her.”
“She's in the office.” I scrubbed the tears from my face. “I'll get fired for being on my cell phone.”
“Okay, honey. Go back to work. I'll call her right now. Just hang tight. Things are going to get better, I promise. Try not to let anyone else die on your shift, okay?” Ruby was teasing, but I wasn't yet ready to laugh about my situation.
“Sorry, was that too soon?” Ruby asked. “Look, you know how things go. Deaths always happen in threes, especially in nursing homes. If they don't know that, then, hopefully, they will figure it out soon. All you can do is do your job to the best of your ability and my job is to make sure that you have all the tools and resources you need to perform your duties. Now, relax. I'll talk some sense into this Carol lady, so you can do what you're getting paid to do.”
I hung up, not entirely convinced that even someone as aggressive as Ruby could help ease the tension around here. I just had the sinking feeling that I was doomed. Western Nebraska didn't like me and I was really beginning to question whether or not I liked it.
*
Tina pointed down the hallway. “I think someone wants to talk to you.”
“Great.” I groaned. “Well, it was nice meeting you. You're going to be a wonderful nurse.” I took a deep breath to go meet my fate, my entire career flashing before my eyes. Every life I touched. Every hand I held. Everything that I loved almost as much as I loved my daughter was for nothing. It all came down to this.
The smile on Carol's face didn't match the cold stare in her eyes. The strained words that came out of her mouth were more in line with her real feelings. Ruby must have read her the riot act. On one hand, I wanted to thank Ruby for having my back, but the other hand wanted to strangle her for making things worse.
“This is how this is going to work. You're scheduled to work tomorrow night. You'll show up on time without your luggage and you'll work one on one with Marie until we straighten all of this out.” She turned and walked back into the office, letting the door close behind her.
I grasped a chair and took a long, deep breath. This place was going to be the death of me. I could feel it in my bones, but at least I still had a job. For tonight, I'd suck it up and do whatever she told me, but first I needed to find a way to get my charts back so I could finish my charting.
My hands shook as I knocked on the office door.
Carol growled at me. “Why don't you use your key?”
I reminded her. “You took my keys, remember? I need to finish my charting. I assume that's a rule around here?”
So much for laying low and staying out of her way, but I had a job to do.
She propped the door open with her leg and let me back into the office, tossing my facility issued keys and attached key card on the desk.
“The snowstorm may have just saved your career. I wanted to ask you to clock out.” She said.
I didn't say a word, fearing that I'd shoot myself in the foot if I spoke again.
“Here's the thing, I've been here for fifteen years and do you know how many visitors we've had die in our facility?” She asked.
I had a pretty good idea as to how many, but I stayed quiet to let her finish.
“None. That's how many. We've never once lost a resident's spouse, then, you show up and look what happened.” Her blue eyes bore into mine, making me uncomfortable.
“For the record, that's the first time I've had a patient's spouse die on me too. Why is everyone around here so quick to place blame? Didn't it occur to anyone that he was an elderly gentleman and it may have just been his time? Why does someone have to be to blame?” I knew what she was going to say. There was no avoiding it.
“He was poisoned, so yes, someone is to blame. Nothing like this ever happened before.” She answered.
“So, that means I have to be the
“She's in the office.” I scrubbed the tears from my face. “I'll get fired for being on my cell phone.”
“Okay, honey. Go back to work. I'll call her right now. Just hang tight. Things are going to get better, I promise. Try not to let anyone else die on your shift, okay?” Ruby was teasing, but I wasn't yet ready to laugh about my situation.
“Sorry, was that too soon?” Ruby asked. “Look, you know how things go. Deaths always happen in threes, especially in nursing homes. If they don't know that, then, hopefully, they will figure it out soon. All you can do is do your job to the best of your ability and my job is to make sure that you have all the tools and resources you need to perform your duties. Now, relax. I'll talk some sense into this Carol lady, so you can do what you're getting paid to do.”
I hung up, not entirely convinced that even someone as aggressive as Ruby could help ease the tension around here. I just had the sinking feeling that I was doomed. Western Nebraska didn't like me and I was really beginning to question whether or not I liked it.
*
Tina pointed down the hallway. “I think someone wants to talk to you.”
“Great.” I groaned. “Well, it was nice meeting you. You're going to be a wonderful nurse.” I took a deep breath to go meet my fate, my entire career flashing before my eyes. Every life I touched. Every hand I held. Everything that I loved almost as much as I loved my daughter was for nothing. It all came down to this.
The smile on Carol's face didn't match the cold stare in her eyes. The strained words that came out of her mouth were more in line with her real feelings. Ruby must have read her the riot act. On one hand, I wanted to thank Ruby for having my back, but the other hand wanted to strangle her for making things worse.
“This is how this is going to work. You're scheduled to work tomorrow night. You'll show up on time without your luggage and you'll work one on one with Marie until we straighten all of this out.” She turned and walked back into the office, letting the door close behind her.
I grasped a chair and took a long, deep breath. This place was going to be the death of me. I could feel it in my bones, but at least I still had a job. For tonight, I'd suck it up and do whatever she told me, but first I needed to find a way to get my charts back so I could finish my charting.
My hands shook as I knocked on the office door.
Carol growled at me. “Why don't you use your key?”
I reminded her. “You took my keys, remember? I need to finish my charting. I assume that's a rule around here?”
So much for laying low and staying out of her way, but I had a job to do.
She propped the door open with her leg and let me back into the office, tossing my facility issued keys and attached key card on the desk.
“The snowstorm may have just saved your career. I wanted to ask you to clock out.” She said.
I didn't say a word, fearing that I'd shoot myself in the foot if I spoke again.
“Here's the thing, I've been here for fifteen years and do you know how many visitors we've had die in our facility?” She asked.
I had a pretty good idea as to how many, but I stayed quiet to let her finish.
“None. That's how many. We've never once lost a resident's spouse, then, you show up and look what happened.” Her blue eyes bore into mine, making me uncomfortable.
“For the record, that's the first time I've had a patient's spouse die on me too. Why is everyone around here so quick to place blame? Didn't it occur to anyone that he was an elderly gentleman and it may have just been his time? Why does someone have to be to blame?” I knew what she was going to say. There was no avoiding it.
“He was poisoned, so yes, someone is to blame. Nothing like this ever happened before.” She answered.
“So, that means I have to be the
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