FULL NOVELXO Chapter 3 - Kaden Reid.
A week has passed and every night the wolves seem to howl. At first it was annoying because it would either jolt me out of sleep or I was trying to go to sleep in the first place. Either way I wasn’t winning. But by mid-week I found myself slowly drifting off to sleep with the echoing howls, the sound calming me completely instead of frightening me like before.
Now I’m making my way down the stairs, feeling refreshed and full of energy to start the day. Maddox and Eva are already up for work and have made a start on breakfast. I greet them and ask if they need any help. Since we are up early they have decided on chocolate chip pancakes.
I grab the bowl from Maddox when he asks me to whisk the batter together. Eva places the pan on the cooker so it will heat up in time whilst Maddox grabs the chocolate chips out of the cupboard. I stop whisking so that he could pour them in, yelling at him to stop when he tries to put the whole packet in. Maddox has a sweet tooth and knows no limits.
I fold the chocolate chips into the batter before setting it by the cooker and handing the ladle to Eva. She grins mischievously at me in return as I back away.
“Take a seat Luna, your bad luck might rub off on me when I flip the pancakes.” She teases making me swat her arm playfully.
You see, I can’t flip a pancake to save my life. Whenever I’m in the mood to eat them, I always turn them onto the other side with a spatula. My parents, my brother, Eva and Maddox have all failed to teach me and we had a lot to clean up after because sometimes I would flip it too soon and cause it to break or I would flip it too hard that it would end up somewhere in the kitchen. I’m tragically bad.
Whilst we chat, Eva would pour the batter into the pan and Maddox would flip it once it’s cooked perfectly on one side. As they make breakfast, I busy myself in setting the table with plates and cutlery and a pitcher of fresh orange juice we get from the store down the road.
In no time at all, they have joined me at the dining table with a stack of pancakes. I place three on my plate with some fruits and whipped cream before digging in. Taking a bite, I look up to see Eva staring at Maddox’s plate in disgust.
“It’s too little, isn’t it?” He frowns down at his pancakes that are covered in maple syrup, whipped cream, fruits and Nutella.
“I swear, you’re either going to end up in the hospital some day or all your teeth are going to fall out!” She rolls her eyes when he grins cheekily before turning to me. “When do you have to be at work?”
“Around nine. What about you guys?”
“Half eight, I finish at four today.” Maddox replies with his mouth full making me shake my head at his antics.
“I start at nine but I finish at six, thank god for that because I’m already tired.” Eva grumbles, cutting up a piece of her pancake.
“Ugh, I finish at eight.” I groan, pouring myself some juice.
“Oh sh*t.” Eva replies at the same time Maddox mutters “that sucks.”
I shrug and we continue with our breakfast before Maddox must leave, Eva following soon after. I quickly tidy up the kitchen and wash the dishes before getting ready for work. The hospital Eva is on placement for is further than mine so she always leaves thirty minutes early.
I change into my uniform before slipping on my comfortable shoes. Next, I start working on my hair which has dried slightly from the shower I took this morning. I blow dry it before styling it so that my brown strands fell into loose waves around my face. I keep my makeup simple and light for today and finish quickly.
Soon, I am making my way out the front door and locking it behind me before grabbing my bike and cycling down the path towards the hospital.
The hospital has become quiet. It’s like a ghost town save for a couple of nurses and a janitor walking around with cleaning supplies. The sun had set a few hours ago, letting the crescent moon and stars come out to play. It’s currently eight in the evening and I’m packing up to go home.
The rush of patients and doctors has slowed and the quiet stillness of the reception area has me wanting to pull my hair out, so I was glad to finally be done with filing paperwork and setting up schedules for the next day. I work the day shift so there would be another receptionist coming in to work for the night now.
Probably the most exciting thing for me today was when I assisted Doctor Haven in tending to child patients. I like her the most since she is a down to earth and kind person that is incredibly passionate about her job. I only hope that in the future I will be immensely happy in my job too.
The little children were so cute and all I wanted to do was make them feel as right as rain before they left. But after that it was mainly being at the reception and making appointments whilst working on some assignments.
I admit, some days are very boring like today but that didn’t mean that all my placement days are bad. I love how the staff are so nice and friendly and on most days, I even help in tending to wounds, sprains and carrying out some tests so that I can experience what I will be doing after graduation.
Doctor Haven had told me that it was okay to bring my college work here whenever the days were slow, so I maintained the balance of assignments and work. But today was quite busy so I was not able to do much, let’s just say I have about three books with me that I need to rifle through so I can finish this assignment before the submission date tomorrow.
Zipping up my backpack, I slung it onto my shoulders before making my way to the exit, groaning at the thought of having to cycle for an hour until I reach my apartment. The only bright side is that my legs will be getting some exercise after sitting in that chair all day.
But before I could reach the exit a tall man entered, dragging his friend with him. He has light brown hair with green eyes and soft, boyish features. He looks up and notices me coming to a stop a few feet away and sighs in relief.
“I’m sorry but is there anyone who can help? My friend is injured.” He explains, looking around the place with a frown.
“The doctors are currently occupied but a nurse could tend to him?”
“Uh…would you know how to clean up a wound by any chance?” He grimaces when his friend lets out a pained groan.
I look at him in suspicion before nodding and telling him to follow me. Placing my backpack behind the receptionist’s desk, I went back to help him carry his friend to the examination room. I grab his arm and almost drew it back in shock because of the tingles and sparks dancing on my skin.
His friend seems to inhale sharply before his head snaps up to look at me. He has the most breath-taking icy blue eyes I have ever seen surrounded by a darker blue ring. With flawless, tanned skin and black as midnight hair, I am in awe of his complexion. His features are sharp and he has light stubble on his jaw. I assume he is in his late twenties because there is a certain maturity about him.
As I place his arm across my shoulders, he seems to almost sigh in content or relief before we guide him to the examination room. I notice that he is limping as he walks and my concern grows, the bruises on his cheekbone and the scratches on his neck making me wonder if he had been in a fight. After telling the man to help his friend onto the bed, I close the door and put on some gloves.
“Okay,” I breathe, turning to face his injured friend. “Where is he hurt…”
“Rico.” He smiles, before rolling up the bloodied sleeve causing his friend to let out a hiss and glare up at him.
My eyes widen when he reveals a long gash with dried blood trails on his arm. Stepping closer, I touch his arm and gently turn it towards the light so I can see just how bad it is. The cut is extremely deep and I can make out the tiny pieces of dirt and gravel mixing with his blood. I look up at him with narrowed eyes in suspicion.
“Is this a knife wound?” I ask quietly, watching his expression remain stoic as he nods slowly.
I make my way to the cabinets by the wall to grab the right medical supplies for that kind of a wound before turning back, only to stop and stare at the two men in confusion. Rico is holding back his friend who is halfway across the bed and looked to be seconds away from either lunging at something or running away.
Rico laughs nervously which has my eyes narrowing in suspicion…again. “He doesn’t do well with hospitals.”
I slowly nod before walking over to the bed and pushing his friend to sit back down. Sure, I’m slightly weirded out when he sighs and his body seems to relax at my touch but regardless, I roll up his sleeve so it won’t slip down and wrap gauze around it to stop the bleeding. Thankfully the blood didn’t soak through so I raise his arm above his heart to help slow the bleeding.
We sat there in silence with the occasional flow of conversation of the night staff walking around drifting back to us. I keep my gaze downcast because I can feel him staring at me intensely, not looking away for a second. I mumble that it will take a few minutes more, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment when I look up to see his eyes move from my lips to my brown eyes.
“So…” Rico coughs awkwardly before smiling at me. “You look a little young to be a nurse.”
I chuckle lightly before nodding. “I’m actually a student on placement.”
“Oh! That’s great, do you have classes too or is it just work?” He asks, a genuine curiosity in his green eyes.
“I also have classes throughout the week but not much since the focus should be on our placement this semester.” I explain, resting his friend’s arm on the bed before getting up to remove my gloves and wash my hands.
I ask him to follow me to the sink so that I can clean his wound. But when I hear no footsteps behind me I look back to see Rico punching him in the gut and telling him to “get his sh*t together before he shifts.” I frown in confusion, wondering what they are talking about before clearing my throat which causes them to stop immediately and look up.
Rico pushes him forward with a sheepish smile and I take hold of his friend’s arm before gently cleaning the wound with mild soap the hospital uses and water. He winces a few times when the water stings his cut skin but other than that he seems okay. Once I’m done I lead him back to the bed and apply some antibiotic cream so it doesn’t get infected before covering it with a bandage.
“Okay, I would advise changing the bandage daily but for now it’s clean and disinfected.” I smile up at him, secretly proud that I remembered my training and applied it without difficulty. “You can apply an ice pack to that bruise on your cheekbone for ten to twenty minutes, three times a day and hopefully the swelling will reduce. Keep your head elevated while you sleep so it heals.”
“Thank you.” He murmurs, speaking for the first time since he arrived.
I almost swoon at the sound of his voice. It’s deep and rich with a husky undertone and I knew I could hear him talk all day long. But before I came across as a creep for staring at him in admiration, I cough and back away.
“That’s alright.” I smile, turning to put away the medical supplies. “You’re free to go if you want?”
“Thank you again for helping us, we really appreciate it.” Rico grins boyishly as I open the door so that they can follow me out.
“It was no problem.” I nod as we reach the reception desk where I have left my bag. They fill out a form and pay the fee. “Have a safe trip back home.”
Rico smiles and tells his friend he’ll run and get the car started before hurrying out of the exit. His friend whose name I still did not know turns to me and nods slightly. But just before he was about to leave, he stops and turns to face me as I make my way around the desk to grab my bag.
“I didn’t get your name…” He trails off with a frown, curiosity in his baby blues.
“Oh, it’s Luna. And yours?”
I frown when he chuckles, the sound echoing in the quiet clinic. Once he notices that I’m not laughing along his icy blue eyes zero in on my still form, cocking his head to the side like a puppy. ’A freaking adorable puppy.’ I correct myself before chasing my thoughts away.
His chuckles trail off into silence as he stops and stares at me. “Y-You’re serious? Your name is actually Luna?”
My frown deepens and my heart feels like it adorns a new type of pain; one I can’t understand as to why I feel so deeply when it concerns him. I don’t understand what is so funny about my name, Luna is an okay name for a girl isn’t it?
“Yes. Do you find my name amusing?” My question came out more like a peeved statement.
“No.” He murmurs softly, like a whisper in the wind. His blue eyes are now stormy as if he is somewhere far away. “It’s quite perfect actually…more than you’ll ever know.”
And with that, he swiftly turns and starts making his way to the exit with long strides. And what astonishes me is that he isn’t limping anymore, it’s like his leg fully healed in the time that I tended to his wound. My eyes widen and I rush after him, a desperate feeling rising within me.
“Wait!” I yell, running after him. “You didn’t tell me your name!”
I can see the sly smirk on his lips as he turns his head to the side slightly, acknowledging that he had heard me crystal clear. “Someday when the moon has risen and you find yourself bathed in silver, wait for me then and I will fulfil your wish. Until then, think of me Luna.”
“What the heck?” I trail off astounded, watching him disappear into darkness.
His comment makes no sense. What if we never saw each other again? What if he just left me to wonder for the rest of my life of a stranger who once came into the hospital looking for help?