nurse: a short story

february 2, 10:14 AM

I'm in the hospital today. I wasn't feeling too great these last few days. I was sure it was a nasty cold up until this morning when all of a sudden I started coughing and wheezing like crazy. I couldn't breathe and it felt like I was going to hack up my lungs. I called my parents and told them what was going on, and they picked me up at my flat and drove me to the hospital. Turns out I've got pneumonia. Now I'm in a cot with comfy white covers and a bunch of contraptions hooked up to me. I didn't have time to grab a journal or anything to entertain me here, so my dad picked me up a notepad to write on from the hospital gift shop. I think I'm going to have a great time. 

Signed, Jules Beckham

~

february 2, 10:36 AM

My nurse is quite nice. He looks about my age but he's way taller than me. His name is Sean Sutton, well at least that's what it said on his name tag, and he's witty and kind. As I was sitting in my cot just dying of boredom, he popped his head in the door and asked, "Are you Juliet Beckham?" I started coughing, but I managed to croak, "That's me." He walked in, closed the door behind him and plopped down in the chair near my bed. "I heard you've got pneumonia. Pretty bad, huh?" he said, looking over the papers on his clipboard. I nodded, still wheezing. 

"Yeah, it's been going around lately. I'm sorry you feel bad. We're gonna do everything in our power to make you feel better, kay? We've got you on some meds that should soothe your symptoms, but that may take a little while to kick in. If everything works out, we'll have you outta here in two days tops. I know being trapped in this place sucks, but just bear with me, Juliet," he said. "Thanks," I rasped. "But, you can call me Jules. I don't really like my full name." 

The nurse got up and started towards the door, but he looked back at me with a smirk and said, "Okay, Jules. Then you can call me Sean." Woah. Okay.

-Jules 

~

february 3, 2:05 PM

Sean came to check on me today, and he walked in on me hiding in a fort of pillows and blankets. "You in there, Jules?" he asked. I didn't answer. "What are you doing in there?" he asked again, looking for me beneath the bundle of linens. "Fight me," I said, trying to sound tough. 

Sean moved some of the pillows so he could see me and said, "Maybe later." 

He's really good looking. Like, really  good looking. But classy. And nice. And funny. And just cool.

I should probably stop. 

-just me

~

february 4, 9:30 AM

I'm gonna be here for a while, so I asked one of my friends to bring me my laptop and some things to keep me entertained. And Sean has been keeping me company too. Today he came into my room to check on my vitals and, naturally, I asked him for coffee. He said it wouldn't be good for me to have all that caffeine while I'm so sick (boo him). I told him to fight me again, and he said, "I'm not going to fight you because I know you'd win." What's that supposed to mean, dude??

-Jules

~

february 4, 7:20 PM

I built another pillow fort today. I hid myself away with my laptop and watched Netflix under the covers. Then Sean came in with two mugs of coffee in hand. "I smuggled you some coffee from the staff room," he said, and sat down in the fort with me. We sipped our coffee and watched TV shows and movies together. Turns out he likes Sherlock too. I applauded him on his great taste in television. 

-Me

~

february 5, 10:00 AM

I'm leaving the hospital today. I'm not feeling 100%, but being there definitely helped and with some antibiotics and cough medicine I should be all good in a few days. When I was packing up my stuff from the hospital room and putting back all the pillows and blankets from my fort, I found a cup of coffee from the gift shop on the bedside table. On the side of the cup was a phone number and a note that said,

fight me?

-Sean

I guess I charmed him with my drool, uncontrollable coughing, and lungs full of nasty fluid. How that happened, I have no idea. But I'll see how it goes. 

Signed, Jules