Nurse Jackson fixed the short sleeve of her plum colored scrubs as she got behind the reception desk, eyeing a perky pate of muffins that sat on the desk. Each one was nearly paced, not a spek or crumb out of place. Nurse Jackson scoffed.
"Who put these here?" she asked, pointing with a thick finger. A young nurse in bright blue scrubs raised a hand, reddish-brown hair swaying a she shook her head.
"It was me," she admitted with a broad, toothy grin. Nurse Jackson gave the girl a look- she couldn't have been any older than twenty, although she still looked a bit young for that age as well. The smell of corn starch wafted up to her nose, making her scrunch her face.
"And what possessed you to do so, Brittany?"
Brittany shrugged, "I just thought we could be muffin buddies-"
"Yeah, no," Jackson deadpanned.
"I was wondering…." Brittany began, ignoring Jacksn's comment, "if I could like-"
"Don't use like like that, dear," Nurse Jackson groaned.
"-go see my boyfriend for an hour? During my beak!" Brittany's eyes gleamed with hope. Jackson rolled her eyes, giving an exasperated look to the male nurse who worked with her behind the desk.
"And you say this like i care." Nurse Jackson grumbled. As Brittany went on talking about her boyfriend and some dog- none of which Jackson thought really mattered- she grabbed the plate of muffins and tipped it over the edge of the counter.
"Oh." Brittany's face fell as she watched a tsunami of freshly baked muffins cascade into the garbage can, each of them falling with a half-hearted clunk as they hit the bottom. Jackson gave her a pressed look, her lips a thin line on her face.
"I suggest you get back to work, dear," she said. Brittany complied, carefully pushing past a man in a pair of brown trousers with a matching vest, a white shirt crinkled around his arms, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Nurse Jackson sighed as she let the male nurse go to a calling patient, who pointed out the cup of coffee sitting on the desk.
"Looks like they got your name right!" he laughed. She looked at the side of the cup as she took a sip. Scrawled on it with a black Sharpie was "Scary Bitch." She smirked, letting out a chuckle.
"The barista was some homeschooled type," she answered as he went, "didn't think he could spell it correctly but he managed."
The man in the brown pants and matching vest had stopped in front of the desk, much to Nurse Jackson's realization- and chagrin. She didn't want to have to deal with anyone besides her patients- and even then, she sometimes didn't even want to deal with them either. Earlier, a blond cheerleader- Kara was her name- had come in after collapsing, with a broken arm. When she had woken up she was a top-notch bitch.
This man however, didn't seem like he needed medical assistance. His brown hair was curly and neatly scrubbed, his face looking like a fresh daisy in a field- young and a little naive. With the whole proper attire thing going on, she thought he might have been a new doctor, but it didn't seem plausible.
"Can I help you sir?" Nurse Jackson cleared her throat, giving the man a pointed look. He jumped, hitching the jacket he was holding higher up on his arm. A small leather briefcase was in his other hand, looking like something businessmen carried with them from day to day.
"Yeah, uh, I was looking for a nurse or doctor I could talk to?" he said, leaning against the reception desk lightly, his fingers curling as he placed his hands on the counter.
"Uh-huh," she said, "you got someone to visit?" He shook his head.
"I was thinking of taking my kids to see someone," he said. Jackson scoffed, shaking her head.
"Why would you take your kids to a hospital if they ain't sick?" she asked him incredulously. It took a minute for the man to register the question, his light brown eyes widening once he realized what she meant.
"Oh! No- they aren't my kids, not by blood," he gasped, "I'm a teacher-"
"A teacher?"
"Yeah, I just wanted my kids to come see those in the hospital, maybe cheer them up a little." Nurse Jackson pondered the request. When a kid came to the hospital, she knew that most of them ended up staying for life. In fact, the hospital was like a boarding home. the patients were provided with things they needed and went to school on a daily basis. They were even allowed to decorate their rooms like they would if they were at home. During holidays, people would come in and decorate, sing ones and exchange gifts with the kids, and they loved it- especially those in the children's ward.
It might not be a bad idea…..
"How old are your students?" Nurse Jackson asked. The man shrugged.
"High school students," he answered, "sixteen to eighteen years old, I guess. Why?"
"Well," Nurse Jackson let her eyes roam around the waiting room to see if any doctors were around, "we have some patients here who could probably use a little cheering up now and again. A girl just came in who could probably use a good smack upside the head if you know what i mean." She grinned and both shared a chuckle. This guy was already on her good side, if he knew that there were just some kids even doctor and nurses couldn't stand.
"Yeah," he said, "it happens at school too." After a few minutes, he added, "So are you saying it's okay?" Jackson licked her lips, some of the dark purple lipstick she wore coming off. She'd have to get permission from a doctor, but then there was always Ruben….
"The owner of this hospital could probably allow it," she said under her breath, leaning over the counter to speak, "so if I just run it by him it should be fine." The man's face lit up, smile wide and blindingly bright wit perfect white teeth. Awkwardly, he reached over the desk, holding out a hand.
"Thank you so much!" he said happily, shaking her hand vigorously when she took it. Nurse Jackson felt like he was going to rip her arm out of its socket if he shook any harder. Nodding she withdrew, pulling out a pen and a pad of yellow post-its.
"Your name? Just so we can tell Ruben who asked?" she asked. Nodding, the man smacked his lips.
"Mr. Schuester," he said, "William Schuester. Again, thank you so much!" After that second thanking, she was beginning to like him a little less. Overly polite was something Nurse jackson hated dealing with, depending on the situation, of course.
"Of course," she said, tucking the note into her pocket. "Have a nice day, and we'll be in contact soon." Nodding, he waved goodbye, and Jackson swore she could see the man smiling like an idiot even as the elevator closed.