Bite Shift

47

I parked in the same spot that I had before, on the third level. It was ironic, really... poetic. I had ended my life after parking here and now, I started my new life after parking here.

The walkway into the main building was empty. So was the elevator, when I climbed into it, and hit the illuminated five. As the doors started to slide shut, I fought one last urge to push through them and run back to my car.

When the door split apart, I faced my floor, and the window that I always saw when I arrived at work. I stepped out and towards that familiar window. On the other side of the glass, I knew, was a flat expanse of rooftop. It was the top of the side building. We had talked about making it into a little picnic area, with tables, to eat our lunches, in the sun. It never happened. Tonight, the darkness made the window black, and I faced my reflection. Anyone who looked at that girl would know she was scared shitless. I composed myself and fought until my face showed nothing, and the fear was gone.

I turned right and headed towards the beeping of the heart monitors, knowing that sound came from the nurses' station. The two nurses that turned to look at me were ones I didn't know every well. They were newer and I had only worked with them once or twice. They always worked together. I struggled to recall their names as their faces light up and I knew they were about to act like we were best friends.

"Kate!", one of them squealed. This one had bright red hair, piled up on the top of her head, and held together with a large brown claw. Her green scrubs made her look very Irish. Her perfect skin told me that she was in her early twenties. She jumped up and down, clapping like I had done something amazing.

The other nurse - her other half- was definitely of Hispanic descent. Her dark hair was just a shade lighter than her dark brown eyes. Her tanned skin was just as flawless as her counterpart, telling me it was not from a tanning bed. She, also, did that jumping up and down while clapping thing. "Yay, Tiff, we get to work with Kate!"

Okay, so the pale one is Tiffany.

"Hey... girls." I wasn't sure of what else to say. I barely knew these girls. I hadn't the faintest clue why they were so excited to see me.

Tiffany ran up to me and grabbed my right bicep. She pulled me towards the breakroom, with her BFF following. She practically threw me into the door and I raised my hands to push it open before it broke my nose. The small room's far wall was lined with lockers. A shabby dining room table graced the opposite wall, behind the, now open, door. A bulletin board above the table was filled with papers that reminded us of all the things the health plan wanted us to do, but we never had time for.

Pesky patient care getting in the way of the hospital making more money than God.

One thing was new in the dim room. Streamers covered the tops of all four walls. A banner, across the bulletin board, said WELCOME BACK KATE. NIGHT SHIFT LOVES YOU!

"Wow." It was all I could muster. It had been three minutes and I was, officially, ready to start making an escape plan.

"Check your locker!" This came from the "not Tiffany" millennial.

I crossed the room and opened locker 46. A pink envelope filled the space that, usually, held energy drinks and protein bars. Pulling it out exposed my name in large block letters. When I opened it, dozens of messages crowded the space and the names of every person I knew, and some I didn't, reminded me that I was cared about. I, suddenly, had the feeling of home, like I belonged. These names were all people who would have cried for me, missed me, talked about me... if I had been killed.

I focused on a message in the bottom right corner:

You can count on me for support. I am on your side. Alex.

Tears threatened to rise into my eyes and I gulped back some air. Calm down, Katie. DO NOT cry!!!!!

"Thank you," I whispered and was encompassed by Tiffany and Not Tiffany, in a group hug. The tiny girls felt so warm and genuine. It made me feel bad for kind of hating them earlier. The tears that waited behind my eyes retreated when the smell of sugar hit my nose. A massive cake sat on the break room table. The cursive icing written said Welcome to Straight Nights, Kate. The purple and pink roses that took up each corner of the dessert gave off the pungent odor of sickly-sweet sucrose. It reminded me of smelling cotton candy, at a fair when I was a kid, right after I had gotten of a spinning ride. The sugary smell hit my lurching stomach and I puked right into the midway. There was no way I could stay in the room, in longer, with that giant cake.

Tiffany saw me looking. "Isn't it beautiful?? All the doctors chipped in to buy it for you. Tiffany and I have been practically salivating since it arrived. Do you want to cut it?"

Jesus. They are both named Tiffany. Am I being Punked?! Is there a hidden camera I here?

I swallowed back vomit. "I am not going to eat that." It came across harsher than I meant it to. But, before I could reword it, Irish Tiffany jumped on. "On a diet? Totally get it! I should be on a diet too. I am so fat. I shouldn't eat any of that but I am on my period and I need it. When my period is done, though.... Diet City! I am getting back on track!"

Now, the threat of vomit was less about the cake and more about her pretending that she was "fat" to get attention and compliments. Oh, to be 20 again. If I could go back in time and meet 20-year-old me.... I would punch her in the face.

"Please, help yourself," I said and gestured to the treat. Tiffany and Tiffany jumped on the chance. Hispanic Tiffany was brandishing a knife and ready to cut. Where had the knife come from?!

I took the opportunity, while they were distracted by carbs, to flee. I slipped the card into my right scrub top pocket and headed for the door. I swung open the heavy, wooden barrier and stepped right into Dr. Alex Kitchner.

"We need to talk." That was all he said. Then he turned and walked down the hallway, towards the nurses' station, and disappeared into the conference room to the right.

"Fuck."