Midnight

5. Calling for Rain

I jolted upright in the bed. My heart racing and I could barely catch my breath. I looked over to my clock.

"Hot dammit! I'm late!" Here it was 0639 a.m, and I was due on the floor at 7am. Ethan's fucking with my alarm Friday had me all discombobulated. It was his damn fault that I was running late! I called my unit to make them aware, I would be a few minutes tardy. In actuality, I would be an hour tardy considering it was a 20-minute drive and I didn't plan on skipping my shower this morning. After detailing all the events of Friday to Lorissa, she flat ironed my hair to perfection. She seriously had it laid, flowing thick down my back like I was of Indian descent. It would only last a few days before it curled back up.

I hightailed it to work arriving on my unit at 0725am. I tossed Genesis a biscuit and sprinted inside the building after signing him that I'm late. He signed back I love you. At the desk I found April charting on the computer. She was always the chirper nurse. Medium length black hair and Clemson scrubs. The woman loved Clemson University.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, how was last night?" I grabbed a report sheet to waste no time so that she may leave. I felt bad that she had to stay over because of me.

"A night from hell! That full moon unquestionably played its part. I'm so happy to see you," April was always positive about everything, so if she said things were bad then they can only get worse.

"Two new admits last night, one from ICU the other from cardiac. Your cardiac patient is on 1200 fluid restrictions, and he's pushing his luck. His family has been coming up in here with water bottles. I told them Kennedy Mortuary was having a two for one sale on plots. I'm probably going to get reported but hell... these family members be killing their relatives. Then one girl had the nerve to ask me why his ankles were so swollen." She sassed. "He's due for catheterization at 8 this morning. Transport is in route. Oh, and Richard, in 411, has been dancing on his i.v. pole all night so it's been constantly alarming an occlusion."

"Is he prepped...the cath patient not Richard?" I jot down the overload of information she unloaded on me. Gearing me up for the fast-paced day. Randy barged into the nurse's station like a First 48 suspect.

"Baldwin heading this way-- heads up," he warned then blew me a kiss dipping back out to warn the other nurses on the floor to tighten up. April continued her report before we headed out to check the omnicell print out so she could finish charting and go home.

"Hide yo drinks! Hide your snacks!" Randy warned from station to station.

"April, What's this?" a small gold gift bag sat next to the keyboard on top of the desk attached was a notecard with my name on it.

"Oh, that's for you. That handsome gentlemen who held the in-service last Thursday came by around 0530 this morning and placed it there." She said as she handed it to me from behind the desk. I took it in my hand and read the handwritten note on the back of the card.

Every flower grows through dirt.

"Mediocre" my ass.

-E.N.

I decided to take the box and place it in my nursing bag. I'll open it later, I don't want anything interfering with my focus today.

"Good morning Ms. Jones, how are you this morning?" I glanced behind me to see The President of Carolina Memorial hospital, Dr. Baldwin speaking to me. He was away from his nice comfy office and was speaking to me. And he knows my name.

"I'm doing well, how about yourself, Dr. Baldwin?" I looked over to April at the desk, who was as surprised as I was. Maybe he knew about Genesis. Shit, I'm about to get fired. Anytime I do something different, something disastrous happens...and now my hair is straight...I'm getting fired. Mr. Baldwin was 73 years old and still in good shape. He was a slim guy with a head full of silky white hair. He actually puts me in the mind of Bill Nye the science guy. He wore brown dress pants with his lab coat that he kept buttoned to his neck. "How would you like to lead a tour at some of our sister facilities today? I've already made Susan aware, and she will be relieving you at any moment." He kinda asked but told me at the same time. Whew! I can breathe. He had me at, Susan will be relieving you. This will be entertaining. All she knows how to do is walk around, and criticize. I bet she shitted bricks hearing she had to work a cart.