BRIDGETTE

I walked the remaining steps toward him, raised my right hand and smacked it against his cheek.

“What the--” he uttered, gaping at me. “What was that for?”

Well, I really didn’t know what that one was for. It just came to me. “You…” I had to think fast. “You left. And now I’m leaving. Please forget about everything, Dr. Newman. It was all a mistake. Good night.”

Though my feet led me away from him, I wanted to go back and kiss him on the lips. I wanted to do everything we did that night without the effects of alcohol.

But I made a promise to Cara. I would never have sex until I was back in my own body.

“Cara,” I heard him call out but I forced myself to keep my head straight and not look back.

As I walked inside the warmth of the hospital, I realized what I did was right. I was certain Dr. Newman didn’t like what I did and I was certain I would never have another chance with him after everything. It was an easy out for me. If we wouldn’t be together, I wouldn’t be doing something that Cara would hate.

Danica pulled me aside the moment I walked inside and her mouth just went on and on about how toxic her day was. My attention only went back to her when she mentioned that I had to take care of the same patients.

I was in panic when I finally managed to get away from Danica for a while before the endorsement. I immediately dialed Cara’s number.

“I thought I was going to call you?”

“This is an emergency. You really need to help me.”

“What is it?” I could almost taste the alarm in her voice.

“I will be taking care of two patients.”

“Which means you will be taking care of intubated patients.”

“Yes! And I don’t know anything about intubated patients!”

“Wait right there.”

“What--”

“I’m coming over.”

And just as I turned around the corner to get back to Danica, I saw Dr. Newman enter the unit, his face red and his eyes piercing mine.

What did I ever do to be punished like this in a day? I just had sex!

CARA

I drove as fast as I could. This was what I had feared would happen. I rarely get toxic patients and I was quite confident Bridgette wouldn’t face such difficult cases. But this happened and I had to make sure I was there.

A plan formed in my mind as I drove my way to the hospital. My phone rang a few times but I ignored it.

When it didn’t stop, I checked and had to curse when I saw Quinn’s number. What did he want now?

I could hear Bridgette talking in hushed tones with Dr. Newman.

“I’ll be back in a sec.”

I didn’t want to hear what they were talking about. I just couldn’t.

“What?” I asked the moment I took his call.

“Where are you?”

“On my way to the hospital. What do you want? If you are going to ask about what happened, don’t bother. If you are going to ask about the wedding, it will happen if you just give me the time and not pester me in the middle of the night.”

“Why are you going to the hospital.”

“I have reasons. What do you want?”

“Are you sick?”

“Do you have anything to say, Quinn?”

“Can I see you?”

“No. Now, please call in a decent time next time. Bye.”

At that moment, keeping my license and job was the most important thing. The thing with Quinn could be faced later. Bridgette’s problem was more important.

I entered the hospital, parked the car in the vast parking lot and ran to the emergency entrance.

“How can I help you?” the black-haired girl asked behind the counter.

“I want to be admitted immediately.”

She looked me over and asked, “For what?”

“Chest pains. I want to be admitted in the cardiac department now.”

BRIDGETTE

“I can’t talk to you right now, Dr. Newman.”

“Last time you were comfortable calling me Scott. What the hell is going on? Is this about this morning?” his eyebrows were fused together in a confused and angry look. God, I wanted him to be angry, not confused. He could be angry and not talk to me ever. Why did he have to barge in like this and confront me at this time?

I could see Danica looking at me curiously over Dr. Newman’s shoulder and I knew she was the kind of friend who could sense something unprofessional was going on. With everything that happened between me and Dr. Newman lately, I was certain Danica sensed something was not right between us.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now. I am working.” I started to walk away from him but he blocked my path.

“Just tell me what that was for.”

“What?”

“That scene in the parking lot.”

“It was as what I had said it was. Everything was a mistake that we should forget,” I hissed. I heard Cara put the call on hold and I was starting to panic. Danica motioned for me to go to the station. The endorsement was about to start. “I really need to go.” This time, I pushed him away and the feel of his broad chest on my palm was a great punishment.

As I unsteadily made my way back to where Danica was, I could feel his gaze boring through my skull.

It just dawned on me that he would also be on duty tonight. If he was this persistent to talk to me and talk about whatever he wanted to say but couldn’t, then we might just have that talk whether I wanted to or not.

“There’s a crazy lady in the ER. She wants to be admitted in our unit now. The doctor said she doesn’t seem to have any serious cardiac problems,” I heard Amy say as everyone started to prepare for the endorsement.

“What was that about?” Danica whispered in my ear.

“Nothing. It’s about the patient. I told him I will get back on him later.”

“But he’s not on duty tonight in our unit.”

“Well, he was asking me. How should I know anything?”

“But we still have one more room to spare, right?” Daisy was asking Amy.

“Guess we’ll just have to wait. She might have a problem, she might not,” shrugged Amy.

The endorsement started and I recorded everything that was said all throughout. I still couldn’t catch up by writing everything down. Cara seemed to be back in line so I also didn’t have to worry.

“You have to wean the patient later this morning, Cara,” Danica said when it was her turn to endorse and all I had to say was yes. I didn’t even know how to wean a patient.

“And Mr. O’Hara is due for the following lab results. You’ll have to change his catheter as well, it is due tonight. His IV site is not looking pretty good, so make sure to check it. I suggest you change the site tonight.”

I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. What the hell!

“Additional patient coming in. Name, Bridgette Finn, twenty-eight, female, single. Came in due to chest pain and palpitations. This is the crazy lady the ER was talking about earlier.” It was Amy who spoke after talking to the phone. My head suddenly snapped and I almost dropped my pen.

“That name sounds familiar,” Danica said. I wondered how much Cara told her about me.

“She’s coming in anytime,” Amy said, picking up her bag. She was ready to leave.

“I hope you have a toxic-free night,” Danica said after the endorsement. She was already putting on her coat.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“See yah,” she said and then she was gone.

I wanted to stand by the door and wait for Cara. She had an amazing plan. I knew she would be desperate to come here and help me in person.

“What are you doing there?” Grace asked me.

“I’m just curious what the patient will look like,” I lied.

“You’ll see her in a while. Don’t you have patients?”

I walked away and went to my charts. “Cara,” I hissed on the microphone.

“Calm down, I’m here,” she answered. I felt my shoulders getting lighter just by hearing her.

“What the hell did you do?” I asked with a laugh, looking around me.

“Just shut up and do your job. Go for your rounds. I’m about to be wheeled over there. You don’t have any idea what I had to do just to get the hell in there.”

“Okay, okay,” I answered laughingly.

CARA

Unluckily, I was assigned to Grace. We worked well together, but she was the most serious person I had ever met apart from Dr. Newman. She would always have something to say when someone was not working.

“Is the palpitations still there?” she asked me once I was settled in my room.

“Yes, I guess,” I answered absently, my eyes focused on the open door. I could see my old body walking back and forth, passing by my door. Bridgette was getting impatient.

“That’s fine. You were already given some meds. They’ll start working pretty soon.”

“Thanks. I want to sleep,” I added.

“Sure,” Grace said with a smile and then left.

“Just come in quick!” I spoke on the mic and moments later, Bridgette came in with a tray of medications.

“You have to help me!” She was in panic mode as she placed the tray on my lap.

I took out the pad I had been hiding behind my pillow and studied the endorsement I took down earlier. “These are for Mr. O’Hara. This is for Ms. Kim.”

“What the hell is weaning?”

“It is when you start to test your patient’s ability to breathe on his own without the respirator.”

“How do you do it?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you later. Right now, you have to take these to you patients.”

“Sure, thanks.” She started to gather the tray in her hands when she stopped.

“You put me on hold earlier. Why?”

“Quinn called.”

Her eyes widened and she said, “Please don’t tell me you are not getting back with--”

“Just because he knows about our secret doesn’t mean I’ll get back with him. He is about to get married, remember?”

“Yeah, of course. And they are going to pay my bills.”

“Right. Now get the hell out of here.”

BRIDGETTE

I was just walking out of Mr. O’Hara’s room when I saw Dr. Newman enter the unit once again. I thought he was going to have that talk with me when I saw him walk towards the charts and started working.

“I thought he is not in our unit tonight?” I asked Grace.

She just looked up, gave Dr. Newman’s back a good glance and then shrugged.

I wanted to ask the other nurses but surely none of them would care. Shifts could change at the last minute. I waited until he was done with whatever doctors do with charts and when he was gone, I grabbed the charts I needed. At the corner of my eye, I saw him talking to his phone. I signed the medications I gave to my patients and then I was ready to get back to Cara.

Grace took her precious time with her chart and when she was done and gone to her other patients, I rushed to Cara’s door.

I found her writing something and I was sure it was for me. I walked towards her and that was when the door opened. My mouth was ready to give Grace an excuse but when I turned around, it was Dr. Newman closing the door behind him.

I whirled around to face Cara.

This would be the first time that Scott would see my real face.

***I am very sorry for this very late update. Most of you know what happened to me lately. I finally recovered and I'm back on my feet. I hope to write for SWAP and THE TIME CAPSULE as often as I could.