow who received the call, appealed to me with his eyes.

"Take them in" I told him without hesitation.

"Understood. We'll take them in"

Roger that. We'll contact you with more details later.

The call ended.

"We don't know how many are coming. First, let's get ready to accept them"

The staff tense up.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Iwamisita. You just arrived and it's already like this!"

"No, it's okay"

Rituko replied, and the chief added.

"Please be gentle with him. Dr. Tanabe"

I don't like the way he says it with a meaningful tone.

The call rang again.

This is North Fire Rescue

Here are the details of the accident that occurred on the highway.

About 50 injured people. Including passengers of two highway buses. Triage is being done by doctors from North Emergency Medical Center.

The most severely injured are being transported by helicopter to North Emergency Medical Center, but they are at their limit.

We will transport them to you by helicopter, so please help us. Also, the minor injured are being transported to nearby city hospitals in turn.

"This is Jokanetu Emergency Medical Center, we have no problem with our acceptance system. Please prioritize the most severely injured"

Roger that.

In cases where a large number of injured people are caused by a serious accident, we and North Emergency Medical Center University Hospital, which have advanced emergency medical facilities, always cooperate with each other.

They do emergency delivery of doctors by helicopter, but we don't do that here.

We always put all our efforts into accepting them here.

"Chief, issue code 9"

This university hospital has set numbers for business calls.

From code 7 to code 11, five divisions.

The higher the code number, the more important it is. However, special code 4 means a patient's sudden change, and sometimes it is called "blue".

Code 9, two steps before the final code.

This means calling all medical staff from all departments, securing operating rooms, and changing the priority order of imaging departments and others.

By the way, the final code 11 was issued at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

When I was still enrolled at North Medical University, it was a situation where more injured people were brought in than we could handle.

Of course, at that time, both North and here were in the same situation.

"This looks like it's going to be busy. I have to contact the professor..."

While being nonchalant, he walked towards the professor's office with his legs floating.

"Geez, I thought I could finally rest"

The emergency doctor who just finished his shift, Naoto Sasanisi says.

"It's the fate of emergency medicine, doctor"

Nishina Yumi, an emergency nurse, scolds Sasanisi who is grumbling.

"I guess there's no choice"

Whether he heard Nishina voice or not, Sasanisi seemed to brace himself.

Considering the distance from the accident site to here, the helicopter should arrive at the helipad soon.

Especially since North is packed, there should be transport by land as well.

We issued code 9, but the number of doctors who can move now is limited.

First, Nishina and I head to the helipad where the most severely injured will be transported, and Sasanisi and Takasaka, a fellow, wait at the ambulance entrance.

Then another emergency call sounded loudly in the treatment room.

This is North Fire Rescue

A 15-year-old male was hit by a ball on his left temple during baseball practice...

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The copyright of this novel belongs to "Etuha Sakakihara さかき原枝都は".

Copying or resembling this novel is prohibited.

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emergency doctor

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