Chapter 7

  

Chapter Seven: Death on Your Doorstep

ANABETH COLLINS 

"How are you feeling today, Daisy?" I asked the sweet lady while checking her vital signs.

She was admitted here last week because of a stomachache that later turned out to be cancer. She reminded me of my late grandma I also lost to pancreatic cancer. Daisy is a sweet old lady and her family loves her. 

"I feel like I can leave anytime soon, dear." Daisy replied with a smile and I smiled back, noting her blood pressure, temperature, abd heart and pulse rate. 

"Don't say such things like that, Daisy. You still have a granddaughter you will see." I tried to comfort her although we all know the truth. 

Her cancer is progressing fast and unfortunately, she's at Stage 4, and Doctor Mike already told her family to spend as much time with her as they can. People deemed nurses and doctors as heartless, but no. We can feel emotion and we can emphatize with the patients, we just can't show it, and sometimes, you just really get used to it. 

In my case, however, I only acquired my license a few months ago and graduated last year. I'm pretty much still a newbie so there are times where I make mistakes, sympatize and talk to the patients. 

"And I pray to God that I will be alive until then." She patted my hand and closes her eyes to rest. 

I sighed softly and made sure her IV drip was fine before leaving her room. If there is one thing we can't give, it's false hope. It's both unethical and unreasonable for anyone working in this field to give a patient false hope. 

I was walking down the hallway to go back to my station when I saw a familiar face a few steps away from me. I froze, my feet rooting into place and my whole body going frigid as I stared at Irah King in astonishment. 

'What is he doing here?!' I asked in panic, heart beating faster, and I looked around to see if I can hide anywhere else but it was too late because our eyes locked and I saw recognition in his eyes. 

'Oh, no! I don't want to see him or talk to him!  Sweet Lord, this is gonna be so awkward.'

It's been three years since I last saw him and Monique. After finding out that my own bestfriend betrayed me, I decided to transfer to another section so I wouldn't see her again. I avoided them like the plague and somehow, I managed to not see them again. Thankfully, Irah went to study in another country and Monique suddenly vanished into thin air and I never heard from her again. I heard she ran away from home and dropped out, but I didn't care enough to find out. I was able to finish and achieve my dream as a nurse like my mother. 

"Hey," Irah greeted me as if we were friends and appeared as though he was trying to remember me. "You're... Anabeth, right? From College." 

I am surprised he actually remember my name when I probably confused him by reacting the way I did back then.

"Yes, and you're Irah from the basketball team, right?" I pretended that I just recognized him and he smiled warmly. 

"The one and only. I didn't think I'd see someone I know here. I just came back from Australia, you see. Wow, what a coincidence." 

I smiled forcefully, and somehow, my eyes shifted behind him, as if expecting to see another man who shares the same face as him but with a dangerous aura. It's been also three years since I saw Uriah King and our paths never crossed again. 

"Uhm, it's nice to see you, Irah, but I need to leave now as I still have patients I need to visit." I lied to get away from him.

"Oh, of course. It's nice to see a familiar face. I'll see you around, Anabeth." He gave me a look that held another meaning but I was not sure what it was. 

Deciding to shake it off, I went back to my station and went to the next room I needed to visit. 

"Oh, hi, Nurse Ana! It's good to see you this beautiful morning!" Felicity, a patient admitted because of an accident, greeted me joyfully. She has such a lovely and positive aura around her, even though the accident will leave her immobilize for some time. 

"Hey, Felicity. These are your medicines, and I came to change your bandages." I greeted her back and went to start my work, but unfortunately, Irah kept on popping on my mind and his twin showing up beside him. 

"Say, are you single, Ana? I have a brother I can introduce to you, you see. He ain't the brightest bulb out there, but he's really nice." Felicity said, interrupting my mind from flying, and I focused on changing her dressing. 

"No, thanks. I'm sure he's a great guy but I'm not ready for a relationship right now." 

For the past three years, I moved on from Irah and dated guys after a year. I don't know if I had such terrible luck in men, but  the three men, including Josh, the one I recently dated, just ghosted me. They will break up with me through text and disappear. At twenty-one, I am still a vīrgin because they did not stay long enough for me to create a connection with them and surrender myself to them. 

My day went slowly with me visiting rooms after rooms to check the patients, give their medicines, and accompany the doctors for their rounds. Everyday is exhausting and I always end up with a patch on my body, but for me, it's still rewarding. I sent a text to my mother that probably left for her night shift that I am on my way home and wished her a good night. 

The hospital is only a few blocks away from our home so I choose to walk to save some money. The road is filled with some people walking here and there and I avoid walking anywher dark. Unfortunately tonight, a house was burning and they closed the road so I needed to take another route. I forced myself to stay calm and alert, holding my pepper spray in my bag. 

I walked past a dark alley and I ignored it at first, not wanting to endager myself and choosing to ignore my profession if my life is at stake, but a familiar smell made me stop. The mixture of pinewoods, mint and cigarrette reached my nostrils and memories automatically appeared in my mind. 

'Uriah King...' I thought, my whole body freezing in shock. 

I saw Irah earlier so it wouldn't be a surprise if his twin is around the corner, but... why here?

I heard some rustles and I took a deep breath, hating myself for letting curiousity win and turned my head slowly to my right, as if I was that stupid character in a horror movie that will get herself killed. I squinted my eyes and once my vision adjusted, I let out a loud gasp, a scream bubbling up in my throat at what I saw. 

I was right that it was Uriah, but what left me terrified was the bloodied and lifeless body on his feet, and the man holding a gun slowly turned to my direction. 

"Are you lost again, bunny?”