Page 16 of Salute, To Bravery

“C onfirmed” popped up in bold letters across my screen, followed by an impossibly long confirmation number.

I gently closed my laptop, a satisfied grin spreading across my face, and scooped up my laptop and shoved it into my work bag. I felt unstoppable, and could hardly contain my excitement.

I had been planning this trip for months, but work had prevented me from making any solid plans.

With only a week to spare, the powers that be finally approved my vacation days.

Little did they know, I wouldn’t be coming back.

My resignation letter was scheduled to be sent an hour after I left tomorrow morning.

That gave them a month while I was on vacation to find a replacement.

I hated doing it this way, but I didn’t really have a choice.

My phone buzzed on the table and pulled me out of my train of thought. My cheeks stretched into a bigger smile when I looked at the caller ID.

“Hey, Sophie! You have perfect timing. I just confirmed the RV rental for the trip. This is going to be so much fun, I can’t wait,” I gushed as soon as I picked up the phone.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Give us time to say hi first, O.” Sophie chuckled on the other end. The sound felt empty.

“Us?”

“Oh, I’ve got Emmy here with me. You’re on speakerphone.”

“Oh awesome. Are you guys ready for the trip?” There was hesitation at the other end of the line. “Or not? What’s up, guys?”

This time it was Emmy’s turn to speak. “Look, O, we need to talk about the trip.”

“Sure, do we need to make some changes?”

Again, I was met with hesitation. Sophie sighed. “O, we can’t go. Is there any way to reschedule?”

“Wait, what? Why?”

Emmy cleared her throat. “O, we got a call from your mother. She told us all about the plans for this weekend. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t tell you because I had no plans of going.” I gritted my teeth. My meddling mother would be the end of me.

“Uh, O, you kind of have to be there. You’re literately the entire reason for the party.” Sophie sounded genuinely confused.

“Her and Josh.” Emmy giggled in the background.

Sophie tried, and failed, to hide her snicker.

“Guys, I’ve already rented the RV. The plans are made, we can’t back out now. Come on, this will be fun!” I tried to completely ignore the subject at hand.

Sophie’s mood sobered up. “O, get a refund. You know you have to go. Plus, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to. Josh is hot as hell and is the perfect match for you.”

“Plus, you’ll never have to work another day in your life. Just face the music already and stop complaining.” I could almost see Emmy’s eyeroll through the phone.

“We’ll see you at the party, okay, O?” Sophie tried to sound upbeat again. “Oh, and wear that pastel pink dress, it always complimented your skin tone so well! Love you, hugs and kisses.” She made kissing sounds through the speaker and promptly hung up.

I sighed as I looked at the screen. Then I pursed my lips before chucking the phone into my bag with my laptop. I’d just have to deal with them later. For now, I had to get my ass to work before I was late.

The walk to the hospital was dull as usual.

The strangers on the street paid me no mind as I weaved between them with my music blaring in my ears.

I’d made this walk every day for the last two years, and the only familiar faces I could recall were the few shopkeepers who were opening their stores or taking over for the night shift.

Between six and seven in the morning was a time of day that I had truly come to hate.

Everything was loud, everyone was in such a hurry.

There were too many smells to take in and everything just assaulted my senses.

I much preferred working night shifts, but the job I took at the hospital only had a day shift available, and it was within walking distance of my studio apartment.

Taking the alley to my left, I came upon the side entrance that I and my coworkers used to enter the hospital. As always, a few of my favorite people were outside smoking their last cigarettes before their shift.

“You know you shouldn’t be smoking, it’s not good for you. And it makes you smell terrible.” I scrunched up my nose at the two techs.

Ashton took one long last drag off his before stomping it out under his shoe. “Yeah, yeah. That’s what you always say.”

The other tech rolled her eyes. “You ready to face the chaos? You seem kinda bitchy today.”

“Oh gee, thanks Anne.” I flipped her off as she pulled open the door.

The group headed in together but quickly split up as they went to their separate stations.

I got to the registration desk and got all the reports from the night shift.

It had been a slow night, and thankfully I didn’t have a ton of patients to check in.

The emergency room at Sisters of Faith was usually packed on Monday mornings, and usually full of people who were told by their bosses to get a doctor’s note or they better show up to work.

It took up a lot of valuable time and resources, but once they came to the ER for a note, most were too stubborn to leave.

I kept my head down as I filed paperwork and did my best to find placements for patients who actually needed to be admitted to the hospital. A lot of this job was paperwork and playing phone tag. It didn’t pay great, but I liked the work and the people.

I was busy on hold with another floor when I heard something being set next to me on my desk. I looked over to see a large coffee and Ian smiling at me. Despite my mood, I couldn’t help but smile back at my favorite travel nurse. “What’s this?”

“I noticed you didn’t have your giant ass coffee cup with you this morning. Or your standard energy drink.” Ian smirked.

I dropped my head. I had forgotten my drinks this morning since I was so annoyed when I left the house. “Damn. I also forgot my lunch.”

“Wow, you’re just failing extra hard today, aren’t you?” Ian laughed as I glared at him.

“Don’t you have some poor patient to stick or something?” I picked up the coffee and gingerly took a sip. I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Something wrong?”

“Uh no, it’s exactly how I like it?” I looked from the coffee in my hands to Ian, not even bothering to hide the question. “Are you stalking me?” I laughed.

“Oh yes, I got a job at this miserable little hospital just to stalk you.” He rolled his eyes at my surprised expression.

“You’re a creature of habit, Odette. You’re here at exactly six fifty every morning with a huge cup of coffee in one hand and your tote bag in the other.

You refill your coffee at lunch or down an energy drink.

You drink your coffee the same exact way every single day. ”

“Am I that predictable?”

“Yes.”

I scoffed. “Well, thanks. I appreciate it. It’s been a rough morning already.”

“Yeah, I get that, but at least you have vacation coming up, right?”

“Yeah, thankfully.” I deflated a little. I wasn’t even sure that my vacation was going to go as planned.

I could feel Ian watching me. That man was too damn observant.

“We’ll discuss that mood shift later.” He pointed a finger at me before downing his own drink. The intercom over our heads announced an incoming ambulance. “Whelp, that’s my cue.” He threw his cup in the trashcan next to her desk before turning to go to the trauma bay. “I mean it, O. Later.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved him off before settling back in my chair, the hold music barely registering in my ears as I turned the cup in my hands.

I knew he’d ask me about it later. He was never too nosey, but he always made sure people felt better by the end of his shift.

He was just one of those guys who seemed to be the support system for everyone around him.

Oddly enough, none of us knew much about him, and we just assumed he liked to keep it that way since he was only contracted for 16 weeks.

16 weeks that ended at the end of the week.

I couldn’t help but feel a little sad about it.

I managed to keep myself busy enough so that I wasn’t constantly thinking about my potentially ruined vacation. That was until lunch when I checked my phone for the first time in hours.

Six missed calls from my mother.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my grip on the phone, resisting the urge to just throw the damn thing.

I knew exactly what it was going to be about, and I didn’t want to hear about it.

It was probably best to get it over with and move on with my day, though.

I took a deep breath before dialing the number.

She answered on the first ring.

“Darling! I’ve been trying to reach you.” My mom’s weird fake high-society accent came through the speaker entirely too loud.

“Yes, Mom, I saw that. I’m at work, remember? I can’t be on my phone.”

“Oh, why do you keep that dreadful job? You know you have access to your bank account that your father and I set up for you. You don’t need the money.”

“I like my job, Mom, it gives me something to do, and it pays my bills.” I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. I was so tired of having this particular conversation with my mother.

“Honey, we give you enough of an allowance every month to pay your bills and live comfortably. It’s bad enough that you picked that terrible apartment, but you don’t even come to all of our events because of that job.” She put emphasis on the last word. I could imagine the look of disgust.

I just sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’m going to have to get back to work soon, was there something you needed?”

“Oh yes, I wanted to know what you were wearing to the party on Saturday? I think it would be just darling if you and Josh could match.”

“Mom, it’s not prom we don’t have to match.”

“I know that, silly, but you guys should complement each other, as a new power couple should.” The pride in my mom’s voice was obvious. “Now, your father will be there at eight sharp on Friday morning to come get you.”

Panic bubbled up in my chest. “Oh, Mom, that’s not necessary, I will take the train up there. I know how busy Dad gets with work. I don’t want to take time out of his day.”

“Oh hush, his only daughter is getting engaged. He’s more than happy to be there for you.”

I closed my eyes. “Mom, I need to let you go, I have to get back to work.”

My mom sighed. “I’ll be so glad when you’re no longer working at that place. Be careful, I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Before my mom could say anything else, I ended the call.

I stuck my phone back in my bag and rubbed my face.

I was supposed to pick up the RV Friday morning.

How was I going to keep my dad from coming to pick me up?

Or worse, seeing me and just making me leave with him?

I stared down at my half-eaten salad from the cafeteria, suddenly unable to stand the thought of eating.

“Hey, you okay? You look like shit, dude.” Anne plopped herself down in the seat next to me. She was always blunt, and that was one reason Anne had become one of my closest friends.

“Yep. Totally fine. Everything is peaches and rainbows,” I snapped as I slid my salad away from me.

Anne studied the now discarded salad, then her gaze settled on me. “Okay, cool. Now tell me how you really feel.” Anne stuck a jerky stick in her mouth and violently ripped off a piece.

I couldn’t help but giggle briefly before I dropped my head into my hands to rub my face again.

“You know if you keep rubbing your face like that, you’re going to break out before your vacation.”

I groaned.

“What did I say?” Anne took a swig of her energy drink and turned in her seat to face me. “Okay, spill it, what’s going on?”

“Sophie and Emmy bailed on the trip. It looks like I may not be going anywhere. Which means I’m not sure how I’m going to avoid this party.”

Anne rolled her eyes. “First of all, they suck. Second of all, you could just tell your parents that you’re not interested in the guy.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure that will go over great. I can’t just tell them that, it would destroy them. Everything they have built is riding on this marriage. I can’t really let them down.”

“So, what. Your whole plan is just to avoid them for as long as possible? But you still plan on marrying this guy for your family’s sake, which is a terrible reason, by the way.

You can’t just show up to your wedding and meet your groom.

That’s insane.” Anne waved her hand. “It’s better to just meet the dude and get it over with.

Plus, maybe it won’t be so bad. He’s smart, he’s got money, and he’s good looking. ” Anne shrugged.

“I don’t want to marry him at all, though. The thought just makes my stomach turn.” I wrapped my arms around my midsection.

“Okay, why don’t you want to marry him besides just not wanting to? Which is a valid reason, by the way.” Anne raised her eyebrows. “But if you put that aside, he seems like a great pick. You could at least get to know the guy before throwing it all out the window.”

I groaned again. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. I guess I have the week to think about it.”

Anne shrugged again and pulled out her phone to doomscroll through her lunch like she always did. “I’m just saying to give it some thought. I know you feel trapped, but this might be a good thing.”

I nodded and scooped up my trash to throw it away. I just didn’t want to get married, period, but getting married to someone my parents had picked out with no input from me seemed archaic.