The lamp on my desk flickered slightly as I yet again scrawled my name on another document. Being the assistant head of Paediatrics required a lot of paper work that was far from joyous. I work in the newly built Gotham General Hospital after the old one was blown to bits by that crazed clown named The Joker a few years ago. That was when Batman also supposably killed five people and Harvey Dent, Gotham City's district attorney. I personally don't believe that someone who has done so much good to a community could just turn evil over night for no apparent reason and go on a killing spree. It just wasn't logical.
The head of the hospital, Marie Conners knocked on the frosted glass windows of my office. I momentarily looked up from the seemingly endless pile of charting and files that had yet to be completed. Marie was a kind woman in her mid-thirties. Even though she was kind she would still demand we all do our clinic hours and she made sure of it. In a city like Gotham, the clinic section of our hospital was rather large and there were always and endless amount of patients coming in complaining that they need this and that drug, or they had some gang related injury.
"Chantel, Why are you still here, it's almost dark out." She gave me a stern look, like the look a mother gives her child when they catch them out of bed late on a school night.
"Unfortunately my current situation requires me to attempt to finish most of my charting and paper work for the evening before I retire to the comforts of my home." I said bluntly not even raising my eyes from the work in front of me. I heard Marie sigh, rather loudly.
"You have been working way to hard lately; it's almost as if you're on autopilot. Not one of your charts have been late, all your clinic hours are filled, you volunteer for on-call duty more than ever, what is this situation you are talking about." She all but yelled. I put my pen down and sighed, leaning back in my chair and rubbing my hands over my face.
"It's about that little girl, isn't it?" She was right. Here at the hospital I specialise in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in infants, children and adolescence. Last month one of my patients had lost their life to AIDS, she had developed Pneumonia.
"Marie, it just reminded me of my sister, they were so similar which is why I was so hell bent on saving her and I...I-"
"Chantel, that was not your fault, sometimes people just die. Yes its tragic, yes it hurts, yes it may feel as if you have failed but dying is a part of life that we cannot control, it was meant to be." She took a deep breath and put on her intimidating face. "Now pack up your work, get in your car and go home. I am sure your dog is freaking out about you not being there." I knew she was right. But I still blamed myself for it, like I blamed myself when I was younger and we didn't have the money for my sisters HIV/AIDS treatment.
"Okay Marie, but I'm on call tomorrow night aren't I." She gave me a brief nod and sauntered out of the room. Her stiletto heels could be heard clicking down the tiled hallways of the Paediatrics ward. I suddenly felt all of the lack of sleep catch up on me right then. My eyelids felt heavy and the bright lights from outside seemed to burn my eyes. I decided it was probably time to turn in for the night.
I stacked up my completed work and put it in the out box on my desk; a nurse would come and pick it up either tonight or tomorrow morning. I put all the work I had yet to complete in a binder to take home and finish. I put my black coat on over my red V-neck sweater, picked up my bag and made my way out of my office.
The new Gotham General was bigger and more efficient than the previous. The latest technologies had been installed and overall it was a better working atmosphere. The one thing that we didn't have, that I have been preaching for years is our very own HIV/AIDS research and development centre in the hospital. I know it is a long shot since the hospital board members have many other issues on their hands. Though it is a very serious issue in a city like Gotham and I thought it may be beneficial for the community. Although there are many people who like to pretend that it doesn't exist, it is a very real issue.
The walls of the Wards were stark white and as usual, littered with the occasional stain or crayon drawing, as I passed the nurses' station.
"Heading home at a reasonable hour today Dr. Darling, got a hot date." One of the nurses Lucinda said to me as I walked past. Lucinda, or Lucy as she preferred was a young girl with fiery red hair and freckles. She had a large contagious grin that made her forest green eyes sparkle. I chuckled lightly at her comment.
"Not likely Lucy," I replied with a ghost of a smile on my lips. Lucy's grin stretched further, if that was even possible.
"Well one handsome, young gentleman is bound to come along sooner or later. I mean you're gorgeous, successful, smart, and young. It's really only a matter of time, Chany." I rolled my eyes at her words.
"Well, as soon as I miraculously find the time to date I shall begin man-hunting, shall I." I retorted.
"Whatever you say, Dr. Darling." She droned in her most sarcastic voice. For some reason Lucy seems to have this fascination with my dating life, and has made it her job to find someone for me. I am twenty-seven, I can take care of my own dating life, or lack thereof.
The sliding doors opened and I was met with the cool, dry autumn breeze of Gotham city. Even though many people thought of Gotham as an ugly city with an uglier crime rate, but it was beautiful at this time of year. The orange and red blanket from the trees gave Gotham City a, well, homier feel. So to speak.
The hospital parking lot was still full of cars belonging to both patients and staff. I found my little blue Mitsubishi Micra, started her up and drove out of the multi story parking lot.
I lived in a fairly safe neighbourhood, but it was still important to lock your doors and windows, and not even think about walking around too late at night. Once I arrived at my apartment complex, I took all of my things up the stairs and unlocked the front door, only to be attacked by a very excited dog.
"Batman, get down," I scolded, while simultaneously attempting to balance the mountain of files I was holding. I ended up dropping the files on the floor, even with my fruitful efforts.
"Ugh, Batman, look what you did," I said to the black Labrador retriever. Why would I name my dog Batman, you may ask. When I first got him it was my own personal reward for finishing my traineeship at the hospital. I had no idea what to name him so for two and a half years I just called him dog. Not long after Batman became a public symbol and the whole fiasco with Dr. Crane and his fear inducing toxin, I was out late walking him since he was anxious around the house. I was pulled into an alley way and almost mugged but Batman (the dog) pounced on the man and attacked him until the man was running down the street scared. I had the thought to name him after the masked vigilante, and when I called out Batman he came. So that is the very interesting story of how my dog got his name.
Batman jumped down after I scolded him and whimper, I couldn't stay mad at him. "I'm sorry Batman, I've just had a hard few weeks at work." He licked my face before scampering off to his food bowl waiting to be fed. I chuckled at his eagerness for food. I filled up his bowl with dry food laughed at the sound of him inhaling the biscuits.
"You know, sometimes I think the only reason you don't bite me is because I'm your walking, talking food dispenser," I said out loud, I unsurprisingly received no reply.
I was too tired to cook anything so I settled on left over minestrone that just need to be heated up. I put the pot on the stove and turned it on. I decided now would be a good time for a shower so I headed to my bathroom stripped down and let the scolding hot water relax some of the tense muscles in my body.
When I came out in my pyjamas, I notice the door opening, and in walked my best friend Heidi.
"Wow, you look like hell, got any beer." She said making her way to my fridge. Typical Heidi, comment on how stressed I look and then go straight for the booze.
"Thanks it's much appreciated, I'm so glad you care so much about my well being." She grabbed a beer out of the fridge, plopped herself down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.
"Hun, when have I ever not cared about you? That's a pretty sexy nightgown, expecting someone." She said with a smirk on her face.
"Haha, do you want something to eat, I've got soup." She just nodded as she turned on the television and started nursing her beer. "And get your feet off me coffee table," I yelled at her as I made my way to the kitchen receiving a hearty laugh in return.
Heidi and I met when we were six; she stood up for me when a bully was trying to beat me up. She had always been the tougher of the two of us. She has been with me through thick and thin, she was there for me when my sister passed away, when I graduated from med school, when a jerk boyfriend had dumped me, she was always there for me. She works as a mechanic in a shop about three miles from the Wayne Enterprises tower, so she gets many white collar business men coming in with their Lamborghini's and Audi's. Her jet black hair is short and cropped into a pixie cut, her eyes are a deep chocolate colour and she has a strong square jaw and high cheek bones. She is a beautiful girl but one glare and you will be running in the other direction screaming.
We both lived in the narrows when we were younger and Heidi would always spend a lot of time at my house. Her mother had died when she was younger and her father was a raging alcoholic that would hit her when he got really drunk. My mother would always welcome her into a house with open arms; even though we didn't have much Heidi was always welcome.
I took the two bowls of soup over to the couch and sat them down on the coffee table. Heidi picked hers up and eagerly started it.
"This is why I always come to your place, you have good beer and great food," she said with a mouthful of soup. I smiled at this, she was always coming over and mooching my stuff, not that I minded.
"Yeah well you need to scoot soon, I have work to finish and lord knows I will not get it done while you are here." She gave another hearty laugh.
"You work yourself way to hard, don't worry I will be out of your hair soon, won't I Batman," she said to my dog as he laid his head on my lap. Without another word from either of us he jumped up on the couch and laid down right on my lap.
"Oof, Batman you are not a lapdog, I swear to god you think you are the size of a Maltese or something." He just looked up at me with his big innocent brown eyes. Heidi was laughing her arse off at the truth of the statement, soon enough I was laughing with her.
I wasn't alone, I was perfectly content with my dog and my friends, I didn't need a man to come and screw up everything that I had built.
A/N:
Well tell me what you guys think and I will post another chapter if you like it.