This is the first time I've been I the same city for
more than a year. For as long as I can remember I
moved every year if not twice. Being in college is
different, not only am I going to one school the for
the second year, but I am living by myself.
My father, god bless him, moved four months ago,
so now I have the apartment all to myself. It felt
so weird to watch him pack and leave without me.
Thank god I took that internship at Dr. Evens
office last spring, if not I'm not sure how I would
make ends meet.
Sometimes I question if my career choice was a
good one or not. I was ten when I decided to
become a nurse, because being a doctor just didn't
seem like it was hands on enough for me. My
decision didn't come from watching a movie or
just choosing what everyone else in the class
chose, it came from experience. Watching my
mother lay in a hospital bed and slowly die was
what did it for me. Mrs. Ramos was my greatest
inspiration, she was my mothers nurse for the
short period of time my mother was there. It all
happened so fast that it is hard to explain.
Working with Dr. Evens has showed me time
and time again why I am here, why I have
chosen this path. Being able to help patients
before, during and after treatments makes it all worth it.
"Everything is looking great Mrs. Smith. All of
your levels are normal, and you're getting
stronger each visit. Are you still having
numbness in your fingers?" I asked.
"I still drop stuff all the time, but I did that
before the chemo, so nothing new." She said
with a smile.
"Well, I hope it's not dinner you are dropping
and just those pesky junk mail pieces that
where your neighbors." Remembering her
telling me about her neighbor's mail that would
continue to show up in her mail slot.
"Definitely not dinner!" She said quickly "But
that damn neighbor of mine finally moved out a
month ago and I haven't seen that kind of mail
since. Thank the good lord that man isn't
around anymore. I swear he was dropping his
mail in my box on purpose."
"Why would he do that?"
"You're not the young dear, so I'll tell it like it is.
He wanted a piece of this fine meat, why else
would he do such a thing? "
"Oh," I said my face turning red and trying to
figure out how to get off of this subject we were
just on.
"Well, aren't you just as red as a strawberry.
Calli when you get to my age the filter goes to.
No point in trying to sugar coat anything. I wish
I had dropped the filter sooner; life would have
been way more interesting.
"How so, if you don't mind me asking?" The way
she said it made me intrigued.
"Well even before I thought I was going to die I
stopped avoiding people's reactions. After I
was diagnosed, I told my quilters club ladies
that if I died making one more pinwheel quilt, I
would haunt all of them. We are now currently
working on something I'm sure we will never be
able to sell, but the conversations at the
meetups have been way more fun."
"Why wouldn't you be able to sell the quilt you
are working on?" intrigued.
"Because it's a quilt with dicks, handcuffs, and
whips on it." She said as if we were having a
normal conversation.
I choked on my own sylvia. Having a coughing
fit until I could breathe again.
"You know that was Mary's reaction to expect
her dentures went flying across the room. I'm
pretty sure Elain almost had a heart attack.
Lisa, Marie, Agnus, and Betty where either
asleep and didn't hear or didn't have their
hearing aids up so I had to repeat it. Now
Grettle looked as giddy as a schoolgirl clapping
in the corner."
Trying my best to still catch my breath I said.
"Well Mrs. Smith I'm sure Dr. Evens would like
to see you again in six months to check your
levels again and do a follow up. The ladies at
the front desk will get the appointment for you.
Until then good luck with your quilters group."
"Oh, I will. When I leave here, I have to go find
the perfect fur material for balls. I still haven't
decided what age dick I want to do. The older they
get the less they maintain their junk. Younger men
have less wrinkles, their balls don't sag as much,
and they definitely have less hair too."
I just nodded my head to what she said. I forgot
how this entire conversation ever came up. I
remember going over her chart then next thing I
know we are in a full-blown conversation about
men's private regions. I know what men's parts
look like, as I have to learn it in class but outside
of textbooks, I've never seen one. I don't watch
porn and I've never got that far with a man before,
so I really don't know the difference between
younger and older...balls.
When I came into work today this is not how I
thought my day would end. As I walked back to
the nurses' station, I was creating my grocery list
in my head. College life doesn't allow fancy
dinners every night. When I make my lasagna, I
go all out though because I know that it will feed
me for four nights. I usually freeze it into portions so
that all I have to do is reheat it in the oven. Now
that the weather is changing, I am looking forward
to all the warmer wholesome foods.
"Hey Calli, could you do me the biggest favor?"
Dr. Evens asked.
Caught off guard being in my own head space,
"Huh."
"Let me guess Mrs. Smith said something
outlandish."
"Well, she is no prood, and definitely speaks her
mind."
Feeling my face heat thinking about what she said.
"Ya some of the elder patients don't know how to
filter what they say. If they ever cross the line,
please feel free to tell me."
"No the conversation was fine, she can just be a
little....blunt."
He chuckled, "That lady has some crazy stories to
tell for sure. I learned way too much during her
treatment."
I just nodded.
"Back to what I came over to ask, could you stay
later tonight and file paperwork. Jessica had to
leave early today because her child got sick at
school, and she didn't get to finish filing it.
Normally it wouldn't be a big deal and she would
be able to file it Monday morning, but I have to
close out the month and submit it for all insurances
by tomorrow. I wouldn't want anyone to come in
on the weekend and I know you have been looking
for some extra hours."
"Oh, well I hope Max is feeling better. I can stay
and do that." I said knowing that I didn't have any
studying that needed to be done. Every moment
that I wasn't at school or working I was studying
but I made plans with some of classmates to go out
this weekend, so I studied like crazy because first
semester is almost over.
"Great, she said she left them to the left of her
desk. I'll be in my office late tonight too so if you
run into any problems that's where you can find
me."
"I don't think I'll need it but thanks for letting me
know." I knew that Dr. Evens always stayed later
than anyone else. That poor man must never be
able to see his family.
I was in my zone getting the paperwork done. I
had my earbuds in and music playing an upbeat
song I heard on the radio earlier this week that I
added to my playlist. Just when the chorus was
about to be finished my earbuds died. I knew it
was coming, it beeped at me like twenty minutes
ago, but I just ignored it because the music was too
good to turn off. I didn't want to play music from
the computer, so I didn't bug Dr. Evens so now it
looked like I had to finish it in silence. I was
almost done anyway, I only had one more file to
input then I could head to the store and then home.
I glanced at the computer and realized it was later
than I thought it was. It was 9:10pm and I knew I
had at least another twenty minutes left before I
should be done which meant that there was no way
I was making lasagna tonight. "Pizza it is."
I was in my zone getting the paperwork done. I
had my earbuds in and music playing an upbeat
song I heard on the radio earlier this week that I
added to my playlist. Just when the chorus was
about to be finished my earbuds died. I knew it
was coming, it beeped at me like twenty minutes
ago, but I just ignored it because the music was too
good to turn off. I didn't want to play music from
the computer, so I didn't bug Dr. Evens so now it
looked like I had to finish it in silence. I was
almost done anyway, I only had one more file to
input then I could head to the store and then home.
I glanced at the computer and realized it was later
than I thought it was. It was 9:10pm and I knew I
had at least another twenty minutes left before I
should be done which meant that there was no way
I was making lasagna tonight. "Pizza it is."
I had just placed an online order for pickup from
my favorite pizza joint when I heard a loud thud
and mumbling coming from down the hall. I
closed out the computer and went to go see Dr.
Evens, wondering if I was coming from his office
or if I was just hearing things.
—————————
I had just placed an online order for pickup from
my favorite pizza joint when I heard a loud thud
and mumbling coming from down the hall. I
closed out the computer and went to go see Dr.
Evens, wondering if I was coming from his office
or if I was just hearing things.
I had just rounded the corner when I heard, "What
did I tell you, you will do this, and you will make
it believable, or your wife and kids will no longer
have their Papa."
I stopped dead in my tracks. Who is in Dr Evens'
office? The door was slightly ajar but all that I
could see was a pair of dress slacks and
shiny....are those sneakers? That was when I
heard Dr. Evens.
"I can only fudge the numbers so much. If I get
caught, I lose my license. Then what happens? I'll
tell you; you don't have me to fudge numbers and
let you wash that money. I can only hide it for so
long until someone finds out." He ended it with a
muddled chuckle.
"Oh, you think you're funny? You think that I don't
also check the books to see what you put in? Tell
me doctor EVENS, where did the twenty thousand
dollars from last month go? The one that you listed
as office expenses."
"Look I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I...."
Suddenly there was a loud crash, the sound of
bones breaking. Then the next thing I know Dr.
Evens was on the ground with a foot to his back.
Seriously who wears sneakers with slacks? I
should have been running out of there and calling
for help but I was frozen in place.
"This is your last chance. I could replace you in a
heartbeat so don't test me."
Before I could even think of what just happened, I
turned to get help. I made it a total of two steps
before I ran right into the fake palm tree making it
crash to the ground.
"Well, hello there." A deep soothing voice came
from behind me.
I froze in place, my heart pumping so fast I swear
I thought that it was going to come popping out of
chest. I was way too scared to turn around and
meet the man that the voice went to. Not thinking
before I spoke, I said, "I don't know who you are
or what you look like. I'm just a college student
that got asked to stay after her shift to file some
paperwork. Please let me leave and I will never
say anything about tonight."
I heard footsteps coming closer to me. Chills
swept through my body as I tried to control my
breathing still staring at the palm tree laying on the
floor at my feet.
"Now, now I'm not even sure what all you heard.
Everyone says they won't say anything until they
think they are actually free and then it is the first
thing that they would do. The joke is really on
them though if they try to cross me. I have eyes
and ears all over and I will know when they do."
I swear I heard him come even closer to me, his
sneakers making the slightest squeak on the
freshly waxed floor.
Trying not to have my voice
shake I said "If you have eyes and ears everywhere
then let me go. I still haven't seen your face so it
would be hard to identify you by just your voice."
Before I knew it his hands where on my hips and
spinning me around to face him. I closed my eyes
and refused to look at him.
"Open your eyes" he whispered with authority in
his voice.
I shook my head, "No."
"Well, aren't you stubborn." He said annoyed I
wasn't listing to him. "Until next time."
Feeling my hair sway as he pasted by me, leaving.
He smelled of pine and leather with a rich hint of
something else that I couldn't quite put my finger
on. The way that man smelled made me think of a
winter night curled up in my fuzzy socks and
enjoying a small fire. So not what I should be
thinking right now. When I heard a door shut in
the distance, I remembered Dr. Evens was on the
ground in his office. I open my eyes and ran to
check on him.