I usually try to take a nap on my night shifts. The unit is always busy and the management expects a lot from us nurses; it really helps to catch even a few minutes of sleep on your break, if you can.
It's three a.m. and I'm exhausted. The machines around the unit beep quietly, and I can hear patients snoring. I'm trying to write my care notes, but my eyes keep drifting shut. If I can't go for break soon I might fall asleep in the nurses' station.
Cara, one of the new nurses on our team, sits beside me at the desk. I smile at her.
"Hey, 'Liv," she says with a smile. As she pulls a pen from her scrubs, her shoulder brushes along mine. A shiver runs along my body and the skin on my arm tingles.
She looks down at my arm and notices the small trail of goose flesh on my skin.
"Are you cold?" she asks, her deep brown eyes looking into mine.
I'm not cold, but I nod anyway. "Yeah," I say. "The night shifts get a bit cold, don't they."
She smiles and gives me a short hug, running her hand along my shoulder, like she's trying to warm me up.
Cara is absolutely gorgeous, even at this ungodly hour. Everyone else here looks tired, with puffy faces and bags under their eyes, but Cara has smooth skin and a bright smile. Her scrubs always fit her perfectly, tightly outlining the curves of her body.
If I'm being honest I've had a crush on Cara for a few months now, since she started working here. For a while I thought she might feel the same, but I think her flirty banter is just how she talks to everyone. I heard she has a boyfriend, too.
"How's your shift going, Olivia?" she asks me, looking into my eyes. Fuck, her gaze is really distracting. I put down my pen and give up trying to write.
"It's fine," I say. "Honestly, I'm really tired. Hopefully I can go for break soon."
"I'm supposed to go for break soon, too!" She smiles at me, touches my arm, and lowers her voice, conspiratorially. "Do you want me to take you to the best napping spot in the whole hospital?"
I nod, hoping I don't look too eager. I've heard too much hospital gossip, and my mind wanders: everybody I know has a story about hooking up on night shift.
With perfect timing, our manager comes up behind us. "Hey Cara, Olivia, you're good to go for break. We're overstaffed tonight so take two hours, okay?"
We both stand up and walk into the hall. I'm trying not to feel nervous but my heart is pounding expectantly. I hope Cara can't hear it.
She's walks just ahead of me, leading the way, and I try, unsuccessfully, not to check her out. Her long ponytail swishes down to the top of her perfect, curvy hips. We walk for a while until we reach a quiet hallway. We're the only people around.
She opens a door and gestures for me to walk inside. It looks like an old examination room: there's a stretcher and a couch, along with several blankets.
"I found this room while I was wandering around a few nights ago," she explains. "I haven't been sleeping very well since my boyfriend and I broke up." She sits on the couch and looks up at me.
I sit beside her. The couch is small and our bodies press together. Suddenly I don't feel quite so tired.