Dear Ms. Molly, Have you had a soul mate? I mean a real soul mate. Not some love at first sight fantasy but someone who will pick at the lock to your heart till you open. Someone who will help you unpack your traumas, shines light in your deepest, darkest corners; brings you happiness like no other and tears down all your walls. I do mean them all. I never knew I would find a love like this and I didn't expect it, but I found it. He literally makes my heart skip a beat. My name is Molia Jones. I am 27, an only child and a nurse manager over a cardiac unit at St. David's memorial hospital in Austin, Texas. I am one of the youngest women to ever hold this position and I would be lying if I said that my staff loved me and was cheering me on. I'm willing to bet that most of my team hates my guts and are waiting for me to fail. I am not here to make friends. I took an oath to take care of patients and I do that at a high level. I expect the best from my staff and if that means I make enemies then that is just what it will have to be. Since I started as nurse manager our Press Ganey scores have been soaring and we have met our metrics every month. My floor was recognized as one of the most improved in the hospital. I knew my hard work wasn't in vain and I wish I could make my staff see that's why I push them so hard. What they don't know is how I push for them behind the scenes to make sure they get what they need. I wish I could tell them but I was never one to boast or brag about things I do from the heart. Change is hard even if it's good change. I had decided not to take it personally. I would continue to work hard and eventually I believed that they would come around. I worked the night shift last night. I often pick up shifts to stay in-touch with the demands of the floor. I always found it off putting when leaders would get so far from the bedside they forgot how to do the simplest task. How can you tell someone what they need to improve if you don't possess even the most basic skills right? I promised myself that if I ever got into administration that I would never be like that. It was a rough night and I was really running behind to get to my brow wax appointment. My appointment was set for 8am. I arrived to the nail salon at 8:19. "Sorry, I no wait for you anymore. I have to take a client." "C'mon you know that I am coming from the hospital. I'm sorry if I was a little late because I was busy saving lives. C'mon Cai I really need my brows done." "No, you late all the time. I wait for you I miss out on money and you no tip!" "You are right. I have been a terrible client but I promise if you take me today that I will only schedule appointments on my off days AND I will tip 20%" "25%!" "Fine." "Sit down, I get you when I'm done." Thank God I don't know if it was all the coffee or if I was just tired but as I sat in the nail salon waiting my turn I began to feel my heart skip. Cai finished her client. A few quick pulls of my brow and I could be on my way home. I remember sitting down and Cai laying me back. When she was done she sat me up and again I felt my heart racing and skipping. I stood up from the chair and passed out. When I opened my eyes I saw a very handsome man standing over me. "There you are! Welcome back. Can you tell me your name?" "Molia" "Molia, what a very pretty name. Well Molia it looks like you passed out. We have help coming do you want to try to sit up?" I was so embarrassed. I had never passed out before. He sat me up slowly. "I'm fine. I'm probably just tired. I just need to get home." "No, you go to hospital," Cai yelled. "I really am fine." "How did you feel yesterday, he asked." "I felt fine, why?" "Did you pass out yesterday?" "No" "Well, today I guess are not as fine as you were yesterday. It wouldn't be a bad idea just to go to the hospital and get checked out." He smiled to display two rows of perfectly aligned, white teeth that would make even the pearly gates a little jealous. "I'm a nurse. I work at the hospital and just finished my shift. That's why I was LATE, I said loudly so Cai could here." She glanced over at me from her station. "I still want my tip. Extra for picking you up off floor." When EMS arrived I was pressured into going to the ER. As they loaded me up in the ambulance he walked over to me and handed me his card and asked me to give him a call tomorrow and let him know how I was feeling. His name was Jo Bae. When I got to the hospital they took blood, ran an ekg and hooked me up to a heart monitor.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Hwang how are you feeling?"
"I'm doing ok. I'm more embarrassed than anything."
"Luckily embarrassment heals without a scar. You will be pleased to hear that all of your test have come back normal."
"Great so I can get out of here now?"
"Yes, we will be discharging you but I do want you to wear a heart monitor for 48 hours and follow up with a cardiologist. Passing out at your age is not really common. You don't appear dehydrated and your electrolytes are all normal so I don't have a clear reason as to why you passed out but I do believe that it should be worked up further. I will have the nurse bring in the monitor for you to wear home. If you feel funny you press a button on the front to record the event. I have referred you to an excellent cardiologist and should try to make an appointment as soon as possible deal?"
"Deal."
The nurse came in a short while later and hooked up my heart monitor and showed me how to record events. I was also told to take two days away from work and rest. I was given my discharge instructions when I remembered that I didn't have a car. My car was still at the nail salon. I was wheeled outside and took a seat on a bench as I began to look for an uber. A black Lexus pulled up in front of me and the driver rolled down the window and called my name.
"Are you Molia?"
"Yes, how do you know me?"
"I was told to pick you up and take you home."
"By whom?"
"Mr. Bae from the salon."
"I'm sorry but that is just weird and I am not trying to end up on the news tonight."
He took out a cell phone, dialed a number then handed me a phone.
"Hello Molia? This is Jo. I knew you wouldn't have a ride home so I asked EMS to give the staff my name and number so I could make sure you got home ok."
"Yeah, that's not creepy. I appreciate everything you have done Mr. Bae but I don't have any plans to sue you. I can get home. I am just going to get an Uber back to the salon and drive home."
"Well, that is a plan but will be really hard to do because your car isn't here."
"What do you mean my car isn't there?"
"I had your car towed to your home. I figured you shouldn't be driving right after you passed out."
"How do you know where I live! What is going on here?"
"Calm down, I had to get your ID to give to EMS so I took down your address and had it delivered there."
"and what if that was an old address?"
"Well at least I would know where I left it. Is it an old address?"
"No."
"Fantastic! So my driver will take you home and I will check on you tomorrow."
"I really am ok. I can call an Uber. This is all too much trouble."
"It's literally no trouble at all. The driver is already there. If you would rather order a stranger off an app drive you to where you live then ok I will have my driver leave, but you have already met me so I'm not a stranger and I know where you live."
I thought for a moment and then decided to get in. It really did make more sense. His driver drove me home where my car was already waiting for me. I got to the door and there was a package. After I had gotten settled in my king sized bed I took some scissors from the nightstand and opened the package. Inside was a eye mask, lavender essential oil spray and a note that said, "even nurses need someone to care for them. Take rest -Jo"
As I put on my sleep mask and laid down to sleep I couldn't help but wonder who is Jo Bae.