Mesmerized

uno.

I showed up two hours early to work for no good reason; well no, I had a reason. I was avoiding all the problems in my personal life by covering other people's shifts; I needed the money just as much as I needed the distraction. I couldn't complain, my job was as amazing as it was demanding; it was probably the only thing that I loved.

Many people who knew me found my chosen profession to be odd, considering that I wasn't generally a people person. What they failed to understand was that being a nurse and being someone's best friend weren't the same thing; I liked to care for people who couldn't care for themselves but I didn't have any interest in being someone's shoulder to cry on if I could help it.

"Nurse Santos, this is your last shift for the week. After today, I don't want to see your face again until next week!" The charge nurse and the bane of my very existence seethed as I approached the nurses' station. The hospital had decided on a three day maximum policy for ER nurses but barely anyone took it seriously.

I chuckled and nodded, "I hear you Nurse Tyler. You won't see me again until next Wednesday." I saluted her which caused her to roll her eyes at me.

"You're too much Arinze." Nurse Tyler shook her head before returning to her charts.

The doors of the emergency room burst open before I could reply to her and I immediately ran towards the chaos. My heart pounded in my ears as doctors barked orders in different directions, over time I'd learned how to listen through the noise for what was important; adult male firefighter, second degree burns and minor lacerations. Small child, believed to be about three or four years old with a major head laceration, seemed to have been shielded by the male.

"Santos, I need you to clean his wounds! Mahdi is a tough one so I'm sure that he'll insist that he's fine but do not let him out of your sight, you hear me Santos? He took a blow to the head when the wall collapsed on them." Dr Hoffman, an older yet very good looking doctor shouted in my direction.

"I got it!" I replied as I followed the gurney to one of the trauma rooms. This was what I loved; the noise, the people running in thirty different directions; it challenged me to stay focused amidst chaos and I quickly became addicted to it.

A surgical intern and I took our time to clean the man's wounds, he gritted his teeth through it all. Truthfully, some of his burns seemed to be bordering third degree ones and I knew how much it must have hurt him.

"Do you want something for the pain?" The intern asked because I wouldn't; I'd developed a sixth sense for the 'heroes', the ones who could take the pain and wouldn't accept painkillers unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Nah, I'd prefer to keep a clear mind, might even head back to work after I check on the little girl." The man said calmly, I smirked to myself at that; I knew my shit.

The intern chuckled, "Okay man, you're a tough one. Can you handle the rest on your own Santos? I'm gonna schedule him for a CT scan."

I nodded a yes and he disappeared through the door. I sat silently and continued my work, being as careful as possible; he may have been a tough guy but I could have caused him even more pain if I didn't do my job correctly.

"Santos, you Hispanic?" The man asked after a long period of silent bliss. Oh great, I thought to myself, tough guy was a talker. I supposed that to an ignorant few my last name didn't fit me.

I paused and looked at him, he was cute but I wasn't sure that I had time for heroes. "Sure am." 

"Nice, I'm Mahdi by the way." His deep voice mumbled as he outstretched his uninjured hand for me to shake.

I rolled my eyes but obliged him, "Nurse Santos, you mind if I get back to patching you up hero?" I tried my best to remove the sarcastic tone from my voice.

Mahdi chuckled and nodded, I sighed in relief. Small talk wasn't my thing, I just wanted to do my job and then move on to the next patient. I eventually finished up, just in time for the hero to be wheeled out to CT. I shook my head as he winked at me and hoped that I would never see him again.

Six hours later I was beginning to feel the effects of my unusually long week; I hadn't slept much and I was starting to drag. I decided to take my break and made a beeline for the cafeteria where I bought myself a black coffee. I took in the aroma with a smile on my face but it was yanked out of my hand before I could take a single sip.

"Go home Arinze, you don't need no damn coffee." Nurse Tyler chided in her usual motherly tone.

I was too tired to argue and knew that the consequences would be far worse if I tried to get my way with her. I simply nodded and went to get my stuff, it was only ten at night which was early for me; I had been at the same hospital through nurse strikes, layoffs and all around budget cuts and had become used to working a ridiculous amount of hours at once but I never minded. After all, what was I going home to? Texts from friends begging me to go out, missed calls from my family asking me to visit more and a never ending pile of bills. No, I preferred to work; at least that had a clear purpose.

"Need a ride Nurse Santos?" A deep voice asked as soon as I walked through the hospital's doors.

I sucked my teeth, "Shouldn't you be laying in a bed in there?"

"They cleared me, I was just sticking around to hear how the little girl was doing. She's fine by the way." Mahdi added as he approached me.

"Hold up, you came in on an ambulance. How could you give me a ride?" I asked him, completely ignoring his statement.

Mahdi chuckled, "I got someone to drop my car off Nurse Santos, I don't like public transportation." He explained as he began to walk towards me again.

I stepped back, "I'm gonna get the train. You're gonna be a problem aren't you?" I asked as I walked away from him.

"It depends on your definition of the word Santos! I'll see you around pretty lady!" Mahdi shouted after me.

I rolled my eyes, "Don't count on it." I muttered under my breath before sticking my earbuds in.

Poor guy, if only he knew how I would chew him up and spit him out with no remorse. That was the problem with people though; they looked at me and decided who I was and what I needed but they were rarely ever correct. One could argue that he was just being nice, I didn't need that either; I wasn't some damsel in distress who needed to be saved or protected. If anything I was being safe, I knew the streets and the trains better than I knew him and his car. I hoped to never see Mahdi the Hero again. If only I could've been so lucky.