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Chapter One: Jamie
∞∞∞
I’m stripping my dirty scrubs off on my way to a hot shower to wash off the day’s stress when my cell rings.
I pick it up, sighing. I just finished a double shift and I’m exhausted. And it’s Amanda calling me so I know exactly what she’s gonna say.
“Hey, Amanda! What’s up?” I ask cheerfully. Or as cheerfully as I can fake right now.
“Hey! You’re coming tonight, right?”
I pull my hair out of the messy bun I’ve got it scraped up in. My red hair falls down my back and I groan, stretching out the kinks.
“Jamie? Are you there?”
“Sorry, Manda! I don’t think I’m gonna make it tonight. I just got off a double. I just want to take a shower and crawl into bed.”
“Come on,” she wheedles. “You’ve missed the last three months. You need to get out more.”
“You think I don’t know that? But we’re short-staffed at the hospital. I’ve had to work more doubles than I’ve ever had to cover. I know I can’t keep on going on like this but I just don’t want to go out tonight.”
“Please,” she begs. “I wanted to talk to you about something in person. I don’t want to discuss it over the phone.”
“Shit! Fine, I’ll meet you at Stacy’s at nine. How’s she doing?”
I hear Manda’s sigh and wince. “That good, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s really taking Jack’s death hard. I mean, they were together since they were in high school. She’s heartbroken, of course. The last few meetings we couldn’t even get her to eat anything. She just stares off into space.”
“Damn, I hate seeing her like this but grief’s a bitch. I hope she can start to pull herself out of it soon but you can’t really do much until she decides to come back.”
“Yeah, I know. It hurts to see her so bad. And of course she doesn’t have Cookie to rely on. She still hasn’t been able to find anyone to replace her since she left town.”
“I’m glad she did though. It sounds like she’s finally found what she needs. I can’t wait to hear when she has the baby.”
Amanda giggles. “Yeah, Millicent’s talked to her. That guy she ended up with? Dane? He sounds like a big softie about her and the baby. But boy! When they met, Millicent said they really tore into each other.”
I laugh. “I can’t picture Cookie tearing into anybody but I’m glad that she found her backbone after that husband of hers left.”
“Yep. I’m gonna let you go so you can get cleaned up. But don’t make me come hunt you down. You need this.”
I run my hands through my hair. “I know. I’ve just been so tired. I feel like I’m stuck in a rut.”
“Well, at least you finally recognize it,” she huffs. “That’s part of what I want to talk to you about.”
“Uh-huh.”
“The whole group has been talking lately and…well, just come tonight and we’ll talk.”
“You’re making me really suspicious.”
“Nope. Nothing bad. I’ll see you later.”
I hang up and start my shower running. Stripping, I step in gingerly, enjoying the pounding hot water massaging my sore, tired muscles.
Today’s shift was just a total disaster. Three car accidents, a food poisoning outbreak at the granny’s card night, and a woman who had obviously been beaten by her husband. That one really tore me up. I wanted to help her so much. Hug her and tell her that if she needed anything, I’d be happy to help. But I can only do so much for them when they don’t want to say what really happened. Especially since he wouldn’t leave her side the whole time.
She ended up with a broken arm and a shit-ton of bruises and scrapes.
