Flowers don't cry

Chapter 12

"Do whatever it takes."

For what? To prolong the inevitable? To keep a man suffering in her hospital from the condition known as "Black Ink". The doctor could not promise a miracle, everyone who read the news or watched the broadcasting knew there was no cure.

Just treatment.

A lie to calm the population into thinking we know what we are doing, to give hope when there isn't any. If they only knew they could only help with the pain and restrain their activities to avoid incidents.

Incidents like this one...

- "Why are you acting like this?" - she scolded. - "You know it's worse if you go home." -

- "I don't want... to go home." - the man struggled to answer. He was held by a bigger nurse who was able to sedate him from getting up and running out of the hospital.

- "And where are you trying to go?" - she kept her distance, just a few meters keeping her from the man in the small makeshift hospital room.

The hospital wasn't capable to house all the sick who suffered the plague, they had built special quarters from an old hotel near the hospital. It wasn't ideal but they had to provide a quarantined area.

Not to mention, only the worse cases get these rooms. All the other suspected cases and less grave ones had to stay in the tents.

Since it was still unknown how to contract it, they used all they knew to keep the staff safe and conducted routine check-ups in order to avoid sending a doctor with symptoms to a hospital filled with patients who hadn't contracted the plague.

And so, there she was. Keeping an eye on the man laying on a hospital bed fitted into one of the many brick prisons as nurses rushed from one patient to another in hopes to ease their suffering until they were no longer responsive.

Until they had passed.

Then... they tended to the next patient.

One after another; women or men; younger to older; from any background and social or economic standing. There were no special circumstances that brought the condition, only bad luck.

- "I will die anyways." - he continued. - "Why does it matter?" -

She secured the tablet in her lab coat before taking a few more steps. - "Because." - she warned. - "You could expose others." -

And with that, the man became quiet and turned his gaze. He wouldn't continue the conversation and she was glad. It bogged her how people could be so selfish in believing they did nothing wrong by hiding their condition and still exposing others just so they could do whatever they wanted.

That is not how things should go.

- "I will be back. Your cousin returns soon and would like to visit you." - her words barely made him react; patients could be stubborn.

She continued her rounds like usual, face after face of pained victims and their loved ones, assuring they worked tirelessly to give them comfort and everything they needed.

The hotel was big enough to house plenty of patients who couldn't care for themselves anymore, but they were understaffed and relied on others who has the condition in the early stages to aid the overworked staff.

Though, not all agreed to help. Most of the time she had to deal with people being selfish or even racist against the different clans and groups that lived in this town.

One family had a disagreement with another family one hundred years ago and they still held that grudge or just by being from a different background... whatever excuse they had not to lift a finger.