With a sigh, I make my way over to my station. Charting is by far my least favorite part of being a nurse. People often think it’s the “gross” parts of the job that are the bane of my existence, but no, it’s the paperwork.
It’s a necessary evil that’s constantly at odds with the part of my brain that wants to be doing something more active.
My fingers clack against the keyboard when Becks shouts, “Incoming… Abby, I need you.”
I’m instantly in motion, quickly moving over to the front bay where ambulances park to bring patients into the ER. The flashing lights gleam over Becks’ head as she waits just outside the glass doors.
I get there just as the EMTs are guiding the gurney out from the back of the ambulance. My eyes widen when I see who’s lying on the bed.
“Leah…” Her name comes out in a worried gasp.
Horror settles over me when I see the state she’s in.
Molten bruises cover her face, with her right eye practically swollen shut. I swear I can see the faint outline of fingerprints on her neck, and I want to punch something… someone.
Her breaths are coming out in short, pained gasps despite the oxygen she is getting from the cannula placed around her face.
Her eyes dart around in fear until they settle on me. She seems to calm down just a fraction with her attention on me. “A… A… Abby…”
I gently place my hand over hers. I don’t want to hurt her, so I keep the pressure light as a feather.
“I’m right here, Leah. We’re going to take good care of you,” I say soothingly as we guide the gurney through the emergency entrance and into an empty room.
She turns her hand, lightly gripping mine. She doesn’t say anything, but her eyes are filled with so many layered emotions it is hard to decipher.
Above all else, though, I see fear.
The EMTs do what they need to, then quickly make their departure. I stay at Leah’s side the whole time.
“Leah, this is Becks. She looks tough, but she really is a big softy.”
Becks scoffs. “Softy my ass.”
Leah lets out a small laugh, then cringes. Her hand moves to her side, gently gripping the fabric.
“Can I look?” Becks asks. All humor has vanished from her tone, leaving gentle compassion in its place.
Leah hesitates for a minute but nods. Becks peels up Leah’s shirt, revealing bruises over her side and abdomen. Red starts to flicker across my vision.
Becks and I share a knowing look, then she turns back to Leah. “I’m going to go grab Dr. Morov, so she can get things rolling in here. Abby’s going to start an IV so we can get you some meds to help with the pain.”
Leah nods a few times. “Okay.”
Her hand is still holding mine. It’s even a little tighter now than it was originally. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her. “I promise.”
She finally lets my hand go, so I can get her IV started.
I’ve never been one to beat around the bush, so I just ask. “Did your boyfriend do this to you?”
I wouldn’t normally be quitethisforward with patients, but I know Leah, and that bad feeling I always had about the man is raging inside of me. My boss wouldn’t be happy with my unprofessional curiosity, but I don’t really care right now.
Her mouth opens and closes a few times. A single tear tracks down her face. “I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself for something someone else did. If he hurt you, that’s on him, not you.”
She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. “He has threatened things before, but never anything like this,” she says, staring down at her lap while I hang the medication on the rack beside the bed.
Her words still come out a little shaky, but there’s a lot more resolve behind them now. “He will never touch me like this again.”
