IT31 || 31 days of IT

5 - Nursing Is Never Easy In The Dark

Thank you GoreBabe
for being such an incredible co-writer!
Thank you bitchinheart (Tumblr) for some ideas in this story!!

Eddie forced a friendly smile as he walked past the nurses' station and toward the patients' rooms. He was tired. After a 9hr shift, he really needed sleep. But instead, he continued working. He needed the overtime. The money was going toward his wedding at the end of the year. This was his first time working throughout the night.

He walked into Mrs. Hockstetter's room, holding a small cup of pills in one hand and an apple juice in the other.

"Good evening, Mrs. Hockstetter" he spoke in a friendly tone. "Time for your medication" he walked over to the side of the bed. The woman just looked at him with empty eyes before turning her attention to the open window. He sighed softly and carefully pressed the button to lift the top part of her bed with his pinky finger. "Come on, you know the drill"

"Hmph," she mumbled. She held out a shaky hand. He carefully handed her the cup of pills, waited for her to switch hands, then handed her the apple juice. "Is my son here yet?" she asked with a weak voice before dumping the pills in her mouth. 

Eddie frowned and held his hand out for the empty cup. Both of her sons had been dead for years. Avery, her youngest, died as a baby while her oldest, Patrick, died when Eddie was in middle school from a bad accident down by the barrens. After losing both of her sons, the woman went crazy. Now, here she was, in the same nursing home that Eddie worked in. 

"Not yet" Eddie talked softly. He knew better than to break the news to her. Nurses had tried for years to do so. She'd go through a major meltdown then go right back to believing her son would be visiting her. It broke Eddie's heart.

She didn't say anything. She handed the cup back to Eddie with shaky fingers and sipped on her apple juice. 

"Now, you know the drill" Eddie warned with a playful tone. The woman rolled her eyes, opened her mouth, moved her tongue around, then went back to sipping her apple juice and staring out the window. "Thank you for cooperating. they should be bringing a snack around soon. I heard it was apple pie tonight!" he told her before turning back toward the door. She didn't make a sound as he left the room. 

Eddie's friendly smile quickly vanished as he entered the halls of the nursing home. He felt completely drained. He finished up the few patients that needed their evening medicine before walking back to the nursing station and letting his body collapse in a computer chair. 

"You look dead" his co-worker chuckled. 

"When I get home, I guarantee I'll sleep for about four days straight" Eddie yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. 

"Can't be doing that. You come back in tomorrow evening" his co-worker added, pointing his finger toward the schedule. Eddie rolled his eyes and sunk into the seat.

"How about we don't ruin my fantasies over here?"

"Alright, alright"

Eddie looked up to the sound of a patient's call light turning on. His jaw clenched and his tired body forced it's way back up the back of the chair. 

"I got it" his co-worker waved his hand at Eddie before walking down the hall to the appropriate patient. Eddie sighed in relief.

He stayed slumped down in the chair, his body finding the odd position comfortable. He felt his eyes growing heavy and soon, he was drifting off to sleep before he could even realize it was happening.

He woke to the sound of wailing coming from down the halls followed by screeching and hollering. Eddie forced his eyes open and looked around. The nurses' station was dark as were the halls going every which way around him. He pushed himself up in the chair, his spine cracking with his movements. A little grunt escaped his lips.