Having to Breathe

Chapter 8: Meeting Familiar Smiles

We quickly ran in and immediately my mom was gone getting ready. They quickly hurried on getting me started too.

Miss Shary, the secretary, said I would be working the rest of her shift, and all she had to do was show me the ropes.

Here's the thing though, I learn really quickly, but I have a hard time talking to people. When my first patient came to the desk, she was very intimidating to me. In fact, I almost choked.

I got through eventually, but she looked back at me with a glare in her eyes while she walked away.

Miss Shary said it takes a little practice, but I would get it. So that's what I did, I practiced and practiced, and I rocked at it, but still was a little intimidated. I got it after awhile, until it was late. Something unexpected happened.

I watched as a group of nurses, doctors, and paramedics rushed a girl in a black slimming dress to the ER. A boy rushed to the desk and stunned me. So I decided to do my routine.

"Hello, how may I-" I stopped. I knew this person. "Your Ethan Prior, right?" I was shocked and squinted to be sure.

He looks more shocked than I do.
"How do you know me?" He rests his arms on the counter.

I stuttered and smirked. "Oh we... we go to the same school" I blushed embarrassed with my hands neatly folded in my lap.

He paused for awhile and then winced with a random question "Are you that girl who sells drugs?" Well maybe not sooo random, but still I didn't want to hear it.

My smile turned to a frown and I was a boiling with anger about ready to wack him upside the head. My conscience relapsed and reminded me that he didnt know the truth, no one did. "It's not what you think" I whisper and bite my lip looking down

"I'm sure" he scoffed sarcastically "so how much trouble did you get in?"

"I'm on probation for a month." Better than jail time I added in my brain.

He laughed. LAUGHED. Laughed at me! I was downright furious "Look, it isn't funny" I said a bit forcefully

"I'm sorry, I didn't even catch your name?"

A small smile suddenly appeared although I was still urked. I have a tendency to hide my true feelings and replace it with a smile "I'm Tamara Anderson"

"Well, Tamara, I need to know where Haley went. She just came in about five minutes ago on a gurney. She was also wearing a formal dress, and was .... was covered in blood?" Way to be obvious man.

"Yeah, if you'll just take a seat, I can get you her room number when they settle her in" I replied with my normal secretary voice again. Don't know how I regained it, but I did somehow.

After a couple moments of scrounging around the desk and waiting for a beep when a new room was taken. It finally rang and I searched on the security cameras to see Haley strung up with tubes in her arms, wires strung around the room. I was hesitant about whether I should tell Ethan or not. I mean, should he be able to go in? Only family right? Screw it, her family was messed up as it is and Ethan seemed to brighten it a lot.

I turned around to see Ethan in a defeated position, sobbing to someone on the phone.

"Ethan, come here" I interjected his moment. Mental face palm.

He stands and walks over to me quickly and utters "Is she ok?"
Should I tell him, better not, just to be safe I guess.

"She is in room 3-57" and like a crack of a whip he is off and out of the room within seconds.