Fix You

Helpful Hands

Laura's POV:
Everyday held a new form of challenge. It's been over a week since I started and I still hadn't gotten the hang of things. Perry was struggling with the workload as well but Dr. Lafontaine seemed to be much help to her. I couldn't complain, they made her happy and from the look of Laf's face when they were together, Perry made them happy too.

It was Wednesday which meant the patients gathered, or more like separated into their own groups, in the activity hall while the nurses looked through each room for safety purposes and cleaned up while they could. The hospital had 3 sections but for some reason Laf liked putting me in Section A. It was known to be the area the aggressive patients were kept in, which scared me at first but most of the patients I met were calm and actually really nice. The other nurses told me not to be fooled and to always keep my guard up because they could snap at any minute.

I walk into the familiar room from my first day with determination to change that patient's bed. When I close the door behind me I jump to see the raven haired girl laying down with a book held in front of her.

"Hey cupcake," she says without looking up from her book. I clear my throat before responding.

"Shouldn't you be in the activity room? And it's Laura." Realizing I was giving the patient more information than I was supposed to I shake my head and take it back.
"I mean, nurse Hollis to you."

"I like the first option better," she sighs,"just ignore me" the girl waves her hand for me to continue with whatever I was doing.

"Well it's not an option, and I guess I have no other choice but to ignore you."

"Whatever lucy."

"Laura."

"So you really do prefer I call you by your first name?" The girl puts her book down and smiles at me amused.

I roll my eyes,
"It's unprofessional and no I don't."

"Calm down Lauren I'm a 'crazy rabid mental' patient remember?" She teases before showing a sly smile and laying back to stare at the ceiling.

Before I could correct her again the beep signaling patients to return to their rooms goes off over the speaker.

"Guess you missed your chance cupcake,"

Her obsessive use of nicknames made me think that's why she was stuck here.
"Thanks a lot, um." Through out this whole conversation I didn't even realize I never receive the girls name.

"Carmilla." She says sitting up with her legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"Right. Well, thanks."

"Any time cupcake."

"Hollis." I correct her annoyed now.

"Whatever," you could practically hear the teasing in Carmilla's voice, but I choose to ignore it.

- - - - -

Taking the blood pressure of a patient who isn't fond of being touched was going to be a risky thing. The nurse warned me that she could get aggressive so I planned on coming out of this with a bruise in some way.

"I'm going to have to put this cuff on you Mrs. Jill, please hold still."

The girl flinches and scoots her chair back shaking her head. I couldn't force her to let me take her blood pressure but I didn't want to look like a failure to the other nurses.

"Please? I promise I'll be gentle." I place my hand out but the patient ignores me and looks out the window. I let out a sigh in defeat when I hear a small knock against the propped open door.

"A little pointer lucy," I turn to see Carmilla standing at the door with an amused face, "She'll let you touch her if she's distracted with her blanket." The raven haired girl points over to a blanket on the patients bed. When I turn back around to thank Carmilla she was gone. I shrug and give it a try, what else do I have to lose?

"That's a beautiful blanket ma'am, could you tell me about it?"

"Surely!" The girl grabs her blanket and starts explaining the stitching. As she explains it to me I work my way closer to her until she finally agrees to allow me to take her blood pressure.

I guess I owe Carmilla for the helpful tip.

- - - - -

I didn't see the raven haired girl the rest of my shift and I wasn't sure if I was thankful or not. I don't even understand why I was thinking about her, but she seemed to pop up when I needed help the most. I chose to ignore it as I usually did, she was a patient after all, but my curiosity of her case was overpowering my mind.

"You okay Laura?" Perry says nudging my shoulder as we walk out of the hospital to my car.

"What? Yeah I'm okay." I say trying to shrug off my busy day, "just a little tired."

"I'm sorry I can't be around to help you much." She frowns, "Maybe I can talk to Laf and see if I can-"

"No no, it's okay, I don't want to intrude on your little 'learning sessions'," I tease her while unlocking my car to place my bag in.

"Learning sessions?" Perry raises an eyebrow while placing her bag in the back passengers seat with mine.

"Yup, you know, Laf 'teaching you the ropes'.....Everyday." We both get into my car and Perry places a playful hit on my shoulder.

"Laura Hollis if you're implying that I have a thing for Laf-"

"Per," I give her a knowing stare as she purses her lips in denial.

"You're wrong." She says crossing her arms agaisnt her chest.

"Whatever you say." I laugh before starting my car and taking the long way to our apartment. Me and Perry had shared an apartment since we got out of high school, it helped a lot to have a roommate who preferred everything nice, clean, and organized. I never lost a thing in our apartment.

After a long drive full of stories about our patients we finally make it home. Perry's unit seemed a lot more calm than mine with her patients being more cooperative. She told me a few stories about Lafontaines experiences with the many patients and they taught her how to handle different situations in case things went wrong. I guess I was going to have to learn those skills on my own.  I don't know why a sudden thought came to mind.

"Do you know anything about a patient named Carmilla?"

"Dear, you know we're not supposed to speak the patients names outside the hospital."

Of course, why didn't I remember that.

"I'm sorry it's just.. she's strange and I thought.. Maybe Lafontaine had told you a story or some sort of pointer on her."

Perry raises a curious eyebrow and I feel uneasy under her gaze.

"What?"

"Why do you want to know about this one specific patient?"

Speechless.

In all honesty, I didn't know what to say to her. Why was I asking about Carmilla? My curiosity was always one to get me in trouble, but I never voiced it so easily.

"I um.. I just haven't had her assigned to me yet and I wanted to know... if I need to take, precautions?" I say, more like ask, to Perry.

"That's what the file is for silly." Perry laughs causing a sigh of relief from me. We both grab our bags and head inside.

I didn't understand why my curiosity was eating at me so much. There was no reason for it to, especially over one patient. Maybe it was just the fact I still hadn't had her assigned to me.. or maybe it was something else..

Whatever it was, it was not worth losing sleep over.

I say my goodnight to Perry before turning in, not losing a wink of sleep after another stressful day.