Medical Assistant ➸ a.i

iii

 Allaryce was on time for work. Tons of papers needed to be signed and since she was a medical assistant, she had to do it, along with planning the principal doctors' schedules, evaluating the emergencies, making the hospitalized persons in the center's administrative and medical documents and more. It wasn't that simple.

She searched in the documents and it didn't take her long to find what she was looking for. She didn't notice the name of the person who was about to have a surgery and hurried to alert the surgeon that it was time to get in the block.

"Thank you, Miss Scarlett," said the doctor. "The nurses will take care of the rest."

Allaryce nodded at him and regained her small desk in the hall, reorganizing the papers. She was about to write in her agenda the name of the guy getting the surgery, but stopped mid-track when she read it, Ashton Fletcher Irwin.

Her eyes widened instantly. She's been told that he was only there for a few months. She, then, understood why he was so stressed this past week and why he rarely talked. It was more than obvious, now. His life was between a surgeon's hands.

"Allaryce," her colleague, Cassie, called her.

"You didn't tell me that Ashton was getting a surgery," she said.

"It's not that impo–"

Allaryce cut her off, raising her hand in the air and continued her work. Cassie was right, it wasn't that important, but Allaryce was worried about everyone and Ashton was the same age as her and he was the only paralyzed guy in the service.

The day was long and exhausting. Allaryce had had a lot of work to do. The afternoon, once her shift was over, and before getting out of the building, she did her ritual and casted a glance at every room; beginning with the children's and finishing with Ashton's.

This last was asleep, peacefully, like an angel. His hair hid the majority of his forehead and his breath was slow but regular. Allaryce reduced the luminosity of the room and walked further. She replaced his pillow by a new one and adjusted the bed so it would be easy for the sleeping boy to reach the remote and stuff – as always – and headed to the door.

"Can I borrow your phone, please?"

She turned around and saw him, his eyes barely open. She walked back and gave him her cell-phone without asking any more questions.

Ashton didn't have a mobile for the reason that he lost it when the accident he had occurred – and that coasted him his ability to walk. He tapped furiously on the screen and called his mother. Allaryce only caught "I'm sorry I didn't call," and "I love you, mom."

"You miss her?" Allaryce asked as Ashton handed her her telephone.

"Awfully," he breathed.

"And she has never visited?"

"No," he answered, disappointment in his voice. "She has other stuff to worry about. I will get out of this damn place and will walk again."

The boy's courage was peculiar and Allaryce liked it; she smiled and opened the door.

"You are going to get out of here, soon, Ashton," she assured him, giving him her most beautiful smile ever. "And I will take care of you."

She got out of the hospital room, closing the door behind her.

"I know, Allaryce, I know."

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i dont think allaryces exist in hospitals. every hospital needs an allaryce.