Forever RiverCreek

Chapter 16 - On the Road

The night before Cory takes the nursing exam, he finds it difficult to sleep. Tara is sound asleep beside him, but Cory's mind is racing. Cory picks up his phone and checks out Facebook as he lies there. One of his first searches shows the profile of one of the former MPs that rushed to save his unit, former US Army Sergeant Jordan Mitchell. Cory clicks on the profile and sends him a friend request that's accepted within minutes, with Jordan sending him a message.

Hey man, long time! I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me. Jordan messages.

Yeah, it feels like a lifetime has gone by already. How have you been?

I'm good. I'm going to college to become a paramedic. I figured I've taken enough lives when we were in the Army that now I want to save lives.

Cory's impressed that Jordan has turned his life from brute force to willingness to put his life on the line to save other people. That's impressive! I'm taking the nursing exam in the morning. It takes a long night with no sleep, it seems.

Terrific news! I know you'll kill it, man. Your old lady sent me a message a while back. I ain't answered it, but I take it you've had some hard times. It sounds cliché, but it's all done one day at a time. Anyway, I need to bounce and keep studying for a test. So take it easy.

You too. I'm hitting the road after my exam. So, maybe I could swing by and see you do it in the South. Corry suggests ending the conversation.

After a few minutes, Cory sets the phone down and turns on his side, cuddling Tara. He falls asleep until his alarm goes off. Cory turns over for his phone and feels a piece of paper on top, "Good morning. You looked too peaceful to bother. Good luck with your test. I'm rooting for you, and remember WE love you – Tara," Cory reads aloud.

After a quick shower and, a slice of toast with jelly, and a glass half full of orange juice, Cory takes a couple of deep breaths then leaves for the exam site. Sitting in the car, Cory feels his toast and juice about to come out the wrong way, but he manages to keep it down and make his way inside.

Checked in with the receptionist, Cory walks down to the room and finds a seat with his name on it. A few other current graduates walk into the room without talking and take a seat around the room. Soon the examiner enters the room and gives instructions.

"Good morning, everyone. I trust you found your assigned seat. I will pass out the laptops needed for the NCLEX exam. You have five hours to complete the test, and your results will be emailed to you upon completion. Then, you log in with the information provided on the paper I hand you and begin. I wish you the best of luck." The tall, thin redhead with thick coke bottle glasses says, going around the room.

Cory opens the laptop and begins the test. He's not feeling so confident, but he takes his time to ensure the best results. The other people seem to be flying through the test, and Cory sits there reading every question carefully. Once the time expires, Cory listens to instructions as he barely finishes the exam, "Your test time has elapsed. Please, if you're not on the exam's final page, go there and click the submit button. Once you hand me your laptop, you are free to go. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Feeling nervous, Cory takes his time at the grocery store before returning to the house to wait for Tara and CJ to eat dinner with them one more time before he leaves. After CJ is home and playing in his bedroom, Cory starts dinner around four o'clock. He finds the Foreman Grill under the sink, rinsing it off, then applies a layer of melted salt-free butter. The chicken Cory bought at the store is seasoned and placed on the grill, two pieces at a time. A boiling pot of sweet corn sits on the stove, and green beans seasoned with salt and pepper accompanied with bread smothered in three different kinds of cheese in the oven.