Terminated for Saving a Life

I broke protocol to save her life and now I'm facing termination. The patient was

coding. Attending was frozen. I grabbed the defibrillator without clearance. My hands shook but

I didn't hesitate. Clear. Shock delivered. Her heart restarted. The room erupted

but Dr. Chen pulled me aside immediately. You're not authorized for that procedure. I could lose everything

I've worked for. My co-intern won't even look at me now. Says I made us all

look reckless. But that woman is breathing because I acted. The hospital board

meets tomorrow to decide my fate. My attending wrote me up. My future hangs

by a thread. But here's what keeps me up at night. If I had followed the rules she'd