Family Ties (Rewritten)

The New Nurse (Part Two)

Stella followed the doctor and the orderly  into the patient's room, which was scarcely lit by the small screen of his television.  She squinted her blue eyes to get a look at him, but all she could see was his silhouette sitting up in his twin sized bed.

There was an aura of sadness all over his room, and she couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a young man to end up in a place like this.

Doctor Greer turned on the light, then he picked up the remote and switched off the TV. The patient looked up at him, his brown eyes reflecting a strange mixture of sorrow and annoyance. He was more handsome than Stella imagined, not that it made a difference to her. She was a professional.

"Where are your manners, Graves?"  The doctor asked with a smirk.  "You have guests present."

The patient said nothing.

Earl the orderly folded his arms.  "Answer Doctor Greer when he speaks to you, Vincent."

"Good evening," Vincent mumbled, though his eyes shifted away from all of them.  "I'm so humbled to have the staff of this hell hole visit my room."

Stella was once again taken by surprise, however the doctor seemed like he couldn't care less.  "This will be your new night nurse."  He said, placing his hand on her shoulder, causing her to recoil.  "She will take good care of you while Beverly is on maternity leave.  I expect you to be on your best behavior while she tends to you. Do you understand me?"

Vincent shot his hand up to his forehead, saluting him like he was an army cadet.  "Sir, yessir!"

Doctor Greer was unamused.  He walked to the side of his bed and took his hair in to his hand.

"Doctor-" Stella started to protest, but the rough hand of the orderly clasped her shoulder.

What in the hell was wrong with this place?

None of this felt right to her.

Everyone had been so strangely since she arrived.

She felt like she was in a horror novel.

Vincent pulled himself away from the doctor. "I won't scare her off. She's much more pleasant to look at than your ugly ass sister."

Sister? 

Beverly was his sister?

Things were getting worse.

"Okay, Miss Bennett."  Doctor Greer said, "Take his temperature and give him his medication."

"Yes, Doctor."

She picked up the infrared thermometer and held it an inch away from his forehead, her eyes meeting his as it sounded off. She felt like she could see inside of his soul, and it was a dark and horrifying place, a place that had many skeletons stashed inside.

No, it was only her imagination.

She was speculating about a man she just met.

That wasn't fair.

"Normal temperature. Let me grab your pulse real quick." She took his wrist in between two fingers and her thumb and counted the beats. "Your pulse is a little high, but it's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I'm sure his pulse is out of sight." Doctor Greer said, "Now give him his medication, nurse."

Why did he seem so anxious to medicate him?

His chart didn't indicate any violent behavior.

"Yes, sir."  She took the paper cup that contained his pills from the silver tray that was now in Earl's hands.  The patient immediately recoiled when she tried to place them in his hand.  She looked back at the doctor to see his reaction, but he just watched her to see how she would handle the situation.