Chapter 1
Mary
Dang, it has been a day! The worst part is that it’s only three-thirty. I still have three hours to go in my shift. Sighing, I rub my tired eyes. I might need a snack to get through the rest of my shift since I missed lunch.
“Jan, I’m going to run to my locker to grab a quick snack. I’ll be right back.”
“No worries, Mary. Take a minute. It’s been a tough day with the kiddos. I might need to do the same.”
Walking down the hall to our locker room, I hear the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) patch phone start ringing. Jan goes to answer as I hurry to my locker. No telling what they are bringing.
Grabbing a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup from my locker, I start eating it as I walk back to the Emergency Department.
“Hey, Mary. You’re getting one in three. EMS says the complaint is abdominal pain but that there is extensive bruising all over. Check him out and let me know if we need to do a forensics workup. Here is the patch sheet.”
Taking it, I head to room three to make sure it is ready. Passing Mindee, I give her a heads-up on the incoming patient. Logging into my computer in that room so I can be prepared for the EMS report, I make sure I have all the supplies I need.
EMS arrives and pulls their gurney, with a young boy on it, into room three, where I am waiting to receive him.
The paramedic launches into his report while transferring the patient to the bed, and I write down the pertinent information that I will need right now, knowing I will receive a copy of his report when it is completed.
He motions for me to step outside the room. As I follow him, I tell Peter I will be just a moment, right outside the door.
The medic tells me that he suspects this might have been done by family, even though he was found at the park. He also states that the patient wouldn’t talk to any of the crew that was on scene with him.
Thanking him for the insight, I walk back into the room, noticing the tears in his eyes but refusing to let them fall. As I’m walking in, Mindee also comes in to help me get him settled.
“Hi, Peter. My name is Mary. I’m going to be your nurse here in the emergency room. This is Mindee. She is going to help me take care of you. Are your parents here with you?”
Peter shakes his head, not ready to talk to me just yet.
“It’s OK, buddy. I am going to help you. I will tell you everything I am going to do before we do it, alright?”
He nods his head but still doesn’t speak to me. I’m OK with this. He’s not hysterical right now. I consider that a win.
“So, we need to do a lot of things with you right now, Peter. I’ll need to look at you to see what is going on. We also need to change your clothes into this gown, start an IV, and draw some blood from you. If you are having any pain, we will give you some pain medication.”
Peter whimpers.
“It’s OK, Peter. You’re going to be alright. Can you tell me where you are hurting?”
He points to his abdomen.
“Can you show me your belly?”
Peter slowly lifts his shirt. It takes everything in me not to blanch. There isn’t a blue spot on him. It is all black. He must be bleeding.
“Alright, buddy. Let’s get this gown on you. I need you to take your shirt off first, then you can slip your arms into these holes. Good job. You’re doing great.”
He ducks his head when I say that, like he has never had a compliment before and is embarrassed.
“Now that you are changed, how about we work on the IV that you are going to need? It’ll be just a little pinch, and then it will be over. OK?”
He holds his arm out like he knows what an IV is. I’ve got some red flags popping up. Gathering my things on the tray, I move over next to him. He lets me do a quick assessment on him while Mindee hooks him up to the monitor to get his vital signs.
“Now we are going to do that IV. I want you to count for me. Count to five. I will start it while you are counting. It’ll be quick. You’re doing great. We are going to get this pain under control, alright?” I told this little boy.
EMS couldn’t get an IV in him because he started screaming and fighting them. He is only nine years old and appears to have been badly abused. There are bruises everywhere.
Peter starts to count, and I poke the needle in his arm when he gets to two. By the time he gets to five, it’s done, and I am flushing it.
“That’s it? You’re all done?” He asks. It’s the first words he has spoken since coming in.
“That’s it, honey. I promised I’d be quick about it so we could get you some medicine to make you not hurt. Let me give that to you now. OK?”
“It didn’t hurt.”
Smiling, I tell him, “I try not to hurt my patients. Sometimes it does, though.”
“It always hurt before. You must be really good.”
“Oh, honey. I’m glad I can be really good for you. Now, we haven’t talked about it because I wanted to give you some time to calm down. But I need to ask you what happened.”
He looks down at his lap again, fighting to hold the tears back. Then he does what I can only describe as ‘steeling his spine’ before looking up at me and launching into the most horrific tale I’ve ever heard.
I feel my heart shattering into a million pieces for this little boy. He reminds me of Gemini. It makes me want to help him even more than I already do. I know he will be removed from his family and placed somewhere else, at least temporarily.
***
Walking out to my car, I hear my name being called. Turning, I see Jeffrey, one of the ED techs, hustling towards me.
“Hey, Mary. Would you like to go grab a drink? Some of us are going over to Scooters.”
“No thanks, Jeffrey. I’m going to head home. It’s been a rough day, and I just want to sit down and put my feet up. I appreciate the offer, though.”
He looks a little dejected for a moment before saying, “Oh, OK then. If you change your mind, that’s where we will be.”
“I won’t change my mind, but thanks.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he says before turning away.
“I’m off for the next couple. So, I’ll see you in a few days.”
Getting in my car, I leave the parking lot. Jeffrey has asked me multiple times about going out with him. Sometimes it’s just him, and other times it’s with a group of people. He is way too young to be asking me anywhere. He must be around twenty-four or five.
On the drive home, I start thinking about all the children I treated today. It probably wasn’t, but it seemed like we had record numbers coming in.
Pulling into my driveway, I just sit in my car with my head back, eyes closed. The tears start to fall before I can even get out and go inside. I just let them fall while I wait for the storm to pass. It’s not the first time this has happened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Today was such an awful day. We had so many traumas. So many sick little ones. I weather the storm before finally making my way inside.
There is an envelope on my door, so I grab it as I go in.
Dropping all my things on the counter, I head towards my bedroom.
Grabbing my PJs, I walk into my bathroom to shower.
And boy, do I like my showers. I probably spend twenty minutes just standing there letting the hot water beat down on me.
It finally starts relaxing my muscles enough to clean up and get out. I don’t even bother drying my hair.
Back in the kitchen, I throw a sandwich together and head for the sofa. Turning on the TV for a little background noise, I pick up my tablet to read while I’m eating.
After the day I had, I’m not very hungry but manage to eat the sandwich. I just forgot about everything, losing myself to my newest book boyfriend. This is my escape, the way I decompress.
Finally, I decide it’s time for bed. I’m so tired I can barely manage to get to my room before falling into bed. Most nights, I toss and turn before sleep comes. Not tonight, though. I’m just about asleep as soon as I close my eyes.
***
Running around doing errands in the morning, so I can do a bit of cleaning when I get home, I swing by the coffee shop to grab a coffee to go. There’s always a lot to do on my days off.
When I finish running around, I go home and start baking cookies. You’d think I would be bigger with how much I like to bake. I’ll take it, though. I like eating baked goods without having to worry that I’ll gain fifty pounds.
As I’m baking, I start thinking about how long it’s been since Gemini and I have spoken. It’s been a long time, I realize.
Just then, my phone rings. Amazingly, it’s Gemini.
“Hello.”
“Mary?”
“Gemini! Oh my gosh, I have been so worried about you. Where have you been? Are you alright?” I fire off questions one after another.
“I’m ok now, Mary.”
“What do you mean by now, Gemini?”
“So, I was walking home from the library when it happened,” she states before launching into another horrendous story of being abused. I’m so sick right now.
“Honey, why didn’t you call me when this happened? I would have been there in a heartbeat.”
“I know you would have. I just always feel so guilty about what happened with your marriage that I don’t like to pile on you.”
“No! Absolutely not! You do not get to take on that responsibility. That is solely on George’s shoulders.
He’s a dirty fucking pedo that doesn’t deserve one more thought from you.
I’m glad he is out of our lives. I wouldn’t trade you for the world, honey.
I love you regardless of who your biological parents may be. To me, you will always be my girl.”
I don’t even feel bad about the cuss word I used. She needs to know the depths of my feelings on this.
It gets quiet on the other side of the line.
“Are you still there, sweetheart?”
Sniffling, she says, “I am. Just hearing you say that eases some of the burden I’ve carried since it all happened. I love you so much, but I never wanted to push myself on you. I thought I caused enough heartache back then.”
“Oh, honey. I’ve wished for this for a long time now. I love you, sweetheart.”
“Hydra wanted me to ask if you wanted to go to the diner for lunch one day with us.”
“Of course! I would love to meet him. He sounds like an amazing man.”
“He really is. You’ll love him too.”
“As long as he is taking care of you, keeping you safe, and is good to you, I don’t care how good of a man he is, honey. You deserve to be happy. You’ve had enough shit in your life. Now you need all the good.”
“You’re crazy. You know that, right?”
“I do know it. But that’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with a little crazy.”
We talk a little more and plan for our lunch. I’m so excited to finally see her after so long.
Hanging up, I realize I’ve burnt the cookies. And I don’t even care because I got to talk to my girl. We also cleared up some misconceptions. Now, maybe, she will start coming around a little more. I miss her so.