Rejected

Chapter One

His arms wrap around me as I flip the pancake. It sizzles when it lands safely back in the pan. I giggle as he whispers in my ear that he loves me. He unwinds himself from me and grabs the plates from the cupboard above the sink.

I dish out the pancakes and he snags a piece of bacon from the plate by the stove that I have been sweating over for the past twenty minutes. I let out a breath of air and turn off the burner. Filling the rest of the plate I quickly rinse off the pans and bowls used to cook breakfast.

"Thanks, baby." Daniel says, mumbling around his food. I sigh in content and drown my pancakes in syrup. As the food hits my tongue I fight back a moan. Damn, this food is good.

I see that Daniel has finished most of his plate and I hurry to beat him. He finishes as I shove the last bite in my mouth. Realizing what I was doing, his eyes widened and glanced at the sink. At the same time we jump up to rinse out plates. I shove him and he 'stumbles' into the wall. I laugh and start washing the dishes.

He sticks his tongue out at me. "Really, such a child." I chastise as I fling soapy water at his retreating form. Turning around quickly, he lunges out the doorway, but I was too fast. I wipe my wet hands on his face and he grabs me around the waist. "No, stop!" I shriek as he starts tickling me. I continue giggling until he relents.

"Well, I've gotta go to work, see you later." He says kissing my cheek after wiping the soap of his face. I smile and hug him. "See you later." I mumble into his dress shirt. He flings his jacket over his shoulder and grabs his suitcase. Before leaving he turns around and smiles before shutting the door behind him.

Daniel isn't my mate, but he might as well be. He has been there for me since we were kids. We would do everything together, we had each other's back, and it hasn't changed. Whatever decision I make he always stands behind it.

Same with me. After we got married two years ago, I gave up on my mate. I guess the Moon Goddess doesn't think I needed one. And she is right, I'm happy right where I am.

Finishing dishes, I get ready for work. I work at the nearby hospital. It's the only one for miles, so we get a lot of mother's bringing in their sons and daughters that have broken bones or sprained ankles. Simple things.

I am the receptionist, and I get paid a decent bit of money. But honestly, I don't do it for the money, it's for the satisfaction of knowing that I have played a role in helping people. Maybe not directly, but I have helped in such a way that I don't think that I could ever leave.

I yank my scrubs up and rush out the door. Don't want to be late, today we get a new employee, I can't wait!e being me, I can't help but turn on the radio as soon as I get in the old beat up Ford. I love this thing, it was my grandpa's before he died, he left it to me in his will. I've had it ever since, that was seven years ago.

Unwanted tears come to my eyes but I push them back. I love him, but the time for grieving is over, he wouldn't want me crying over him, now would he? I turn the key and the engine rumbles to life.

"...bad thunderstorms today, maybe some possible f-" static cuts off the weather man and I sigh, not that I particularly like listening to the weather. Switching it to the next station, a song I've never heard of comes on. I hum to the mindless tune that repeats itself as I drive down the nearly empty roads. People have just begun to wake up.

I pull into the hospital parking lot and gaze up at the five story building. Florescent lights seep through the fog as I walk through the automatic doors. I used to have this fear as a child that they would shut on me, I would visualize it as I walked through the doors. I've gotten over it now, but it still makes me pause sometimes.

The hospital is barely alive, few nurses roam the halls at this time of day. We rarely ever get people this early in the morning, I mean who wants to get up at three in the morning and go on a walk in a deserted street that is encased in fog? Anyways, Jamie, the only nurse that has enough energy to literally be bouncing as she walks through these halls has a huge smile on her face.

I don't know where she gets it from. I chuckle as she comes towards me.

"Ahhh, Calina, your here, the new girl is in the break room getting coffee! She likes seven creamers, and five sugars in her coffee. She is really nice though, you'll like her!" She says, already walking towards the room. "Thanks!" I say with as much as enthusiasm as I can muster. Work has already tired me out.

I push open the light door, and stop. She is really pretty, I mean, more than pretty, high cheek bones, pointed jaw, but soft features, thin eyebrows, piercing blue eyes. My gray eyes pale in comparison. I sigh, I hope she really is as nice as Jamie said.

"Um, hi, my name is Calina, what's yours?" I tentatively ask, not wanting to make this new girl mad.

She smiles and I immediately relax, "Savannah. Calina, such a pretty name for an even prettier face." I blush. "Thank you." I say back, pleased by the fact that she called me pretty when she has a face like that. "CALINA!" Linda shouts from down the hallway. "I've got to go." I say, awkwardly. She nods and waves goodbye. Well that was weird.

I rush to Linda's side and immediatly feel a tremor. "What was that?" I ask, suddenly worried. "Oh, that. Just a minor earthquake, nothing to worry about. I need help with the girl in room...236. Could you check on her for me?" I nod, my thoughts on the earthquake. It didn't rattle the pictures on the wall, but I still felt it. Shaken I walk to... Darlene's room. Yes, that's her name.

I open the door and am immediately met with the smell of vomit. No matter how many times I have to clean it up, I never get used to the smell. Cringing as I grab cleaning supplies from the cabinet in the back of the room, I rush to her side as she starts moaning and holding her stomach. "Hon, are you okay?" I ask her, using my "mother's" voice, as everyone else calls it.

"Nooo, my stomach hurts." She grinds out. Tears leaking from the corner of the eyes. I rush to the cabinet by the door and grab some medicine from the top drawer.

"Here, take this." I say, handing her a glass of water and two pills. She gulps down the water and I hurry to refill the styrofoam container. I hand it to her as I pull on gloves. Don't want to get my hands dirty. I quickly clean up the vomit, scrubbing until I am satisfied with the cleanliness of the floor. I make sure to wipe down the surrounding items as well.

The earth shakes again and this time the entire building shakes. What was that? I shake myself out of my fear induced shock and begin walking when another tremor shakes my world, and this time it doesn't stop.

Walls crumble around me as I run back to her room. I grab her arms trying as hard as I can to get her too the nearest exit. Her weight is fully resting on me and I just hope that the other nurses thought of everyone else. I  manage to half drag her, half carry her to the door, but that's when the ceiling crashes down. I throw myself over her slight body and pray to God that we survive this.