Romans & histoires Nurse Book Bag

"No return address." The package is small, rectangular. Brown paper, twine tied in a clean knot. Deliberate wrapping, like someone took time. Ava perks up. Medication forgotten. "For me?" "Let's see." I pull the twine loose, peel back the paper. Inside: a hardcover book. ‘The Paper Bag Princess’ by Robert Munsch. The cover shows a girl in a paper bag facing down a dragon, crown askew, determination written across her illustrated face.

“Please give it to me.” This book seemed very important to her, for her to beg me so earnestly to return the book. “I don’t want to,” I muttered my eyes trailing off to her bag and the rest of the books that were sprawled across the floor, it was the ugliest fucking bag I had ever seen in my entire life, there was a lot of patchwork on the bag and I just wonder if this girl has fucking responsible parents. Why would anyone allow their daughter to come to school with such a garbage sack?

I know Nicole said we’ve got time, but time has a strange way of speeding up when it matters most. When I reach their apartment, I don’t even pause. The door opens easily, and I stride in, heading straight to the bedroom. Everything inside is neat, as if they'd been quietly preparing for this moment all along. I swing open the closet doors, and there it is, a simple, dark colored hospital bag, packed and ready, sitting in the bottom corner. I crouch, grip the handles, and sling it over my shoulder. It’s heavier than I expected. Full of careful planning, love, and nerves.

I had made it a point not to allow the nurse to linger in the room with me, ensuring that I would hear whenever she came in to check on Sophia. Sophia lay in her bed, fast asleep, her appearance strikingly fragile. My gaze shifted to the nearly depleted yellow drip she was receiving. The urgency to find the nurse welled up within me, but fortunately, she appeared at that very moment. It seemed she had accurately timed her visits to the patient's needs, arriving precisely when necessary. "Are there more?" I inquired of the woman, observing her as she sifted through a bag that resembled a black plastic cooler, although it lacked insulation and was crafted from fabric.

I said, feeling weepy again. "Hormones," Lily dismissed, handing me a cookie. "Eat this. You're crying over Tupperware." "It's really good Tupperware," Noah defended, snapping a lid on. The Go-Bag Monday night was the final frontier: The Hospital Bag. I had a list. I had checked the list. I had cross-referenced the list with three different pregnancy blogs. "Socks," I muttered, throwing a pair into the duffel. "Nursing bras. Robe. Slippers. Phone charger."

Lila could not tell why the nurse’s look at her changed at the moment. She noticed how the nurse stylishly took her head up and down, looking at her while she pressed her phone. But that one is of no concern to her. The most important thing is that no one in her family knows where she is. Lila looked beside her bed but couldn't catch sight of any of her belongings—her bag. “Excuse me, nurse, do you see my handbag?” “Yes, I was supposed to give it to you when you wake up. Please, excuse me, let me go get it for you.” The nurse smiled and left.

Daniel listened attentively, jotting down notes to ensure we didn't miss any important details about the things we needed to do. Once the paperwork was complete, the nurse handed me a bag containing my belongings, and Daniel swiftly took it out of my hands, not wanting to stress me. It was a modest collection, but it held sentimental value. Among the items in the bag was a heartfelt letter from a Nurse Emily who had become a very close friend during my stay. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read her words of encouragement and promises to keep in touch, and Daniel patted my back, giving me comfort.

“A mini me?” “Oh, definitely.” She nodded solemnly. “The nurses said she already has been glaring.” I let out another soft laugh. The image of a tiny furious baby glaring at the world was absurd enough to ease some of the heaviness pressing against my chest. The door opened before I could reply. And Nina swept into the room carrying two paper bags and what looked like enough coffee to sustain an entire surgical team. The moment her eyes landed on me awake in bed, she froze. The bags nearly slipped from her hands.

If not on the wall I stare most of the time at the Nanogex IV bag, just sitting on top of an old table with no chairs that came with the house. The hospital nurse had this in a bag for me before I left. I was informed that I was clutching it tight when someone found me. I close my eyes and pray for a single tear. "Come on, cry, get it out," I yell at myself. I can't even weep, despite my best efforts; not a single tear has fallen from my eyes.