Sparks

I.

"Luna, I told you to stop coming here so late."

I rolled my eyes at my mother. She always complained when our time got cut short. I know she was worried about me leaving her house so late because she lives in what most would call a bad part of Atlanta. But in my mind I wasn't worried I lived here for years until I graduated college with my bachelors of nursing degree and got my job at Piedmont Hospital two years ago.

"Ma, we always have this conversation. If you don't want me to be in this neighborhood at night then take my offer to live with me," I said with a sweet smile, "That way neither of us will be in this neighborhood."

She shook her head moving her eyes from mine to the picture of my dad that she kept on the coffee table. Her eyes glossed over but she caught herself.

"No, I want to stay in my house. This is the last place your daddy was, I want to stay with him."

Even though I want her to move out of this neighborhood,I understand that she doesn't want to leave her husband, my daddy. My daddy died a few months before my college graduation. He was at the gas station when some young boys decided to rob the clerk. He tried to be a hero which resulted in one of the boys getting scared and shooting him point blank. Nurses and doctors tried everything but it was useless, he didn't have a chance.

After kissing my mom's cheek, I let her know that I was going to leave so I wouldn't be late and promised to let her know when I got there.

Walking outside I took in the environment around me. It was 7pm and the sun was setting. I could still hear the kids playing in the streets and the adults having their unsavory conversations that no one really wanted to hear.

********

Once I got settled in for my shift, I got my list of patients and started to make my rounds to introduce myself and check on them.

The last room I walked into had an abundance of laughter coming out of it. Guests didn't really bother me as long as they didn't get in the way of my job. If they did there was always security to come kick them out.

"Hey," I shouted in after knocking lightly on the door, "Is it alright if I come in?"

I went in after hearing the various okays emanating from the room.

"My name is Luna and I'll be your nurse tonight." Turning away from them I wrote my name, contact number and the time on the dry erase board on the wall opposite of the bed. "How are your feeling, Mr. Shaw? Any pain or discomfort I need to know about?" Approaching his bedside the two men that stood in my way moved to the opposite side with the two men visiting my patient. I glanced at them offering them a smile then back down at the man lying in the bed. "I'm ready to go home and get in my own bed," he said with a deep smile, "But I guess sneaking me out of here is out of the question."

"You guessed right, Mr. Shaw. Is there anything else I can do for you though?"

His face frowned up as he started thinking. "Call me Mike, I hate being called by my last name. But my ribs are killing me. Can we do anything about that?"

Most of my younger patients didn't like the whole Mr and Mrs thing which I understood. Whatever they wanted that was reasonable is what they got. My bedside manner was better than a lot of the girls I worked with besides my best friend, Loren.

"Sure thing," I mumbled checking his injuries.

He was t-boned by a truck a few days ago. Luckily he only had two bruised ribs, a sprained ankle and a mild concussion.