Chapter 2
Rose – Twenty Three Years Old
I smile gently at the five-year-old shaking on the bed as I gently rub along his hand, trying to find a good enough vein that it won’t hurt as much.
“It’s going to hurt,” he trembles, his bottom lip trembling, and my heart bleeds for him.
He broke a bone in his ankle at school while jumping off the jungle gym, and it needs pinning. Meaning I need to insert an IV, which is not very nice, especially to a little boy.
“Joshy, she’ll be extremely gentle, baby,” his mama tries to soothe as she runs her fingers through his sandy blonde hair, but his deep brown eyes brim with tears.
“I promise, I won’t let it hurt,” I say, then ask, “Remember that magic cream I put on?” he nods, “Well, that will make sure you don’t feel it, okay?”
He sniffles as a few tears spill, but he nods, and as carefully as I can, I insert the needle. He doesn’t look away. He frowns deeply, making me smile because clearly he didn’t feel it, and I quickly wrap his hand and state, “There, all done,” as I stand, and he grins, his tears now gone.
I hate it when they cry.
“Thank you,” he whispers, and I grin at him before winking at his relieved mama. I leave them to it, knowing the doctor already spoke to them.
I love my job, absolutely love it, and even though I wanted to be a pediatric cardio nurse, working here, it gives me joy, and I have to admit, I don’t know if I want to follow through with my plans.
I’ve been at Wincher hospital for a year now and I feel at home here.
Walking over to the nurse's desk, I place Josh’s file on top before a hand grabs my arm, and I gasp as I’m spun before I lock eyes with my best friend, and I raise a brow and ask, “Shouldn’t you be in the ER?”
She waves her perfect manicured hand at me and says, “Yeah, yeah, I know, but I needed to find you and speak to you in person so you can’t back out.”
I furrow my brows in confusion and ask, “Back out of what?” as she looks at my purple scrubs.
“Why can’t ER staff have purple scrubs too?” she mumbles, and I roll my eyes, then snap my fingers in her face and say, “Focus, Donna,” and she pouts.
I roll my eyes again, and I swear I do this twenty times a day. I remind her, “Because I work with kids, and you don’t like it when kids come in hurt, now, back out of what?”
She blinks, then shakes her head, remembering why she came up here to begin with, and says, “Tonight, you and I are going to the Rebels’ Phoenix club,” and I’m already shaking my head because nope, no, not happening.
I like movie nights and pajamas, stuffing my face with junk food, not clubbing with loud, rowdy people, and men who think it’s alright to grope you all because you wore a little dress.
Okay, I sound really freaking old and jaded…
Donna pouts, “Come on, Rose. We’ve been working here for a year and need to celebrate. I heard through the grapevine that you’ve been offered a position for that cardio course in New York and you didn’t tell me!”
I wince. Crap. I had been offered a place at the specialist Cardiology department for children, which would provide me with the experience I need to complete my Master of Science degree in nursing before applying for my national certification and then becoming a pediatric cardiology nurse.
It’s a year-long course under amazing doctors, but like I said, I’m content here, and I don’t know if I can leave my family, my little sister.
“Please, Rose,” Donna begs, linking her fingers while holding them up, pouting, then adds, “You need to get laid as well.”
I wince again, and so does she, remembering my first and only one-night stand to get rid of my virginity before the Kappa boys could make a bet on who would take it in college, and yes, I said take.
Some of the boys raped the women.
Chase Curtis, senior, while I was a junior, and he was horrible, and I mean absolutely terrible. He had no idea what he was doing, and he was sloppy.
Honestly, he kind of put me off sex. I didn’t even get an ounce of pleasure, only pain, to the point I had to take painkillers for three days straight. I haven’t slept with anyone again or even had a boyfriend. He completely put me off.
When I was twelve, I said boys are nothing but trouble, and I was right.
“Please, Rose,” Donna tries again just as we hear, “Donna, shouldn’t you be in the ER?”
I look around her to see Dr. Conners walking over to us as he removes his leather vest, sorry, I mean cut as he calls it.
When I said vest last year, the death glare he gave me nearly made me shit my pants.
“You back on nights, Dr. Conners?” I ask with a frown because I’m pretty sure he was on nights two weeks ago, and normally, head doctors like him only work nights one week a month.
He sighs, running a tattooed hand through his black hair as his dark chocolate eyes lock with mine and he admits, “Dr. Adams called in sick again.”
I snort, “How convenient that he’s done that twice in four weeks when he’s supposed to be on nights.”
Dr. Conners nods and agrees, “Convenient indeed,” before looking at Donna and gives her a raised brow and she sighs, “I’ve finished everything and clocked out Dr. Conners, I was just trying to convince my friend here,” she points her thumb at me, “to come to your dance club tonight but she’s refusing.
She actually pulled a sour face at the suggestion. ”
That little…
He looks back at me and crosses his arms over his chest as he scowls and asks, “Something wrong with my club?”
Damn Donna!
I narrow my eyes as I point at him and remind him, “You promised not to give me that look again after I nearly shat myself last year for calling your cut a vest!”
He grins, his face instantly softening before he smirks when Donna admits, “She doesn’t party, meaning she doesn’t get laid and hasn’t done so since her one and only one-night stand in college that went wrong.”
I slowly close my eyes, knowing my cheeks are heating, as a doctor I look up to tries to hold in his laughter.
Dammit Donna! It’s like she forgets I have to still work here after she opens her mouth.
Why do I keep her around?
A throat clears and I open my eyes and lock them with Dr. Conners, his showing a glint, one I can’t decipher before he says, “You should go. It’s heavily protected and I’ll ensure the bouncers are aware you’re under club protection,” he gives me a soft smile, “Go and have some fun, Rose, you work your ass off but you need to let off steam.”
I look back at Donna, who's giving me puppy dog eyes and I drop my head back and groan, “Fine, I just have one more patient left,” knowing I won’t get out of it, especially considering she’s roped in Dr. Conners.
She cheers, and I look just in time to see her high-five Dr. Conners. I roll my eyes and walk away to my next patient before I leave off, and they both laugh at my lack of fight, a fight they knew I wouldn’t win any way.
Kids, the pair of them!
I chew my bottom lip two hours later as I look myself over in the mirror, the little blue dress that leaves little to the imagination hugging my figure, the sides cut out showing my ribs.
“This is a bad idea,” I mumble, feeling really out of my comfort zone as Donna gently straightens my curly hair, and she shushes me as she taps my butt.
“You look hot, and if I were into girls, I’d do you,” she says, and I snort.
It isn’t the first time she’s said it, and probably won’t be the last.
“Why can’t we just enjoy our night off watching TV and eating junk food?” I complain.
She sighs, “Because you need a life outside of that hospital. Dr. Conners agreed, and so did your parents and sister when you called them to get you out of tonight. It’s time to let your hair down, now, stop complaining because you are done.”
I look myself over in the mirror, and I have to admit, I do look pretty. While the dress is revealing, Donna is wearing the exact same one, but in light pink. My hair is shiny, and my makeup is light and on point.
“Can I wear my pumps?” I ask with a little bit of hope, but she just raises her perfect, plucked brow, and I groan, noticing the four-inch black strappy heels near my bed.
“This is going to be a long night,” I grumble, and Donna grins widely and replies, “Yes, hopefully it will,” as she wags her brows, and I laugh, I can’t help it.
The woman loves sex, and honestly, I don’t even know why.
“Keep hold of my hand,” Donna shouts half an hour later as we make our way through the club, people everywhere dancing, grinding on each other.
Dr. Conners kept to his word, the bouncer gave Donna a pager when we arrived and let us through the red rope, upsetting a lot of people in line who were in line all the way back and halfway down the street.
Rebel’s Phoenix is a popular spot, and I can see why.
Light purple and black surround the place, with a DJ high up so no one can reach him, who appears to be having a rave. The staff are polite, and the drinks are cheap.
I squeeze Donna’s hand as someone bumps into me, and she quickly drags me to her, but I stop in my tracks when a figure gets my attention out of the corner of my eye, walking towards a hallway, and my heart rate picks up.
Weird.
Donna looks at me with a frown, but I shake my head, the feeling in the pit of my stomach disappearing as the man walks out of the room, and I nod to the bar.
I don’t know what that was because I have never been interested in a guy like that before, but I do know I’ll most likely bail out early.
I have a career to focus on, and tomorrow, I promised Kimmy a date at the mall.