Post 2-no sex in the nourishment room
I got off at 11pm that night so I never got a chance to call him with the results. If I’m being honest I’m glad they didn’t come back. I couldn’t have a crush on someone I work with, especially a doctor. I got home, washed off 12 hours of patient care, and climbed into bed. I clicked on the blue app and typed Gregory Adkins III and waited. There he was, graduated from University of Tennessee, one sister, 1,657 friends, and relationship status….not listed. What was listed was his phone number. Why would he have his phone number just listed on social media? I checked photos and wall post and no sign of a girlfriend. Hmmm, maybe I could have a crush on someone from work.
The next day I was in the cafeteria getting lunch and who walks up behind me? It was him.
“What’s good?”
“Nothing today,” I said.
“What do you mean? It’s taco Tuesday!”
“Trust me, these are NOT good tacos.”
“So you are a taco expert?”
“Well I AM Latin and my tacos are kind of famous. Ask anybody here. If I am making tacos and bringing them to work the entire hospital shows up.”
“Well you will have to make me some of these FAMOUS tacos one day.”
“Ha! You should be so lucky.”
Back on the unit
“Call a code” Yelled the charge nurse.
Oh my God it was my patient! “What happened?”
“We don’t know. I heard the alarm, ran in to check on her and she was unresponsive.”
“It’s VTACH, start CPR and charge the paddles,” I said.
“Clear!”
Everyone moved back and Cindy pressed the shock button.
“Push epi and resume CPR.”
We coded my patient for 45 minutes. I never saw it coming. I had never lost a patient. Why didn’t I see this coming? What did I miss? What did I miss? I came back from lunch and everyone was in the room. I didn’t even hear the code from the cafeteria. I didn’t even realize he was there until he put his hand on my shoulder as I walked into the hallway into the corner to cry. I shrugged his hand off and turned around abruptly. He was just standing there while the tears streamed down my face. He went to say something but I just ran to the bathroom to cry.
After work I met up with some friends at a local bar. It had been a horrible day and I was off the next day. I needed a drink. One drink turned to 3 and then 6 and the next thing I know is Astoria, my best friend, was putting me into an Uber. She helped me up the stairs and put me into bed.
The next morning my alarm goes off. Hung over I lifted my phone and attempted to push my thick curly hair out of my face. One unread message. I opened my phone. I didn’t recognize the number 204-963-7689. The message said, “Ok.”
Ok? I scrolled up and my eyes enlarged. As I read the messages my heart jumped into my throat and I was nauseated. I ran to the bathroom to throw up. Please be a dream I repeated over and over. I read the messages again and it was NOT a dream. On my phone was a set of text messages to Dr. Adkins. I must have sent it when I was drunk. I was rambling like an idiot about how I didn’t mean to run off and that I was upset. That wasn’t the worst part. Somehow, I told him that I thought he was attractive and that my heart skips when I see him at work. Then he replies, “Ok.” I typed a paragraph and he responds with two letters. O-K. What am I supposed to do with that?
I spent the next two weeks avoiding him. I just pretended that night never happened. Luckily, I didn’t see him. I don’t know if he was off night float or on a different rotation altogether. I thought about him less. I was getting over my crush.
A call light went off. It wasn’t my patient but I was nearby so I figured I would see what they needed.
“Yes, ma’am how can I help you?”
“May I have some water?”
“I will check your chart and if it’s ok then I will bring you some.”
As I was walking into the nutrition room that door came to a sudden stop. I looked up and there he was. My stomach dropped and my heart rate increased. I couldn’t talk or hear for that matter. When I came to myself he was standing there waving his hand in front of my face.
“Yoo hoo!”
“What, oh I’m sorry you just stunned me.”
“Ok.”
“Mmmmhmmm, your favorite word.” It was brief but I saw it, a quick grin.
“What are you referring to?” He was toying with me.
“Oh nothing.” I grabbed a Styrofoam cup and walked over to the ice machine and filled it with ice. I felt something behind me. He was standing close, very close. I could smell his cologne. He placed one hand on the small of my back as he walked by to grab a drink from the counter. As he passed behind me he pressed the front of his body against me gently and I could feel the bulge in his pants graze my ample bottom. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear like a secret.
“You don’t have to hide. I won’t bite unless you want me to.”