Starting Over

Chapter Four ; high ho high oh its off to work we go

The last bell of the school day rang, for some that meant they were free but for me it signaled that it was time to get ready for work. Before leaving the school, I slipped into the bathroom to change into my scrubs. It wasn’t that I didn’t like working at the rehab center but the fact that I got to do all the dirty work made it a little less enjoyable. As much as I hated the dirty work, I was thankful for the chance at a paid internship. Not only were these rare, but this could also really beef up my chances of getting the scholarship. Even though I had gotten the smallest pair of scrubs from the center, they still hung on my hips, leaving my tiny frame swimming in the fabric. I didn’t mind though, it just made them a little more comfortable to wear on my long shifts.

After changing into my work clothes, I headed back down the hallway to the entrance that lead to the parking lot. I ignored the strange looks and giggles from some of the girls, who seemed to always make a point to point out my oversized work attire. They were probably the lucky kind of girls that could afford any college they want, but would probably stick to becoming a trophy wife to an all-star sports player or something along those lines. I rolled my eyes as I shoved the large metal doors open, the cool fall air hitting my face. It was finally starting to cool down and I was so thankful, me and heat just didn’t get along.

I made my way across the large parking lot, my eyes casually scanning over the students that rushed off in groups. Part of me kind of wished I could hop into a car full of friends and head downtown to hang out but part of me was also well aware that I didn’t have that many friends. I had kept myself pretty low-key throughout my first three years of high school, spending most of my time focusing on my academics. My family didn’t have a lot of money so if I planned on going to college and getting out of this town that meant I would have to do it on my own. That’s when I had read up on full academic scholarships and here I am, almost eighteen years old with maybe two friends and zero social skills.

After a car ride full of loud and obnoxious car karaoke I finally pulled up to the large rehabilitation center. I flung my backpack over my shoulder and headed in the back door of the building. The back of the building was mostly doctors’ offices and the employee lounge; I made my way into the large room, opening up my locker and sliding my backpack in. “Hey darlin’, how are you today?” My ears perked up as I heard Miss Maybel’s voice. She was one of the older volunteers at the center and she could make anyone’s day so much brighter. She stood just a few inches taller than me, gray curly hair stuck up in all directions. “Good afternoon, Maybel!” I flashed her a bright smile as I attached my name tag to the front of my scrubs. She gave me a quick hug before heading towards the door, “You better get out there, Mrs. Fletcher is in one of her moods today and we have a full floor.” I rolled my eyes, Mrs. Fletcher was always in some type of sour mood; but I took Maybel’s advice and hurried out to the nurse’s station to get my daily assignment list.

I scanned over the list of job duties for today, most of them filled with bed baths, bath assistance for those needing to get into the shower chairs and changing bedding.  Hey, someone has to do the dirty work and since I have no actual nursing qualifications that leaves those things on me. Grabbing one of the bath carts from the storage room, I loaded it up with the things I would need for my first patient; Room 272. Tugging the cart behind me, I stopped in front of the room, knocking gently on the door, “I am here to get you into your shower.” I called out as I pushed the door open. I felt my heart stop in my chest as I looked at Cole Adams sitting in front of me. This had to be a dream, I might not be popular, but I don’t think there was a girl my age in a twenty mile radius that didn’t know who Cole Adams was. “Ahem…” my mind snapped back to reality as I he cleared his throat. “You are going to help me into the shower?” His face twisted in almost a disgusted look. The look on his face and the tone of his voice made me feel like I stood only a few inches tall. This had to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, even more than when I fell down the bleachers in eighth grade. I could feel my cheeks light on fire with embarrassment, “U-uh…well yeah… I’m one of the assistants, I just help you get undr-essed…and um in the shower ch-chair…” my voice crackled, and I stumbled over my words as I imagined helping Cole take his clothes off. I might be invisible at school but come on, Cole was like a god walking those hallways and there probably wasn’t a single female student in that school who hadn’t checked him out. Besides, he sat a few rows in front of me in biology and he gave me something to stare at when the class got a little boring.

Again, his voice broke my train of thought, “Yeah… I don’t think so…”, and without another word he wheeled his chair past me and down the hall towards the nurse’s station. I stood there frozen in my spot, what the hell had just happened? I glanced down the hall and saw him talking to none other than Mrs. Fletcher, I knew this wasn’t going to be good for me. Her eyes met mine as he continued to talk to her, she gave him a kind smile and started down the hallway towards me. “Miss Richards, I am going to be reassigning Mr. Adams to another assistant. You can go ahead and remove the shower from your schedule and move on to the next patient please. “Yes, ma’am.” I could feel the heat of embarrassment consume my cheeks as I moved on to the next shower on my schedule; I could already tell that today was not going to be a good day.

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Sorry for such a short update! I am working on getting back in the flow for this story!