The Broken Orphan [Being Rewritten]

Sixty Five- Bedtime Stories

Luke

I stand from the bed, lay the picture on the dresser, and go to shower. After a quick shower, I run a towel quickly through my hair to somewhat dry it, and change into a pair of sweatpants. I wonder around the hotel room as I search for something to do, fiddling with random things I find while doing so. I find myself back at the picture in the end. A small smile appears on my lips as I trace my fingers lightly over the soft page. I sit down on the edge of the bed with the picture in hand. The memory of meeting Evangeline flashes into my mind.

I smooth out the green, elephant covered scrub shirt with a sigh. A patient had thrown up on me, and I didn't have another change of clothes, so Barbra, a sweet old lady who's a nurse, lent me a shirt. I had an extra shirt, but I accidentally spilt coffee all over it this morning. Today hasn't been the best day for me.

I sigh as I walk out of the locker room. Barbra stands waiting for me at the door to see if the shirt fit. I give her a smile and she chuckles.
"Thanks." I tell her
"You're welcome, elephant boy." She cackles, even earning a low laugh from me.
"I'll give it back tomorrow." I assure her
"Sure thing." She says as she begins to walk back to her desk.

I sigh, again, and run my hands through my hair.
I walk to the front desk of the hospital to wait for my doctor that I was shadowing today. Dr. Michaels, the doctor I was shadowing, was a nice man, caring, and a hard worker, but not extremely fast. He takes his time with patients, although I don't mind, it's better to be thorough and slow than to rush and miss something.

I stop in front of Jessica's spot. She looks up from her computer, a grin spreading across her face at the sight of my shirt as she greets me.

"Let me guess; spilled coffee?" She says jokingly
I chuckle "Actually, that was the first one. This one was vomit." I say cringing
Her nose wrinkles in disgust.

I hear a loud shriek from one of the rooms and lots of thrashing, pulling our concentration to the room. A heart monitor is going crazy over the sound of it all. Urgent voices waft from the parted door, however I can't make out what is being said. Soon after, it goes quiet, other than the beeping of the monitor. Three female nurses and a male walk out. All who I have interacted with before. They all seem to be stressed, and two of them wipe tears away from their eyes. I turn back to Jessica with confusion written on my face. The male, Jerry, walks over to us with a frown.

"No luck?" Jessica ask
He shakes his head no. "We had to put the restraints on her, and the IV in her other hand." He says
"What's wrong?" I ask curiously
"Evangeline King, five years old, and came in yesterday from an abuse case." Jessica says, handing me her file.
I skim over her basic information, still not getting any information about why she's in restraints.
"She's keeps fighting us when we try to do anything, and she kept ripping out her IV." Jerry explains to me
"Cut her some slack, Jerry. She's scared." Jessica says
"Are her parents here?" I ask
Jessica frown grows bigger. "No, she's an orphan." She says

Jessica proceeds to explain Evangeline's situation to me. Her parents died when she was younger, and now she's here from a dentist abusing her while she was his foster child. I repress the memories from my experience with the dentist so I can stay calm. It's something I'm still working with to get over.
No one here knows about it yet. My doctor walks up beside me and takes the next case into his hands to review it.

"Has anyone tried talking to her?" I ask
"Everyone." Jerry says "Nothing has helped." He adds
"Let him try." Dr. Michaels says to them "If anyone can do it, it's him." He says without looking up from the file.
I raise my eyebrows in shock. I go to protest but he stops me
"Clark, you are like a clumsy puppy, hmm, make that an elephant," He says eyeing my shirt "Even when you mess up, you make people smile. I'm sure you can handle a five year old girl." He says firmly but sympathetically
I stagger for words. "Thank you?" I say, only to have it come out more like a question.