If I Have To

They Call Him Kasey

New York, New York
February 27th

Kasey L.

Tired. That's how I was feeling. Even a small nap in the break room didn't help with my exhaustion. For three days, I been at the hospital from sunrise to sundown pulling doubles. Every once in a while, I would do these 24-hour shifts and it seemed to always fall on some of the busiest nights. Not to mention there were festivals taking place this week, meaning an increase in injuries. I needed extra hands to count the amount of surgeries I did in the last few days.

Again, I was exhausted.

I slammed my pen on my desk then ran my hands down my face. My eyes were playing tricks on me today. Focusing too hard on the papers in front of me caused the words and lines started to move around. I had an hour left before heading home but I was about to clock out early. I needed a long nap, a massage, an ice pack to loosen the hand cramps, and a cold beer. In general, I needed a brand new scenery because this place was turning into zombie land.

There was a knock on my office door. I yelled for the person to entered, keeping my face buried in my hands.

"Looks like someone is tired," Jessica said.

"Very," I responded. I lifted my head up then leaned back against my chair.

"Is everything alright?" I questioned. She shut the door behind her then came to my desk.

"Everything is fine. Doctor Nash informed the family about their daughter. They would like to thank you," she answered while taking a seat.

Just a few minutes ago, I had finished performing surgery on a teenager girl. She was the victim of a drunk car crash with her group of friends. She was the only one that needed severe medical attention while her friends needed a few stitches. It was tragic to see these kids, around sixteen or seventeen, be handcuffed and escorted out the hospital by cops. Then again, they did almost kill their friend due to their bad decisions and now they were suffering the consequences. All I did was my job.

"There's no need for a thank you. I was just doing my job," I sluggishly responded.

"You still saved that girl life. You should start taking credit for the lives you've been saving lately, doctor."

I hummed, slowly nodding my head. I wish I could continue this conversation but I felt like passing out. All I needed was two hours, maybe three to get myself together.

"So, Mr. Langston, I wanted to ask you something," she continued, leaning closer to the desk.

"What is it?" The question came out rudely. It wasn't what I intended but I was holding a conversation on less than ten hours of sleep. So it was expected.

"I was wondering if you would like to attend my sister's wedding with me. It's held in Manhattan at the chapel. She's finally marrying that dude she's been dating for years now, and I figured I bring someone along," she responded.

I pressed my lips together and look at her. I watched as a smile began to show on her face. I forced myself to send one back even though I was about to reject her. If there was any confusion, I haven't said anything about my marriage to any of my coworkers. They wouldn't have known either way since I didn't wear my ring. I couldn't.