Love Can Happen Anywhere

First encounter

She was breathing really hard, when she reached the ward two minutes after the time allotted by the head nurse but with a sigh of relief she managed to slip unnoticed, as she saw sister briefly busy with escorting a all to familiar  figure as he made his examination of one of the patients. Oh no, it couldn't be him again, it seems he  is going to haunt me for the rest of my life, she thought.

She quietly walked past the curtains which were drawn around the bed, hiding herself from the view of the head nurse and when he left after five minutes later, she purposely busied herself by cleaning out one of the lockers, kneeling on one knee, so that he swept by and would not see her again. She had the  urge to make him trip with her leg and hurt him and  it flashed briefly through her mind and she giggled. The footsteps paused briefly and unwillingly her gaze rose to be met by his  cool stare before he passed on. And he behaved as if he did not even recognize me, she thought with an unreasoned, resentment towards him. She put the  bundle the contents of the locker  back into the place and forced the door to a close.

She heard a voice Whisper to her. " Hey nurse, I say nurse Ellen.”

She looked up and saw her patient calling her. “ Yes Mr Sheldon, what is it now?”

The usually unhappy looking guy was looking at her with amused expression, “ Nothing very specific , only you have just put a bunch of cherries on my soap dish and a bar of soap in the fruit dish.”

Ellen groaned and retrieved the offending items in it and saw sister coming towards   her. “Oh blast, I was hoping she had forgotten. But looks like today would be my end." she muttered. Automatically she checked her dress and ironed it with her palms before following the head nurse, who ahd signalled her to follow her to her office.

Sister Cynthia sat at the desk, hand class clasped  together. “  I am not pleased with you Ellen.”

“I know sister.” Ellen whispered.

“And the reason I am not pleased is because I have come to the conclusion, Ellen,  that you are a disruptive influence upon this ward.”

Ellen stared at her feet and observed that there was a large Patch of mark on her shoes, where the water had fallen down. "Yes sister," she mumbled.

“ I do not like destructive influence on my word Allen.” Head nurse said seriously.

Ellen  bit her left, forcing herself to meet her stern gaze and sighed heavily. "But I do try sister.”

“Apparently with great success. “The Head nurse said sarcastically.

" Oh no, sister, I did not mean to cause those accidents, it just happened.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Nurse Ellen, but the fact remains that whenever you are there is disorder. Whatever you do results in chaos. I cannot have my ward run in such a manner, Ellen and I see only one possible solution for stop it and one of us must change and assure you I have every intention to stay so  it shall be you.” 

Sister Cynthia rose and walked  to the window from which she could see every square and inch of the ward.

In the prolonged silence Alan quickly brushed her hands against her stocking and tidied it  and stood miserably wondering, whether her presence had been entirely forgotten. She found herself studying the tall figure of the head nurse, who was very beautiful in her own way but due to her position she was very strict and rarely smiled at anyone. The only thing she did was point out everyone's mistake.

“How long have you been with us, nurse Ellen?”

Ellen felt a wave of cool despair run through her. Now she was doomed for sure. " Almost a year sister.”

“I'm aware that you've been at the Central  hospital for almost a year, nurse, I meant how long on this particular ward?”

“Sorry sister . About a month.”

Sister Cynthia looked at her very carefully. "Only that long, huh...? It seems more. And do you enjoy your work, tell me truthfully?”

“Oh yes, sister, I love it.  That's why I studied nursing, in the first place. As I wanted to serve the sick people."

“I don't doubt that you do, nurse but I think it's time we both face the possibility that you may not be suited to nursing.” Nurse  Cynthia said seriously.

Emma turned white. “Oh no, sister. You don't mean to say that I should give up nursing.”

“At the moment I am not implying anything. I am simply saying that things cannot go on as they are. I have a ward full of sick people, which must be run smoothly and efficiently if each of the individual needs is to be met and standard of the hospital maintain. I am seriously concerned that those standards are not being met, nurse Ellen and that much of the blame is because of you with you. “ Sister Cynthia looked at her sharply. 

 “ I appreciate your enthusiasm, nurse , but enthusiasm alone is not enough. Nursing requires  dedication and tireless effort and it seems to me that the efforts of the rest of my staff are being hindered by your apparent inability to perform even the simple task without disrupting the entire ward in the process.”

Emma felt as if she has been hit by a hammer. “ Yes sister. I'm sorry . I really am, I didn't I don't know why it happens ,  when it happens.”

Cynthia looked  at the girls lowered head. In spite of everything, she really liked Ellen. Om many occasions  she had secretly watched her and had noticed how popular she was even with the most irritated patient. But popularity wasn't enough and for long, she could go on in the mere hope that someday this girl would prove herself right and she had the belief  that somewhere, in her heart.  Apart from all the clumsiness that she does, she could emerge as a very good nurse. Tt's been 20 years that she has worked as a nurse and she knew how to judge a character but in Nurse Nicholas's  case she couldn't be sure.

She frowned, glancing at the Clock and longing for the time when she could go off duty, to her apartment  and take off the stiff white collar and and throw her dress away for something light. Her voice gave no hint of her feelings though as she said. “I've decided not to speak to the HR Department this time." She felt herself almost flinch at the look of gratitude, which  spread across the young girls face.

“Thank you sister .” Ellen whispered with gratitude and her hand rose to adjust her cap.

But Cynthia was not ready to spare her.

  " I said this time, nurse Allen. You must appreciate that things cannot go on, as they have. I am simply giving you another chance, that's all. It's up to you to take it, otherwise I have to warn you, I think your nursing career may well be over and that would be a pity. I suspect that one day you might do very well.”

Ellen flushed with shock disbelief and whispered. “ Thank you once again sister.”

“Don't thank me, nurse except by proving to me that you can do the job, that's all I ask." Cynthia picked up a file from the table. "Now will you please take this over to the blood bank and ask for the required blood for Mr Ker.”

“Yes sister, I'll do it immediately." She  was feeling as if her feet had wings and she flew  along the corridor and down the stairs to the blood bank and once she got what she wanted, she returned upstairs, her shoes making  little squeaking sound as she walked. The corridor was quiet and she hummed softly to herself, unaware of the tall white coated figure walking some yards ahead obviously deep involved in the bundle of paper he was carrying.

The sliding door opened with  the slight pressure of a hand and she went through making her grand entrance. The loud exclamation of pain, as the doors swung open frozen her to the spot in horror, as she recognized the voice.

“Nurse !” Mike Knight exclaimed with pain.

Oh no, it couldn't be.  Fate  couldn't be that cruel to her, not twice in one day. She watched in horrified state, as the papers scattered around the floor near her feet. Bending to pick them up, she was conscious of the feet which suddenly became visible  in front of her and she rose to see the gleam of fury pain in the eyes which stared down at her with anger.

“You?" He looked as if he would like to throttle her." I might have known it. You little crazy fool.”

She tried to speak but the furry  in his eyes silenced her.

“Did not anyone ever teach you to check before you launch yourself through the swing door, just in case someone might happened to be on the other side ?” He said pointedly.

“I'm sorry," she said in strangled voice.

“sorry, that's all you can say . My God, I've come to the conclusion that your are a walking disaster area. You are not safe to be let out on your own, particularly in a hospital." He gritted his teeth and rubbed his elbow, which had been hurt by Ellen.

Ellen reached out  to check the damage she had done by grabbing his hand for inspection. “Oh no,  doctor you are hurt, please let me see.”

He drew in a sharp, choking breath and seem to be making an effort to control himself. “ Leave it alone before you do anymore damage. I am a doctor and perfectly capable of diagnosing for myself whether there are any broken bones or not. I suggest you get out of my sight, nurse Ellen , before I get on with the  temptation of putting you over my knee and giving you the s******g, which you thoroughly deserved.”

Ellen was shocked. He did not mean it did he? stop he wouldn't dare, would he? Questions were roaming around in her head. But something in the way he looked at her warned  her not to put it to the test and  without a backward glance she turned and fled. It was only when she reached the men's surgical ward that she realised she was still clutching the papers she had picked up.

So that's how she had encountered with Mike Knight the first time.