"Hospital" " Who's assisting him?" " Me." "Sicinski speaking." "Have they brought anyone in this morning?" "I've just got in." "What is it?" "Any idea where they've taken her?" "Operation room." "Thanks a lot." "A woman jumped off the fourth floor of a building." "She's in x-ray right now." "They'll bring her in shortly." "A 29-year-old." "Some Bulgarian or something..." "She threw herself off the fourth floor." "At the fork junction." "He went flying over the barrier." "Did he get thrown off the road?" "Yes, then he overturned, most likely." " Is that the old granny?" " Yes, she's 92." " Is there any blood for her?" " I don't think so." " Whose ward is she in?" " Dr. Kaminski's." " In room 4." " Is Mrs. Aftonicz in your ward?" "No, she isn't." " Is that the granny in room 11?" " She's 92." "That's to go in the fridge, please." "Bilateral calcaneal open fracture, tarsal and spinal fractures." " No way will she walk again." " Who are the other patients today?" "How many spare beds are there?" "There should be about eight on that side and about the same here." "Mr. Malinowski is requested in the x-ray room." "The ambulance is here for you." "I'll be there in a moment." "Come in, please, sergeant." "I'm looking for someone by the name of Miroslaw Chryskiewicz." "Most likely brought in from a car accident." " Let me check." " What time was the accident?" "Hard to say." "It was in Krakowska Avenue in Raszyn." "So, how did it happen?" " She jumped off the fourth..." " I'm not asking you." "Don't speak now." " Which floor?" " Only the fourth..." " Have you had breakfast today?" " No." "Nine by seven." "You're a grown woman." "Did anyone help you physically?" "No, no." "Alright." "Have you ever suffered from any diseases?" " I've had jaundice." " Contagious?" "Yes, a long time ago." "Could you stop bothering me, please?" "Of course, we won't bother you anymore." "Can you feel any pain here?" "Yes, I do." " Higher up, I don't." " Just in my spine." "Does that hurt?" "Haven't you got an ambulance?" "All you need is a knife, a drill and a screwdriver." "That's it." "It's a half hour's work." "Turn on the oxygen, will you, Tadek." "Hang on." "The patient isn't ready." "Oh, my." "That hurts." "Does that hurt?" "I see." "And here?" "Right here it does." "Put it down, please." "Andrzej, grab it by the other handle." "I need a side lamp here." "Where is it?" "There isn't one in the operation room." "What if we move this one?" " But we need some light here." " Light, please." "Hang on." "It slipped." "Try now, please." "Should go into the bone." "Fresh plasma..." "Hold onto this." " Shall I turn it on?" " It's not working." " Plug it in properly." " Is it coming?" " It's working." " It's on." "It's stopped working again." " Push the plug in." " It's on now." " Am I supposed to stay like that?" " Yes." "Stand on it." " Sit on it." " It's stopped again." " Push the plug in, please." " Keep holding." " So, should I sit down?" " Sit down." "I also told you to sit down." "It's back on." "It's stopped again." " And now?" " No, nothing." "It's coming." " No, it's gone." " Keep your legs together." "Stop messing about." "I'm not messing about." "Oh, for the love of God!" "Remove the I.V." "A rib's broken." "Take a look, please." "Take look here." "See?" "It's loose." "We need drainage." "Drain abdominal cavity." "There's a special abdominal drainage kit." "We've been pestering them for it for ages." " To Italy." " What?" " To sunny Italy?" " By air ambulance." "Have you got anaesthetists for that bone reposition?" "They are going to anaesthetise her, aren't they?" "While you here." "Could you clean up that blood when you've got a chance?" "Doctor." " Yes, what is it?" " Is it serious?" " Christmas's just around the corner." " Am I serious, madam?" "No, the leg." "Oh, the leg." "Not at all." "Clean gauze swab, please..." "The patient's fainted." "Jurek, onto that bed." "Call yourself a man?" " Lift up your legs." " That's fine." "Stay there, please." " Is everything all right now?" " Yes, it is." "Breathe deeply now." "Who did you beat up with that finger?" "A friend." "Oh, ouch." "Sweet Jesus, my knee." "Ok." "Jesus, my knee." "It hurts." "And below the knee." "Please, help me, doctor." "It hurts so much." "It came loose." "Tighten it." "Oh, Jesus and Mary." "It's not going to hurt now." "Does it hurt less?" " Yes, less." " Good." "280 zlotys for the shift on the 12th." "Your rate's 17 zloty/ph." "Thank you kindly." " Yes..." " Hello." "Your rate's 17zloty/ph." "That would be 280 altogether." " Where am I?" " Right there." "Thank you." "She's got nice stitches." "Phone what's-her-name." "At the dispensary." "Yes, nurse Ania." "Ask if she's got anything decent." "You could sew boots with this." "You'd better phone them, doctor." "They'll give it to you." " You can't." " That's the point." " She didn't have it." " I need to draft this request." "I've got to help her write an appeal letter." "The woman is virtually destitute." "What's she got besides her blindness?" "Isn't blindness enough?" "She's blind and has no money." "What's she going to live on?" "Blind at 64." " What about welfare?" " You know our welfare service." "You don't know what to expect from one day to the next." "She has worked all her life after all." "Nurse, could you come here, please." "Nurse Ania." "Now, doctor." "Good." "Now the gauze." "Now, I need to knock it out completely." " Why not?" " Let it in." "Is it going in now?" "Wait, that's no good." "Let me..." "It's stuck." "Something's pushing it down." "It's gone down a bit." " Hang on." " It's holding." " It is." " It's got stuck." "It has, damn it." "The guide wire gave way." "Can you see?" "It's in the canal." "Perfect." "Give me the extractor." "No, wait, wait." "Let me hold it for you, doctor." "Tadek, where did you put my jellied pork leg?" "The pork." "I'm having an exquisite dinner." "You're invited." "Scrumptious." "Hot black pudding." "Straight from foil." "Ok." "Get the key." "It's in Krysia's room, and the key to Krysia's room is in Ela's room." "And Ela works with him." "I've no idea why she's so keen on looking after my leg." "But it's going to slip." "It's plaster and bed for now." "It's up." " You mean the coil?" " Yes." " In two weeks it will slip anyway." " It won't hold." "Shall we grab something to eat?" " I've lost my appetite, to be honest." " So have I, actually." " Have you phoned the operation room?" " I have." "They said they would order the blood." " Ok." "It's for that amputation." " Have the nurses got everything ready?" "It's all set." "Does it hurt when you take a deep breath?" " No, it doesn't." " Yes, of course." "Take a seat, please." "Here's your shirt." "I'll bandage him." "We're going to x-ray your ribs." "They're broken." "We'll twist it like so." "You see?" "Here you are." "Danusia, pass me the antiseptic gauze." "I need fresh gloves." " This is the last gauze swab." " What do you mean 'last'?" "Would you borrow it from somewhere then, please." "Teresa..." " Have you got any coffee?" " No, I've been drinking yours." "How do you mean?" "I thought I'd run out." "There was some there." "Tadek, somebody's been looking for you." "An old lady." "A grey-haired old lady." "Then she's found me." "That's Mr. Konopka's aunt." "Give us some descent coffee, Tadek." "You're very sensitive." "Hang in there a little." "Ouch." "Steady..." "and it's all just a bad dream." "Now, take this paper to the last room on the left." "Ready for reposition." "Mr. Wroblewski, Tadeusz." "Give it to me." "Hold it right there." "It's going in." "Good." "Wait, maybe..." "Ok, it's in." "Pass me that little one." "Skin." "Good." "That's it." "Damn." "It broke." " Pass me another hammer." " Danusia." "Isn't this just perfect?" "Have you got a sterile hammer?" "Hurry up, will you?" " Doctor, here's the extractor." " It will do." " Hold on to that." " Right there." "It shouldn't slip." "Fine." "Now, the iodine." "Plaster it." "What?" "Ela's taking a shower in there." "How is she on the whole?" "I've got a lighter..." "The cats are at it already." "The prospect of waking up completely knackered the next morning and going back to the clinic..." "absolutely daunting." "At around midnight I begin to consider phoning in sick." " The next day?" " Exactly." "But then it passes." "I think to myself 'Better go, people are waiting'." "That 89-year-old who passed away on the spot, that was Jan Radolinski." "These are the surgeries due this morning:" "Metacarpalfracture..." "Mrs. Kowalewska femoral cervix..." "Mrs. Kot, shank..." "That patient with the spine fracture needs immediate decompression." "Get the blood and the anaesthetists ready." "We're taking her in right away." "Go ahead." "How are you feeling today, gents?" "Mr. Gawronski?" "Yes, I have." " How are you feeling?" " Fine." " Ok." "But I feel pain at night." " Yes." " How are you?" " I'm fine." " How are you?" " I'm fine." "How are things, ladies?" " Have the stitches been taken out?" " They're out." "How are you, Stefania, our survivor..." "Happy?"