Can't Stop Now
Written by BurntOrange
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters except for Natalie and any other extraneous characters that might appear later on. Everything else—not mine
I haven't written anything in forever, seriously. This is the first thing I have posted to and the first Miracle fic I've written. Also, I am really into music so I'll usually have a song suggestion for you to read along to, and most of the songs will not be time-appropriate so please forgive me.
Rating: PG-13 unless told otherwise.
Song: "Way We Get By" by Spoon
Time seemed to drag by after 4pm, the last hour of her shift was always hell. Natalie tapped her fingernails on her counter of the nurse's station of which she was leaning against. She was almost depressed how boring and scheduled her job had become after a month of starting work. Natalie was a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota, where she was a nursing student and her uncle was the physician on hand for the hockey team. Her uncle allowed her to visit and help him take care of the athletes whenever an extra hand was needed, which was often.
Due to the amount of time she spent with the team, she made friends with most of the guys, and she became very close with a few of them. Plus, since she was a student and lived either on or near campus, they often invited her on the weekends to bars, parties, or whatever their weekend antics would be. The money she could make by blackmailing the guys would allow her not to work for a few months.
The June heat was excruciating, Natalie started to tug at the starched collar of her white uniform. Hopefully a fellow co-worker was planning a night out for a few drinks, or maybe her good friend Bill Baker would call and invite her to something. The phone at her station rang and after one ring, she picked up, "Hello, Mercy West Hospital Psychology ward."
A voice with an unmistakable accent was on the other line, "Hello, is Ms. McCleary available?"
"This is she, how are you Doc?" Doc, the term of endearment almost everyone that knows her uncle calls him, the only people not to call him that were his wife and his sister, who was Natalie's mother.
"Same as always, is this a bad time?"
A light started to flash on the callboard, Room 3453C was pressing the Call Nurse button. "Yes, but I get off work soon, I'll call you back."
"Of course child, talk to you soon." Natalie hung up the phone and checked on her patient in Room 3453C, who ended up needing to be told that indeed Santa was real.
After her 15-minute description of what Santa's workshop looked like, Natalie left the room and ran into the managing nurse practitioner of the floor, "McCleary, you can go home early—we have enough people here." Nodding, she blew a sigh of relief and changed before she drove home. There she called her beloved uncle back. After the normal small talk that included an update of their on-goings and how Natalie's mother was, the reason for the phone call was told.
"Herb is coaching the hockey team for the Olympics."
"Really? That's great…do you get to go?"
"Yes, yes…but he wants someone else to accompany me, to help me in case we have too many injuries at one time and he is especially hoping that the person will have a background in psychology—to help the boys cope with the stress."
"But Doc, I only minored in psychology—I cannot helpful since I am not a practicing Psychologist."
"I understand, but Herb was thinking that the boys wouldn't feel comfortable talking to a professional, you are much more approachable. Plus, you have been around his team for four years so you understand the stress these men are under."
"Yes, but…that was college. This is the Olympics!"
"Please consider it. I must go, Velpa just finished preparing dinner. Talk to you later Natalia."
Natalie hung up her phone and groaned, she was sorely tempted to take up the offer. Plus, Doc ended the call with her real name—and that was his quiet way of expressing his endearment for her. And that always made her feel guilty. She was always a favorite of his and she knew that sharing this experience would mean a lot to him. Taking her dark brown hair out of the required tight bun, she shook her head and rested her head on her hand. The first step was to tell her mother, who will not be pleased. That is until she was told that Doc suggested this.