Chapter 6

…Each time he tried to itch at his ear, it just wouldn't disappear and it became sore to touch. When he complained to his mum, she scolded him for making it worse…

"All right kiddos, listen up! Congratulations on surviving your first week of volunteer work! I'm happy to see you all here, even if you are dull eyed and stressed out of your wee minds. But before the real fun can begin this week, we have a few housekeeping rules. First, I'm a little disappointed in the results of your quizzes from Friday. Granted, it was your first week, it looks as if you all need reminding that you're also here to learn. This is what the whole volunteering course is about- a hands on approach remember? You need to pay attention to what the duty nurses and doctors tell you. One, for the safety of your patient. Two for your own safety. And three, for your education. The staff here will continue to test you at the end of each week, and I have the power to unleash a pop quiz at any time during this course. Keep that in mind.

"Secondly, I've been informed that you're starting to slack off in other classes, especially with your homework. I want to apologise for that. Your other teachers are aware of your new obligations, but have advised that I cut back your four to five hour shifts. So, I will. You will still work every night, but for three to four hours only. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be until 8pm. Tuesday and Thursday until 7pm. I have also been informed that some of you have other curricular activities such as sport, clubs or productions, and if this work clashes with these, I advise you come find me sometime soon to discuss this. But keep in mind, you're not the only ones that are taking the time out of their day to be here. It's, exhausting, for us all." Mrs Francois paused her rant to catch her breath for a moment, as the small group of students blinked at her in weary astonishment. Austin couldn't believe it. It was the second week? It felt like a life time ago since they had started this programme, and now he was being told that it had only been a week. Rubbing sleepily at his face, he watched as his teacher chatted quietly with the gathered nurses, seemingly confirming something. She looked as tired as they all felt, her colourful hair hanging limp around her drawn face. He had forgotten that she was also volunteering, instead believing that she sat in the staff room marking papers, or at a nearby café, sipping a steaming coffee as they all worked themselves to the bone. A new found respect trickled over him as she turned back to them, a fresh sparkle in her eyes.

"Phew. Got emotionally in here for a moment. Shake it off guys. Shake off that slumber cloud and put on your battle faces. Week two is about to begin! Now, the staff here at St. Margaret's have constructed the new roster, based on your performances last week. The nurse in charge of your selected ward will locate you and lead the way. Good luck, pay attention and study hard!" She clapped, dismissing them as the nurses stepped forward, calling names. Panicking slightly, he looked around for some help, eventually spotting Missy off to his right. Sliding over he tapped her on the shoulder, waking her from her stupor. Startled she glanced up at him, taking a few seconds to translate his sheepish grin before sighing.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you where to go when your name is called." She murmured, rubbing at her elbow as she yawned. He signed a quick 'thank-you' before turning to watch the rest of the class branch off. Chapel, Children's Ward, Rheumatology Clinic, Thyroid Clinic, House Keeping, Eye Clinic, Kitchen, Elderly Services. He couldn't hide his smirk as Tony was sent to that last one. Finally it was just him. Missy had left him begrudgingly to follow the nurse to Rheumatology, mouthing 'sorry' as she went. Shuffling his feet anxiously, he watched as his nurse looked up from his papers before calling out to him.

"Austin is it?" He asked, holding out a hand to shake, "I'm Nurse Parkinson. I'm in charge of the Surgical Inpatient Ward where you'll be working this week."

"Nice to meet you." Austin murmured as they shook hands. "Um, I've seen you around before during my visits but do you-"

"Know about your hearing loss? Yes. Unfortunately my signing isn't up to par, so if you have any difficulties with my instructions, then feel free to let me know. Now follow me. We've got a bit of walking to do." And with that he dumped the files he had been holding into Austin's arm before setting off in long strides. Surprised, Austin hurried to catch up to him, wondering just what the hell he had walked into. Sensing the younger boy by his side again, Nurse Parkinson turned slightly so he could read his lips and nodded at the paperwork, never faltering his stride.

"My unit is special. While nearly everyone else deals with a specific type of illness or injury, I see things on a much broader spectrum. We deal with patients that have to stay for more than a night after surgery. The rest of them are sent to the Surgical Outpatient Ward, though sometimes there are transfers. From surgeries like removing non-edible items from the stomach to amputations to removing cancerous cells, I've seen it all. Young, old. Over worked, under feed. They all come through here. Sometimes they were drunk. Maybe they ate their food too fast and it got stuck in their windpipe. They all have an interesting story. The files in your hands describe just a few of the cases we have gotten over the last few weeks. Most of them are still recovering here, but a few are getting dismissed today or tomorrow. Normally I'd expect you to memorize all clients in your section of the ward, but as you're just a volunteer, we'll start simple."

They were on the far side of the hospital by now, and Austin was struggling to wrap his head around all of this. Keeping one eye on Nurse Parkinson and the other on the path they were taking was proving difficult, so he was more than relieved when they stopped in front of some elevator doors. As they waited for one to arrive, the nurse turned to face him properly, hands in his coat pockets.

"The top five patient files are the ones you'll be assisting me on this week. Learn their names, why they're here and what to avoid talking to them about. Everyone is sensitive to their case. We're just here to help feel comfortable and cared for as they recover. You got this all so far?" He questioned as the elevator pinged. Hurrying in, Austin watched as he pressed the button for the third floor before speaking.

"I think so. It was kinda hard to follow some of what you were saying earlier, but I think I get the gist of it."

Nurse Parkinson made a humming noise in the back of his throat, shaking his head.

"Deaf or not kid, when it comes to Medical Practice, you either get it or don't get it. There is no 'getting the gist of things'. Every action you take can either help or harm someone. Maybe even take their life. I've heard from Nurse Madeline that you want to become a doctor and from what I heard from the Elderly Unit…you've got a long way to go. Now it may seem like I'm raining on your parade, but this is a harsh dose of reality I'm providing. ASL is not very well known around America, and it's very rare for a doctor to be deaf. While I admire your dreams kid, you're going to have to work triple hard to achieve them. Now, let me ask you again, do you understand what I've told you so far, or not?"

Unable to speak, Austin dumbly nodded his head, clutching the files closer as the elevator jerked to a stop. Smiling at him sympathetically, Nurse Parkinson stepped out onto the bustling floor, beckoning for him to follow.

"Right, take those top five files and dump the rest here." He instructed, pointing to the receptionist's desk. "I want you to find an empty room and read up on each file. Take your time, study them properly. Any questions, come back here and ask for me. I have a few rounds to take care of for now, but I should be done by the time you're done with those." Clapping him on the shoulder he smiled encouragingly, "Good luck kid. You're gonna need it."

And he was gone.

Gaping in the direction he had disappeared in, he turned to face the grimacing receptionist who quickly tried to offer a weak smile.

"First day is always the worst."

"Yeah." He mumbled.

Two hours into his shift and all he wanted to do was rip his hair out. Sitting cross legged on a spare bed in an empty room, he looked at the mess of medical files in front of him. Names of various medications swam before his eyes as he tried to match them up properly to the names and faces displayed. It was like an overly complex game of Memory, where the deck just kept expanding and he hadn't even gained a pair yet. Gripping at his hair he growled in frustration, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Deep breaths Austin. You can do this." He muttered to himself, taking comfort in the rumble of his vocal cords. Brushing back his fringe he huffed before picking up the closest file. It was the only one he hadn't had a proper chance to study yet, as there was no photo. Avelina Dawson.

"Pretty." He murmured as he reread the name. Before he could even scan the rest of her bio, Nurse Parkinson appeared in his sights. Trying not to look as startled as he felt, Austin offered a small grin in acknowledgement, which quickly faded when he saw how haggard the nurse looked.

"Sorry to bother you Austin, but I need your help. One of my staff just got called out on an emergency and hasn't had a chance to do their final rounds. Could you step in and cover those for me please? You can come back to studying once you're done. It'll only take an hour."

Surprised Austin opened his mouth to confirm what he just read but Nurse Parkinson waved him off. "I know, I know, it's totally unexpected. You don't have to do much. Just check in on each patient, see if they need anything, talk. Just keep them company for a while. Some of the patients in your files are actually on this round. You'll be able to use what you've learnt so far. So, come on. There's a cart of fresh pillows and blankets outside, along with water and paper cups. Call me or one of the other nurses if something urgent pops up."

Fifteen minutes later, Austin found himself pushing said trolley down the busy hallways in a half stunned stupor. Really it was a great opportunity, but he felt that for the rest of this week he was going to get the feeling of being thrown into the deep end and expected to swim. Counting the door numbers, he came to a pause outside of room 46. Flipping through the info on his clipboard, he found that the mysterious Avelina resided in this room. Smiling to himself, he knocked on the door politely, before sticking his head in, calling out a small, "Hello?"

The room was spacious for the empty, singular bed. A cool breeze was rolling in from the open window, a left over from the storm they had over the weekend. Cards and stuffed toys littered the window sill and bedside table, surrounding some empty vases or wilting flowers. Disappointed his charge wasn't in her room, he entered anyway, setting to work on replacing the bed sheets and refilling her supplies. He had been working for a few minutes, lost in thought about his patient files, so when a small hand tapped his elbow he nearly jumped out of his skin. Letting out a girlish scream, he spun around, tripping over his own feet and the freshly made bed to land at the feet of a wheelchair. Woozy and pained, he rubbed at his bruised elbow, waiting for the world to stop moving. It took a moment for him to realise that movement was real, and that it was caused by the slight girl in the wheelchair as she tried to catch his attention.

"Oh my god, are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you, I thought I made enough noise when I rolled in. But you looked so focused and I wasn't sure, and now you're on the floor and oh man, this is the second time! I'm so, so, sorry! Here, let me help you!" She just couldn't stop talking. Holding on to his arm, he watched in amazement as she continued to babble, holding out her hands as far she could stretch in the intention to help him to his feet, but he felt too numb to move. It was the same girl from last week. The wanderer.

"Ally?" He muttered, watching as she abruptly stopped talking, looking incredibly guilty.

"Hi." She managed weakly, letting her arms drop back into her lap. Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, Austin heaved himself to his feet, using the incredibly creased bed for support.

"Ally, hi. Fun seeing you again. What you doing here? Get lost looking for the café again?" He teased, enjoying the way her pale cheeks flushed.

"No." She snapped, folding her arms across her stomach. "I just went for a stroll. I had to return to my room though to catch up with night nurse before she leaves. What are you doing here? I thought you volunteered in the Elderly Ward?"

"That was last week's roster. I'm in the Inpatient ward this week. If you need to see your nurse, I'll gladly help you back to your room. The patient that I was meant to meet isn't here, so I'm finished with this room. I do have to visit the rest of the rooms along the hall though."

"Oh, there's no need. This is my room."

A weird silence settled over them as both considered what the other had said. It only took a few moments before both shrieked in surprise and delight.

"You're Avelina?"

"You're my nurse today?"

"But you said your name was Ally."

"Where's Nurse Collins? Is she okay? Did something bad happen?"

"Can you get the nickname Ally from Avelina? How does that sound?"

"Wait, you said you're here this week? This is fantastic!"

"Avelina. Ally. Avelina. Ally."

"Wait, wait, wait." Ally waved at him to be silent, a bemused smile gracing her face. "Let's start this over, one at a time. What are you doing here Austin?"

Sighing, Austin sat down on her bed, and briefly explained what he had been told nearly half an hour ago. She took it all in with a focused silence, before biting her lip in thought.

"So that's why you're in here…and how you know my first name. Geez, very few people know that. I prefer Ally. It should be mentioned somewhere in your notes."

"I was just about to read your bio before Nurse sent me on this task. I'll make sure to read it later, I promise."

"No, no, don't." she held up a hand again, still looking thoughtful. And a little troubled. Shifting nervously in her chair she looked up at him curiously. "So aside from my real name, what else do you know about me?"

Shrugging he muttered a, "nothing," she had her smiling.

"Good, good." She murmured, making him uncomfortable. Settling back in her chair she smiled up at him, an idea fresh in her mind. "You know Austin, it gets awfully boring here. Even my friends come to visit me when they can, they won't let me venture too far from my ward without freaking out. Last week was the first time I even managed to get in the elevator. But you, you seem like you'll be more…lenient. If you help me adventure around the entire hospital, I'll help you learn more about each of your patients."

"And on what grounds do you think you can offer that on?"

"I've been here for two weeks now. I've gotten to know people."

He paused to consider this. It wasn't a bad offer really. From what he had tried to cram into his brain earlier he could barely remember the names and faces of each of his charges. And she did look really bored. He didn't blame her. Trapped in the too big a room all by herself, day in and out, surrounded by dying flowers and deflating balloons, it would get rather depressing. Turning back to face her he watched as she watched him anxiously, clutching at the same hospital blanket across her lap. What could be the harm? And besides, he really wanted to know why she was in here.

"Okay Ally, you've got yourself a deal."