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Chapter 11

BRIDGETTE

“Well?” asked Mrs. Bloom, her white brows now knitted together.

“Well,” I squared my shoulders and raised an eyebrow. “It is intended to make you feel better.” I tried my sweetest smile, praying that Cara’s soft features to work their magic.

For a very long time, Mrs. Bloom looked at me with so much suspicion. And as she did so, I racked my memory, searching my brain’s database that held Mrs. Bloom’s case. She came in due to angina.

“That’s not very convincing,” she pointed out, not moving her hand.

“It’s for your angina,” I took the best guess I could and all the while, I held my hand together to keep them from pushing the damned pill container to her mouth.

Finally, she nodded and popped the pills into her mouth. “Well, what are you waiting for?” She asked me as she held out her free hand.

I didn’t know what she wanted.

“Water?”

“Oh, yeah…” I took the glass of water standing on her bedside table and handed it to her. “Have a nice day, Mrs. Bloom,” I uttered in a hurry after she handed me the empty glass and the pill container. Before she could say another word, I quickly walked out of her room.

That was close.

“Cara!” I hissed once again, but there was no answer. The stupid girl fell asleep!

By the time I arrived in the station, I was in a very foul mood. I might have let go of my medicine tray too early because it crashed against the marble counter in the medication section and the other nurses looked up from what they were doing. I saw Amy and the black lady looked at each other meaningfully.

“Sorry,” I mumbled and went back to where my charts were. If there was something about being a nurse that I disliked, apart from everything, the most was probably the prolonged standing. I finally understood why Cara wore those awful-looking shoes--they greatly helped reduce pressure on your soles. I stood by my charts, looking at Mrs. Bloom’s in particular. Of course, I didn’t know what to do with it. I had my pen in my hand with my head bent as I pretended to be busy writing down whatever I should write. I peered at my fellow nurses. They were too busy doing their own thing.

It took about five minutes for them to finish whatever they were doing before each of them went back to their patients, leaving me alone with not a new word written on my charts.

“Cara,” I hissed once more. She was still sleeping.

Desperate, I looked around and when I saw no one nearby, I went to Amy’s charts and leafed through it. She had a neat handwriting but the problem was that I didn’t understand a word she wrote. Should I just copy them?

I checked my watch. I still had two hours before I had to close my charts as Cara had instructed earlier. And then there was the endorsement.

“Cara, you better wake up now or your job is no more…” I said, my voice tense.

An idea suddenly popped in my head. I took out Cara’s phone and ended the call. I waited for about ten seconds before I dialed my number and I almost jumped in success when it rang. I had the most amazing ringtone which is the opening song of my favorite TV show, The Big Bang Theory.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up…” I said in a hurry as the ringing continued.

If Cara wouldn’t wake up with the song by Barenaked Ladies, I didn’t know what else to do.