Chapter 6
So, now I'm 22 fresh from nursing school and moving to London. Now I can be near Nathan! I'll visit him every chance I get and I'll stay by his side. My parents didn't handle it so well, especially my mom.
We had a whole week of arguing but she knew it was useless to fight me. I'm moving to London to work at a hospital called The Royal London Hospital.
800px-Royal_london.jpg
I didn't inform John. I wanted it to be a surprise.
Right now I'm at the airport with my friends and family saying good bye. I hugged Linda and Maya who were crying their eyes out. Brian and Jeff gave me a hug and Rodrigo held me a little longer than the others.
"Send me something." He said.
"I will." I said giving him a kiss on the cheek.
My brothers were sad as well.
"I'll be back for Christmas, I promise." I said.
"You better." Manuel said.
I hugged my mom and dad and they told me to call at least once a week to know that I'm all right and I promised them.
All too soon I was on my way to London on an eight hour flight. I brought books and music to entertain me.
I landed at London and it was already dark here. Time change is going to be a bitch. I took all of my things and called for a cab. I had gotten an apartment through the internet. My dad helped me by paying the first three month's rent. I was grateful for that.
The driver was friendly.
"Holidays?" He asked.
"Uh, no, I'm actually moving here to live. I got a job at a local hospital."
"Oh, good luck."
"Thank you sir."
[Later]
"And this is the maternity ward, where we'll be spending all of our time." The head nurse told me as she gave me a tour of the hospital.
I was a little sleepy since in Los Angeles it was barely 2 am and here it was already 10 am.
"You'll get used to the time in a couple of weeks." She gave me a small smile.
"I hope so." I said.
My first day went great. At first they let me watch as mothers gave birth. That was my first week there, just watching.
On my second week I was able to actually assist and the doctors were pleased by how quickly I learned. I thought I would have time to find out where John lived so I can go visit him, but I'm extremely busy all of the time and I'm sleepy and tired.
Who knew living on your own in another country would be so hard? I still had to get used to the cab driver driving on the left side and being on the right side of the car. I made a couple of friends, nurses of course.
Mike, a guy nurse, Alondra, and Marcela, yes she does have the same as Cesar's horrible mother, but she's nothing like the evil Marcela.
"So, why here?" Alondra asked over lunch at the cafeteria.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I took a bite out of my burger.
"Why did you move to London?"
"Well, I like it here and I have a special friend here." I smiled.
"Ooh, do tell, Melinda." Marcela said.
"An old friend is here... but he's in a coma." I said.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Marcela said. "I didn't mean to bring any bad memories."
"It's all right. It helps when I talk about it." I smiled at them.
"Oh, remember that guy that woke up from a coma like... four or three years ago?" Mike chimed in. "He recovered really fast."
"I hear he still stutters and needs a cane to walk." Alondra added. "He was so cute though."
"What was his name?" Marcela asked.
"I can't remember." Alondra said. "Mike?"
He shrugs. "I think he still comes to get his speech back to normal and therapy for his leg." Mike said.
"How long was he in a coma?" I asked.
"Um, about a year."
I wondered how long Nathan could last in a coma and come back. I knew that if he woke up now it would take years and years before he could talk and walk again.
Head injuries were serious. I was glad the bullet didn't enter his brain, he would've been fine if it weren't for the ambulance.
I would be with him right now. Probably planning our marriage or something.
"Melinda, hello?" Mike waved his hand in front of my face.
"Sorry, spaced out." I laughed.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
We looked at our pagers.
"This isn't good." Mike groaned.
"Why is the ER calling us?" I asked as we left our trays and ran to the ER.
"A big disaster like car collisions it needs all the nurses."
Eight hours later I looked at a family as they held each other wondering about their relative.
"Stark Family?" I asked.
The family looks at me with hopeful eyes. I just witnessed as a pregnant woman lost her life but we were able to save the baby that's two weeks premature, but alive.
"We were unable to save Anna." The pregnant woman. "But, we were able to save the baby."
I saw as her husband sobbed. Two children with him, well they were teenagers, they started to cry. They lost their mother but gained a little brother.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." I said.
"Can I see my baby?" He asked. I nodded.
"Alondra here will take you."
"Stay here, kids." The dad ordered and they stayed.
The teenagers looked at me and I saw the horror in the their eyes. I looked at myself. I was covered in blood. It wasn't even my blood, but this car collision had been horrible. I had to hold arteries that were spilling blood like water fountains.
Screaming patients saying they're in horrible pain, everyone was in horrible pain. The car collision happened only three blocks away from the hospital that's why we got most of the patients.
I went to the nurse lockers and removed my bloody scrubs. I took off my gloves and tossed them in the red box. I took my bag and walked out of the lockers. I made a right heading towards the Balance Clinic. It's where physical therapy was done. Usually old people were there to gain back some balance.
I stopped by a coffee machine and swiped my hard, it's how it worked when you work in the hospital the card held a certain amount of money you can spend, sort of like in college. Anyways I got a black coffee and headed out.
"I hear Mr. Fullerton is improving."
At the sound of the name I stopped in my tracks. A couple of nurses were having a conversation while smoking outside. That's funny... nurses smoking. Anyways I stayed close to them and listened.
"Yeah, he's been doing very well."
"I hope he gets better." The other nurse said.
I shook my head and continued to walk. They couldn't be talking about Nathan Fullerton. John would've called me if Nathan woke up, he would've told me, so I have nothing to fear.
