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  “You have finals tomorrow,” she said, breaking the silence.

  “You start a new job,” Austin added.

  “We should probably say goodnight,” Julie said, surprised to hear the reluctance in her voice.

  “Can I walk you to your room?” Austin asked.

  “Sure,” Julie smiled.

  Upstairs, Julie unlocked her door and opened it. She entered and turned to face Austin. Down the hall another door opened, An elderly gentleman shuffled out of another room, carrying an ice bucket. The ice machine was at the end of the long hallway. The man began the slow, arduous walk towards it. “Why don’t you come in for a minute,” Julie suggested to Austin. She knew the man would be in the hallway for a long time and felt awkward saying goodnight to Austin with a potential audience. Austin stepped inside and Julie closed the door.

  “How long you think it’s gonna take him?” Austin kidded.

  “Oh, stop. You’ll be that old someday,” she reminded him. Julie looked at Austin. “I had a really good time today,” she said, “Thanks for spending your whole day showing me around,” she said.

  “You’re welcome, it was my pleasure,” Austin said with a bow.

  Julie laughed, “You better get going, silly,” she said.

  “Can next time be after you get off work tomorrow?” Austin asked.

  Being this close to him, Julie was having a hard time keeping him at a distance. “Probably,” she said, “Let me see how tired I am,” she finished, not wanting to commit to anything definite.

  “Okay, we’ll see how you feel,” he said. Julie knew the moment was coming. She reminded herself to stay in control of her own hormones as Austin moved closer to her.

  “I really like you,” Austin all but whispered as his lips touched hers for the second time that day. The kiss was gentle, but Julie still felt a rush of heat course through her. Austin pulled back slowly, but Julie wasn’t ready for the moment to end just yet. She tilted her head and re-closed the gap that had begun to open, reconnecting her lips to his. Austin responded by pulling her closer. His hands reached for her face. Julie placed her hands on his hips as the kiss deepened. She never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Austin right then. The kiss broke once again, but their bodies remained connected. Austin’s breathlessness matched her own. The momentary increase in oxygen helped clear her head, slightly.

  “Finals. Work,” was all she could say.

  “Yeah,” was Austin’s one word reply. Julie rested her head on his chest. Austin’s arms wrapped her up comfortably as both waited for their heartbeats to resume a normal rhythm.

  “Think he made it back yet?” Austin asked, and Julie burst into laughter. She knew he was referring to the older gentleman.

  Julie playfully punched his shoulder, “You’re so bad,” Julie stepped out of his embrace and smiled. “You better go,”

  “Tomorrow,” he said. Julie opened the door for him.

  “Good night,” she said.

  “Sweet dreams,” he wished and walked out the door.

  Julie closed it behind him. “Nothing but sweet dreams,” she said softly to herself.

  She walked over to the bed and sat down, reflecting on the day. She hoped everything would go well tomorrow at the hospital. She really liked it here. The town, the people. Austin. “Time for bed,” she said to get herself moving. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow, one that would mean big changes one way or another. She readied herself for bed and, after setting the alarm, curled comfortably under the covers. She went seeking the sweet dreams that Austin had wished her.

  Chapter Three—First Day on the Job

  Julie awoke at 7 A.M. feeling well rested. She decided to dress in jeans and a t-shirt and carried her uniform in a small bag to change into. She was down in the lobby by 7:45 A.M., ready to take the walk to the hospital. She stepped outside, but moved no further than the overhang that covered the hotel entrance. The rain was coming down in buckets. “Crap,” Julie exclaimed. She was going to need transportation. She went back into the hotel and went to the front desk. Patricia was on duty.

  “Good morning, Patricia,” Julie greeted.

  “Good morning Miss Miller,” Patricia returned.

  “I was wondering if you could call me a cab,” Julie asked.

  “Certainly, Miss Miller. It will probably take about fifteen minutes,” the clerk explained.

  “No problem,” Julie accepted.

  She decided to take a seat and wait for her ride. There was a small seating area, so Julie took a seat opposite a man whose face was obscured by the morning newspaper. “There’s coffee and bagels over on that table,” a voice from behind the newspaper addressed her, “if you’re hungry,” the man finished, then poked his head around and smiled. He looked to be somewhere in his early forties, graying at the temples and wearing jeans and a light colored blazer.

  “Thank you,” Julie replied, but made no move to help herself to any.

  “You know what they say,” the man continued his conversation, “breakfast is the most important part of the day.”

  “So I’ve heard,” Julie answered. She was not in a talkative mood, her mind was focused on what she wanted to accomplish that day.

  The man folded his newspaper and placed it onto the table next to the chair he was sitting in, before standing up. “We’ll I’m certainly going to partake in some. Sure I can’t get you anything, Miss…” The man asked, expecting Julie to fill in her name.

  “No, thank you,” was all Julie replied. The man did not give off good vibes, and Julie was not about to provide him with any information. She didn’t recognize him, but something about him made her uneasy.

  “Suit yourself,” the man said and made his way over to the food.

  “Miss Miller, your cab is here,” Patricia called over to her.

  “Thank you,” Julie answered back and walked out the door to an awaiting cab, unaware of the man’s eyes following her all the way.

  The cab driver met her at the awning with an umbrella and escorted her to her seat. Nice touch, Julie thought. “Where to, ma’am?” the driver asked once he was back behind the wheel.

  “Smyth County Community Hospital, please,” Julie requested.

  “Hospital it is,” the driver said and put the cab in gear. Thankfully, this driver was not a talkative one, and they made the 10 minute journey in relative silence. They pulled up to the hospital. “That’ll be eight dollars,” the driver said. Julie passed a ten dollar bill up to him.

  “Thank you,” she said, and opened the cab door. She was underneath the hospital’s overhang, and easily made it into the building nice and dry.

  She was early. She didn’t have to be in Kathy’s office for another 45 minutes. There was no one at the courtesy desk, so Julie looked at the hospital directory located near the elevators. The cafeteria was listed as being on the third floor. She caught the next elevator up to that floor and quickly spotted the cafeteria. It was a busy area, with doctors, nurses, and orderlies all milling about at tables or in line getting food. Julie immediately felt a sense of belonging. She got into line behind a man in what appeared to be an orderly uniform and waited her turn.

  The line moved quickly. The kitchen staff seemed to be in tune with the fast pace required in a hospital setting. “What can I get for you, my dear?” the woman behind the counter asked Julie.

  “A plain toasted bagel with butter and a small orange juice, please,” Julie requested. As she gave her order, she noticed the man in front of her turn to look at her. He looked more like a boy than a man.

  “Hi,” he said, smiling when she glanced his way. Julie gave a quick return smile before looking away. “Are you visiting someone?” he asked her.

  “Yes, and no,” Julie replied, and for some reason this bought an even bigger smile to the boy’s face.

  “Cryptic, I like that,” he said.

  “Neal, quit bothering the young lady and take your food,” the woman behind the counter admonished him.

&n
bsp; “Spoil sport,” Neal replied to her, but took his food and moved on.

  She handed Julie her food next. “Don’t mind him, sweetie. He’s like a puppy; harmless. If you give him attention, though, he’ll follow you around all day long,” she advised.

  “Thanks for the warning.” Julie laughed. She picked up an apple before heading to the cashier to pay for her food. She found an out of the way, partially obscured table, and sat down.

  As soon as she had taken the food off the carrying tray, Neal sat down next to her. “I wasn’t going to let you get away that easily,” he said.

  “Neal, go sit somewhere else. You’re gonna scare her off before she even starts,” Joy said, sitting down with her breakfast.

  “You’re gonna be working here, nice!” Neal grinned. Julie was so glad to see a friendly face. Neal’s persistence was past the verge of annoyance.

  “Hi Joy,” Julie said.

  “Hi kiddo. So what’s the verdict? I haven’t seen Kathy yet this morning.” Joy asked.

  “She said I am gonna start with you, so you can evaluate my skills,” Julie said.

  “Yes!” Neal exclaimed.

  “Neal, GO!” Joy said, more firmly. Neal finally left, but Julie knew that wouldn’t be the last of him. “Don’t worry. We have a full day today, so he won’t have time to annoy you… much,” Joy promised. The cafeteria was starting to clear out as the clock moved closer to nine. Julie quickly downed a few bites of her bagel and drank her orange juice on the way to the elevator. “See you in a few,” Joy said, heading up to the fifth floor.

  Julie walked down the hallway. Kathy’s office was on the same floor as the cafeteria. Julie was about to knock on the door when a voice called from behind her. “I’m here, I’m here,” Kathy said. She carried a cup of coffee in one hand, and a half eaten cinnamon bun in the other, as she rushed down the hallway.

  “I’m always chasing my tail,” Kathy said. She looked at a loss on how to juggle things to unlock her office.

  “Can I hold something for you? Julie asked. Kathy started to hand her the half eaten bun, then thought better of it, and handed her the coffee instead. Julie held the hot liquid while Kathy fumbled with the keys and unlocked the door.

  Kathy entered the office and quickly rushed to answer her phone that was already ringing. “Kathy speaking. Yes, I’m aware. I have the new schedule. I’ll bring it to the meeting. Okay, see you then,” she said, before hanging up the phone and plopping in her chair.

  Julie eyed Kathy carefully. “How did your doctor’s visit go on Friday?” Julie asked.

  “He thinks I have an ulcer,” Kathy said, with a laugh. “I don’t have time for an ulcer,” Kathy chuckled.

  “It seems to have time for you,” Julie said.

  “Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, save your cuteness for the patients,” Kathy said and smiled. “Something tells me you are gonna be just fine.”

  Kathy went over a few policy protocols with Julie before taking her up to the fifth floor nurses station. The floor was a flurry of activity from the moment the elevator doors opened. The fifth floor consisted of patients that were recovering from some type of cardiac event. It also had rooms for physical therapy and an infusion department. Joy was behind the nurses station, on the phone, writing down something. She smiled brightly at Kathy and Julie when she finished. “You owe me,” Kathy said to her.

  “I’m sure you’ll collect,” Joy kidded back.

  “Work her until three with an hour lunch, then send her back to me,” Kathy instructed.

  “Aye, aye captain,” Joy said then came around to Julie. “C’mon girlie, I’ll show you where you can change.”

  “Good luck,” Kathy called after them.

  Joy led Julie to a locker room. “I’m gonna use the little girls room while you change,” Joy said and excused herself. Julie changed into her uniform and grimaced at the old fashioned garment. “You’re gonna be beating the interns off with a stick,” Joy said, appraising Julie.

  “Gee, thanks,” Julie replied sarcastically.

  “There are some pretty hot looking ones,” Joy said. Julie wanted to tell Joy that she was not interested in ‘hot interns’. She just wanted to make people feel better.

  Back out in the busy corridor, they headed towards the nurses station where Joy introduced Julie to a few of the other nurses. Julie was glad that they all wore name tags, because she would never remember everyone’s names. “Time to work,” Joy said, grabbing a basket filled with various medical supplies. “Follow me.”

  They entered the first room. “Good morning, Mr. Frankel. How are you feeling this morning?” Joy greeted.

  “Oh, no… Not you again,” the patient grumbled.

  “Yes, it’s me again. Aren’t you happy to see me?” Joy asked.

  “Not when you’ve got that basket full of pointy things. I know it means you are gonna stick me again,” Mr. Frankel replied.

  “I’m gonna have to start concealing my stuff better. You have me all figured out,” Joy teased. “I’ve brought someone with me this time,” Joy added.

  “What? Reinforcements?” the patient asked. Joy gave a look to Julie, and Julie got the hint.

  “Hi, Mr. Frankel, my name’s Julie. I’m a new volunteer here,” she greeted. The patient turned his head towards Julie who was on the other side of the bed.

  “Oh, hello,” Mr. Frankel raised his hand. Julie grabbed it and smiled. “Glad to see they finally got some pretty young things working here,” he said to her.

  “Why, thank you, Mr. Frankel,” Julie replied and continued to make small talk while Joy readied the patient to draw some blood.

  Julie could tell that most of Mr. Frankel’s discomfort was normal due to the fact that he was recovering from valve replacement surgery. He was well on his way to recovery, so Julie just took the pain he was feeling from the aches he had from post surgery and being bedridden for so long. “All done,” Joy said. Julie released the patient’s hand.

  “Wait… what? I didn’t feel a thing,” Mr. Frankel said, looking down at the small bandage Joy had placed on him.

  “Guess you were distracted,” Joy said, with a wink to Julie.

  “Well, I’ll be,” he remarked. Julie made sure she had rid the pain from herself as well before she started for the door behind Joy.

  “You take care, Mr. Frankel,” Julie called as she left.

  “Well, I’ll be,” they could still hear him mumbling.

  They stepped outside in the hallway. “Whatever you did, keep doing it,” Joy said and Julie laughed. “That man always gives me trouble before, during, and after,” Joy added. Julie just smiled and followed along with Joy on her rounds.

  The rest of the morning went pretty similarly. One thing that surprised Julie was that most of the patients were well on their way to recovery. She pointed out that fact to Joy. “We are lucky to have one of the best pulmonary care units on the east coast,” Joy bragged. “Our Chief of Surgery, Dr. Elsworth, is amazing. People seek him out from all over. Not to mention he is tall, blond, and extremely good looking. He is single, to boot,” Joy embellished. “He is very serious, though; you can’t joke with him. In fact, today’s his day off, but I bet he is here somewhere,” Joy finished.

  “Maybe that’s why he is single,” Julie said, making Joy laugh.

  “Good point.”

  Joy had Julie doing various jobs, such as running blood down to the lab and picking up prescriptions from the hospital pharmacy. Julie’s favorite part was tending to the patients.

  “Break time,” Joy announced. It was already noon, the morning had flown by. “You get an hour. It goes by quick, go relax,” Joy instructed.

  “Don’t you get a break too?” Julie asked.

  “I do, but later. I’m actually working a double shift today,” Joy explained.

  Julie decided to grab a multi-grain bar from the vending machine and explore the rest of the hospital. She remembered that Pediatrics was on the fourth floor. She took the steps down one floor.
Her eyes were greeted with the wonderful colors of the children’s unit. Julie checked in at the nurses station and got approval to visit with the children. One area of the children’s ward was a big room, with a play area in the center. The edges of the room were lined with beds.

  Julie walked over to the first bed that held a sleeping child. The child was buried under the covers, with only a hairless head sticking out. The child had several IV’s hooked up to her. Julie recognized the drugs; the child was being treated for cancer. “You poor thing,” Julie whispered, reaching to touch her tightly curled hand that was clutching the cover. Julie held in a gasp as she felt the tremendous amount of pain buried deep inside the little girl. She was heavily sedated. Julie was unable to remove the girl’s pain, or even attempt to work on ridding the cancer. This was not because she couldn’t, but because of the large amount of time she would need for her own recovery. She had done it once before for one of them, and had collapsed into unconsciousness for a few hours. She could not take the time to disappear for a few hours on her first day in the new job. “I’ll come back soon,” Julie whispered, lightly brushing the girl’s head. She looked at the little girl’s chart, and committed her name to memory.

  Julie felt a tug of her uniform and looked down. A little boy who looked to be around three or four years old looked up at her. Julie knelt down to his level. “Hi. What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Billy,” the little boy replied.

  “Nice to meet you, Billy. My name’s Julie,” she said.

  “Can you help me build a tower?” Billy asked her.

  Julie smiled. “Of course, I can,” Julie answered. She stood and held out her hand to him. He grasped it tightly and led her over to a plastic bin filled with colored wooden blocks. Julie could tell the boy was recovering from Salmonella poisoning. The boy’s body was having a hard time ridding itself of the bacteria. The short walk to the blocks was enough to take most of it from the boy. She took some deep breaths as she sat down to build with him, battling the infection within her now. It was a resilient strain, stronger than she had encountered before.