Jetset Sugar
Helena
It was a slow, slow night, which was a good thing. Working at the hospital, a slow night is a good night. Rather than seeing injuries from abuse, gang fights and even suicide attempts. Things that is easily avoidable. I was having my cigarette break right outside the back door when I heard the blaring sounds of the ambulance from around the corner. The siren was deafening cutting through the dead silence of the night.
‘Here comes work,’ I thought.
I quickly finished the cigarette in two long drags and flicked it away. I tossed my unfinished latte that I was hoping to enjoy into the nearby trash. I pressed the button at the wall and swoosh went the sliding door. It was quite a long walk from the back door to the A&E, so I picked up the pace a little, removing my coat at the same time and by the time I tossed it over the reception counter, the ambulance had pulled over outside. Everything started fast-forwarding after that.
Someone ran past from behind and almost bumped into my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Frank Iero, another Intern.
“C’mon Gee! Finally, some action!” he called out, as he made his way to the door.
They had already placed the patients on to the gurney.
‘Patients?’
There's more than one. Shit.
I rushed over to Frank’s side. The kid on the gurney was young, very young. But his skin was pale and dehydrated. His lips dried and traces of white foam circled his mouth.
“What have we got?” I asked, to no one in particular.
“Teenagers. Drugs,” Frank replied simply.
“They were found at the back of Hotel Bella Muerte,” one of the paramedic informed us. Frank just nodded.
“I got this one, you get the other.” Frank said to me, jerking his head to the other gurney that they were pulling in. “Alright people, c’mon, lets go.”
I looked up to the other gurney and quickly made a beeline for it. I repeated my question to the paramedic once I got there, and I received the same answers.
“What did they take?”
“Not sure, we found a whole bunch of stuffs on the floor. All unlabeled,” she replied.
I looked down at the girl on the gurney. Her blonde hair was wet from perspiration and was plastered to the sides of her face. Her skin was as pale as the boy’s and she was badly dehydrated. I lifted her eyelids to check her pupils and was greeted by a pair of icy blues. But when I let it go, it remained open and started looking around.
“She’s still conscience,” I said, surprisingly, not sure if it was a statement or a question. “What’s her name?”
“No idea, there was no ID on either of them, and we couldn’t get anything out from her,” the paramedic. “ The boy was already passed out when we got to him but her, she’s been conscious all this while but she couldn’t move or say a word. It’s like her whole system went into shock, well, except for her eyes.”
I nodded to her explanation and turned back to the girl.
“Hey sugar,” I said to her softly. I noticed her pupils moved to look at me. There was sadness in her eyes, and guilt. But there was mostly fear. “It’s alright, everything is going to be okay. I promise. We’ll take care of you. Just don’t fall asleep, okay?”
She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She just kept staring at me.
“Look down if you understand what I’ve just told you, sugar.”
And she did, then right back at me. I smiled and told everyone that was there.
“Alright, let’s get her in. Room 2. Whatever it is that’s inside her, we gotta flush it out,” I ordered.
=====================================================================
“We got her!” someone shouted.
“Stabilize her,” I barked. “We are not gonna lose her again!”
I refused to admit defeat. I promised her that everything would be alright, that she’s going to be fine. I promised her. They lost her friend I will not lose her. And the last time she regain conscious, there was improvement. I saw her mouth twitch, like she was trying to smile.
When she finally came around the second time, her body jerked like someone had punched her hard in the stomach. She gasped for air and her hand grabbed mine, hard. Her nails dug deep into my skin. I didn’t care. I looked at her and there was still sadness in her eyes. I lowered my face to her, as it seemed like she was going to tell me something.
“Pull the plug,” she whispered, her voice ragged.
I just stared at her.
“Pull the plug,” she said again, even more fiercely than the first time.
“No,” I replied softly, just for her to hear. “We’re holding on and I hope you’d do the same, sugar. Think happy thoughts.”
=====================================================================
I looked at her through the glass window. She looks so peaceful, like a sleeping angel. About 20 minutes ago, I felt her hand grabbing mine. About 20 minutes ago, I had looked into her eyes and refused to let her go. But now, those eyes are never to open again. She had slipped into the tragedy.
“Hey man,” someone slapped my back. I could tell it was Frank, I recognize his voice.
“Hey.”
“Sorry about her,” he said sincerely.
“Yea, yours too.”
“Well, we already kinda knew that he wasn’t gonna make it. But yours, wow, she’s strong, from what I heard.”
“Yeah, but not strong enough,” I sighed.
“Her family here yet?”
“No. Still uncontactable. She didn’t have any ID on her.”
“Yeah, the boy too. Frank let out a sorrowful sigh. “Teenagers, they scare the living shit out of me. Well, I’m gonna get some shuteye before my shift is over. Catch ‘ya later.”
“Yeah, see ‘ya.”
I stood there a little longer, just looking at her. Wondering who she was, what her favorite things were, and her problems, why she gave up her life.
“Would like to learn your name, sugar,” I said to myself. As I turned to walk away, the florescent like flickered and there was a sudden gust of wind, which was unnatural, it being indoors, and all. But along with the flow of air, there was a faint undertone. It seemed to have said a name. A name that sounded like…
“Helena?” I questioned. Then I turned to look at the sleeping angel again. “I must be tired. I hate doing double shifts.”
And with that, I proceeded to end my shift.
‘Here comes work,’ I thought.
I quickly finished the cigarette in two long drags and flicked it away. I tossed my unfinished latte that I was hoping to enjoy into the nearby trash. I pressed the button at the wall and swoosh went the sliding door. It was quite a long walk from the back door to the A&E, so I picked up the pace a little, removing my coat at the same time and by the time I tossed it over the reception counter, the ambulance had pulled over outside. Everything started fast-forwarding after that.
Someone ran past from behind and almost bumped into my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Frank Iero, another Intern.
“C’mon Gee! Finally, some action!” he called out, as he made his way to the door.
They had already placed the patients on to the gurney.
‘Patients?’
There's more than one. Shit.
I rushed over to Frank’s side. The kid on the gurney was young, very young. But his skin was pale and dehydrated. His lips dried and traces of white foam circled his mouth.
“What have we got?” I asked, to no one in particular.
“Teenagers. Drugs,” Frank replied simply.
“They were found at the back of Hotel Bella Muerte,” one of the paramedic informed us. Frank just nodded.
“I got this one, you get the other.” Frank said to me, jerking his head to the other gurney that they were pulling in. “Alright people, c’mon, lets go.”
I looked up to the other gurney and quickly made a beeline for it. I repeated my question to the paramedic once I got there, and I received the same answers.
“What did they take?”
“Not sure, we found a whole bunch of stuffs on the floor. All unlabeled,” she replied.
I looked down at the girl on the gurney. Her blonde hair was wet from perspiration and was plastered to the sides of her face. Her skin was as pale as the boy’s and she was badly dehydrated. I lifted her eyelids to check her pupils and was greeted by a pair of icy blues. But when I let it go, it remained open and started looking around.
“She’s still conscience,” I said, surprisingly, not sure if it was a statement or a question. “What’s her name?”
“No idea, there was no ID on either of them, and we couldn’t get anything out from her,” the paramedic. “ The boy was already passed out when we got to him but her, she’s been conscious all this while but she couldn’t move or say a word. It’s like her whole system went into shock, well, except for her eyes.”
I nodded to her explanation and turned back to the girl.
“Hey sugar,” I said to her softly. I noticed her pupils moved to look at me. There was sadness in her eyes, and guilt. But there was mostly fear. “It’s alright, everything is going to be okay. I promise. We’ll take care of you. Just don’t fall asleep, okay?”
She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She just kept staring at me.
“Look down if you understand what I’ve just told you, sugar.”
And she did, then right back at me. I smiled and told everyone that was there.
“Alright, let’s get her in. Room 2. Whatever it is that’s inside her, we gotta flush it out,” I ordered.
=====================================================================
“We got her!” someone shouted.
“Stabilize her,” I barked. “We are not gonna lose her again!”
I refused to admit defeat. I promised her that everything would be alright, that she’s going to be fine. I promised her. They lost her friend I will not lose her. And the last time she regain conscious, there was improvement. I saw her mouth twitch, like she was trying to smile.
When she finally came around the second time, her body jerked like someone had punched her hard in the stomach. She gasped for air and her hand grabbed mine, hard. Her nails dug deep into my skin. I didn’t care. I looked at her and there was still sadness in her eyes. I lowered my face to her, as it seemed like she was going to tell me something.
“Pull the plug,” she whispered, her voice ragged.
I just stared at her.
“Pull the plug,” she said again, even more fiercely than the first time.
“No,” I replied softly, just for her to hear. “We’re holding on and I hope you’d do the same, sugar. Think happy thoughts.”
=====================================================================
I looked at her through the glass window. She looks so peaceful, like a sleeping angel. About 20 minutes ago, I felt her hand grabbing mine. About 20 minutes ago, I had looked into her eyes and refused to let her go. But now, those eyes are never to open again. She had slipped into the tragedy.
“Hey man,” someone slapped my back. I could tell it was Frank, I recognize his voice.
“Hey.”
“Sorry about her,” he said sincerely.
“Yea, yours too.”
“Well, we already kinda knew that he wasn’t gonna make it. But yours, wow, she’s strong, from what I heard.”
“Yeah, but not strong enough,” I sighed.
“Her family here yet?”
“No. Still uncontactable. She didn’t have any ID on her.”
“Yeah, the boy too. Frank let out a sorrowful sigh. “Teenagers, they scare the living shit out of me. Well, I’m gonna get some shuteye before my shift is over. Catch ‘ya later.”
“Yeah, see ‘ya.”
I stood there a little longer, just looking at her. Wondering who she was, what her favorite things were, and her problems, why she gave up her life.
“Would like to learn your name, sugar,” I said to myself. As I turned to walk away, the florescent like flickered and there was a sudden gust of wind, which was unnatural, it being indoors, and all. But along with the flow of air, there was a faint undertone. It seemed to have said a name. A name that sounded like…
“Helena?” I questioned. Then I turned to look at the sleeping angel again. “I must be tired. I hate doing double shifts.”
And with that, I proceeded to end my shift.