Expiration || M.C

4 || Introductions and Questions

Calum (Nurse Hood).

I wake up to the horrible sound of my alarm and open my eyes. Quickly I realize this isn't the first time my alarm has gone this morning. I look at the clock. 8:13 am. I need to be at the hospital in seventeen minutes. I get out of bed straight away, and pick up my work clothes from the floor. I run downstairs and quickly grab something out of the fruit bowl, not even knowing what it is and get my backpack. I quickly grab my keys from the table, get my coat and run to my car. I was late, again. Why did I always do this? Why couldn't I leave the nice warm bed to save some lives? I laugh to myself.

I drive to the hospital that is about fifteen minutes away. I turn on the radio and switch through the channels hoping there'd be some decent music, but quickly turn it off again, disappointed. I just got a new car and forgot to take my cd's from inside and put them in the car. I've never really liked music that was on the radio. I didn't like music everyone in the world could probably sing along to. I liked music only specific people knew and you could bond over. You could see someone wearing a bands tee that you have loved for years. You make friends that way. Music on the radio all just seems the same.

It is Thursday of my second month working at the hospital. When I arrive I quickly get my coat and run towards the entrance.

"Hood, just on time." Millie says, the girl at the reception. ''What can I say?'' I laugh and throw my arms in the air and walk towards the elevator to go upstairs. I give myself a pat on the back for making it on time and step out the elevator.

I grab my notepad and my white coat. It is Thursday, the second day of the week I have to work. I have been working here for a little over a month.

It's my first real job in the hospital and I am loving it. Even though it's very tiring. My family and friends all think it's so nice to "only" work 3 days a week, I usually just smile and nod, but 12 hour shifts usually become 14 hour shifts, and the work is emotionally and physically draining. It does make all the nurses and doctors kind of like a family, though because we all share the same struggles.

I walk towards room 119, which is the new patient's room. He came in a few days ago, he went into a coma. When I open the door I see a very pale guy with bleached hair and smooth skin. I leave the door open and stand at the end of his bed. I look at my notepad to find his name.

Michael Clifford.

I clear my throat. "Well, hello Michael Clifford. I'm your nurse, Calum Hood. Twenty-Six years old. I prefer it when people call me Calum instead of doctor and nurse, but I feel like people lose respect, you know?" for a moment I expect him to answer me. I quickly realize that he can't, and I continue talking.

"So, It's a sunny day. Pretty cold, though. Hope the heating doesn't stop working. We need it. Although it's pretty warm in your room." I say, going through his details. Then I come across the reason why he's here, why he's in a coma. I shake my head and close my eyes, feeling bad for him. "Well, I hope you're not too warm, I'll put the air conditioning on in your room just in case."

I walk towards the air conditioning and turn it on. "Good. Well, I'll be back later to do some tests. Bye, Michael." I say as I leave the room. I close the door and walk back to the break room, where there are usually different nurses sitting and drinking coffee. At the moment, there's nurse Molly. I start making a cup.

"What's up, Hood?" nurse Molly says to me. "Nah, I don't know. The new patient." I say, putting sugar and milk in my coffee. "What about him?" she asks. I shrug and sit down with my coffee.

"I don't understand why he did it, you know? His life looked fine. Good grades, nice family, I've seen them, part of the chess team, so probably intelligent. Musical talent, drawing talent. Multiple friends. I don't understand." I say, taking a sip of my coffee and shaking my head.

"That's just the thing, Hood," she says, putting down her cup. "We need to find out why and get him to wake up. A lot of people who end up here for the same reason as him look like they have everything, when they feel like they have nothing. Some people don't even have a reason." she says, sitting back in her chair.

I raise my eyebrows. "Then why would he do it? I mean, it takes quite a bit of courage to do it. Doesn't that include a reason as well?" I ask. She shrugs. "Sometimes things can be too perfect. People expect too much from you. Things seem unreal, they feel delusional. We don't know what was going on in his mind. Maybe it was an accident." she says.

"It didn't look like one, from what I heard." I mumble. She stands up. "I need to get back to my shift. Don't worry about it too much, Hood. People die here all the time. I know that this case can look sadder than others, but if you can't handle death, you can't handle this job." she says, leaving the room.

I run my hands through my hair. That's a hard question to figure out. Especially when he doesn't speak. One question, that is gonna take a lot of time.

Why did Michael Clifford attempt to kill himself?