Page 1 of Guarded By Atlas

Chapter One

Marie

No one in nursing school warns you of the chaos that exists within the walls of a nursing home. They teach on topics from anatomy and physiology, patient care, and medical administration, but fail to mention the hours upon hours of panicked, one-sided hide-and-seek with the residents, pranks pulled on unsuspecting nurses, and more drama than a middle school cafeteria.

Barely anyone mentions the secret love affairs or catfights that happen between octogenarians. Or the constant chaos with a population that is supposedly harboring aching joints and failing eyesight but is shockingly spry when there’s pie on the line.

And no one told me that I would spend a Friday evening in a room with a stubborn eighty-five-year-old resident who won’t take her meds because the man she’s been flirting with started talking to another woman—one who is supposedly my patient’s arch nemesis.

“That old wind bag!” I lift my face from my palms and stare at my fuming patient. Her stunning snow-white hair falls just above her shoulders in heavy curls that frame a delicate,regal face. Her red painted lips are puckered in a pout, and her furious brown eyes are locked on the door across the hall. “I hope his teeth fall out while they’re kissing, and her oxygen tank runs low. Linda has been jealous of me since we were teenagers. Always trying to steal the spotlight from me, that hussy!”

With a sigh, I drop my face back to my palms. I’ve been hearing about this love triangle for months, and it shows no sign of cooling off. To be fair, the residents here don’t really need a reason for the crazy things they do, and half of their reasons are made up anyway. I guess when people are bored and trapped in close quarters, they’ll do anything for entertainment.

And no, I don’t hate my job. Quite the opposite. Between the amazing stories of people who’ve made it through nine decades to knockdown fights over whose grandkids are more successful, there is never a dull moment within the walls of this nursing home.

I’d always wanted to be a nurse. I was ten when my parents brought me to visit my grandfather at this very nursing home. At that age, I was terrified of hospitals, so when my parents led me down the clean, brightly lit halls of the nursing home which smelled strongly of antiseptic, I’d wanted to run.

But then I saw her.

An angel dressed in blue with a smile so bright it could light up a room. She was tending to my grandfather, patting his shoulder as she spoke softly to him, and in that moment, I realized that I wanted to be her. I vowed to overcome my fear of hospitals and worked my butt off in nursing school to be top of my class, so I too could become an angel who helped people. Back then, I had no idea what happened within these walls when residents didn’t have to be on their best behavior in front of theirfamilies. Sometimes, I feel more like a preschool teacher than a nurse.

“Debbie,” I say with a sigh, brushing stray strands from my face as I turn to look at my brooding patient. “If you’re going to win Earl back, don’t you think it’s important to be in your best health for that? You need your meds so you have the energy to put Linda in her place.”

She sniffs and turns away, smacking her lips when she speaks, “Those meds make me feel awful and tired. Besides, I don’t want that toothless geezer back. I’ve moved on!” She yells the last part, clearly hoping it will reach across the hall.

“Debbie—”

She turns back to face me, grappling to take my hand. “I’m prettier than she is, right?” she shamelessly asks, blinking up at me as the anger in her eyes vanishes, and in its place appears a vulnerability that startles me. The kind that reminds me how fast moods change around here. “Everyone says I’m the prettiest around here. They’re always complementing my hair and skin. Jack says I look no older than sixty-five.”

“And humble too,” I deadpan, to which I am rewarded with an eyeroll. “You want to know what I think?” She nods, her grip surprisingly strong when she tightens her hand on me. “I think I saw a certain seventy-five-year-old man watching you in the entertainment room tonight. He was trying to be discreet, but I caught him looking your way every five minutes or so. You, Miss Debbie, have been so focused on your two-timing beau that you completely missed the fact that you have a secret admirer.”

Her eyes light up with excitement, and I nearly laugh as her mouth stretches into a devious smile. “Who was it?”

“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head, reaching for her meds on the tray. “If you want me to spill, you have to take your meds first.”

“Oh, come on! That’s blackmail.”

I sigh. “It’s bribery, but I guess you’ll never know—”

She reaches for the meds and downs them one after the other, chasing each pill with a sip of water. She even sticks out her tongue to prove she did in fact take them—and just to be sassy—before leaning back against her pillows. “Okay, Nurse Marie, you got me to take the meds. Now spill.”

I shouldn’t…

I know better than to gossip with the residents, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Debbie. She is my favorite resident, although I would never tell her that, knowing how she’d be bragging about it before the day is over. She is way too energetic and mischievous for an eighty-five-year-old, giving all us nurses a hard time, but she is exactly who I want to be when I’m her age. Proud, confident, and lovable.

I gnaw my lip, briefly glancing at the open door of her room to make sure we’re alone before leaning in to whisper. “Here’s a clue for you. He has a thick mustache and a gruff demeanor from his days in the military—”

“Good God!” she gasps, her delicate hand going to cover her mouth. “Are you saying that brooding hunk with navy tattoos who barely ever says a word to anyone has a crush on me?”

“Looks that way,” I say dramatically, lowering my voice to feed her more gossip. “And get this, I’m pretty sure I heard him asking Betsy about you.”

Debbie giggles at my words, and we’re both so invested in it that we miss the fact that we’re not alone anymore.

“What are you two gossiping about?”

I jump, my heart in my throat as I bump into the woman standing behind me. “Ouch,” she laughs, rubbing the spot under her jaw. My cheeks flush at the thought of being caught gossiping with a patient, but I relax when I see who it is. “Serves me right for sneaking up on you two. Hi, Marie.”

“Chelsea!” Debbie beams when she sees her granddaughter. “Oh, honey, I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

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