A Love With Limits

Chapter 9: The New Nurse

The miracle of life. Whether you're religious or atheist, the whole concept of life itself is magical, and nobody truly knows how it came to be. We can theorize for eternity, but it's likely we will never fully know. One thing we do know, however, is that it's precious, and that not everyone gets a fair chance at living their best lives. For the patients at Bainbridge, this was reality for decades, up until now, when everyone miraculously awoke from their comas, after the pioneering drug L-Dopa was administered to them by Dr. Vìzkovà.

Today at the hospital, it was absolute chaos. The newly awoken patients were ecstatic to be awake, but having been in a daze for so long, everything seemed so foreign. Many of them, like Leonard, experienced somewhat of an existential crisis over their appearance, not having seen themselves since they were young - asking the nurses to dye their hair back to the colour it used to be. One patient was even convinced that no time had passed at all, and when she was told that she had been in a coma for 25 years, she completely froze for a moment, and started sobbing. The weight of the truth was too much for many, but a majority saw this as a blessing from above, wanting to enjoy it to it's fullest. It was hard work having to control all these people, because many of them couldn't figure out basic tasks. It was worth it however, as the whole hospital transformed from feeling like a depressing mortuary, to feeling like a bustling little community. After a while, people started to settle in, and small workshops started appearing. Many of the patients took up knitting, drawing, writing and some even got to start exercising in the hospital yard. Dr. Vìzkovà was proud of her work, and she felt more accomplished than ever. Of course many had helped her achieve her goal, but if she hadn't been there, chances are things would never had changed.

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"Are you guys ready to go on a field trip?" A nurse called a group of patients waiting in front of the main door. A trip to a botanical centre had been arranged, and Dr. Vìzkovà had thought that this might be a bit boring, even for the patients who hadn't been outside in many years. Maybe a theme park or a trip to the arcade would have been more fun, but small steps, she thought. She had decided to go along anyway, as she wanted to be near Leonard who was also joining - she really didn't like leaving him behind, even though he would have plenty of support. Truth is, she missed him when they weren't together, and she knew that Leonard felt the same way about her. That, and she also felt that if anything went wrong, she could help him better than anyone else. Well, Leo wasn't actually the only reason she wanted to go - actually, and she didn't want to admit this, but there was a new nurse joining; and she was very attracted to her. Yes, she was attracted to the new female nurse, and it was a strange feeling. Her and Leonard weren't exclusive yet, so it wasn't that she felt like she was cheating, but a woman being attracted to a woman? This was something new for her, and she somehow felt a bit guilty about it. She bad been taught all her life that it was wrong to love the same gender, but this feeling, she couldn't control. The new nurse was beautiful; long, light blonde hair which reached below her shoulder blades, ocean blue eyes and a bright smile with the whitest teeth. Dr. Vìzkovà was, truth be told, very torn. Was she really attracted to two people at once?

Either way, she probably would not confess her attraction towards this beautiful woman, not only because of her fear of admitting her attraction, but the nurse may not like women that way. The nurses name was Dr. Theron - First name Charlize. Charlize Theron. She was South African, yet had a beautiful American accent having lived here since she was very young, and everything she did was so elegant and pretty in Caroline's eyes. If nothing else, Caroline would like to at least be friends with this woman, get to know her better as a colleague. She would like more than this maybe, but she was ready to accept that this might not be what she gets.

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The bus on the way to the botanical garden was being packed to the brim with patients, all excited to get out and feel normal again, to use their senses again. Leonard, as usual, was wearing his suit with the bowtie and combed back hairdo, a bit hesitant to be with all the unpredictable patients, but happy to be out again.

"You look handsome as always." Dr. Caroline whispered in his ear as they stepped into the vehicle together. She subtly squeezed his hand, and smiled at him, and he promptly smiled back. "And you look very beautiful too, sweetheart." Carolines heart skipped a beat just by the sound of that word, filling her with happiness, temporarily forgetting about her newest crush. This feeling was quickly gone however, as the enchanting Dr. Theron walked up to where Dr. Vìzkovà was sitting and took a seat right next to her.

"Hello there, I don't think we've been introduced to each other! I'm Dr. Theron, but you can just call me Charlize." The new nurse said cheerfully, reaching out for a handshake. Dr. Vìzkovà carefully took her hand and shook it, and it was like electricity coursed through her veins that exact moment. Dr. Theron's hands were incredibly soft - so was Leonards, but this was different - the softness of a woman's hand was something else. Smooth, soft skin and remnants of nail polish still on her nails, Dr. Vìzkova was momentarily taken aback by being this close to the beautiful lady. "Oh hi," Caroline smiled sweetly, "I'm Dr. Vìzkovà, but you can just call me Caroline." Caroline felt that she looked like she had just seen a ghost, trying to act casual in front of Charlize. For the rest of the bus ride, they mostly sat in silence, but her presence was nice, Caroline thought. She did smell quite nice, a wonderful citrusy aroma that was comfortable on the senses.

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When they finally arrived at the botanical garden, Dr. Vìzkovà wanted to find Leonard immediately. She found him by a flock of colourful butterflies, admiring them up close, and when he heard Dr. Vìzkovà's footsteps, he giggled slightly. "Oh I missed you! Look at these butterflies, aren't they pretty? Much like you." He took Caroline's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. They were so strong and warm, a big contrast to Charlize's hand, yet somehow they were very similar. Both of them made Caroline's heart flutter almost through her chest, and this was despite only having known Dr. Theron for only a day. She knew Leonard more than she knew the new nurse, that much was true. But she couldn't quite let go of her feelings for this new nurse just yet. This couldn't be the start of something new...
Could it?

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