by Megan Duncan
My first ten stops went by smoothly, most of the residents already prepared to call it a night. Not many of them stayed up past eight o’clock, even on a night like tonight. However, when I reached Edgar Thomas’ room I wasn’t surprised to find he was wide awake. He was sitting in his favorite rocking chair, staring out the window and listening to his antique radio. The station was locked onto some news radio that was launched deep into an in-depth debate on the effects of global warming.
“Don’t just stand their gawking at me boy,” Edgar grumbled. “You here to ask for money again? You know your mother and I can’t keep bailing you out son.”
“Uh, no sir.” I picked up Edgar’s pills and stepped further into the room. He often mistook me for his late son. I corrected him at first, but I promptly learned it was easier if I just went along with it.
I took a seat on the edge of his bed, and listened to the radio with him for a while. The discussion had converted into the price of gasoline, and then to the war in the Middle East. Edgar muttered obscenities at the radio as if he were part of the discussion. “These damn politicians think they rule the world!” He grunted as he leaned over to change the station, settling on a classical music station that brought a smile to my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled. His hands began to shake, but he squeezed them together to try and control the tremors. He had Parkinson’s disease, and although the medications had greatly improved his condition, he was still slowly deteriorating. On top of it all dementia was starting to rear its ugly head. As if one ailment wasn’t enough, fate had to be sure she was being particularly cruel.
Edgar had admitted himself years before I had come here, not wanting to be a burden on his family. They came to visit him during the day sometimes, but it always ended in an argument. They wanted him to move in with them, and he always refused. I understood their desire to be his caretakers, but I also understood his pride.
“Mom asked me to give you these,” I said, handing him the pills and a paper cup of water.
“Did your mother tell you when dinner will be ready? I’m starving.”
I looked over at the tray of food that sat on the table beside his bed. Lisa obviously didn’t know that Edgar hadn’t seen it. There were many mornings when I had to clean up a full tray of food from the night before. I’d always thought it was because he either didn’t like what was being served or the meds were bothering his stomach again, but now I knew the truth.
I walked over and picked up the tray, removing the lid before setting it on the end table beside his radio. “Meat loaf tonight,” I said, glancing at the tray.
“Good, good. Next time let me know when dinner is ready. You know how much your mother likes it when we eat together like a family,” he said, scolding me like a child. I watched for a few moments as he ate, and I had to remind him to take his pills.
Since Jason was reneging on his duties I had two bio spills to clean up, and more bed pans than I cared to count. Luckily, Maryann and Dawn finally arrived, offering to help finish cleaning while I went to the employee break room and cleaned myself up.
“Ewe, Will,” Dawn pinched her nose closed as I walked past her. “Where’s Jason?”
I gave her an are you seriously asking me that glare.
“Duh! It’s Jason, I know.” She gave me a sheepish grin before pushing a mop and bucket into Walter’s room.
“Go get yourself cleaned and we will finish up with this. Did you finish the med rounds?” Maryann asked. She was one of Shady Willows’ senior staff, and although she looked old enough to be a resident she was far from it. If I had to guess I would have thought she was in the military at some point, just by the way she held herself, but we’d never exchanged small talk so I didn’t know much about her.
“No,” I answered, looking down at my puke covered scrubs. “I’ll throw on my spares and finish up the rest of the drops. I only have a few patients left.”
“Fine.” She’d already turned her attention away from me and was instructing Dawn on the correct way to mop up vomit. “Will!” she called out, as soon as my hand touched the doorknob. “Do me a favor and check on my new resident before you finish your rounds and go on break.”
“Sure thing,” I answered quickly, then recalled that I didn’t see a new resident listed on any of the med sheets. “What room?”
“Uh…” she tapped her chin as she thought on it, then wagged her finger in the air like a brilliant idea had just come to mind. “She’s in Hazel’s old room.”
My heart dropped. They’d already replaced the space, as if she’d never been there at all. It was just as I imagined. Life goes on, people forget, and the cycle repeats.
By the time I’d hit the locker room of the employee break area and changed, I’d built up an animosity for this new resident. I knew I was being completely ridiculous. It wasn’t like they’d specifically chosen that room just to piss me off, but I couldn’t keep my heart from thundering in my chest. Such is the nature of creatures like me; we are very possessive and I apparently felt an ownership to that room. Or, more accurately, a kinship; at least with the person who used to live in it.
The fact that they’d moved someone into that particular room was rather surprising. There were several other rooms available to choose from. Not to mention it had only been a couple of days; they had to have moved Hazel’s personal items out rather quickly for a new person to move in. The rooms at Shady Willows were more like mini apartments. There were the living quarters with a small kitchenette and eating nook. The bedroom was just a small space off the sitting area with no door separating it for safety purposes. It was imperative for us to be able to step in and ensure the residents were sleeping safely and not having any kind of medical emergency. There was a private bath for each suite, complete with an easy access walk-in tub that resembled a petite Jacuzzi.
I saved the room of the intruder for last, letting my imagination run rampant until I found myself standing right in front of the door I knew so well. Couldn’t I just skip the room, or just make up some excuse so Maryann had to check on them? The idea was incredibly tempting, and my body ached to walk away. No, I had to do my job. I couldn’t let my personal feelings get in the way. My fingers closed around the knob, but my hand wouldn’t turn; all I could do was squeeze it with all my might until I felt the metal begin to crumble under my grip. I released my hold, revealing a small indentation where my thumb had been. Maybe I wasn’t ready to do this. Hazel’s funeral had made me lose control, and there was a very good chance I wasn’t ready to face the sight of someone else in her room. I had been too on edge lately to trust myself.
Stepping away from the door, I ran my fingers through my hair until I found my feet carrying me down the hallway. Suddenly I stopped, my feet frozen to the linoleum, my body heat beginning to rise at an alarming rate and my fangs flew from my gums like switchblades. I hurled myself back down the hallway and threw open the door to Hazel’s room until I was standing over a sleeping mass, hidden under a familiar quilted blanket.
They were sleeping in her blanket!
In her bed!
My eyes shot around the room like daggers, scanning every item I had seen countless times before. How the hell did this…this thing get admitted to this room when all Hazel’s personal belongings were still here!?
I was seething with anger, hovering over the body that was sunken into the mass of blankets and pillows. How dare they! Did they get some sick enjoyment out of using other peoples stuff? This was completely against all regulations! I knew the board of directors were a bunch of sleazy flesh bags, but how could they allow this? Maybe…maybe this person wasn’t a resident at all. I’d heard of things like this; rumors that employees rented out empty rooms to make extra cash on the side. I couldn’t imagine Maryann doing something like that, but I didn’t know for sure. If a person is in need of the money bad enough, they’d be capable of anything. This person could be some junky, vagrant off the streets! If that were true then why did she ask me to c
heck on them?
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I took a step closer to the bed, fighting between grabbing this person and throwing them out the window, or latching onto their throat and then draining them to a husk. I felt my body twitching as the internal battle raged on. My eyes darted around, taking in the proof that this person truly wasn’t a resident. There were no IV bags hanging from the stand, no emergency med station that was standard in each room, and no pill bottles on either night stand. There wasn’t a person in this place that didn’t have at least six bottles on their night stand, ranging from vitamins to holistic remedies. All that was there were a pair of glasses and a cell phone with a string of hot pink headphones spiraling around them. No, this definitely wasn’t a resident at all.
They rolled around under the covers, an arm flinging itself over the sheets and a growl rumbled in my chest. I couldn’t see the person’s face, but I could tell by their arm that they were young. Shady Willows didn’t have young residents. Maryann was renting out Hazel’s room to some delinquent kid! What was she thinking? Why this room?
I watched as my hand rose on its own, reaching for the curl of hair that covered the person’s face. I wanted to see them, but more importantly, I wanted them to see me. I wanted them to truly realize how wrong they were to have chosen this room. Then, I would make Maryann sorry she’d ever met me. Sorry she’d ever asked me to check on this new “resident”.
Just as my fingers touched the silken strands of hair, the cell phone on the nightstand began to ring. By the color of the hot pink ear phones and rhinestone case, I would have expected some brainless pop lyrics to fill the air but instead it was something I was entirely not expecting. Although the beat was like nothing I’d ever heard; the notes were ones that I could never forget. It was Vivaldi; except the pace had been quickened with twangs from altered violins, and drum beats skewed it into something otherworldly.
The girl reached for her phone, sitting up quickly as the quilt fell away from her. I was motionless until her beautiful, emerald eyes met mine. They connected to something inside me, sinking in like a magic that could pull every secret from the depths of my soul. That fleeting moment passed like an eternity before I gulped down the angry lump in my throat and sped out of the room without a word as the sound of her gasp followed after me.
Rushing through the entrance, I shoved my way past the double doors and outside into the cold, winter night. The icy air consumed me instantly, doing its best to pacify my sizzling anger. I had no idea what I should do, but I did know that I needed to get my anger under wraps. I paced back and forth, the glacial breeze whipping around me. Why did I care so much that some kid was in Hazel’s room? I was planning on leaving soon, so what did it matter? If Maryann wanted to make extra cash why didn’t she just put them in an empty room? Why that room?
The questions continued to fire through my mind, but I was able to draw my focus to my breathing in an attempt to quiet my rage. Two weeks. I only had to make it through this for two weeks and I could put this town and its memories in my rear view mirror. I would just avoid this situation completely and then I would never have to think about it, again. Yes, that was my plan. I obviously couldn’t govern my own anger, so I would just avoid the things that were fueling my rage.
As I readied myself to head back inside, the sky above me exploded in color. Just a few short miles from Shady Willows was the lake; the hot spot for every New Year’s and Fourth of July celebration. Bright blues and vibrant reds speckled the starry sky as other colors replaced them in a burst of flashes and crackles. I’d almost forgotten how beautiful fireworks were, and realized how cynical I had become. It wasn’t just Ming, Hazel’s death, or even the fact that someone was using her room; I was angry at the world. How had I gotten like this? Had my hatred for what I was spread like an infection to everything around me?
“Happy New Year,” I said sadly to myself as I walked back inside.
~
5
It Was You
My plan worked perfectly over the next week and a half. I avoided the new resident using every trick in the book. But despite my tactics of evading her, I couldn’t help but overhear bits and pieces of conversation regarding her. I originally thought that Maryann was selling the room out on the side, but this new resident was actually legit. I hadn’t read the file, but I did hear that she’d paid a hefty fee to be admitted; using cash to avoid any red tape. I couldn’t figure out why someone would do that just to get a room at Shady Willows? Rumors cycled through the hallways, and some nurses even started a pool to guess what was wrong with the girl, but no one knew. Several thought she was some celebrity type who was hiding out from the paparazzi to recover from some drug or alcohol abuse. I didn’t think that was very likely. Why would she come here when she could go to some swanky five-star spa; also known as celebrity rehab. No one except Maryann appeared to know the whole truth, and she wasn’t telling anyone.
As much as I hated it, I was curious. Completely enthralled with intrigue. It still infuriated me that she was using Hazel’s room, but there seemed to be more to the story. But did I really want to know, or would it just get me into more trouble than I was already in? What really puzzled me was that she had never left the room. Until today. Word spread like wildfire when the girl had opened her door, and walked directly to the outdoor patio. But that wasn’t the most unusual thing about it. She was sitting outside in twenty degree weather, sipping a cup of coffee while quietly staring off into the distance. I fought the urge to look, but I couldn’t help myself, she was just so…there was just something so…curious about her.
Her back was to the small crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of her. Long, sandy ringlets hung over the back of her chair. She had wrapped herself in the quilt from Hazel’s bed.
“What’s she doing?” the nurse who’d asked me out for drinks whispered with annoyance.
“She’s drinking coffee,” Jason answered with sarcasm. The nurse slapped his arm.
“Duh! I can see that, but its flippin’ freezing outside,” she snapped at him.
“Get back to work!” Maryann ordered when she caught us spying. “You’re not paid to stand around!” Several people groaned in disappointment like watching this mystery girl drink coffee was the most interesting thing they’d ever seen.
I backed away hoping to be concealed in the group, but Maryann spotted me immediately. “Will!” I winced at the sound of my name and stopped mid-step. “I’d like to talk to you.”
“What do you want to talk about?” I asked, crossing my fingers behind my back, hoping that she wasn’t onto the fact that I’d been avoiding her special guest.
“Actually…” she stared out the glass at the girl sitting in the freezing cold. “I want you to keep an eye on her for me.”
“Why?” I asked with alarm. It blurted out of me before I had a chance to think.
“Because you’re the only one who hasn’t pestered me about her story, and you’re the only one who isn’t throwing money into a pool like she’s some prize race horse to bet on. That’s why!” Her brows furrowed at me, as her eyes glared with clear frustration.
“Maryann, I’m only going to be here for a few more days. Why don’t you have Dawn or Lisa look after her?”
“Because I asked you, and I don’t care how many more days you’re working here. Until those days are up you’re still an employee.” At that, she stormed off with a huff of annoyance, leaving me standing there completely speechless.
I turned back to the window, and stared blankly at this mysterious girl. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t want to look after her. I had been successfully avoiding her, and hadn’t had a single speck of anger since the first night I’d seen her. What if I lost my control the second I made eye contact with her? I continued my internal debate as I watched her for what felt like hours. My eyes focused on the skin of her arms; that, though covered in goose bumps, didn’t shiver in the slightest. I watched as her hair caught slivers of sunl
ight that broke through the cloudy sky, making it look like spun gold.
Fine. Maryann wanted me to keep an eye on her, but that didn’t mean I had to talk to her. I could watch over her from a distance. I would watch her wrap herself in my dead friend’s blanket, watch her laze around like she didn’t have a care in the world, and watch her live in the room and use the things that didn’t belong to her! I clenched my fists in my pockets, and closed my eyes as I counted backward from ten. My anger slowly dissipated.
Snow began to fall in delicate flurries, and the girl simply tilted her head, looking up toward the heavens. She raised her arms out of the blanket reaching out to touch the flakes as they fell. I watched as they landed on her ivory skin, melting almost instantly and then traveling across her flesh like a raindrop. What was it about this girl that made me so incredibly heated, yet so completely fascinated?
As much as I wanted to leave her out there, and hope that she would freeze into an icy statue, I couldn’t. I rounded the corner and opened the doors to the patio, but stopped just short of crossing over the threshold. Could I really do this? Could I control my anger and get this girl inside without killing her? I’d managed not to go completely fang crazy yet, so maybe that was a sign? Maybe I had finally overcome my grief from losing Hazel?