venom in her voice was unmistakable. Alexandra was hurt by the aggressive tone. She was just trying to do the right thing. “I have two kids, no dad.”
Alexandra was speechless. There was no other way. Even if she told the nurse first, the patient still needed to be shipped out. It couldn’t have gone down any other way. The patient was the most important thing, not her job. But she kept her words back.
Elisa glared at her again then left the floor, tears still coming down.
Betty came to Alexandra and clapped her on the shoulder. “That was a good catch, Alex. You may have saved his life.”
She averted her gaze, unsure if she deserved the praise. “Thanks…”
“Are you planning on becoming a nurse?”
Alexandra fidgeted with her hands. “I don’t know if I could handle it.”
“I think you could. You pay attention to detail. And more importantly, you care.” She patted her back again. “Keep up the good work, Alex.” She returned to her desk.
Suzie eyed her. “I can’t believe that just happened.”
“I feel so bad for Elisa.”
“Why?” she snapped. “It was her fault.”
“I’m sure it was an honest mistake,” she said gently.
“That doesn’t matter. Nurses can’t afford to make mistakes. Everything they do matters. I wouldn’t want her taking care of me. You did the world a favor.”
That didn’t make Alexandra feel any better. “Do you think she’ll get a job somewhere else?”
“No,” she snapped. “Her career is over. It should be over.”
Alexandra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Now she felt more nervous than she did before. It was so easy to make a simple mistake, grab the wrong bag or read the wrong label. She wasn’t any different than Elisa. Now she was more careful with everything she did, but mistakes were still made. Even though she saved a life today, it still didn’t make up for the one she lost.
When her shift was over, Martha picked her up and drove her back to the house. “How was work?”
“It was okay.” She looked out the window and remained silent.
“Is it weird being in a hospital again?”
“I guess.” She kept her responses short because she wanted this conversation to end.
Martha eyed her then turned away. “I know something happened, Alex. I wish you would just tell me.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Well, I’m here whenever you are.”
When they walked into the house, Martha handed her the phone. “Abby called.”
Alexandra’s eyes widened. “She did? How did she know I was here?”
“Call her back and find out.” She placed the phone on the table then walked into her room.
Alexandra eyed it for a long time before she picked it up and stepped onto the front porch. She was close with her sister. They were only a year apart, making them inseparable during their youth. They fought over stupid things like most siblings, but they still put each other first. She imagined how the conversation would go. She knew her sister would be pissed that Alexandra just took off without saying a word. She dialed the number and listened to the rings.
“Wow,” Abby said. “You actually called me back.”
“I can’t believe it either.”
Abby was quiet for a moment. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? Because Paul and everyone else you’ve ever known is pestering me for your whereabouts.”
“Did you tell them?”
“Alex, you know me better than that.”
“Did you call Mom?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I knew that was the last place you’d go. I’m not stupid.”
Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since I’ve been such a great secret keeper, I’d appreciate it if you filled me in.”
“Well, I broke up with Paul.”
“I pieced that together,” she said sarcastically. “Why?”
“I just kept hearing things about him.”
“Like what?”
“He’s been with some other girl. When I asked him about it, he always said nothing really happened, and he was only with her because I wasn’t
Alexandra was speechless. There was no other way. Even if she told the nurse first, the patient still needed to be shipped out. It couldn’t have gone down any other way. The patient was the most important thing, not her job. But she kept her words back.
Elisa glared at her again then left the floor, tears still coming down.
Betty came to Alexandra and clapped her on the shoulder. “That was a good catch, Alex. You may have saved his life.”
She averted her gaze, unsure if she deserved the praise. “Thanks…”
“Are you planning on becoming a nurse?”
Alexandra fidgeted with her hands. “I don’t know if I could handle it.”
“I think you could. You pay attention to detail. And more importantly, you care.” She patted her back again. “Keep up the good work, Alex.” She returned to her desk.
Suzie eyed her. “I can’t believe that just happened.”
“I feel so bad for Elisa.”
“Why?” she snapped. “It was her fault.”
“I’m sure it was an honest mistake,” she said gently.
“That doesn’t matter. Nurses can’t afford to make mistakes. Everything they do matters. I wouldn’t want her taking care of me. You did the world a favor.”
That didn’t make Alexandra feel any better. “Do you think she’ll get a job somewhere else?”
“No,” she snapped. “Her career is over. It should be over.”
Alexandra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Now she felt more nervous than she did before. It was so easy to make a simple mistake, grab the wrong bag or read the wrong label. She wasn’t any different than Elisa. Now she was more careful with everything she did, but mistakes were still made. Even though she saved a life today, it still didn’t make up for the one she lost.
When her shift was over, Martha picked her up and drove her back to the house. “How was work?”
“It was okay.” She looked out the window and remained silent.
“Is it weird being in a hospital again?”
“I guess.” She kept her responses short because she wanted this conversation to end.
Martha eyed her then turned away. “I know something happened, Alex. I wish you would just tell me.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Well, I’m here whenever you are.”
When they walked into the house, Martha handed her the phone. “Abby called.”
Alexandra’s eyes widened. “She did? How did she know I was here?”
“Call her back and find out.” She placed the phone on the table then walked into her room.
Alexandra eyed it for a long time before she picked it up and stepped onto the front porch. She was close with her sister. They were only a year apart, making them inseparable during their youth. They fought over stupid things like most siblings, but they still put each other first. She imagined how the conversation would go. She knew her sister would be pissed that Alexandra just took off without saying a word. She dialed the number and listened to the rings.
“Wow,” Abby said. “You actually called me back.”
“I can’t believe it either.”
Abby was quiet for a moment. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? Because Paul and everyone else you’ve ever known is pestering me for your whereabouts.”
“Did you tell them?”
“Alex, you know me better than that.”
“Did you call Mom?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I knew that was the last place you’d go. I’m not stupid.”
Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since I’ve been such a great secret keeper, I’d appreciate it if you filled me in.”
“Well, I broke up with Paul.”
“I pieced that together,” she said sarcastically. “Why?”
“I just kept hearing things about him.”
“Like what?”
“He’s been with some other girl. When I asked him about it, he always said nothing really happened, and he was only with her because I wasn’t
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