Mikan on duty
By: michi-bee
Shivering, Mikan sipped the remaining contents of the coffee from the cup.
It had been cold, perhaps too cold for her liking and it never did any good to her tonight the moment the head nurse of Saint Alice Ward called her just as she was about to turn off her lamp, snuggling warmly under her thick, purple blanket.
She was told Sumire Shouda had to take the night off because she had to nurse her sick mom who lived at the outskirts of the city and that Mikan had to report in for her for the 11-7 shift.
She tried to refuse but couldn't find the words. She couldn't say no to her dear aunt who happened to be the ward's head nurse, anyway.
Moments later, she took out her jacket from the handbag she brought and wore it. Of all the days, Mrs. Shouda had to get sick today. She's not blaming her for anything but sometimes; she just couldn't stand the coldness…and the rain, for that matter.
Mikan stood up and paid her bill at the counter. She walked to the door and dreadfully watched the droplets of water splashing outside. She sighed then opened the door and then her red foldable umbrella and started walking towards the hospital which is just forty meters away from the café.
When she reached the medical institution, Mikan saw a slew of people crowding a certain bench at the far east and noticed some of them crying. She heard one woman wail a name and some more words but the brunette couldn't comprehend what it was she was saying.
It was none of her business, really, and she wouldn't want to be too nosy so she just passed by them and bowed to some who looked her way, mouthing "Good evening."
She continued on her way but her mind still drifted back to the scene she just witnessed a while ago. Something about it bothered her so much.
Nevertheless, she still tried to focus on what's to come later during the rounds in the ward and a little bit of the chitter-chatter portion with Anna and Nonoko who never fails to know everything about…well, everything!
Mikan stopped by the elevator since she was going all the way up to the 6th floor. She wouldn't trust herself walking alone the stairs. Mikan, the accident-magnet, so they say.
She pushed the up button and waited patiently for it to go down seeing it was still on the 4th floor.
A couple of seconds later, a pale-looking lad with raven hair, wearing a white jacket over a green, loose shirt stood beside her.
"Good evening, sir," she greeted rather politely.
He nodded once then Mikan suddenly tensed, her heart racing wildly against her ribs. She felt a gush of wind coldly touch her nape then slightly turned her head towards the boy.
There was that incredulous and bewildered look on her face that screamed how she didn't like that sudden feeling at all. She would've asked if he also felt it but shrugged the thought off instead.
Maybe she was just imagining things.
Or not.
There it was again. But this time, it was colder, much, much colder than the previous, like grated ice had been slushed square in her face.
Her heart pounded harder and her hands paled. She rubbed them together and then the elevator had opened. Mikan thought how time ticked by so slowly and how the elevator took a long time going down the 1st floor.
Everyone was rushing to get out and some even bumped Mikan by accident and muttered "I'm sorry" rather fastly. She wondered what that was about.
Only the two of them went in. Mikan stayed in the right side while he was standing at the left.
"What floor will you will be going, sir?" she asked, facing his tall form.
He looked straight ahead like he was expecting Mikan to ask that and push the button for him.
"Sixth," he answered.
Miikan forced a weary smile, if not fake. She was trembling the slightest bit. "So we're going the same floor, then," she piped before the elevator closed.
"I guess."
It was a silent lift up. Awkwardly silent.
The elevator took them immediately to the fourth floor seeing as no other people in the hospital was trying to get in from the 2nd and 3rd floors. It opened and from afar, Mikan saw a little girl running for her dear life wearing only a sleeveless purple shirt and a pink skirt that had maroon tinges at the hem. Her hair was in a mess and her puffy cheeks and arms had blood crusts all over. she was obviously crying.
As she ran closer, Mikan widened her eyes and pressed the close button immediately again and again until the elevator door closed.
Her knees were shaking and she felt herself weakening.
Her breathing had been fast and shallow. The boy faced her, one brow raised.
"Why'd you close it?" he asked her, his voice deep.
She gulped and bit her lip. She was sure she was going to have a nervous breakdown any moment soon. If paranoia is going to eat her alive, today really isn't the best time since she'll be spending the rest of the night attending to patients and possibly more of those feelings she felt at the first floor before riding the elevator.
Staring at the buttons aimlessly, she answered shakily, "I know that little girl. She was in because of pneumonia and she was my patient last week."
"Yeah, so? Your patients aren't allowed to ride the elevator?" he said, still with no inclination in his tone.
Mikan shook her head, faced him with a petrified look and reasoned out. "You don't understand, sir!" She nibbled on her lip before proceeding, "Did you see that red tag on her wrist?"
He nodded.
"Well, an hour before my shift was supposed to end, she died. Red tags are given to dead patients."
The young man stared at the floor and extended his arm, pulled the jacket up and showed his wrist to her.
"You mean this tag?"
Mikan froze as she saw the red tag that was worn around his wrist.
The elevator opened and he smiled at her. He mumbled something like, "See you again, Nurse," then stepped outside and walking a fair distance until disappearing completely out of Mikan's sight.
Mikan took the night off and went home to her mom and dad without notifying the head nurse then went to church the next day.
She was sure she won't be riding the elevator anymore.
~end
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michi-bee 3