Page 139 of The Forgotten

Seven

MARIE

“How areyou liking Mercy Hospital, Marie?” Dr. Royal asks as he stops for a second by the nurse’s station. I’m currently charting as fast as possible, because the emergency room is hopping today.

“Everyone seems…competent,” I say, giving him a quick smile. “I mean that with the greatest sincerity, I promise.”

“Wow,” he chuckles. “We definitely try. Being short staffed means things get crazy around here.”

“I’m here for all the hours,” I murmur, finishing up the last chart and putting it away. “I need the extra money.”

“The hospital scheduler will love that,” he says, continuing on as I head back into the fray.

So far it’s all been run of the mill situations. Dehydration, diabetics with out of control blood sugar, a car accident, and a kitchen accident with a pressure cooker.

I am loving every second of it. Everyone is easy to work with as long as you’re capable, and since I’m the new nurse, people appreciate that I’m unafraid to jump in as needed.

The twelve hour shift flies, and I’m changing out of my scrubs in record time. Pulling out the mess of my braid, I leave it in crazy waves down my back. Now, I have to figure out the bus schedule since it’s five in the morning.

The shifts are stacked on top of each other so that there’s always someone who is fresh. For a hospital that’s often lacking the proper staff, I appreciate this. It means there’s hope for less mistakes.

Or at least, that’s why I assume it’s set up like this.

It’s cold as I step outside, and I curse the fact that I didn’t have a chance to go back into the shelter to get my coat yesterday. Storm fucked up my entire schedule.

Ah, speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

“Why are you here?” I ask, yawning as he waits for me by his bike. “Also, how the hell did you figure out when I got out of work?”

“Magic,” he shrugs. “Are you hungry?”

I did this shift without any food either, since my packed lunch was in the fridge at the shelter.

“Not at all,” I say, yawning again so large that I feel my jaw crack. “I’m going to take the bus home and crash.”

“Calling a shelter ‘home’ should be against the law,” Storm grumbles. “If it was up to me, you’d live with me.”

“Woah there,” I say, raising my hands to ward him off. “I am not living with you.”

“Well at least there’s some sense that exists inside of you,” Tommy says, pushing away from a column near me.

Startling hard, I press my hand against my racing heart. Fuck, I really am tired if I didn’t see the caveman that is my brother.

“I’m too tired for this shit,” I mumble. “I have a job, Tommy. I’m not a fuck up, okay? Now leave me alone.”

“I never said you were!” he yells as I begin walking.

“I have a feeling you’re behind this,” I tell Storm as I walk past him. “I swear, you’re the root of a ton of my issues.”

“Come on, Kitty. You don’t mean that,” the ass chuckles.

“He came into my club and asked if I was looking for my sister,” Tommy says, following me.

“Don’t touch me!” I say, pulling my stun gun out of my pocket as Storm gets on his bike.

“She knows how to use that thing,” Storm sighs, turning on the bike and walking it forward so he’s within speaking distance of me.

“Are you seriously afraid of me?” Tommy asks, eyes wide.