Welcome To Detroit City
Flying
Bridgit
"Ms. Bridgit?"
I looked up from the charts sitting in my lap, and at the frail child laying bedridden. Moving the charts to the rolling end table, I moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed, lightly rubbing her leg. "Do you need anything, sweetheart?"
The bald child looked at me with those big blue eyes of hers and asked, "Wha-what do you think it's like?" She fiddled with the crayon in her hand, running it back and forth across the colouring page. "On the other side. Do you think it's nice?"
I sighed as I looked down at my printed scrubs. "Emily, you shouldn't be thinking about that. You're going to get better and you're going to have grown up, gotten married, and have had lots of babies before you even start thinking about this again."
Emily reached forward and grasped my hand in her own thin one. "Please. I just want to know."
As I looked into those deep blue eyes, aged beyond their years, I disregarded all hospital rules and lay down on the bed beside her. Emily cuddled up under my arm, her cold body branding me as if it were searing hot. I held her close to me as I began to tell her about the afterlife. "Well... I'm sure it's nice there and I'm sure there are other children. Your grandma and grandpa are up there too, with God. He will keep you safe. No matter what happens in this surgery."
"You promise?"
Looking deeply into her eyes, I uttered "I promise."
Cory
There was no better feeling than skating around the rink, pushing yourself as fast as you can, to feel as if you've taken flight. That's how I feel right now. Just skating around the rink after practice, with nothing on my mind but the feel of the ice beneath my skates. My worries having been left behind, for the time being at least.
Nobody bothered me when I took this time after practice. They knew it kept me sane, kept me from succumbing under pressure. After my first few practices with the Red Wings, they had taken to scheduling my skating time in so I wouldn’t have to worry about disrupting the arena events. Sometimes, I would stay later than scheduled and end up helping with the tykes team that practiced after us. I didn't mind.
"Come on Emmerton! We have to head out in 15, to go see the kids at the hospital!" Darren Helms called from behind the bench.
And just like that, the flight was over.
Bridgit
I grabbed my floppy bag and shut the locker, clamping the lock down. I waved good bye to my fellow nurses and walked down the East hallway towards the elevators. Checking the time on my watch as I waited for an elevator, I decided to make an impromptu trip to Emily's room to see her after surgery. Turning back around to the West wing, I pulled out my Blackberry. Seeing an email from my mom, I stopped outside Emily's room, Suite 1118, and answered.
Putting my phone away, I entered the suite with a smile on my face. That smile dropped when I saw two of my fellow nurses stripping the bed sheets in preparation for washing. Emily was no where to be seen.
"Wh-Where is she?" I managed to croak out.
One nurse, Shannon looked up. "No one told you?" She exchanged a look with her partner. "Emily died 10 minutes into the surgery. Her brain swelled and there was no stopping it. I'm sorry, Bridgit. I know you were close to her."
My bag sunk off my shoulder and to the ground as I slid down the wall, staring at that empty bed that once held a young life. Sometimes my job sucked.
"Ms. Bridgit?"
I looked up from the charts sitting in my lap, and at the frail child laying bedridden. Moving the charts to the rolling end table, I moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed, lightly rubbing her leg. "Do you need anything, sweetheart?"
The bald child looked at me with those big blue eyes of hers and asked, "Wha-what do you think it's like?" She fiddled with the crayon in her hand, running it back and forth across the colouring page. "On the other side. Do you think it's nice?"
I sighed as I looked down at my printed scrubs. "Emily, you shouldn't be thinking about that. You're going to get better and you're going to have grown up, gotten married, and have had lots of babies before you even start thinking about this again."
Emily reached forward and grasped my hand in her own thin one. "Please. I just want to know."
As I looked into those deep blue eyes, aged beyond their years, I disregarded all hospital rules and lay down on the bed beside her. Emily cuddled up under my arm, her cold body branding me as if it were searing hot. I held her close to me as I began to tell her about the afterlife. "Well... I'm sure it's nice there and I'm sure there are other children. Your grandma and grandpa are up there too, with God. He will keep you safe. No matter what happens in this surgery."
"You promise?"
Looking deeply into her eyes, I uttered "I promise."
Cory
There was no better feeling than skating around the rink, pushing yourself as fast as you can, to feel as if you've taken flight. That's how I feel right now. Just skating around the rink after practice, with nothing on my mind but the feel of the ice beneath my skates. My worries having been left behind, for the time being at least.
Nobody bothered me when I took this time after practice. They knew it kept me sane, kept me from succumbing under pressure. After my first few practices with the Red Wings, they had taken to scheduling my skating time in so I wouldn’t have to worry about disrupting the arena events. Sometimes, I would stay later than scheduled and end up helping with the tykes team that practiced after us. I didn't mind.
"Come on Emmerton! We have to head out in 15, to go see the kids at the hospital!" Darren Helms called from behind the bench.
And just like that, the flight was over.
Bridgit
I grabbed my floppy bag and shut the locker, clamping the lock down. I waved good bye to my fellow nurses and walked down the East hallway towards the elevators. Checking the time on my watch as I waited for an elevator, I decided to make an impromptu trip to Emily's room to see her after surgery. Turning back around to the West wing, I pulled out my Blackberry. Seeing an email from my mom, I stopped outside Emily's room, Suite 1118, and answered.
Putting my phone away, I entered the suite with a smile on my face. That smile dropped when I saw two of my fellow nurses stripping the bed sheets in preparation for washing. Emily was no where to be seen.
"Wh-Where is she?" I managed to croak out.
One nurse, Shannon looked up. "No one told you?" She exchanged a look with her partner. "Emily died 10 minutes into the surgery. Her brain swelled and there was no stopping it. I'm sorry, Bridgit. I know you were close to her."
My bag sunk off my shoulder and to the ground as I slid down the wall, staring at that empty bed that once held a young life. Sometimes my job sucked.
Notes
Also on Mibba![url=http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=59751145]Bridgit[/url]
3/11/13