Post by Tammy on Aug 17, 2006 11:09:55 GMT -5
Marlena Evans was a carefree woman, who tried her best to live her life for the moment. When she was in college she had her mind set on becoming a psychiatrist, but when the time of her residency rolled around she had an epiphany of sorts. She spent day in and day out in the intensive care unit she was assigned to at Salem University Hospital. As days went on she saw how, for so many of the nurses and doctors, that these people lying in these beds were nothing more than patience’s. They were treated as if they were no more than diseases that need to be cured. She knew that a large part of the medical profession was that doctors and nurses had to do their best not to become emotional attached to their patience’s, but Marlena just didn’t operate that way. She made it a point to know all of her patience’s and treat them as friends. She knew that for many of these people on the intensive care floor, the one thing they needed was a sense of normalcy. They need to be cared about…not just cared for! Marlena spent most of her time caring for one patient in particular. He was a man who had been comatose for the past two years.
Marlena was strolling through the hallways of the hospital at a leisurely pace, after all she was already an hour late for her shift so…why rush. She made her way to her position at the nurses station. She passed several other nurses saying hello to them and getting nothing but a grunt in return. Shrugging off Gladys’s non-existent hello…she began to hang up her coat. Marlena greeted her good friend Lexi who worked with her at the nurses station. Lexi glanced at Marlena and saw that she was being slow-paced and laid back as usual and she giggled sarcastically, “Take you time Marlena. Your shift only started an hour ago. Ease into it!” Marlena chuckled as she pulled the newspaper out of her purse and headed to the room directly across the hall, as she turned back to Lexi, “I promised I would take him the movie reviews.” Lexi shook her head and mumbled, “Oh…you are such a weirdo.”
Marlena walks into the room and over to the window opening the shades, “Good Morning! I brought you the movie reviews…just like I promised. There was that new Julia Roberts movie…she is pretty cool. You know what movie I liked of hers…that one about pizza…that was good.” Marlena walks around the silent room and turns the radio on. She makes her way over by the bed straightening up. She spots some fresh flowers, “Hmmm these smell so good.” She begins to talk about some of the other patience’s and their families. “Riley’s dad is having an operations today. I told you about her. Humph…he is going to have someone else’s heart! That is so wild.” She pauses and thinks reflectively about the magnitude of that situation. After a moment she gathers her wits. She takes the fresh flowers, “I’m gonna put these in some fresh water for you.” She glances at the man lying in the bed, the only noise in the room coming from the beeping machines.… she smiles at him briefly and then leaves.
Later in the evening before her shift is over she goes back into the mans room. She walks in the room…the only light and sound in the room coming from the machines. Marlena stands at the door and whispers, “Hey you.” She walks over and sits by his bed. She stares at him briefly then glances around the room. The room is adorn with many photo’s…but each photo bears the same two faces. Each photo has the face of this man…and that of a small boy. Marlena rises from the chair pausing momentarily to wipe away a tear…then she proceeds with her daily ritual. She pulls out the basin that lies in the nightstand beside his bed. She fills it with warm water and begins to bath him. Ever so gently and lovingly she brings the damp cloth to his face and wipes it gently….rinsing and repeating as she runs the cloth through his hair. After washing his face and hair she begins to lather his face with shaving cream. She make a point not to miss one inches of his heavenly face. She gingerly brings the razor to his lathered face and begins to shave him. When she has finished her task she brings the towel to his face and wipes away the remnants of cream. After wiping him clean she can’t help but to stare at this heavenly creature. She takes her hand and strokes his strong jaw line. Running her fingers ever so slowly over his eyebrows and eyes. She smiles at this magnificent man, who appears to be a mere shell of the man he use to be.
A little while later her shift has ended and she makes her way to her car. It is pouring down rain…and it has soaked her to the bone. Marlena sits in car and waits for the rain to subside some so she can see well enough to drive. The wind begins to whip ferociously and the thunder and lightening is becoming stronger by the second. Suddenly without a moments notices Marlena see the hospital go completely dark. Her instincts and worry kicking in she runs back into the hospital and makes her way to the intensive care ward. Marlena runs into the ward and it is still completely dark…everyone is running around in pandemonium waiting for the back up generators to kick on. Marlena suddenly thinks of her special patient and takes off down the hallway in a sprint to his room. Marlena rushes through his door and over to his bedside where she pulls out a stethoscope and begins to check his vitals. While she takes his pulse there is an enormous sounding explosion in the hallway. She drops his hand and runs to see what the noise was. When she makes it to the door she notices that the hallway lights have begun exploding due to an large power surge. When suddenly the light above her head explodes without warning…sending her flying backwards into the room. After the initial shock wears off she rises from the floor and looks toward her patient to make sure he is okay. Marlena looks toward his bed and shock envelopes her face. She blinks rapidly to make sure she isn’t seeing things. She realizes that her mind isn’t playing tricks on her…it is real…he is awake! She gathers her senses as she rises from the floor and walks over to him. She slowly reaches her and out and touches his face…”John?”
Marlena was strolling through the hallways of the hospital at a leisurely pace, after all she was already an hour late for her shift so…why rush. She made her way to her position at the nurses station. She passed several other nurses saying hello to them and getting nothing but a grunt in return. Shrugging off Gladys’s non-existent hello…she began to hang up her coat. Marlena greeted her good friend Lexi who worked with her at the nurses station. Lexi glanced at Marlena and saw that she was being slow-paced and laid back as usual and she giggled sarcastically, “Take you time Marlena. Your shift only started an hour ago. Ease into it!” Marlena chuckled as she pulled the newspaper out of her purse and headed to the room directly across the hall, as she turned back to Lexi, “I promised I would take him the movie reviews.” Lexi shook her head and mumbled, “Oh…you are such a weirdo.”
Marlena walks into the room and over to the window opening the shades, “Good Morning! I brought you the movie reviews…just like I promised. There was that new Julia Roberts movie…she is pretty cool. You know what movie I liked of hers…that one about pizza…that was good.” Marlena walks around the silent room and turns the radio on. She makes her way over by the bed straightening up. She spots some fresh flowers, “Hmmm these smell so good.” She begins to talk about some of the other patience’s and their families. “Riley’s dad is having an operations today. I told you about her. Humph…he is going to have someone else’s heart! That is so wild.” She pauses and thinks reflectively about the magnitude of that situation. After a moment she gathers her wits. She takes the fresh flowers, “I’m gonna put these in some fresh water for you.” She glances at the man lying in the bed, the only noise in the room coming from the beeping machines.… she smiles at him briefly and then leaves.
Later in the evening before her shift is over she goes back into the mans room. She walks in the room…the only light and sound in the room coming from the machines. Marlena stands at the door and whispers, “Hey you.” She walks over and sits by his bed. She stares at him briefly then glances around the room. The room is adorn with many photo’s…but each photo bears the same two faces. Each photo has the face of this man…and that of a small boy. Marlena rises from the chair pausing momentarily to wipe away a tear…then she proceeds with her daily ritual. She pulls out the basin that lies in the nightstand beside his bed. She fills it with warm water and begins to bath him. Ever so gently and lovingly she brings the damp cloth to his face and wipes it gently….rinsing and repeating as she runs the cloth through his hair. After washing his face and hair she begins to lather his face with shaving cream. She make a point not to miss one inches of his heavenly face. She gingerly brings the razor to his lathered face and begins to shave him. When she has finished her task she brings the towel to his face and wipes away the remnants of cream. After wiping him clean she can’t help but to stare at this heavenly creature. She takes her hand and strokes his strong jaw line. Running her fingers ever so slowly over his eyebrows and eyes. She smiles at this magnificent man, who appears to be a mere shell of the man he use to be.
A little while later her shift has ended and she makes her way to her car. It is pouring down rain…and it has soaked her to the bone. Marlena sits in car and waits for the rain to subside some so she can see well enough to drive. The wind begins to whip ferociously and the thunder and lightening is becoming stronger by the second. Suddenly without a moments notices Marlena see the hospital go completely dark. Her instincts and worry kicking in she runs back into the hospital and makes her way to the intensive care ward. Marlena runs into the ward and it is still completely dark…everyone is running around in pandemonium waiting for the back up generators to kick on. Marlena suddenly thinks of her special patient and takes off down the hallway in a sprint to his room. Marlena rushes through his door and over to his bedside where she pulls out a stethoscope and begins to check his vitals. While she takes his pulse there is an enormous sounding explosion in the hallway. She drops his hand and runs to see what the noise was. When she makes it to the door she notices that the hallway lights have begun exploding due to an large power surge. When suddenly the light above her head explodes without warning…sending her flying backwards into the room. After the initial shock wears off she rises from the floor and looks toward her patient to make sure he is okay. Marlena looks toward his bed and shock envelopes her face. She blinks rapidly to make sure she isn’t seeing things. She realizes that her mind isn’t playing tricks on her…it is real…he is awake! She gathers her senses as she rises from the floor and walks over to him. She slowly reaches her and out and touches his face…”John?”
