Just a second part, mostly Random Musings of Ash's hospital stay.

What I love about hospitals are the routine.

Part of my daily routine was to walk around the hospital and get some exercise. Nurse Lisa says it helps to prevent blood clots.

Last night I had an idea for a small practical joke to play on Doctor Simpson.

I put on the scrubs and doctors coat Lisa had let me borrow. I also hung a stethoscope around my neck the way real doctors wear them.

I had to bug Nurse Lisa all day yesterday to borrow this stuff. Finally she relented under my argument of “Come on, it’ll be fun. What the worse that will happen?”

I stretched my legs, and walk down to the hospital cafeteria where I usually found Doctor Simpson having coffee. Yesterday he had bought me a coffee and invited me back again the next day.

“Doctor?” I said.
“Doctor…” he said back looking back at me both amused and confused.
He handed me a Styrofoam cup.
I took a sip of coffee.
“Time for rounds?” I asked.

“No…”
“Pwweeaaaassse?”
“I admit the stethoscope is a nice touch. But still no.”
“But I’m sooo booorred.”
He looked around to see if anyone was watching.
In a hushed voice he said “Doctor Murphy is doing rounds in geriatrics. Okay, here’s the deal. I sneak you in, and if you get caught… this never happened okay?”
“Jery what?” I asked.
“Old people. Now are you in or out?”
“In! Totally in!”
“Okay but you are a fly on the wall, don’t do, and don’t touch. Okay?”
I smiled and nodded.
He took a sip of his coffee. “Doctor?”
“Doctor” I said with a smile and followed him up stairs to the geriatrics ward.

I walked casually over to the group of five interns while Dr. Murphy was quizzing the interns on hip replacement.
I gave Doctor Simpson a discreet thumbs up. He flashed me a worried smile and turned back down the hallway.

We were standing in front of the hospital bed of an older woman, a very grandmotherly type.

“Can anyone tell me the complications of hip replacement surgery?” All hands went up so I put mine up as well to blend in.

“You the new girl in the back” he asked, adjusting his glasses.
“Blood clots?” I asked.
“Correct. By the way, between you and me I like the pink scrubs on you, you transferred from neo-natal right? But I’d prefer though if you wore blue scrubs like the other interns tomorrow alright?”
I smiled “of course,” this was going to be easy.

After a few more questions we moved on to the next patient. As we approached the patient room Dr. Murphy hushed us just outside the door.
“Mr. Howitzer is dying of lung cancer. Part of any Doctor’s career involves breaking bad news to patients. It requires above all our empathy, and understanding. Now any volunteers?”
I put my hand up and then realized I was the only one. Oh shit. “Cowards” I muttered under my breath.

************

“I assume this patient belongs to you Dave?” Dr. Murphy said red faced and angry.
Doctor Simpson looked over at where I was being led by the arm.
“We’ve been made” I whispered.
“Maybe she does and maybe she doesn’t” Dave said non-committedly.
“I let her tell a patient that he was dying!”
There was an awkward silence.
“I did a good job” I offered.
“Yes you did, that’s why I’m not going to bring this little incident up again.”
Dr. Murphy turned and left.
“Doctor?” I asked.
“No… just no” he was shaking his head from side to side.

*****************

Avery visited after I had just finished dinner.
“I brought more school work” he said, placing it on the bedside table.
“Thanks” I smiled at him.
Things had been a bit tense between us lately.
“I think I want to be a doctor” I said.
“Why’s that?” he asked.
I looked through the door where Doctor Simpson was staring in at us.
“No reason” I said.
Dave smiled and nodded his head up and down.
I smiled and nodded back at him.
Avery looked frustrated “you’re doing that weird smile and nodding again” he said.
“Must be the meds” I told him.
He started taping his foot, I knew it was a nervous twitch of his.
“So why so tense?” I asked him.
He looked down at his feet knowing what gave him away. “Awkward conversation with your mother in the lobby.”
“Oh?”
He held up a paper pharmacy bag. “She gave me a box of condoms.”
“Oh…” I felt my entire body blush. I didn’t even know that was possible.
“Look I gotta go” he said.
He turned and left in a hurry.
I felt the words ‘don’t go’ stuck in my throat.

******************

I sighed. I rolled over and sighed again.
“What wrong honey?” Lisa asked. She was an older middle aged woman.
“It’s nothing” I said. I rolled over and sighed again.
“I have three daughters you know, now I’m only going ask you once more. What’s wrong?”
“Oh… just this guy I know.”
“Boy trouble?” she asked.
“I guess. It’s like he doesn’t even want to be around me. It sucks. Totally sucks.”
“You like him then?” she sat in the chair by the bed.
“Well yeah he’s my best friend, and he’s…avoiding me” I felt frustrated.
“I mean you like him like him” Lisa said stroking my shoulder with her hand.
“You mean like kissing and holding hands and maybe cuddling….” My mind started to wander as I thought about the dream I had a few nights back. There had been a little more than kissing.
In my dream we had been doing things to each other in the public washroom at the local movie theater.
“How do I get him to like me like me back?” I asked. “I mean what do I have to do?”
I sat up and made a declaration “I don’t care what it is, I will do it.”
“Good for you” she said. “Make sure he knows how you feel, give him time, and just be yourself. If he doesn’t love you back it’s his loss.”
“Love…” I felt out of breath.
“Do I love him?!”
I must have looked a bit panicked because Lisa started trying to sooth me.
“Of course you do… and it’s alright sweety. It’s alright.”
I fell back against my pillow. “I love Avery Leon Bailey.”
“Are you alright?” she asked.
I waved her off “I need some time to think.”
I rolled over and sighed.