002

The hospital was in its usual bustling state the next morning.

The only thing unusual was the presence of the paparazzi at the entrance, demanding information on the billionaire.

We did not mind them much, as long as they stayed out of the hospital walls they could froth at the mouth all they wanted.

I was doing my usual rounds, checking up on the patients on my floor, when I paused at an unfamiliar chart.

I stopped at the doorway, squinting my eyes to read out the name but with how much was on my mind this morning, it was no surprise that I had forgotten to wear my contacts.

Even worse, I had broken my glasses earlier this week and I did not have any extra money laying around to replace them.

Which means that I will be partially blind for the rest of the day, great!.

I turned my attention to the patient, the beeping of the heart monitor echoing in the background.

Thankfully, I recognised him as the head trauma patient from last night.

According to his reports he is in a medically induced coma.

There was no one else in the room, so I got to work, checking his vitals, changing his IV line, checking his blood sugar.

I was unsurprised to discover that the other things had been taken care of prior to my arrival.

I shrugged.

“Less work for me I guess.”

I finished off shortly after, my eyes sweeping over the room one more time before I left.

As I stepped out of the room, I bumped into a hard chest,

“I'm sorry, are you okay?” The man asked in concern, looking truly remorseful.

Thankfully I had held a tight grip on the charts in my hands, but my elbow had suffered for that.

“No it's fine, I should have been more careful,” I mumbled, rubbing my elbow with a grimace.

He nodded in silence, seemingly agreeing with my words.

My face morphed into a fake smile as I took a step back, straightening my posture.

Without another word, I turned on my heel, striding in the direction of my next patient.

However, I could not shake off the eyes on me as I left.

“Nurse Elara!”

It was lunchtime and I was on my way to the cafeteria.

Yes, before you ask, the hospital food is really as bad as they say. Because it's all healthy and bland stuff.

But it was free, so I was not complaining.

I had not had a meal in over twenty four hours and I was not going to turn away free food because it could not live up to my taste buds.

I ignored the voice, even as his footsteps neared me in the next second.

“Will you-”

I cut him off immediately,

“No, I will not go to lunch with you Julián,” I muttered, my gaze fixed straight ahead.

Miles was a resident nurse that had been trying to get me to go on a date with him since the first week he started at the hospital. I rejected him every time. It had been four months since then, but yet, he had not stopped with his advances.

He was already an annoyance at this point, like that one bug you just can't get rid of no matter how much you try.

Unfortunately for him, I hate bugs and I swat them on sight.

“But-”

“As much as I would love to have this conversation right now, I would really like to have my lunch without you hovering over me like a pesky fly,” I paused, giving him a hard stare.

“Yeah, I will uh- leave you alone now,” he stuttered with a crestfallen look, finally getting the message.

But I knew it was short lived, he would be back again just like he always did, and I would put him in his place again, the cycle never stops.

I would have reported him to H.R a long time ago if he was not the son of one of the board of directors.

I think we can already tell how that would pan out.

At that, I strolled into the cafeteria grabbing a tray and getting some of the least healthy meals on the menu, in large portions.

During lunch I thought of ideas to fix my financial problems;

“Maybe I should become a strip dancer, I bet they make a lot of money,” I shook my head at the idea, I barely had an ass to shake anyway.

“Or I could join a drug selling ring, I'm sure drug dealers make a lot of money,” I grimaced, "I'm too soft for that type of work.

“Maybe I should get a second job as a waitress or sales attendant, shuffle them with my shifts at the hospital?” It was looking like the option with the most potential at the moment.

My eyes briefly glanced at the tables that were occupied by other people in groups and pairs.

Too bad I had no friends to give me advice.

I had always been a bit of an antisocial person and the other nurses had learnt to maintain their distance.

I let out a sigh, grabbing my empty tray, and standing from the table.

On my way out of the cafeteria, I placed it on the stack of other emptied trays.

Wearing a despondent frown, I dragged myself to the locker room, to get ready for the rest of my shift.

“Nurse Jones!”

However, before I could resume my tasks, another nurse called out my name.

I turned to the short woman with a raised eyebrow.

“The director wants you in his office.”

A frown formed on my face.

“The director?” Why would the director of the hospital want to see a nurse?

The nurse appeared to be as baffled as I was.

Sucking my teeth in annoyance, I made my way to the elevator, no way I'm climbing the stairs to the seventh floor.

I arrived at the office a few minutes later and I was called in after the first knock.

“Nurse Jones,” the older man muttered, barely sparing me a glance.

Instead he handed me a file.

“You will be solely responsible for this patient from now on, no shift schedules,”

I stood, speechless as my plans of getting a new job went down the drain.