Chapter Six: When Lovers Unite
Leland gave Zorell directions in driving to the hospital. She had an inkling of where it was since she had gotten a map of the city months ago, when she decided to take the job offer in the city. She recognized the buildings from pictures she had collected, one being in a local newspaper praising the hospital for saving the life of a famous stage actress.
She was injured on the stage when a prop fell from the rafters and fell on top of her. She lost a lot of blood, because the incidence and wouldn’t survive without a blood transfusion. The procedure was successful, but many thought it was an ungodly process and blasted the hospital for participating in a devil’s practice.
The argument made her laugh. Medical procedures were meant to help people, not only sustain their lives but make them well and healthy, not just help them to live longer. There were those religious fanatics that believed the medical community was going against nature and God’s will by sustaining life when that life was meant to end. She didn’t agree with the fanatics and believed that if a life could be saved it should be. It was the main reason that she joined the medical community. After losing her mother in childbirth, she believed these deaths were a waste. Perhaps if her mother had been in a hospital when she had given birth to her, she would have gotten proper medical care.
The Harden Hospital in Chicago was one of the best and most progressive when it came to patient care. Shanee couldn’t be in better hands, and it would be here that she had the best chance of recovery. She parked the car, but Leland hesitated on exiting. She turned to him concerned that something was wrong.
“Are you okay?” she asked and touched his hand.
He seemed to come out of whatever trance he was in and turned to her. “I’m fine,” he said, but Zorell knew he was lying. “Let’s go in.”
Zorell exited the car and locked the car before closing it. She approached Leland and strolled up the walkway that led to the entrance doors of the hospital. Since she refused to take the elevator he gave in and climbed the stairwell with her. She hoped one day she would get over her fear, but she doubted it since there was no way an elevator could be made completely safe. It was the same with a car, a train and even an airplane, but somehow the elevator terrified her most. It may have the do with the fact that inside that box she would be completely vulnerable with no means of escape. For a long time, she felt that way about her father, but she managed to escape him. Perhaps, she transferred that fear into the inanimate object that was the elevator.
They soon reached the second floor, and she was a little winded, but it was better than having a panic attack when Leland needed his support more than ever. The hallways were almost bear except for a few nurses and other hospital workers roaming the halls. It felt like a long tunnel of closed doors and two lost travelers walking aimlessly to an unknown destination. Finally, they found a small nurses’ station which consisted of a counter the size of a large desk after reaching The Women’s Trauma Ward.
The station was devoid of any personnel which made Leland a little crazed. He had waited so long to see Shanee, and now there was another delay. He paced around the area near the nurses’ station, and Zorell noticed a waiting area nearby. Leland needed to calm down. There was no way the nurses or the doctors were going to let him she her if he looked like he was about to explode.
“Leland, why don’t you sit down for a few minutes,” she said, trying to take his hand and led him to an empty chair.
“I can’t calm down,” he said and paced the floor flailing his arms around. He looked like he wanted to punch the wall or throw something. She had to take control of the situation before things got out of control.
“I’ll find someone, but I need you to stay calm until I get back,” she said, but he just rolled his eyes and turned away and refused to look at her. He didn’t say anything at first, and his silence scared her more than anything. “Promise me.”
“Alight, I promise I won’t do anything stupid.” He raised his hand in surrender, and she believed that he would keep his temper in check.
She walked the hall for several minutes until she found two men in white coats who she assumed were doctors. They were conversing with a middle woman wearing a nurse’s uniform. She hated to interrupt a conversation, but she needed some information before Leland completely lost control.
“Excuse me,” Zorell said, trying to sound as polite as possible.
The two men and the woman turned to her after hearing her voice. “Can I help you, Miss?” one of the doctors said. He looked to be the friendly type while the other doctor looked rather stern.
“Yes,’ she said but for some reason she didn’t know what to say. “Well, my friend and I are here to see a patient, but no one was at the desk.” She was stumbling over the words which made her feel foolish, but she needed to explain the situation. “Her name is Shanee Lavene, and she was in a car accident a few weeks ago.”
“I can help you, dear,” the nurse, who looked to be in her forties, said. She had what looked like brown hair with a few streaks of gray.
“Thank you so much,” she said, taking her hand in gratitude. She saw her name badge that said Nurse Yvonne Strausser, Head Nurse. So, this woman was going to be her boss. She hoped that she had made a good first impression.
She followed the nurse back to the waiting area. The woman seemed to her to not be in a pleasant mood, although she sensed that she was trying to hide it. “I’m sorry for the wait, but we have been so short-handed the last few days.”
“I understand,” she said, trying to keep the conversation going, if for no other reason but to keep her mind off of Leland. She tried to lighten the mood with a slight change of topic. “I’ll be starting here in a few weeks.”
Nurse Strausser looked over at her with intrigue. “Oh, really,” she said and halted mid-step which made Zorell abruptly stop walking. She looked the girl up and down. “You don’t even look to be old enough to be courting for the first time.”
“I’m twenty and just graduated last month,” Zorell said proudly, but the older woman didn’t look as if she believed her. “I was born July 22nd, 1904.” She held up her hand as if taking an oaf.
The woman gave a chuckle and said, “Well, we’ll most likely need you to start early.” Zorell was surprised by what she said, and it looked like Yvonne Strausser didn’t like that, and the older woman stared sternly into her eyes. “It’s not a problem, is it?”
“Oh, no,” she said and her eyes brightened. “The sooner, the better.”
“You won’t be saying that after a few weeks,” she said but Zorell didn’t seem phased by it. Anything was better than to once again live with her father.
They made it back to the nurses’ station in time to see that one of the younger nurses racing back to the desk. The older woman didn’t look happy about it and stared the girl down. She was a young blonde about Zorell’s age and looked like a slightly older version of Eloise accept the girl had a short bob cut styled in tight waves and wore too much makeup.
“Where have you been?” the older woman asked in a scolding tone.
“I was on a break,” she said in a casual manner and sat behind at the desk examining her well-polished nails. Zorell looked over towards the waiting area, and she could see that Leland was about to come out of his skin.
“Never leave this desk unattended again or you’ll be out of a job,” the older nurse said and Zorell looked on thinking that this woman was highly meticulous, but that didn’t bother her. She would have to keep on her toes working for this woman, but she was just the same when it came to her work.
“Now, I need you to look up a patient file,” the woman said and then turned to Zorell. “What was the name again?”
“Shanee,” Leland spoke up before Zorell had the chance. “Lavene.” There was that look of sadness in his eyes, and the older woman didn’t look so hard at that moment.
The younger nurse looked through the files until she stopped and pulled one out. “Here it is, Levene, Shanee, car accident. Room 3b at the end of the hall to the left, bed six.”
Leland looked a little more relieved. “Can I see her now?” The old nurse hesitated in answer which frightened Leland.
“Alright, but not too long,” she said and led them down the hall to the right room which was at the end of the hall. There were six patients in that room, and it was one of the smaller ones. “She was in isolation for a while, but her infection is cleared, but…”
“But what?” he asked as they stopped at the door of the room. “She hasn’t stirred for days, and the doctor doesn’t know if she’ll even awaken at all.”
“I just need to see her,” he said and the nurse looked strangely at him.
“What’s your name, young man?” she asked.
“Leland,” he said quietly while looking inside the window of the room. He tried to spot Shanee but none of the patients he could see resembled her.
“She was calling for someone by that name a few days ago,” the nurse said and forced a smile. “Perhaps you are what she needs.”
The nurse led them inside and walked them in between two rows of patients. There were three beds on each side. Some of the patients were still sleeping, while one was moaning in pain. Leland hated that he had to be here, but Shanee was here and in danger.
Finally, they reached the last bed on the left side. He looked over and saw that familiar face, the one belonging to his Shanee. Her face was pale, much paler than he remembered, and her eyes were closed. She looked as if she was merely sleeping, but he wondered if that was all it was. He raced to her bedside and sat in the chair next to her bed. Tears filled his eyes seeing her so helpless lying in that bed. He took her hand and kissed it tenderly, but she he received no response from her. He had hoped that once he was in her presence that she would miraculously fall into his arms and, somehow, they would have their happy ending, but the real world doesn’t resemble the fairy tale he hoped for.
Tears filled his eyes, as he gently brushed his hand against her cheek. “Shanee, I’m here,” he said with tears falling from his eyes. “Please, wake up. If you wake up, I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
Zorell let a tear fall from her eye seeing how distraught Leland was. Even in this state, Zorell could see how beautiful the young red-headed girl was. Even lying in the bed helpless and unconscious in her natural state, she was mesmerizing. No wonder Leland loved her. She was art in human form, and it tore at her heart to see him in despair. She took the nurse aside and whispered to her so Leland couldn’t hear.
“What are her changes of recovery?” Zorell asked and the nurse just stood there and bowed her head. “Please, be straight with me.”
“They’re not good,” she said and there was a look of compassion in her eyes. It was a vast contrast to her earlier behavior with her and the other young nurse. She felt this woman was a contradiction, a puzzle that she was anxious to solve. “I’m surprised she’s held out this long. I think it may have something to do with that young man.”
“I think so too,” she said and looked over and saw that Leland was speaking to her. “Perhaps we should give him a few minutes alone with her.”
“Yes, and anyway I have business to discuss with you,” she said and that hardness returned to her personality.
“Alright,” Zorell said and looked over at Leland one last time. “Lee, I’ll be right outside in the waiting area if you need me.” He looked up and nodded, and then turned his attention back to Shanee.
Zorell walked out with the nurse back to the station near the waiting area. Two more nurses appeared, but it looked like they were gossiping about something.
“Don’t you girls have something better to do?” the nurse asked and the younger nurses scattered about all going in different directions. “Now, what is our name?”
“It’s Zorell Dupree,” she said and opened a cabinet behind the desk. She looked through several files, until she came to the right one and pulled it out.
“This is it, Zorell Dupree,” she said and examined the contents. “So, you were top of your class and volunteered at Saint John’s Hospice, working under Doctor Shapero.”
“Yes, he’s a gifted surgeon and scientist,” she said and the older woman smiled.
“Well, can you start tomorrow?” she asked, and Zorell looked surprised that she would be working so soon.
“Yes, of course I can,” she said and looked excited. It would be her first real paying job.
“Then I’ll see you here at six in the morning,” the woman said and looked her up and down. It confused Zorell about what she might be doing. Was her dress out of place or perhaps she had some dirt on her face. “You’re a size six, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said and wondered why she asked.
“There will be a uniform waiting for you in the nurses changing room,” she said in a friendly but controlled tone. “It’s down the second corridor at the end of the hall on the first floor.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said, and it seemed to Zorell that the woman rarely lost her cool. She still wondered what it was going to be like to work under her.
The other girls seemed to have some disdain towards her or even feared her, but she would gain her respect in time and maybe even her friendship.
“I think I’ll just wait around for my friend,” Zorell said and took a seat in one of the chairs.
“Very well,” Nurse Strausser said and took out some paperwork.
When Zorell got herself settled she opened her purse and pulled out the Agatha Christie novel she had been reading. She turned to the page she had marked and began to read. She wasn’t even a paragraph in when she saw a tall man with dark hair approach. He was wearing a nearly black hat tipped to the side. He also wore a dark gray suit, and she thought she saw a smirk creep across his face. She could only see his side profile, but for some reason he looked familiar. Could it be her father had possibly tracked her down here? No, that couldn’t have been possible, not after the work she put in to fooling him. Still, she kept a low profile and hid her face behind her book.
She read on but not really absorbing the words. She only heard bits of the conversation and wondered if the man would leave soon. It was not to be so because he made a point of sitting in the chair next to her. Even though the entire room was empty with at least a half a dozen empty seats, he chose to sit in the one next to hers.
“Good book?” he asked, but she tried to ignore him. Perhaps if she didn’t say anything he would stop talking and perhaps go away. She tried to pretend the man wasn’t there and continued reading, even though the words flew out of her head as soon as her eye glanced upon them. “I like Agatha Christie too.”
She then looked up from her book and studied on the face of the man and realized where she had seen him. “Why are you sitting next to me when the entire room is empty?” she asked.
“Waiting rooms aren’t so stuffy when a person has someone to talk to.” He gave her a slightly intense smile which sent butterflies to her stomach. “May I introduce myself? I’m Gavin Lorio, at your service.” He took off his hat and held out his hand, but she refused to take it.
“I’m sure,” she said with a laugh. It seemed like he was trying to impress her with his smooth speech, but she felt it came off a little fake. “So, do you often walk up to strange women and strike up a conversation?”
“Only beautiful ones,” he said and the statement made her laugh once again. His behavior seemed unreal but entertaining.
“Then why are you talking to me?” she asked and closed her book. She never considered herself a beauty not like other girls. She always thought herself to be quite plain. “I’m not exactly a beauty queen.”
“I disagree,” he said and came closer to her. He tried to take her hand, but she didn’t allow it and hid her hands behind her back. The image of him she had dreamed up in her mind was nowhere knew what reality brought. “I believe that you, my dear, are a goddess reborn.”
She burst out laughing at his lines which she believed was what they were. “Don’t try to smooth talk me,” she said sharply. “I’m not that naive.” She stood up after putting her book back in her purse and was about to walk off, but another male voice stopped her.
“Gavin, are you trying to flirt with my friend?” Zorell turned around to see Leland standing there less than a foot away from her.
“Of course not, old friend,” he said and rose out of his chair. “Just admiring a beautiful woman.”
“I know how you admire women,” Leland said, but he was smiling which led Zorell to believe that he was teasing. Leland then turned to Zorell. “Watch out for this one.”
“How is Shanee?” Zorell asked and Leland’s demeanor changed as his eyes took on a darker tone and his teasing nature ceased as his expression became serious.
“She’s still unconscious,” he said and looked back towards the hall that led to the room she was in. “They’re doing some tests on her right now, so I can’t see her for a while.”
“That’s expected,” Zorell said and thought how she could take his mind off Shanee for a while. “Why don’t we get some lunch somewhere, and we’ll be back by the time they’re done.”
“I don’t want to leave her…” Leland started to say but was abruptly cut off.
“You can’t see her right now anyway,” Zorell said, trying to reason with him once more. “You can bring your friend, too.” She looked over at Gavin who was smirking at her.
“So, Leland, are you going to introduce us?” Gavin asked. He picked up his hat that he had put on the seat he was sitting in.
“This is Zorell Dupree,” Leland said in an attempt to introduce them. “She’s the one who found the letter you wrote me.”
“So, this is the famous Zorell you told me about,” Gavin said and came closer to her. It made her nervous that he was standing next to her, so close she could smell his aftershave. “You’re right. She’s not a little girl… but a woman.”
“Well, Mister Lorio, if we’re going to lunch, we better hurry,” she said and took a few steps away from him. “Lee, are you ready?”
“Let’s go,” Leland said, but it was Gavin who looked much more excited and insisted on walking next to Zorell whether she wanted him to or not.
Historical Fiction
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