Treasured Oak

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

- "Hey, Sakura.... Sakura?....... Hey wake up!" -

- "Ugh! Hey... no need to shout..." -

- "Well, you should answer on the first call. Your superior is calling for you." -

- "And what may this all-mighty superior want of me?" -

- "Hey! Stop being so dramatic!" - a smack could be heard as a pile of paperwork that could kill many needed hours of sleep landed on the wooden desk. - "I just need you to look over these before you go home." -

- "Seriously? I just filed all the months cases on the computer, and I am supposed to be off in one hour." - her pleading eyes looked into those dark pupils only to find heavy bags under them and a thin line of stress above her brow bone. - "Ok... Sorry Yume... I will work on them. I get paid for overtime anyways." -

- "That is more like it. You will get used to this one day." - her smile lines married her tired face before sympathy took over. - "This is just another perk from working at the Emergency Department... we are needed all the time." - and with that, the tall woman dressed in dark blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat left the small makeshift office/nap room.

- "Stupid paperwork." - she muttered to herself.

The weekends would always be her worst time of the week. If you thought Monday was bad, imagine hundreds of working-class citizens and their entire families crowding the Urgent Care Units and Emergency Departments after Friday night's shenanigans.

Drunk bar escapades, family trips gone wrong, sports events with accidents, hell... even bad drivers thrived during the end of the week before causing accidents from bad turns to "I just borrowed daddy's car for a ride" kind of excuse.

But, nonetheless. Sakura was a hard worker, and she would prove it every working hour... even after. Seminars, courses, extra classes, and everything she could get her hands on, as long as there was a paper with her name on it and an institute to back her up whenever she was asked about her capabilities as a medical professional.

The consequence. No life.

No friends, but she told herself she did not need any. No dates, she was not hoping for romance any time soon. No time for herself, she lived and breathed her work.

- "One day... it will all be worth it." -

But there was no reassuring hand on her shoulder to hold on to, no warm meals to encourage her to continue even if it's hard. There was no one nagging at her to rest and enjoy her life.

No, none of that.

Maybe her sister will ask her to join her group in a night out or breakfast filled with caffeine and donuts.

Her parents would call or text once in a while, but she rather not them too much.

Once the last slip of paper left her eyes and took place on the top of the completed stack, she was spent. Stretching her arms as high as they could go, turning her neck until the crack of her spine made her moan in delight.

It was time to clock out and go home. - "Finally!" – she cooed.

Her footsteps echoed in the hallways joined by the many beeps and small chatter of both machines and people in the department.

- "Sakura don't forget to come in early tomorrow. The game will start, and we always get full house!" - shouted one nurse from behind the front desk while she held a phone and wrote on some files.

- "Don't worry. I am never late." - the pinket smiled back.

The cold rush of outside city air hit her harder than she expected, stopping her. - "Dam, what is with this weather?" - opening her phone, she noticed the time and a little grey could icon on her weather app. - "Ah... it will rain soon." - as dark as it was, the night sky hid the true realities of the upcoming rain.