The End of Nothing

Preface

The End of Nothing-

Rain poured from the grey sky, pounding on her rain jacket, as she made her way down the hill. Cars honked, zooming down the road to her left, and animals rustled in the foliage to her right, while leaving her little path alone. Aged street lights placed neatly every ten feet, with vines growing up the sides, illuminated what they could of the dreary day, while also acting as barriers between her and the speeding vehicles.

Slowly, she walked, taking in the sights around her with a sense of wonder and kinship. This was her home. The placed she loved. She thought fondly of the weather, acting as a mask, protecting her from the prying eyes of the drivers, of the small, fuzzy, black and orange caterpillars, that only came out along with the sun, and of the other patrons who shared the path with her; often wearing strange ensembles, amusing her to no end.

The familiar white streaks on the pavement of the crosswalk, told her she was almost at her destination. Waiting patiently as car after car crossed her path she admired the building in front of her. Oregon Health and Science University reminded her of a project done by someone who was in a hurry. Slapping on pieces here and there, as they remembered what was needed, with no real final product in mind. The eye institute was next to the children's hospital, which was connected to the main hospital, which was attached to the Veteran's hospital through a sky bridge. Every required piece was there, just very close to one another, from being shoved onto a hill. A jumbled, beautiful mess.

The tram ran right above her head where she was waiting, carrying a mixture of passengers. Tired, seasoned doctors were intermingled among students, worried family members, and those who were on the tram because they didn't want to take a bus up the hill from the city center, where the tram touched down. It docked on a brightly colored square up at the top of the main building, causing her to look up to follow its progress.

A car honked next to her, jolting her back into reality, as she ran across the street, waving apologetically to waiting drivers. She walked up two blocks of winding road at a steep incline, before she cut across the road yet again, to her lecture hall.

Finding a seat in the back, she tried to quiet her breath and settled in, taking out her notebook. Around the class, the students were partitioned off in their respective groups of friends, while she was alone. It wasn't as if she was bothered by it, in fact, she relished in it, not having to constantly make conversation. Half way through her first year of med school, she didn't have time to socialize. She barely had time to eat, much less entertain a companion. Solitude was her cup of tea.

When her professor began talking, she went into the world of note taking, drowning out the distractions around her.

It was much later when she got home, again rain soaked from her trek back up the hill, to her toasty brown colored bungalow. Her house was small, but perfect for her. Situated right in the middle of a hoard of expensive houses, she was lucky to snatch up the rental when she did. Outside, there were vines climbing up the sides, and a lush garden in place of grass, where her roommate grew her vegetables. Her fire engine red door stood out among the exterior, which the landlord's wife painted, that her roommate loathed, but she secretly loved. The inside was painted with deep earth tones, and had dark, hardwood floors throughout. The two bedrooms, and adjoining bathrooms, were both painted beige, with song lyrics or poems scripted in copper paint throughout, her roommate Emily's counter attack to the door. She loved the place, and was thankful that it was always toasty warm inside, especially on days like today.

It was only a fifteen-minute walk from the hospital, only five in a car, but a car wasn't something she could afford. She was just a struggling med student after all, living off of student loans and the odd hours she could get at the café down the street.

She showered and was in her pajamas, snuggled up on the couch eating ramen noodles when her phone buzzed. Looking at the caller ID she answered when she saw it was from the nursing home where her mom resided.

Her mother had her when she was in her early fifties, a miracle baby her parents had said. After twenty-five years of marriage, they thought they couldn't have children, until she came along. They raised her together proudly, until her father had a massive heart attack when she was ten, and passed away. Though she never complained about being a single mother at such an old age, anyone could see the sadness in her mother's eyes whenever her deceased husband was mentioned. Now her mom was almost eighty, and signed herself into a nursing home down south, after finding out her daughter had been accepted to medical school, claiming she didn't want to be a burden and wanted to learn how to wrangle cattle.

For her age, her mother was very much still alive and kicking, and sassy to boot. Which caused her to wonder why the home would call her, not her mom from her cell phone? Croaking a hello into the phone she was filled with a sense of dread.

"Hello, yes, Margie? This is Helga, one of your mother's nurses. I'm calling to inform you that your mother just experienced a grand mal seizer, and is under hospital surveillance at this time. I would suggest you get down here right away, as her situation is urgent." Helga, despite her name, had a nice southern twang, but Margie, for the life of her, could only resent it as she rattled off the address of the retirement home where her mother might possibly die.

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Well, there you have it, my new try at writing longer stories. Thank you so much for reading!

Comments are appreciated, especially if you see any grammatical errors.