August 27, 2025
Rochester, New York

At 8:35 am, Kyle comes in from a night shift rotation for his master, the sound of keys go against the doorknob, and Kyle steps inside his apartment to be greeted by Debby, she continues walking around his legs and meowing, he bends over and grabs her as she starts purring while he cradles her like a baby. He puts her back on the floor and goes straight to the bathroom, kicks his shoes one way, takes off his clothes, and jumps into the shower, as water runs down his body, he closes his eyes and drifts from all reality

Several hours later, Kyle wakes up late in the afternoon after taking a very long and needed sleep. At his age, young and all, he was starting to feel the weight from all the stress his classes were brought in, his hospital rotations, work and life, and his body was starting to fill it. As he grabs his phone to check the time, he finds a voice message from Malcolm, he hits play and lays the phone on the counter on speaker "Hey you, are you ready for our salsa class tonight?"

Kyle takes a deep breath as he puts the coffee mug inside the microwave and hits the little microphone button "I don't think I'll be able to make it, I have to finish my preventive measures on premature newborns with sexual transmitted diseases assignment, and besides, after what happened the other day, I don't know if spending time together is the wises choice"

The microwave starts beeping, Kyle opens it and sets the mug on the stove as he pours freshly brew coffee into it, as he's about to take his first sip, another message from Malcolm comes in "Are you serious right now?"

Kyle groans as he puts the mug down "I am, you know I don't like getting mixed up in the unnecessary drama and this is all very much unnecessary"

Malcolm immediately responds "Fine, but you owe me"

Kyle puts an awry smile as he sends the last message "As always"

As he continues sipping down his coffee standing on one leg wearing nothing more than boxers, he turns to open the fridge and brings some ingredients out.

He begins to cook and feeds Lil Debby and after finishing up he gets ready to sit down and continues working on his assignment. 

The next morning he goes to work, he arrives at the hospital, and as he walks through the sliding doors his spots non-other than Malcolm, who for the first time, manage to be at work earlier than him.

They meet at the lobby where the rest of the "ego nurses" Samantha, Tatiana, and Camille are waiting. 

Usually, they greeted each other, click their coffee mugs together and continue chatting, except today Kyle keeps walking and heads straight to the pediatric floor.

At lunchtime, instead of meeting with them for lunch as he always does, Kyle warms his food and sits down in the small kitchen on the peds floor.

...

Meanwhile, the rest of his friends meet at the cafeteria, since the very beginning of their friendship they've established a routine, everyone around them even expects it, every day is the same, but today they were staring because one was missing and that could only mean one thing for the ego nurses, trouble.

As they are chatting a radiologist approaches them "Is it me or are we missing one of the egos today?"

"Karl, keep walking" Said Samantha as she rolled her eyes

The guy puts his arms up as a sign of giving up and continued walking, Camille puts down her smoothie hard against the table "I swear to god, people in this hospital need to get over it, we get along, what's the big deal"

"The big deal is Kyle didn't want to join us today after he blew us off this morning," Says Tatiana

To which Samantha responded "I wonder why"

...

Back on the peds floor, Doctor Melton walks in and spots Kyle eating lunch alone and asks if he can join him

"Sure" Kyle replies without making eye contact

As Melton pulls a chair he says "Now, what is one of the egos doing up here all by himself?"

"Staying close in case one of my patients needs me. What is the chief resident doing up here asking to join the lonely nurse for lunch instead of I don't know, enjoy whatever free time he has?" He replies

"Well, when I saw you weren't with the rest of your friends I said to myself, either something happened, or something happened," Says Melton as he sits

Kyle avoids making eye contact and continues to play with his food "Nothing happened, it's just, I've been stressed with my classes and needed to have lunch without everyone staring, you know, as if we were some kind of different breed"

Melton puts his fork down "You mean to tell me you don't like all the attention the hospital staff gives you?"

Kyle looks at him "I don't mind it most of the time, but today, I'm not feeling it today"

Melton pushes back his chair and stands "Alright then, on that note, when you're done eating be sure to take five minutes for yourself and join me in the NICU"

Melton pads him in the back and leaves him alone.

After doing as told, Kyle enters the NICU, sits in his area, and opens a computer to checks on updates, as he clicks on one of the patient's records he sees the results are up "Doctor, the results are in, take a look"

Doctor Melton approaches him, looks over his shoulder to see the results, and afterward turns around "Alright then, let's hang another piggy, and page cardio to come to give a consult, also bring psych in to see the parents, they need to start preparing for their goodbye"

Kyle gathers what the doctor requested while talking "I know the results aren't promising but, isn't there any hope?"

"You're studying to become a practitioner, tell me, from what you see, do you believe there is a chance that baby leaves this hospital with his parents?" Melton responds

"I" There is a moment of hesitation "I don't even know if this is what I truly want"

Doctor Melton stares at him as he finishes hanging the piggy and watches him walk away.

After leading the parents to a more private room, Kyle goes on with his duties the rest of the shift.

Later that day, as night came around, Kyle makes it to the end of his shift, and as he walks to his car Melton pulls him aside "Ok, you are not ok, so why don't you go ahead and tell me what happened over some beers"

Kyle extends his head and lets out an annoyed groan "UGH ANDREW, I am just tired, so maybe next time"

"No, we're going"

Melton grabs him by the hand and leads him across the hospital to a bar, they walk in, Melton orders them some margaritas and the two decide to just sit there in complete and utter silence.

Five years ago

March 19, 2020
Barranquitas, Puerto Rico

In his room, Kyle stands in front of his closet staring at his clothes "Well I honestly don't know what else to pack, I mean, I'll be staying at an Airbnb the first few months since it's all I can afford"

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, we can leave a few days earlier and search for an apartment so you can be more comfortable" Replies his mother as she stands by the door

He turns to look at her "Mom, I'll be fine, besides, I'm going there to work, I don't need to have an apartment right away and I don't want to rush into it, especially with how the situation continues to unfold there"

She steps into the room and closes the door behind her "That is precisely why you should have your place, the more privacy you have the better"

"Yeah well, maybe by June, but for now, all I need is a bed and a bathroom and I'll be fine"

______________________________
Kyle's afterwords for this chapter

"Throughout life, we are tasked with making choices, some will be good, others will not. Sometimes we will prevail, other times we will fail, it's the risk that comes with it, but ultimately, what we decide to do with those outcomes after is what counts"
______________________________

*Kyle is faced with making decisions, some for the better, others for the worst, yet they lead to the same outcome. Will his life in New York be everything he hoped for?*

Continue reading chapter three of
🗽Abroad Liberty🗽
To find out