Author's Note: A big thank you to zeusfluff, Alise, and a guest for reviewing chapter one!
Here is chapter two! The next one is in the works. I hope you enjoy!
I'd like to point out that this story may at times deal with mental illness in a hospital setting just in case it could be upsetting for some. I've been working as a security officer in a hospital for nearly a year now and I plan to use some of my own experiences to keep it as true to the job as I can.
Please read and review!
Disclaimer: Lost is not mine!
Code Silver
Chapter 2
Two weeks later James walked into the hospital for his first shift. He had on a brand new security uniform and used his newly printed hospital ID to go in through a back employee entrance and make his way to the office
He found Dan already there waiting for him with another man. "This is John." Dan introduced the two men and they shook hands. James tried not to stare. From the shoulders down John looked normal enough – average height and weight clad in a security uniform. But the head and face was something else, more specifically his hair was something else.
The top of John's head was shiny and bald, but in a ring around both sides and the back was a mess of stringy gray and white hair. It was pulled together in the back into a thin ponytail. His face was home to the largest mustache James had ever seen in person. It reminded him of the kind often seen in western movies, an upside down U – shape that nearly turned the wearer into a walrus.
Clearly this was the weird guy Miles had told him about. He'd given James a run down on all the security guys the night before. He told James that John was nice enough if not slightly off his rocker. James was inclined to agree with his friend's statement.
The three men talked over a cup of coffee before Dan and James took off for a walk through of the building. The hospital was relatively small, only six floors, but included several outlying doctor's offices and therapy centers. The two men started at the bottom and worked their way up. James was surprised at how friendly everyone was. Everywhere they went people smiled, nodded, and said hello. He was introduced to more people than he could count.
The ground floor contained meeting rooms, offices, and the cafeteria. They went through the first floor quickly since it contained the ER and the security office, things James had already seen, in addition to outpatient services and surgery which was one of the few places security did not go.
Dan kept up a conversation throughout the tour. James learned his new boss was going through a somewhat messy divorce and also had a girlfriend nearly half his age. He thought of himself as quite the ladies' man and lovingly referred to his soon to be ex-wife as a 'monster truck'.
Just when James was beginning to think he couldn't take one more second of hearing about Dan's conquests they headed into a stairwell. "Now we're not the biggest hospital." Dan started as they went up the stairs. He held open the door to the second floor for James as he continued. "But we've got one of the best OB units in the state." James nodded and followed Dan.
The second floor housed the pediatric unit along with obstetrics. Pediatrics was decorated in bright primary colors with cartoons on the walls and contained a fully stocked playroom. The unit was quiet as they walked through. There wasn't a patient or nurse in sight. "You'll find it empty in here a lot." Dan explained. "We don't get too many kids that need to stay which is a good thing." James smiled and nodded again. He was beginning to feel like a bobblehead with all his nodding. Dan was long winded.
They entered OB next and Dan pointed out that it had recently been renovated though James could tell that without being told. The floors were faux hardwood and the walls were a soft lavender. Portraits of babies hung on the walls in the hallway. This part was filled with patient rooms and the nursery which was empty aside from a nurse in lavender scrubs sitting at a computer. Dan was going on about the unit. "We snagged a great doctor from Miami General a couple years ago." He said. "Great looking, too." Dan grinned and elbowed James who smiled awkwardly.
Suddenly the doors burst open. James looked up to see three women hurrying in. Dan seemed to be oblivious to the action as he continued talking, most likely used to the hustle and bustle of hospital life. James found his eyes glued to the woman in the middle. Blonde hair, teal scrubs, and a serious expression. She was tying her hair into a ponytail as the two other women, spoke to her quickly. Nurses. James assumed. They nearly ran down the hall and didn't give the two security officers a second glance as they passed them on their way to the door at the other end of the hall labeled Labor and Delivery.
"We'll probably be hearing the baby music soon." Dan said and James looked at him confused. "The only time it's busy in here is when someone's about to pop."
They continued on with the tour. James was shown the Intensive Care Unit and the three floors that housed regular patients. They went through all six floors and made a stop on the roof where James was told to check for employees smoking from time to time.
The third floor psychiatric unit ended the tour. Security was in charge of securing all of their patient's valuables as they were not allowed to keep them. James was introduced to the nurses and told about the policies on the unit. Each patient was clad in the same blue-green scrubs. Many were currently in the common area watching TV. Dan explained that it was the most important unit to check in with each day other than the Emergency Room. It was often quiet, but they occasionally had violent or disturbed patients.
Dan and James met up with John for lunch in the cafeteria. The food was edible and the conversation light, but James' mind kept going back to the second floor, the baby unit as he'd been referring to it in his head. That blonde he'd seen speeding through the hallway. She'd looked so familiar and foreign at the same time. James knew he'd never met her, probably never even seen her before, but he was drawn to her like he'd never been to anyone else.
They were disposing of their lunch trays when a lullaby played over the speakers. Dan grinned. "What'd I tell ya?" He pointed to the ceiling. "You'll hear that a lot around here. Every time a baby is born." James hoped that like the baby music the blonde from OB would be around a lot too.