Fall of Darkness (The Chronicles of Darkness) Read Online Free Page B

lot, but the staff knew better
than to hold their breath for one of his promises.
    Kate nestled her Mini into the first
open spot and threw it into park. She gathered her bags and hiked up the
stairs, across the street, and through the other parking lots to the hospital. She
would have to move her car closer after day shift left, but before it got dark.
                After
punching in at the time clock mounted near the entrance, Kate made her way to
the Emergency Room. She scanned the key card on her badge, let herself in the
back door of the department, and headed for the break room. In the break room,
she crammed her lunch into the overstuffed fridge. Stashing her bags in her
locker, she headed for the nurses’ station.
    The Emergency Room was actually a series
of rooms, consisting of thirty two private exam rooms, an oversized
resuscitation room with two separate bays, and a trauma room of equal measure
and function. Each of the nurses would be assigned a group of rooms to care
for, with a variety of patients rotating in and out throughout their shift.
                The
department bustled with life as the day picked up pace. Kate glanced up at the
large dry erase board and noted the charge nurse had already reassigned rooms
to account for Kate’s presence. Most of the staff worked seven to seven shifts,
but Kate was one of the few nurses who covered the busiest part of the day,
coming in at three pm and staying until three am.
    Oh good, Nancy was in charge today, Kate
noted happily as she approached the desk. A charge nurse could make or break a
shift for the staff nurse, and Nancy was one of Kate’s favorites to work with.
Nancy gave Kate a dainty wave as she answered the ringing telephone next to her
computer.
                “Chicago
East Memorial, Emergency. This is Nancy,” the charge nurse purred in a throaty
voice, tossing her hair.
    Kate smothered a giggle. Sweet,
wholesome Nancy’s squeaky voice transformed into that of a smoldering sexpot as
soon as she answered the phone. The staff always teased her, saying she must’ve
worked as a phone sex operator in a previous life. Nancy vehemently denied such
claims, insisting she picked up her phone etiquette when she worked as a
secretary to put herself through nursing school. Secretary, uh huh, right.
                Kate
took note of her rooms and checked the computerized board for patients. Nancy
must not have opened her section yet, because none were assigned to her. Kate
rounded on each of her rooms to check their baskets of emergency supplies,
stocking them with oxygen and suction equipment as needed. An assortment of
nurses, doctors, housekeepers, and medics greeted her with friendly salutations
and waves as she passed them in their various tasks. 
    Her rooms ready for business, Kate
checked the board again. Nancy had assigned her three patients, each with a
different acuity level. Acuities were given based on each patient’s condition
and level of risk. The lower the number, the more trouble they were in. The
higher the number, the less they actually needed to be there. Snagging the
chart from the desk, she headed to the room marked as a level two, perusing the
patient’s information as she walked. It promised to be a busy night. But, Kate
wouldn’t have it any other way.
                                                               
     
     
    Twelve and a half hours later, Kate
stepped out of the hospital and into the cool night, filled with the exhausted satisfaction
only found after a long night of work. Sucking in a breath of fresh air, she
tipped her head back to soak in the night sky.
    It was a dark, starless night. Rolling
storm clouds spread across the sky in a thick gray blanket. Cool raindrops sprinkled
the ground in sporadic patches. Her gaze scanned the vehicles peppered throughout
the relatively empty parking lot, but came up equally empty handed.