Read Online Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins - Free Book Online

do for me.
     It seems that there is nothing anyone can or will do for me.”

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    A N ENRAGED M EG JAMMED THE CELL PHONE BACK INTO HER POCKET , stormed out of the room, and marched down the hall to the break room. Before walking
     in, she dried her tears and straightened her hair.
    “Did I see you on the phone?” Heather asked. “Who were you talking to?”
    “It wasn’t you, so what difference does it make?” Meg answered much too harshly.
    Heather’s eyes never left her as Meg dropped seventy-five cents in a machine, hit
     a button, and watched a Coke fall out. She likely was shocked by the tone in Meg’s
     voice and her sarcastic response. As Meg considered what must have been going through
     her friend’s mind, she almost apologized. Heather didn’t deserve to be treated in
     that fashion. Maybe Meg should explain her frustration, but that would display a weakness
     she couldn’t show, at least not yet. So rather than say anything, she popped the top
     on the can and took a sip.
    “I didn’t mean to pry,” Heather said as she took a seat beside Meg. “I’m sorry.”
    “No,” Meg replied, “I shouldn’t have snapped.”
    Poor Heather, she was trying so hard to understand and she couldn’t.
    “Maybe it’s good your back,” Heather said.
    “Why?” Meg asked.
    “Because everyone has been asking about you. You’re the perfect nurse, not only because
     you know our business but because you make people feel better by simply being with
     them. Even today they are asking about you and asking for you.”
    “Really?”
    “Oh, Meg, I’m not saying this will make you feel better, but none of us measure up
     to you. You have always been the heart of this staff.”
    “I doubt that,” Meg replied. “I’m not sure my heart is even beating anymore.”
    “Things will get better,” Heather assured her.
    “Not so sure about that.” Meg took a sip of the soft drink before adding, “Heather,
     you’ve never been married and you’ve never lost anyone close to you. So don’t judge
     me now and don’t expect me to be like I used to be. I don’t think I will ever be that
     way again. I hope you’ll accept that and not try to find a way to change it.”
    Heather nodded but didn’t respond. She probably didn’t have the words to answer. Who
     did?
    As both nurses sat silent, not talking or looking at each other, a young, tall doctor
     wearing a green coat walked in. Looking up, Heather responded first. “Hi, Paul, want
     a cup of coffee?”
    “No thanks, Heather. I didn’t come here to flirt or drink this time; I came here to
     beg! What I really need is for someone to find some records for me. I’m treating a
     man admitted and released by the swing physician covering the emergency room on Saturday
     night. You see, because the guy was simply treatedand released, no one expected him to need anything else. Well, he came back in this
     morning and naturally, he can’t remember what medicine was prescribed. I’ve got to
     know. So I checked with records and found his report hadn’t been loaded into the system
     yet. It seems that everything was down this weekend due to the storms we had last
     week. We actually went back to using paper on everything. So until they get things
     fixed and uploaded so I can see it on my iPad, I’m lost.”
    Heather nodded. “I’ve got the same issue. I guess we’re just spoiled. We think we
     can make a couple of taps and everything will leap into view. Looking through paper
     files is a headache.”
    “I’m not a filing wizard,” the doctor explained. “You should see me try to get organized
     when I do taxes. If it’s not on the computer, then I’m lost. And I don’t want to mill
     through the papers that were filled out in the emergency room for the next hour in
     order to get this guy out of my hair. No one down there seems to have time right now,
     so could you possibly help?”
    Putting her coffee down, Heather got up, but before she could say