Wounded

Chapter 2....

I was in a deep sleep, dreaming about binge-watching shows and eating as much junk as I could, when my stupid alarm started blaring. I groaned, pulling my duvet over my head. Why I took Julie's late-night shift, I don't know. If I hadn't, I would have been able to sleep for more than five hours. I was more than tempted to call in sick for my two o'clock shift, but I knew I couldn't. It was the only shift before the weekend.

My alarm kept going off, but I let it. I can lie here for a few more minutes. The moment I was up I would be busy, so I might as well treasure this moment for a bit longer. When the sound of my alarm became annoying, I grudgingly brought my hand out of my covers to slap the snooze button.

Flipping the duvet off my face I huffed, opening my eyes and staring up at the ceiling. I was now really wondering why I chose this career. Long days, long nights, no sleep, no time to eat. As much as I liked to complain about my job, I loved working at the hospital. Once my residency is up in two years, I will definitely be staying at the Legacy Medical Center.

I worked in the care facility part of the hospital. After someone comes out of surgery or even the ICU, I am one of the nurses who goes around making sure everyone is comfortable and okay. Although, I do help out in the ER if they are short on nurses.

Knowing I had to be at the hospital soon, I groaned loudly. Flinging the covers off, I got out of my warm, comfortable bed. With the clock having just struck one p.m., I had plenty of time to get up and get ready. I only had to put on scrubs, which made getting ready that much easier.

Because this morning I came right home and passed out, I went to take a shower. The entire time I showered and washed my hair, I thought about my plans for the weekend. I was going to go all out...stay home and order take out, while watching TV. It sounded like heaven.

I was beyond exhausted. Having only gotten around twelve hours of sleep the entire week, I was more than ready to just spend a whole weekend in my apartment, doing absolutely nothing. I just had to get through today's shift and I would be free.

With that thought in mind, I quickly ate my breakfast and got changed. I piled my long brown hair up in a tight ponytail, and added just enough concealer to hide the big bags under my eyes. My green eyes looked tired and dull; they'd looked that way for years. I looked worse than a zombie. If you value your sleep, being in the medical field is definitely not the place for you.

Before I left my walk-up apartment, I grabbed an umbrella. As soon as I opened the door, I was met with pouring rain. The umbrella was a good idea. Living in Portland, Oregon, you get used to it raining on and off at least once a day. At first, I was annoyed by it raining suddenly, only for it to be sunshine the next second. But over the years, I have come to cherish the little bit of sunlight and even the light rain.

I moved to Portland for college eight years ago. I came from a small town about an hour away, so it wasn't too much of a move for me. I wanted to stay close to my family, so if they needed anything, it wouldn't take me too long to get home. While Portland University wasn't my first option, it turned out to be the best thing for me.

What college I really wanted and even got accepted into was the University of Oregon. I accepted the scholarship and admission, but things changed. My old boyfriend, Brett Perkins, decided to join the Marine Corps, instead of accepting his football scholarship to play for the Oregon Ducks. Because of that, I decided to go to Portland instead; it made things easier.

If Brett hadn't gone into the Marines and I had gone with him to a different college, things would have been different. Many things would be different today, but no, he had to go and do the "right" thing by serving our country. As you can tell, even after all these years, I was still upset about it. He is one of the reasons I have not seriously dated in eight years.

I shook my head at the thought of my ex-boyfriend. It would do me no good to think about him; it would only upset as it always did. Things were different now; I was different. I moved on, and for all I know, Brett could be dead. I couldn't let myself think of such things. Not when I was pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. Starting my shift in a bad mood would only make the day go by slower.

Once I parked my car and turned it off, I took a deep breath. No thoughts of my ex nor the rain could ruin my happiness for a blissful weekend. No, I was going to go in there, do my shift, and then go home to get in my comfy 'PJs.

Nodding to myself, I got out of the car and headed for the entrance, praying this shift went by fast.