Jillian Chantal

Time for Tuesday Tales again. This week, the authors are writing to the word prompt White. I am still in my ghost story. Our heroine is talking to a new nurse on her floor.

Check out the other tales here.

“Not someone. Some thing.” Anne’s face was pale

“What’s that?”

In response, Anne sat hard in the chair. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. “This young guy flipped his car. They took him to surgery and it all looked good, but then he just closed a few minutes ago. I was watching as they worked on him, praying he’d be okay. But he’s not.” Anne looked up, tears streaking her face. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this. Maybe I need to be on the obstetrics floor instead. All that new life. I’m not cut out for death.”

Lu knelt beside the girl’s chair. “Let me tell you, sadly, there is the possibility of death on every floor of this hospital. A death in that particular area hits extra hard.”

“Then maybe I’m not meant to be a nurse at all.”

“You did practice rounds on different levels in school, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Anne took a shuddering breath. “And I loved the work but I wasn’t faced with this at all. The reality is, I don’t think I can handle this.”

“Can I tell you a little story?” Lu stood and walked around her desk and took a seat.

“Of course.”

Lu slid a box of tissues across the desk. “Dry your tears and sit up.”

When Anne was situated, Lu opened her desk drawer and pulled out a small box. She slid that across the desk toward the young nurse in the same path as the tissue box took.

Anne opened the box and looked down. “This is lovely with the green and white striped ribbon. Looks like an Army bird on the medal. What is this?”

“It’s an Army Commendation Medal. It’s awarded for heroism, meritorious service, or meritorious achievement.”

Anne picked it up out of the case. “It’s beautiful. Who does it belong to?”

Lu shrugged. “Me.”

Eyes wide, Anne said, “You were in the Army? What did you do that was heroic?”