It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish

Chapter 1

" Sam, can you take the patient in room 405's meds to her? I have been holding my pee for over three hours and I can't wait any longer." Julia asked me as I let out a slight giggle watching her run to the ladies room. I grab the patient, Callie's pain meds and head to her room. Callie has been a patient of the hospital off and on since she was born. She was premature and after they released her from the NICU she has had many complications. Poor thing is only 1 and has had surgery to repair a perforated bowel and needs a little pain relief.

"Knock, knock." I say as I walk into her room. Her mom Alice is in there reading her a story.

" how is she feeling?" I ask Alice.

" she seems ok. A little pained but she is doing well." Her mother explains with fear in her eyes.

" well I was sent here by her regular nurse for today to give her the pain meds requested. I'm just going to push them in her IV and leave you two to your story." I say with a smile. Callie looks up at me as I push the meds through her IV line.

" alright miss Callie, you should be feeling better soon, sweet girl" I say, giving her a hug before I leave. " and mom, if you or Callie need anything please let us know. If you need a break and want some fresh air I would be more than happy to sit in here and keep her company."

" Thank you Sam. We appreciate everything you all do for us." Alice says gratefully. I nod and leave the room.

I walk over to the nurses station to see what my patients may need soon and if I need to start rounds. Not a single patient needs me yet so I sit down to record some paper work in the computer.

" psst..Sam!" I hear from the other side of the nurses station. I look up and see my supervising nurse Lena holding the phone to me. I furrow my eye brows at her as she mouths " mom" and walks away.

" this is Nurse Sam how can I help you?" I say trying to be professional even though I know it's my mother.

" Sammie, it's mom. We need you to come home. Dad was in a terrible car accident and is in the hospital." My mom sobs

" what!? Mom where are you? Are you ok?" I panicked

" I am fine. I wasn't with him. I just got to the hospital ten minutes after the call about the accident. Samantha, things aren't looking good." She says quietly.

" ok mom, well I am on my way. Please call my cell if anything changes" I hang up, run over to Lena and tell her I need to go. She nods and tells me to take as much time off as I need and not to worry about work right now. I thank her and grab my keys. My apartment is just a few blocks away. I grab a suitcase and stuff as much as I can into it before I load it into my car and speed out of town. I have a 7 hour drive ahead of metro Williamsville, NY.

I am two hours in to the drive and I keep checking my phone to see if my mom has called or texted. So far she hasn't.i stopped three times before Albany, NY. As I am rushing out of the rest stop my phone rings. I look and I see mom flashing on the screen. My heart sinks.

" hey mom"

" hi baby girl." My mom says so quietly. I know something is wrong.

" mom what's wrong. It's dad isn't it?" I ask tears now running down my face.

" daddy went to heaven baby girl. He just wasn't strong enough to pull through all the injuries he got from the accident." Mom sobs

" no mom this can't be happening!" I yell into the phone. " mom please tell me it's not true" I'm pleading.

" I'm sorry Samantha Rose. I wish it wasn't true" my mom is sobbing on the other end. " baby please stop somewhere for the night I don't want you driving in this condition."