Chapter 6

Tabitha lied lazily, her legs drawn up upon the large comfy green couch in the lounge. Her large eyes carefully scanned through some of the various nursing magazines that laid along the coffee table. She cringed inside as she read of different types of sicknesses and injuries that she might face during her week at the hospital. Luckily there had been no need for her help for the past three days.

Just as she was getting deeply immersed in a paragraph concerning kidneys and livers, the door burst open. Patty sprinted in. "What are you doing just sitting around, Mary Lee? You're needed in hospital room 3A."

"I - I...."

"Get a move on," she exclaimed dragging Tabitha to her feet. Tabitha followed reluctantly in her path, her mind literally blowing to shambles with thoughts of what the procedure would be. Tabitha's eyes wandered to the floor and then to Patty's chubby legs a short distance ahead of her.

Across the room of 3A a man growled and sobbed with pain. Martha stood at his bedside squealing as more and more blood splattered across her white nursing uniform.

Tabitha legs began to quiver and her head was suddenly spinning. She couldn't faint. Not now when she was supposed to be proving herself as a worthy nurse. She strained to regain control of her emotions. "Er..... what to do? What to do?"

"Do something, Mary!" Glenda shouted as she made an effort to hold back the patient's flailing arms.

"Alright! Alright!" Tabitha replied shrilly. And then, with a bang everything became silent.

*************

"I have to admit. You really handled that situation well for that being your first time." Glenda grinned as they finally settled down to rest an hour later.

"Er... what do you mean?" Tabitha replied as indolently as she could deem possible. A large knot began to reek havoc on her stomach.

"You almost keeled over at da first sight a blood."

She felt as if she had now lost her stomach. Her mouth could not form words. "Er... I - I..."

"Oh, don't worry!" Martha smiled.

Patty gave a quick wink, "Your secret's safe with us."

Tabitha felt a quick relief as realization began to set in. She could actually trust her newfound friends. "You know, Glenda, you really aren't as bad as I thought that you would be."

"Thanks," she grinned. "But really, for goodness sakes, why didn't you give him a bit of Anesthetics instead of knocking the poor man out with your shoe?"

Martha toppled off of the bed in a fit of giggles. "It was rather hilarious," Patty laughed as she ate another sugar cookie.

"I say, Patty, how can you ever think of eating after seeing all of that blood? My stomach's still churning."

Patty paid her no mind and continued to shovel in more handfuls of sweets. "You really should have a spot of tea, Mary. You're as pale as da dickens."

Tabitha nodded, and shakily accepted the cup.

"Cheers!" Glenda exclaimed.

They all raised their glasses.