Jenna Pierce wanted to make changes in her life, but didn't know how. She worked in psychiatric ward of a hospital and was good at her job, but she felt stuck. Her boyfriend was amazing, but frustrated with her over her workaholic natures and self d...
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I opened my eyes to my phone ringing and 4 missed calls
I opened my eyes to my phone ringing and 4 missed calls. I checked the call log and it was work. Melanie left me a voicemail asking me to come in. Her first message was calm; her fourth not so much. She said we got several people in at once for admit to the ward and the tech who was supposed to be working my shift, decided not to show. I was in misbelief but I laughed. It figured that the evening was going to continue to be shitty.
I had fallen asleep on the couch; my neck was stiff from the couch arm and I still had my shoes on. I was hungry and sleepy and very grumpy. It was gonna be a long night.
"Jen! I am so glad you're here! It just got insane!", Melanie said sounding anxious.
"Why are you getting stressed? We always handle crazy nights. You don't get bothered about it.", I said.
"Not usually, but it's been the crazy train tonight. Chip and I took a patient each with another waiting, Nancy started freaking out because she said you said you'd get her two prune juices at dinner and she only got one....", she replied and I interrupted.
"Shit, I did say that! I forgot completely.", I said frustrated.
"Well, she let me have it and has been bitching all night....what's up with you lately? You seem really distracted. ", Melanie replied curiously.
"I'm just over tired....", I said, but by Melanie's facial expression I could tell she didn't believe me.
"Henry and I broke up.", I said quickly while getting up from my chair. grabbed charts for my assignments and told her I would do all the checks and I left before she could ask why, hoping she would forget about it, but I know she wouldn't. She loves juicy gossip.
I walked down the halls and did checks as fast as possible. Melanie called Chip in earlier when our night tech didn't show and he wasn't too bothered by it; he loved overtime and was the only member of staff allowed to have it without a thousand reasons and a lot of brown nosing to the people in HR.
I finished checks and didn't even think about the soldier once until Mel announced it was break time. Break time includes going out to get fresh air, it was mandatory. They still allow patients smoke, but only allow two cigarettes each and Mel usually gives them three so she can "forget" about them for an extra 5 minutes and chat it up with the techs from the children's ward.
All the patients got their smokes and went outside and Mel grabbed me as we passed in the hall. "Hey, can you find the soldier dude and tell him he's gonna miss his chance to take a hit off his cancer sticks, please? I don't have time to track down these people like a baby sitter.", she said.
I didn't say anything; she didn't let me respond before disappearing outside into the patient courtyard.
The ward was quiet. Even the patients who don't smoke have to go outside, so it was just me, Chip and the soldier in the ward. Chip was deep in paperwork, humming a song in the intake office.
