Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
The medical wing takes up the ground floor on the building’s right and it’s only a short walk before the familiar sting of disinfectant fills my nose.
The old lamps overhead cast a warm, golden glow across the white floor. It reminds me of the sun in my dream, soft and golden, shining down on me, while the echo of that male voice lingers in the back of my mind.
I walk into the infirmary and almost bump into Doctor Herbert. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
She shakes her head, giving me a gentle smile. “No little dove, do not worry. Our minds can sometimes wander to faraway places and we should let them.”
Another reason why I love helping here, Doctor Herbert is so kind and caring. She might be one of my favourite people here, second to Amira of course.
She seems somewhere in her late twenties, maybe early thirties. Her platinum hair, swept into a high ponytail, stands in bold contrast to the deep, reddish-brown warmth of her mahogany skin.
I honestly have no idea why she decided to work here. I’ve asked her once before, and she said she felt a calling while passing by during a trip a couple of years ago, one she couldn’t ignore.
“I’ll check if I need to replenish any medical supplies.”
“Thank you. I’ll call when I need you.”
In the infirmary, there are three units separated by thick walls, each with an examination table and a locked medical cabinet. There have been moments where a needle or a pair of scissors went missing, only for someone to end up with a stab wound days later.
Keeping everything locked up is a wise, safe and much needed decision.
After I’ve entered the code that changes every couple of hours, I take the keys out of the locked up safe and walk to room number one.
I make a list of everything that needs to be replenished and grab what I need in the storage room across the hall.
Pounding feet echo against the walls, right when I’ve gathered the supplies. Another escapee? It wouldn’t surprise me. Who wouldn’t want to run —
A scream covered in fear shatters the quiet. I drop my supplies and rush into the hallway, seeing Doctor Herbert already on her knees next to someone.
“Maily, get me some gauze, now!”
I don’t think, I just run into the infirmary and grab as much gauze as I can carry before hurrying back to Doctor Herbert. The sharp, metallic sting of blood fills my nose.
Oh, this can’t be good.
“What happened?”
Blood oozes from between her fingers that are pressed against the neck of the girl. I place the gauze across her red hands and apply pressure, the Doctor's hand quickly retreating.
“I am not sure… Can you handle this?”
I nod and focus my gaze on the girl's face. She is around fourteen years old, her skin quickly losing its colour. She’s not going to make it. This amount of blood in such a short time can only mean something vital is hit.
Big brown eyes meet mine, wide with fear, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
“You’re okay, love,” I murmur, even though we both know it’s a false reassurance.
“I don’t want to die,” the girl whispers, her voice cracking.
I stroke her blonde hair that is already sticky with blood whilst I keep applying pressure to her wound. “I know, it’s okay,” I whisper again. “I’m here, you’re safe now. Rest.”
She closes her eyes and without the blood, one would think she is asleep. It’s then it hits me. I know why she looks so familiar, she is the girl from yesterday, the one that tried to escape.
She will leave this place, just not in the way she wanted to.
It breaks my heart. I move closer to her, placing her head on my lap.
“I visited the most beautiful place last night. Would you like to hear about it?” She manages a small nod, barely noticeable.
“I was in a meadow full of wildflowers and huge trees, their branches reaching high into the blue sky. The sun was shining down on me, the rays giving me energy. You could smell how pure the nature was there. Even the animals could talk, they were discussing the most interesting gossip and stories.”
I made that last part up, but when the corners of her mouth lift a tiny bit, I know I made the right choice.
“That sounds…lovely,” she murmurs, her voice so silent and weak.
My hand is stained red, the gauze slowed down the bleeding, but it can’t do miracles. Her breaths are laboured, and I know she won’t be with me for much longer.
I hum a soft, wandering tune that floats up from somewhere inside of my head. I don’t know if it’s mine or something I’ve heard before, but all that matters is that I give her one last moment of peace.
So I keep humming, even as her chest stops moving.
Doctor Herbert reaches me minutes after that, her worried eyes taking me in. “Are you alright?”
“I…I think so. I’m relieved she wasn’t alone, but I wish we could’ve done more. Her artery was hit, wasn’t it?”
She nods. “Even though I was with her quickly, the damage was too severe.”
I look at her and can’t help but notice how peaceful she looks. “Did you see who did this?”
Doctor Herbert sighs deeply. “No, unfortunately I didn’t. I’ve let the guards know. I’m sure they will catch them soon.”
“What is her name?”
“Leanne.”
“I think I saw her running away last night.”
She hesitates only for a second before answering. “Yes, she had a lot of built-up anger towards her parents, couldn’t see why it was good for her to be here.”
That makes two of us.
The Doctor kneels next to us and lifts Leanne’s head from my lap. “Let’s move her towards the stretcher.”
I hadn’t even noticed there was one lying next to us. I stand up and move towards the legs of the girl, gently picking them up. Her skin still feels warm, although everything inside of her has gone cold.
Doctor Herbert counts down, we lift her and gently lay her on the stretcher. We walk back into the infirmary and place Leanne on one of the examination tables.
“I will take it from here, Maily. You can take a break if you want to.”
“No. I’ll gladly continue with my chores, if that’s allowed.”
She makes a quick scan of how I look, assessing if I can continue. “Of course, little dove.”
I leave the room, close the door behind me and walk to the sink to wash my hands. I haven’t taken care of a dead body before and I’m not sure if I am ready to do so.
The water stains red immediately, it takes a while for every trace of blood to be washed away. Since my clothes are a bloodied mess as well, I change into a set of spare ones.
I go back to the storage room, notice that the puddle of blood is gone, and continue with stocking the medical supplies.
The day passes slowly. I eat lunch behind the front desk, which technically isn’t allowed, but Doctor Herbert pretends not to notice, and I’m grateful for it.
A few patients trickle in, needing small treatments; bandages, ointments, quick check ups. Nothing serious. But every time they see it’s me behind the counter, their hesitation is obvious. Their eyes flick to my hands, my face. As if I have a disease they think they might catch.
It obviously isn’t, but that doesn’t stop the way they flinch every time I come near.
“…yeah yeah, you’re alright, tough guy. Just let the kind Doctor do her job, okay?”
Irene walks in with a young man whose name I believe is Noah. His head is tilted back, blood covering the front of his shirt. I want to greet them, but Irene beats me to it.
“Oh it’s you. Isn’t the Doctor around?”
Good to see you too, I guess. “She is currently occupied. I can take it from here.” The look Irene is giving me speaks a thousand words. She doubts my skill, what a surprise. “I can call her if you want.”
“That is totally unnecessary. It’s just a nosebleed. I’m sure she can handle it.” Noah’s voice is a low rumble and a little nasal.
At least someone believes in my capabilities, that’s a first and I have to say very unexpected.
“Fine. I’ll leave him to you then, Scorch. Don’t mess it up.”
She gives me one more look over and exits the infirmary. I really don’t get what her problem is. I am an easy woman, never seeking trouble. I don’t do anything wrong. Do I look different? Yes, I do. Does that mean you should be mean and rude? Nope, definitely not. “Follow me, please.”
I slip into the examination room ahead of him, glancing back as he follows and closes the door with a soft click. He leans against the table, his posture relaxed, but his head stays tilted back, offering a view of the smooth line of his neck, the subtle tension in his jaw.
I’m staring, I know I am, but well… I’m just a woman too, you know? “You shouldn’t tilt your head back when you have a nose bleed. It can cause blood to flow to the back of your throat, which can lead to nausea or vomiting.”
He slowly moves his head downward, blinking at me. Maybe I should’ve remained silent instead of naming facts he probably doesn’t care about.
“I…didn’t know that. Thank you, Maily.”
He knows my name — my real name — and is grateful? Well, well, miracles can still happen.
I put on some sterile gloves and take place in front of Noah. “You can remove your hand now.”
“Oh, uhm, right.”
He releases the bridge of his nose, hand falling to rest in his lap. The bleeding has mostly stopped, but the damage is done. His nose is already swelling, the skin bruising along the ridge in shades of blue and purple.
I’ve never really noticed how handsome he is, not in the obvious, polished way some people are. He’s all sharp lines and worn edges. There’s a cut just beneath his cheekbone and a shadow of a bruise already settles along his jaw too, but somehow it only adds to the look.
And here I am, staring. Again.
I quickly move closer, trying to find my cool. I grab a clean cloth and soak it in cool water, before wiping the blood away. Even when my fingers gently press the sides of his nose, his eyes flicker across my face. “You’re lucky, it’s not broken.”
“Lucky me indeed.”
His breath tickles my fingers and my eyes lock into his, before I continue in silence. A little bit of blood runs down his nose again and I quickly press the cloth against it. “Hold that there,” I say, handing it off to him.
His fingers brush mine as he takes it, just briefly, but enough to make my heart stumble.
A man touches me and I lose all common sense? I quickly turn away, hoping he didn’t see my cheeks go bright red and grab some of the cotton that stops bleeding. “Remove the cloth, please.”
He does as I say and I gently lift his head up by pushing against his chin before I put the cotton in his nose. He holds completely still, not loathed by my touch in any way.
“You’ve done this before, I suppose?”
I shrug, keeping my tone even. “You’re not my first busted nose in the five years I have been volunteering here.”
He chuckles softly. “I can imagine. Thank you for helping me though.”
Why is he thanking me? It’s…my job? “That’s why I’m here, but try not to make a habit out of it, okay?”
He grins, teeth flashing. “I’ll do my best. Unless it means someone else gets hurt instead.”
I pause, tilting my head at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” he says quickly, pushing himself away from the table.
I clean the wounds on his knuckles and on his cheek before grabbing a cold pack out of the freezer. “The cold pack will prevent some of the swelling.” I wrap the cold pack in a towel and hand it over to him. “Keep it on for fifteen minutes and then you can go.”
I take off my sterile gloves and throw them away. A low whistle sounds and I turn around to Noah once more, who’s observing himself in the mirror.
“It didn’t make me ugly now did it, Maily?”
I don’t know how to answer that so I roll my eyes and continue cleaning up, earning me a soft laugh that does funny things to my insides.
I just finished registering everything about Noah’s incident when he walks outside of the examination room, cold pack in hand.
“Thank you for your kind services. You…brightened up my day when I needed it most.”
My cheeks burn instantly. For a second, I can’t think of a single coherent thing to say. “Glad to be of service,” I manage. “Oh, your shirt is stained. There are clean ones in the cupboard, if you want to change.”
“Appreciate it,” he says, glancing down like he’s only now realising the state he’s in. His shirt looks worse than he does.
He steps over to the supply cabinet, pulls the door open, and grabs a fresh shirt from the stack. Then, without a second thought, he peels the ruined one off.
I don’t mean to look. I really don’t.
But I do.
And for a moment, I forget how my lungs work.
His chest and stomach are marked here and there with old scars, but otherwise he’s lean, strong. No one here looks like that. We’re all worn down, tired. As if we lived a thousand lives.
Not him. Not even close.
I quickly turn back towards my paperwork, pretending I’m very busy writing, but my thoughts are racing. Men don’t normally undress in front of me, I shouldn’t be this impressed. But I am.
“I’ll be sure to come back,” he says behind me, tugging the clean shirt over his head, “If anything…starts bleeding again.” I hear the grin in his voice. When I turn, he’s already heading for the door. “See you later,” he adds with a wink.
I give him a small wave, paired with what I hope is a composed, professional smile. But the moment he exits the infirmary, I melt into the nearest chair.
Where in the world did that come from?
That was flirting…right? It had to be. I mean, he’s always been polite, sure, but he’s never tried to…get close or talk to me.
Strange.
Very strange.
I definitely need to ask Ami about this.
A door opening breaks my line of thought, and Doctor Herbert exits the examination room. Being so busy today almost made me forget what happened this morning.
“Can I see her?”
“Of course, come in.”
I walk past Doctor Herbert and take in Leanne. If I didn't know any better, I would say she was sleeping. A heavy feeling settles in my bones. Yesterday she was full of life, and now… “She looks…peaceful.”
The Doctor stands on the other side of the table, looking down at her. “Fortunately, I don’t see many deaths here, but it is part of my job as a doctor.”
“What will you do with her now?”
“Her family will be contacted, they can choose if they want to see her one last time so they can bring her to her final resting place.”
I sometimes forget I am one of the few here who doesn’t have a family that cares for her. Her parents have now lost a daughter far too soon and will have to live with that loss probably for many years.
Doctor Herbert squeezes my shoulder and I look away from the tiny body in front of me. “I’m sorry, little dove. Unfortunately, this is how life works sometimes.”
She turns back to Leanne and covers her face, whispering a prayer too silent for me to hear. I turn as the ear deafening siren sounds, telling me my shift has ended and the next one is about to begin.