This is my first attempt at writing a story - based partly on fact and partly on fantasy. Names have been changed to protect the innocent! Feedback welcomed.
*****
It wasn't the first time. As a 24 year old newly qualified nurse, Rebecca had seen patients die on the ward before, but this was the first time it had hit her so hard. The patient was a young man, only 35 years of age, who had succumbed to a rare form of bone cancer. Rebecca had looked after both him and his doting wife for the past four weeks, whilst he had slowly drifted in the downward spiral towards death. Over the preceding month she had grown used to chatting to him, finding out about his life and listening to his hopes and dreams for the future, dreams that they both knew would never be fulfilled.
Now he lay on the cold hospital bed, still and silent. Rebecca pulled the sheets over the lifeless body, switched off the lights and left the cubicle. The patient's wife, her eyes glistening with tears, shook Rebecca's hand and thanked her for all she had done. Trying hard to maintain her composure, Rebecca escorted her to the end of the ward and watched as she entered the lift, the lift doors closed and she disappeared from view.
Making her way back down the ward, under the intense bright neon lights, Rebecca pushed on a heavy wooden door and went into the nurses' changing room. With the lights left off, she stood, looking out from the small, dirt covered window over the Welsh hills, as snowflakes began to fall from an overcast sky and the watery sun descended behind the distant horizon. It was then her eyes welled up and salty tears began rolling down her face. Rebecca felt alone. Her fiancΓ©, Tom, was abroad for another 2 weeks and she longed for him to be there with her.
Standing there in the semi-darkness of the changing room, Rebecca heard the creak of the door opening and was aware of her friend, and fellow nurse, Gemma, standing in the doorway.
"Are you ok, Becca" Gemma asked, her voice soft and understanding.
Rebecca didn't answer and Gemma walked over and placed an arm around her shoulders.
"Hey, I know it's tough, it's always hard but you'll get used to it. It's fine to feel upset and to have a good cry now and again." Gemma was a year older than Rebecca and knew exactly how she was feeling.
Rebecca wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled weakly back. "Thanks Gem, I feel stupid, it's just this time of year, a young patient dying and Tom being away, guess I just feel pretty low right now."
"When's Tom back?" Gemma asked quietly.
"Two weeks tomorrow" she replied, with a sad tone to her voice.
After a short pause Gemma said brightly, "I know, what you need is some cheering up. When we finish the shift why don't I round up a couple of the others and we'll go out for a few drinks?"
Rebecca nodded. "Ok, that'd be good - why don't you all come back to my place, it's only a couple of minutes' walk from the hospital?"
"Great," said Gemma, "that's a deal! You take a few minutes, splash some water on your face and come back out when you're ready."
Rebecca took Gemma's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thanks Gem, I really appreciate it."
Gemma flashed her a brilliant white smile. "What are friends for?"
As Gemma left the changing room, Rebecca flicked on the lights and stood in front of the tall mirror that hung on the changing room wall. Her deep brown eyes looked red, and it was obvious she'd been crying. She ran a hand through her long, blonde hair, flicking it back over her slim shoulders. The light blue nurses' dress clung to her body, accentuating her slender hips, the hem reaching down almost to the end of her smooth creamy thighs. With her hands she smoothed out the creases, readjusted the sash around her waist and checked that the buttons on her chest remained fastened. Satisfied with her appearance and with her composure regained, she switched off the lights, opened the changing room door and, taking a deep breath in, went back to work.
Two hours later night had fallen. As they left the hospital foyer the snow lay deep underfoot and the air was crisp and biting. The darkness enveloped the four of them as they made their way from the hospital, out across the now quiet road and walked the short distance to Rebecca's house. As she'd promised, Gemma had managed to persuade Rob, one of the student nurses on the ward, and Will, the ward's junior doctor, to join them - mainly with the promise of free alcohol and an evening spent in the company of two of the ward's most attractive nurses.
Taking out her key, Rebecca unlocked the front door and ushered them all inside. Removing her coat she wondered whether she should change out of her uniform, but decided the effort would be too great and that she was too tired. The house was small but warm and inviting, especially after experiencing the cold harshness of the night outside. They made their way into the living room and whilst Gemma produced a couple of bottles of red wine, Rebecca went into the tiny kitchen and found four wine glasses. Over the next couple of hours they sat together drinking, talking and sharing stories.
Several times Rebecca caught Rob and Will stealing glances at her exposed long legs and the swell of her breasts pressed tightly against the fabric of her dress. Although she enjoyed the attention she made no effort to encourage either of them and her eyes kept wandering to the photo of her fiancΓ©, Tom, which sat atop the window-sill. Rebecca noticed that the two guys were also not so subtly looking at Gemma, who was lying back on the sofa next to her, with her slim, toned body relaxed back into the cushions.
At eleven o'clock Rebecca slowly arose from the sofa, yawning and saying to the assembled group that she was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. The others took their cue and helped tidy up the living room, carrying the empty wine bottles and glasses back into the kitchen. With this done they said their goodbyes and Rebecca closed the door behind them as they went back out into the night. As she watched the three of them walk down the street, Rebecca noticed the snow had started falling again.
Locking the door, Rebecca washed up the glasses and turned out the lights. Making her way up the stairs in near total darkness she entered the bedroom that she and Tom shared, before going through into the en-suite bathroom and turning on the shower, waiting for the freezing water to become warm. At that moment she heard the shrill ring of her doorbell.
Slightly scared, knowing she was entirely alone, she made her way down the stairs and tried to discern through the frosted glass of the front-door who could be ringing her doorbell at this time of night. As she cautiously opened the door she relaxed when she realised it was Gemma.
"I'm really, really sorry Hun," Gemma said apologetically. "I walked all the way back to my car and it won't start. Is there any chance I could use your phone to ring the AA?"