It was January; a cold, wet snow was falling. Robert came to work in the dark, left in the dark, and his mood was getting darker every day. He'd been harder to deal with after Christmas and was making Anne's life miserable. He yelled at her, made rude comments, and made her work hellish hours.
One particular morning, Anne had been on the night before and had only gotten an hour or so of sleep. Robert came in in an especially foul mood. He hadn't been sleeping much lately either, but not because of his work hours.
Anne was trying to stay awake by drinking coffee in the Doctors' Lounge when Robert came in. As he struggled to get out of his coat with one hand, he called out to Anne, "Hey, get me a cup of coffee, will ya?"
Tired beyond belief, the last thing Anne wanted to do was to get back up to do a favor for someone who treated her so badly. "Get it yourself, I'm not your slave," was her response as she looked him in the eyes defiantly.
"You're my student; you do what I tell you to do."
"Not stuff like that."
"What's your problem? I just asked for some coffee," Robert yelled at her as he finally made his way out of the coat. "Geez, must be that time of the month," He muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough.
"You jerk; you're such a pig!" With that, Anne got up and left, coffee in hand.
Robert got his own cup of coffee and left, in search of Anne. He found her in the Suture Room, cleaning up. It was a quiet room and Anne liked spending time there, it was a good place to gather her thoughts.
For reasons even Robert could not yet well explain, he was intent on fighting with her that day. "Did you clean this place up? It's a mess. Do it again. Oh, and thanks for the coffee, it's really good!" Robert smirked at her.
Anne slammed the equipment around in response.
"Oh, by the way, I think I'll have you work tonight's shift too, is that all right with you?" Robert asked, just to see how she'd respond.
Picking up a roll of gauze, Anne threw it at his head with deadly accuracy. It bounced off his forehead, fell to the ground and rolled away out the door. "So I take that as a 'No'," Robert said. "It's just that I feel you've been slacking lately and need more discipline to be successful. Working nights will help you with that."
Anne's head throbbed and she knew she needed to leave before she did something she'd regret. As she walked past Robert in the doorway, she brushed against his left arm. He cried out in pain. "Stupid one-armed man," Anne muttered as she walked away. She stopped at the Admit desk to talk to whoever was there.
Robert was left in the doorway, grabbing his arm, shocked at her comment. He'd pushed her to the edge and now she'd truly hurt him. His face flushed with anger as he walked down the hall towards Anne. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, and he didn't care.
Walking up behind her, he grabbed her left arm and yanked her away from the desk. Continuing to hold on to her arm, he pulled her towards the elevator. He squeezed his fingers into her flesh, right above the elbow, Anne felt her arm go numb. She yelped in pain and surprise. When the elevator arrived and emptied out, he pushed her inside, then followed in after her. He kept his hand on her arm the entire ride up to his office floor. When the elevator opened on his floor, Robert dragged Anne out and down all the way to his door.
Anne was trying to pry his fingers loose, but he was too strong for her. His right arm had grown stronger to compensate for his left. He hadn't realized until now how powerful he was. It was exhilarating and frightening.
He let go of her arm to unlock the door. When Robert opened it, he grabbed Anne by the hand, dragged her to the chair in front of his desk and shoved her down into it. He crossed the desk and sat down in his own chair. His face was still flushed from all the exertion. He glared angrily at her, not knowing what to say.
Anne rubbed her elbow, feeling the blood rushing back into her arm. She looked at his face and felt something she'd never felt around Robert before: fear. Anne had never seen him like this before and she had no idea how to deal with him.
Robert got up, closed the office door and walked to the windows, shut the blinds tightly. He was so tired, he couldn't think straight. He still had no idea what to say to her.
Anne's heart pounded as she waited for him to speak. Her head was spinning. "What's the matter with you? You've been acting like this since Christmas. Did I do something wrong?"
"I just...I just need time. I...I can't even think anymore. I'm so tired. I'm so busy." Robert was still facing the window, speaking in a whisper, more to himself than to Anne. In fact, it seemed to Anne, that he didn't even see that she was there at all. With the windows shut, the room was quite dark and Anne couldn't see his face.
"Whatever I did...I'm sorry. Maybe I should work with somebody else for a while. I guess we need a break," Anne said. Her heart filled with sorrow at the thought of not working with Robert anymore. "I can stay working nights so you won't even have to see me," Anne went on. With this, she rose, turned towards the door and walked out, leaving Robert by himself in the darkness of his thoughts.
Two hearts were broken, but their fates had been sealed without either their knowledge or permission. It was only a matter of discovery by both of what lay in store for them.
One particular morning, Anne had been on the night before and had only gotten an hour or so of sleep. Robert came in in an especially foul mood. He hadn't been sleeping much lately either, but not because of his work hours.
Anne was trying to stay awake by drinking coffee in the Doctors' Lounge when Robert came in. As he struggled to get out of his coat with one hand, he called out to Anne, "Hey, get me a cup of coffee, will ya?"
Tired beyond belief, the last thing Anne wanted to do was to get back up to do a favor for someone who treated her so badly. "Get it yourself, I'm not your slave," was her response as she looked him in the eyes defiantly.
"You're my student; you do what I tell you to do."
"Not stuff like that."
"What's your problem? I just asked for some coffee," Robert yelled at her as he finally made his way out of the coat. "Geez, must be that time of the month," He muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough.
"You jerk; you're such a pig!" With that, Anne got up and left, coffee in hand.
Robert got his own cup of coffee and left, in search of Anne. He found her in the Suture Room, cleaning up. It was a quiet room and Anne liked spending time there, it was a good place to gather her thoughts.
For reasons even Robert could not yet well explain, he was intent on fighting with her that day. "Did you clean this place up? It's a mess. Do it again. Oh, and thanks for the coffee, it's really good!" Robert smirked at her.
Anne slammed the equipment around in response.
"Oh, by the way, I think I'll have you work tonight's shift too, is that all right with you?" Robert asked, just to see how she'd respond.
Picking up a roll of gauze, Anne threw it at his head with deadly accuracy. It bounced off his forehead, fell to the ground and rolled away out the door. "So I take that as a 'No'," Robert said. "It's just that I feel you've been slacking lately and need more discipline to be successful. Working nights will help you with that."
Anne's head throbbed and she knew she needed to leave before she did something she'd regret. As she walked past Robert in the doorway, she brushed against his left arm. He cried out in pain. "Stupid one-armed man," Anne muttered as she walked away. She stopped at the Admit desk to talk to whoever was there.
Robert was left in the doorway, grabbing his arm, shocked at her comment. He'd pushed her to the edge and now she'd truly hurt him. His face flushed with anger as he walked down the hall towards Anne. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, and he didn't care.
Walking up behind her, he grabbed her left arm and yanked her away from the desk. Continuing to hold on to her arm, he pulled her towards the elevator. He squeezed his fingers into her flesh, right above the elbow, Anne felt her arm go numb. She yelped in pain and surprise. When the elevator arrived and emptied out, he pushed her inside, then followed in after her. He kept his hand on her arm the entire ride up to his office floor. When the elevator opened on his floor, Robert dragged Anne out and down all the way to his door.
Anne was trying to pry his fingers loose, but he was too strong for her. His right arm had grown stronger to compensate for his left. He hadn't realized until now how powerful he was. It was exhilarating and frightening.
He let go of her arm to unlock the door. When Robert opened it, he grabbed Anne by the hand, dragged her to the chair in front of his desk and shoved her down into it. He crossed the desk and sat down in his own chair. His face was still flushed from all the exertion. He glared angrily at her, not knowing what to say.
Anne rubbed her elbow, feeling the blood rushing back into her arm. She looked at his face and felt something she'd never felt around Robert before: fear. Anne had never seen him like this before and she had no idea how to deal with him.
Robert got up, closed the office door and walked to the windows, shut the blinds tightly. He was so tired, he couldn't think straight. He still had no idea what to say to her.
Anne's heart pounded as she waited for him to speak. Her head was spinning. "What's the matter with you? You've been acting like this since Christmas. Did I do something wrong?"
"I just...I just need time. I...I can't even think anymore. I'm so tired. I'm so busy." Robert was still facing the window, speaking in a whisper, more to himself than to Anne. In fact, it seemed to Anne, that he didn't even see that she was there at all. With the windows shut, the room was quite dark and Anne couldn't see his face.
"Whatever I did...I'm sorry. Maybe I should work with somebody else for a while. I guess we need a break," Anne said. Her heart filled with sorrow at the thought of not working with Robert anymore. "I can stay working nights so you won't even have to see me," Anne went on. With this, she rose, turned towards the door and walked out, leaving Robert by himself in the darkness of his thoughts.
Two hearts were broken, but their fates had been sealed without either their knowledge or permission. It was only a matter of discovery by both of what lay in store for them.