Let's go out
The soft sound of the wind pierced through from the balcony door, left open
the night before. Rios' brain woke up before her body. Granted it was a peaceful feeling to start her day, waking up by the feeling of the sun rays hitting half of her room, the cool breeze of the wind relaying through. That was, until her alarm went off, forcing herself to move around her limp arms to look around for that annoying and loud ringtone. It was, only eight in the morning, her usual approximate time to get her day started. Usually went off at eight, progressed by snooze, all the way up until around nine-thirty or something like that. She opened her eyes, got out of her bed, sprawled with pillows everywhere, and took the energy she had to actively do the bed. Her prior night had been fun, a nice night of fun that had been accompanied by a nice and funny, dark-haired girl. The dark-haired woman was someone she had found at a bar near her apartment. A couple beers and maybe a couple shots, the heat from her body and confidence would only grow. Anyways, after a 5 minute walk, and an elevator to the 5th floor, she had a good night.
The girl, well, Alex was fun, not serious, and Rio was glad that by the time she woke up, she had left. She did not practically want to see her hookups the day after. Rio did not usually start to date people that she met the day of a simple night. Not that she didn’t want to specifically, sometimes it was the boredom, something to get her mind off. Something fun, nothing serious.
Her morning proceeded normally, her breakfast, her coffee, her run, all the usual.
She had a late shift at the hospital today, so she was not in a hurry. She was still one of the newest practitioners at her hospital. Only coming up on her second year there really. She had finally finished all her years of miserable studying, free slave work that they call residency, and was in a place where she had ‘made it’. There was no stressing, not the type that led to anger, which led to sadness, and her depression. Now that, is a longer, more detailed story.
Rios’ burdensome past is a little too much. Which is why even though she is a newer practitioner at her workplace, she is not the youngest and not that she’s the oldest, but still.
Her mental state has always been out of shape, as far as she can remember. From being seven years old, wanting to jump out of the car on the highway for a reason that she would not for the life of her remember why. To the lashing out to those closest to her. To the time frame where there was self-inflicted harm on and off. To the gap years of her education as a consequence of her stemming problem of drug abuse. There was just always too much, or maybe too much for her to handle at the time.
Her mental state, the constant pressure of trying to be good, be someone, be an exemplary example to her younger siblings, the divorce of her parents, the agony of her heartbreak joining in, and followed by the death of her grandmother had reached that peak, and she had metaphorically jumped off that peak willingly. Looking back, summarizing like that, sounds like too much. But Rio is a strong woman. Everything that has ever happened to her, it made her-well her. Deep down, something is missing. She knows it, but she’s not going to bring herself to dissect what it is even though she knows, she just still has that wall up. But there’s always something that will keep her distracted. Another day.
Here she stands, with a stethoscope around her neck. Scrubs on her body, that are comfortable enough to give her a happy confidence. Rio is friendly, charismatic, scary at times, a little weird, and some don’t know whether they want to date her, be friends with her, or be scared of her.
“So what do you think?” Rio asked the receptionist, as she leaned forward against the ledge.
“About?”
“Tonight” Rio said, with a suggestive smirk and a little wiggle of her eyebrows that opened up interpretations.
“Tonight?” now the receptionist, Sarah asked concerned. Why specifically? Well its Rio.
“Yes, I'm off at nine and you’re off at what? Nine-thirty?”
“Nah, I am also off at nine, aren’t you lucky?”
“See divine timing? We can go out for drinks after and you can finally meet my friend jen!”
“Rio”
“Come onnn, you said you would already, you said she was and I quote “hot as fuck”.”
“She is, but still”
“See, come on, it’s slow and off soon-” Rio got cut off by Sarah exclaiming.
“RIO!” Sarah called out in a dramatic and almost skeptical disbelief that she seriously just said that word. Slow. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
“What?”
“You know what you did, you just jinxed it”
“No I didn’t”
“Yes you did, now even IF I agreed to go out, we cannot, so” sarah replied nonchalantly, almost relieved by her answer but behind her words hoping this jinx does’nt actually turn real.
“You ma’am are just making excuses at this point, and I didn’t jinx it, that’s not a thing”
“I beg to differ, i’ve seen too many times”
“Care to bet?” Rio confidently waged. It had been a good day so far. Mostly appointments today. And Rio had become friends with sarah ever since she started working here. They had become great friends. At one point, Rio had shown some pictures to Sarah about some random day adventure spent with her best friend Jen. It’s just that Rio could not stop herself from reminding her that she thinks both of her friends would hit it off.
“What do I win?”
“You wont, but I don’t know, i’ll buy you your coffee for a week or lunch” Rio replied. Trying to wager. This isn’t that deep. But rio enjoys a challenge and loves to win.
“This isn’t even fair ground you know that? You have no more appointments and your paperwork is basically nonexistent.”
“Even the trauma bay is slow. Mid-day staff is practically almost gone. BUT, i’ll go down there and see how I can help so YOU feel it’s an even play field my dear.” Rio was proud of that sacrifice.
“Alright, good enough.”
“You see the sacrifices I do for you?” Rio said fake wiping a tear near her eye. “I feel like I'm losing and you will be winning in any of these two scenarios.”
“If it’s not the consequences of your own actions right? Okay, bye, you have an hour. Go ahead.”
“Okay, leaving now. But just IN case I somehow get caught up and don’t come back up here in time you know what bar okay, ‘COVEN’. I will text her now so she can meet us there. At ten okay.” Sarah only laughed. “Okay rio, have fun.”
Rio turned, and started to walk away, with a big smile on her face claiming victory before the challenge had even begun. “See you there baby.”
One hour. This isn’t a serious challenge, she knows that, obviously. However, when it’s a challenge, there’s winning and there’s losing. And Rio doesn’t like losing. So it's only an hour and she spends her time talking with her other acquaintances at this hospital. Some thirty or so minutes pass by and she checks up on some patients, there aren’t many. Rio is about to call it a win when she checks the time and there’s five minutes left.
Rio grabbed her phone and started to text Jen that she was on her way home already, and should not take long, and would be there way before ten. To help with the nerves that Jen would probably have.
The trauma bay doors are heard, and there’s some surprising looks, because then again this wasn't expected. But she has five minutes and looks to check who would surely take care of the incoming patients. She already started a lie and she has a victory to claim. Yet, she hears the commotion getting closer and very fearfully doesn’t see many other doctors around.
What the hell.
All the sudden, like it’s natural, she grabs on to the first gurney rolling from outside. Hearing and taking all the information whilst looking at the almost unconscious boy in front of her. She's used to this, sure. It is always more sensitive when it’s a kid, for her at least. There’s another gurney incoming after the one in front of her. Though, when she notices the woman on that one is noticeably bleeding from afar and her eyes are open, she returned her focus on the little one in front of her.
“Hey little man.” Rio attempted to get a response from the young boy in front of her. His brown, longish hair was covered in blood from half of his head. The boy on the gurney managed to flutter his eyes for a few blinks. The EMT in front of her had his hands on the boy’s chest. He indicated a perforation to his chest.
“We’re going to get you taken care of okay.” Rio communicated to the small boy. And to her own surprise, he opened his eyes and managed two second eye contact with Rio followed by the shutting of his eyes as a reaction to the pain his poor body is feeling. She saw his greenish eyes, an unspoked conversation or comment somewhere in there.
Rio and the EMT in front of her had communicated the needed procedure needed for this young boy.
“Okay, you’re okay buddy, I saw you look at me. Now that’s not how we introduce ourselves around here, little man. My name is Rio, what’s yours?” Rio made an effort to try and get an answer out of the boy in front of him. While hoping he does respond, trying to confirm his brain has not been severely damaged in the suspicion of the head trauma. All whilst managing to multi-task orders to the now nurses in front of hers to try to get this head checked out.
The boy in front of her opens his eyes again, Rio can tell he’s trying.
Some helped her with the head at first. Rio quickly looked down at his chest, and initiated care towards that area as well. The boy in front of her had now confirmed trauma by object to his chest.
“What happened to you little man.” Rio wondered.
When she looked up, she had already seen more doctors and the ones working in the emergency department coming in. Okay, this is good. Just have to take care of this boy fast.
“Come on man, don't leave me hanging.” Rio pleads calmly. She knows everything will be fine. Right?
The boy moves his head around with his eyes closed still. The adrenaline of his body is rubbing off and turning into more pain he is now feeling. Rio can tell. Rio deals with death a lot. Sadly. Sometimes it’s inevitable, it happens, that’s what has to happen. All we can do is enjoy our moments here together.
Still, in her career, if she can even help to prevent that and help someone even if it’s small, she’s going to give it her all. Even if the result isn’t always a good one.
“I need you to stay with me okay? Keep those eyes open for me” Rio spits out and feels a sense of urgency and also feels her heartbeat speed up. Come on.
The boy manages to softly spit out one word,
“Nicky.”
The boy managed to say before he again closed his eyes. Longer this time. Resulting in full unconsciousness.
“Nicky?”