Russian Roulette

I was sitting in the deserted hallway with Elias and Matt and I was updating them on my life.

“Is it going to have a Russian name?” Matt asks.

“You bet. But not one that they’ll get bullied for.”

“I’ve been practicing my Russian pickup lines for the wedding,” Elias says proudly.

“Oh yeah let me hear.”

“Привет вам нравится американского колбаса? (Hello, do you like American sausage?)” I snort loudly and water comes out of my nose. Elias starts laughing and Matt just sits there confused. My pager goes off and I leave and head towards Collin’s office.
I knock on the door and he tells me to take a seat.

“Dr. Eriksson, you said you wanted to chat?” he says while peering at me over his glasses.

“Ah yes. Well my fiancée is leaving to Russia for the summer and I was sort of hoping that I would be able to join him,” I say awkwardly.

“Oh I thought you were staying until September,” he replies.

“That was my original plan, but I’d really like to take my leave early. I’d be willing to go without pay for those extra months I take off, I just really want my job to be here when I get back.”

“I think we can make that work. Dr. Reid will be here until you get back anyway so you don’t have worry about someone filling your position.”

“Great thank-you so much,” I say relieved. I get up and get scrubbed in for a cervical fracture repair.

I get home late and the house is empty. Geno was on a road trip and I figured it was too late to call him. I crawl into bed and turn on my laptop. All of a sudden my phone starts buzzing so I answer it quickly.

“Zhenya?” I answer.

“Hi,” he replies.

“It’s late, shouldn’t you be asleep?” I ask him.

“Can’t sleep. What you doing?”

“Looking at baby names.”

“Which ones you like?”

“Alexander.”

“No way. Like Ovechkin? No,” he says adamantly and I laugh.

“Okay. Okay. I like Dominik for a boy. Alisa for a girl.”

“Not bad I guess.”

“Okay what do you like?”

“Dmitri.”

“I feel like that’s way too common in Russia.”

“Okay, Dominika for girl?” I mull the name over and realize I don’t hate it.

“We’ll put it on the maybe list.

“Yaroslav? He asks.

“Babe you have to remember they’re growing up in America,” I remind him.

“Nikolai for boy. Kseniya for girl?”

“I actually like both of those,” I say smiling into the phone. I look down at stomach and rub my hand over it. In a matter of months I’d finally get to meet he or she.

“I miss you,” I hear Geno say.

“I miss you too my Russian bear. I hate sleeping alone.”

“Not alone. You have Nikolai.”

“So you’ve decided it’s Nikolai?” I laugh.

“Da. Nik for short. Sound American.” He had a point there. I hear him yawn so I shut my laptop.

“G you should sleep,” I tell him.

“Okay. I love you Quinn. I see you soon,” he says sleepily.

“Night. I love you.” We end the phone call and I laydown. These next few months were going to be crazy. I had one month of residency left, then the wedding, then the baby. I close my eyes and think about what life will be like in a year.

“Happy last day of residency!” Elias yells at me a month later.

“Yeah you too,” I laugh.

“Sorry about the Penguins,” Matt says sadly. Boston had knocked them out in the third round and Geno was devastated but I reminded him we had an exciting summer coming up.

“Yeah it sucks but he’s young and healthy, he’ll have lots of chances to win the cup,” I reply. My pager goes off and I head to the O.R. to get scrubbed in and repair a torn rotator cuff tendon.
I scrub out and to the E.R where Cohen hands me a patient a file and x-rays. I go to the first bed and pull the curtain open and find a middle-aged couple waiting.

“Hi I’m Dr. Eriksson. Looks like you have quite a few breaks,” I tell the man.

“Yeah she slammed the car door on my hand,” he replies.

“It was an accident!” the wife exclaims. I sit down on the stool and grab his hand and start realigning his bones. “How far along are you?”
I look up and she’s smiling warmly.

“16 weeks,” I reply.

“Is it your first?”

“It is.”

“How exciting!” I can’t help but smile at her excitement. I splint the guy’s fingers and discharge him. It felt weird that my residency was ending. So many life-changing chapters were happening in my life and it was starting to feel overwhelming. I do my rounds then meet the guy’s at the nurse’s station.

“I can’t believe this is our last shift together,” I say sadly.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be a mom,” Elias says while staring at my stomach.

“I wonder what it’s going to look like,” I say while snacking on some pretzels.

“Watch it come out looking like Elias,” Matt laughs.

“Is it mine?” Elias asks shocked.

“What? Oh my god no. Shut up Matt,” I say while swatting him.

“Literally we don’t know. It could be like fifty different guys in Pitt. It could be Bobby’s,” Elias gasps. I angrily throw my pretzels at him.

“Will you guy’s stop. If this was yours, or Bobby’s or any other guy I slept with I would currently be around 30 weeks pregnant, not 16. This baby was the product of really great New Year’s sex,” I say smiling.

“Be sure to tell them that when they’re eighteen,” Matt smirks.

“When do you leave for Russia?” Elias asks.

“Tomorrow! Remember the wedding is next month,” I remind them.

“Are you kidding? It’s going to be the highlight of my year,” Elias smiles.

“Have you been planning it?” Matt asks.

“Hell no. Geno’s mom’s friend is a wedding planner and they’re planning everything for me. I just want to show up and get the job done as quickly as possible,” I reply.

“Well aren’t you romantic,” Matt says rolling his eyes.

I get up and do rounds again then head to the locker room where Elias and Matt are putting their coats on.

“We did it boys! Bring it in,” I say smiling. We group hug and stand there for a moment.

“Residency is done. Next stop, boards and then attending’s!” Elias exclaims. They both got offers from Collin’s to be attending’s here at the hospital if they passed their board’s so I was happy we would get to work together. I grab my keys and sweater and hug them both good-bye.

“Enjoy Russia,” Elias tells me.

“Yeah see you next month,” Matt adds.

“Bye guys,” I reply. I head to my car and head home to pack for our Russian adventure.

Notes