The Blue Ridge Project: A Dark Suspense Novel (The Project Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Neil Rochford
coding. She glanced at the clock above the sign and saw that she was only fifteen minutes into her shift, then she burst into the room she had left what felt like only moments befor e .
*****
Robert went down two flights of stairs and walked along the hall that connected to the cafeteria stairs at the other end of the building. When he had first arrived, he had wondered why it was so far away, but he began to notice that the antiseptic and medicinal smells faded as he made his way down. It was evening, usually a busy time, but he passed no one. No nurses rushing back to work, no patients shuffling along, hugging the wall for support. He opened the double doors to the cafeteria.
It was quiet in ther e, too. Two men and a woman, all in doctor’s whites, sat at a corner table at the far end of the room. There was also a man asleep in his tray on his own at a table in the middle. The only other people were the two women working at the food counter and a man in a gray t-shirt and sweatpants. The man in sweatpants was queuing for food with a tray piled high with snacks in front of him.
Robert went to the counter and one of the ladies arrived to serve him, beaming at him. He ordered and sat down nearby.
“I tell you, the service in here is horrendous,” Sweatpants at the food counter sai d. “Isn’t that right, Tina?” He turned his head and raised his eyebrows at Robert. “If I wasn’t sick already, that food would have me upstairs flat on my back in Intensive Care.”
“You be careful no w, Jimmy, or you’ll be eating your dinner off the floor with a pair of broken hands,” the first lady said.
She smiled at Robert, and he realized that they were joking with each other. He smiled a little to himself, and relaxed in his chair.
“Go on and sit down,” the dinner lady, sai d. “I’d say you’ve enough on that tray to keep you going.”
“I’ll sit down, but I want you to inform me immediately as soon as those sandwiches are up and running. A man can’t live on pastries and fruit.” Jimmy joined Robert at his table and opened up a bag of potato chips. He offered the open bag to Robert.
“N o, thanks, I’ll wait for my own.”
Jimmy shrugged and stuffed a handful into his mouth.
He stopped mi d- chew, and asked, “You don’t mind if I sit here and wait with you, do you? I hate waiting on my own.”
Robert looked around at the empty tables and chairs and shrugged. “I guess not.”
Jimmy smiled through a mouthful of chewed chips. Robert couldn’t help but laugh, which made Jimmy’s smile even wider.
He dropped the plastic bag on the tray, wiped his hand on his pants and stuck it out in front of him. “Jimmy. Nice to meet you.”
Robert took his hand and shook. “Robert, nice to meet yo u, too. What are you in for?”
Now it was Jimmy’s turn to laugh. “Sounds like we’re locked up. Can you not tell?”
Robert frowned, shook his head.
Jimmy groaned, and slapped his forehead theatrically. “I forgot, I’m not wearing the bandage anymore. Memory has gone to shite. I banged my head. A subdural something or other, I was out cold for a day or so. Surgery and everything, just got the bandages off yesterday. Look.” Jimmy turned his head and pointed to a small scar on the back hidden in a tiny patch of shaved hair. “They say I was lucky not to have any brain damage, but I’m not so sure. I mean, I forgot the bandage was off, what else am I liable to forget?” He turned to the girls behind the counter. “Tina! What’s my name again?”
The man sleeping at the middle table snorted and muttered something before falling silent again. The girls shook their heads and laughed.
Jimmy smiled and turned back to Robert. “They’re a gas, that pair. Nicer than a few of the nurses, I tell you. So what’s your story? Wait, hold on, I know. You’re here to visit”—Jimmy put a finger to his temple and squeezed his eyes shut for a second—“your mother.”
Robert’s face gave away his
*****
Robert went down two flights of stairs and walked along the hall that connected to the cafeteria stairs at the other end of the building. When he had first arrived, he had wondered why it was so far away, but he began to notice that the antiseptic and medicinal smells faded as he made his way down. It was evening, usually a busy time, but he passed no one. No nurses rushing back to work, no patients shuffling along, hugging the wall for support. He opened the double doors to the cafeteria.
It was quiet in ther e, too. Two men and a woman, all in doctor’s whites, sat at a corner table at the far end of the room. There was also a man asleep in his tray on his own at a table in the middle. The only other people were the two women working at the food counter and a man in a gray t-shirt and sweatpants. The man in sweatpants was queuing for food with a tray piled high with snacks in front of him.
Robert went to the counter and one of the ladies arrived to serve him, beaming at him. He ordered and sat down nearby.
“I tell you, the service in here is horrendous,” Sweatpants at the food counter sai d. “Isn’t that right, Tina?” He turned his head and raised his eyebrows at Robert. “If I wasn’t sick already, that food would have me upstairs flat on my back in Intensive Care.”
“You be careful no w, Jimmy, or you’ll be eating your dinner off the floor with a pair of broken hands,” the first lady said.
She smiled at Robert, and he realized that they were joking with each other. He smiled a little to himself, and relaxed in his chair.
“Go on and sit down,” the dinner lady, sai d. “I’d say you’ve enough on that tray to keep you going.”
“I’ll sit down, but I want you to inform me immediately as soon as those sandwiches are up and running. A man can’t live on pastries and fruit.” Jimmy joined Robert at his table and opened up a bag of potato chips. He offered the open bag to Robert.
“N o, thanks, I’ll wait for my own.”
Jimmy shrugged and stuffed a handful into his mouth.
He stopped mi d- chew, and asked, “You don’t mind if I sit here and wait with you, do you? I hate waiting on my own.”
Robert looked around at the empty tables and chairs and shrugged. “I guess not.”
Jimmy smiled through a mouthful of chewed chips. Robert couldn’t help but laugh, which made Jimmy’s smile even wider.
He dropped the plastic bag on the tray, wiped his hand on his pants and stuck it out in front of him. “Jimmy. Nice to meet you.”
Robert took his hand and shook. “Robert, nice to meet yo u, too. What are you in for?”
Now it was Jimmy’s turn to laugh. “Sounds like we’re locked up. Can you not tell?”
Robert frowned, shook his head.
Jimmy groaned, and slapped his forehead theatrically. “I forgot, I’m not wearing the bandage anymore. Memory has gone to shite. I banged my head. A subdural something or other, I was out cold for a day or so. Surgery and everything, just got the bandages off yesterday. Look.” Jimmy turned his head and pointed to a small scar on the back hidden in a tiny patch of shaved hair. “They say I was lucky not to have any brain damage, but I’m not so sure. I mean, I forgot the bandage was off, what else am I liable to forget?” He turned to the girls behind the counter. “Tina! What’s my name again?”
The man sleeping at the middle table snorted and muttered something before falling silent again. The girls shook their heads and laughed.
Jimmy smiled and turned back to Robert. “They’re a gas, that pair. Nicer than a few of the nurses, I tell you. So what’s your story? Wait, hold on, I know. You’re here to visit”—Jimmy put a finger to his temple and squeezed his eyes shut for a second—“your mother.”
Robert’s face gave away his
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