Obscurity

Chapter 19: Blood and Introspection

Alma

A light knock on the open door to my room wakes me. I don't open my eyes, but I know someone's flicked on the light for my side of the room. I hear footsteps and the accompanying sound of a cart being pushed to my bedside.

A feminine voice comes from my left, "Alma Weaver? Alma?" I open my eyes and see a nurse standing beside my bed. I'm not startled when I open my eyes because I heard her coming.

"Yeah?" I groggily say as I rub my tired eyes. "What time is it?" The curtains in my room are closed, but I can tell it's still dark outside. The sun isn't trying to peak through the edges of the curtains like it does in the morning.

"It's about two in the morning." She replies. "I'm Sue and I'm here to collect some blood for a work-up your doctor has ordered." She informs me.

"Blood work? For what?" My voice raising in alarm.

"It's a common practice. Most doctors order preliminary blood work before prescribing medications." She reaches for my wrist with a scanner. I show her my wrist band and allow her to scan it.

"I don't need any medications." I inform her.

She nods. "I understand. I'm just following my orders." She says apologetically. She sets about preparing her supplies.

I notice Sierra isn't in her bed. She wasn't here when I turned in for the night either. I wonder where she is.

"Should I sit up for this?" I ask. I don't know how this works and I don't want to be uncooperative in any way. I just want to get this over with so I can go back to sleep.

"You can sit or stay lying there if you like, it doesn't make any difference. Whatever is comfortable for you." She smiles warmly as she wraps the tourniquet around my upper arm. After she ties the rubber strap, it pinches me a little. I wince. "Sorry." She says as she wipes my inner arm with an alcohol pad.

The astringent smell of the alcohol pad makes me want to gag. It certainly wakes me up more. She taps on my arm to get a vein to raise. Once, she's found the best candidate she flips back the safety cap of her needle. I watch intently.

"You can look away if you want." She offers.

"I'm fine." I lie. I don't like needles. But I can't bring myself to look away.

She gently slides the needle into my arm and almost immediately I see the blood rise up through it to a waiting tube. The tube slowly collects the blood from my arm. I'm surprised when she pulls the nearly filled tube from the plastic receptacle on the end of the needle and inserts another empty tube.

"Two tubes?" I ask as I watch the second tube filling.

"Three, actually."

"Why so much?" I grimace.

"Each vial provides for different tests." She answers as she pulls the second tube out and inserts a third.

When the third vial is filled, she removes it from the receptacle. She places a cotton ball over the needle against my arm as she withdraws the needle. She presses the cotton hard.

"Now, hold this tight for me for a second, please." She says as she reaches for a band-aid. I press on the cotton just as she asked. She unwraps the band-aid and places over the cotton as I let go of it.

"You're all set." She says smiling. "Thanks for dealing with me in the middle of the night. Get some rest." She replaces all of her supplies on her cart and drops the needle into a sharps container on the top of it.