Page 1 of Cyrus
1
Billie
“You have to be kidding!”
I hear the man’s voice from all the way down the corridor.
“This is a joke!” he growls.
I finish checking Mrs. McGowan's vitals and poke my head out the door.
Standing by reception is the biggest man I think I’ve ever seen.
He’s wearing one of those leather vest things. It’s covered in patches of skulls and flames and god knows what else. His huge arms are black with tattoos.
“I’m sorry,” Mandy, the nurse on reception says, “visiting time ended hours ago. You should come back in the morning.”
“The morning?” The man runs his fingers through his thick, chestnut hair and turns around.
He catches me looking.
I quickly duck back inside the room. My heart is thundering in my chest.
Slowly, I poke my head back into the corridor. He’s still standing there. Frozen in time. Looking straight at me.
Without thinking, I step out into the corridor and walk towards him.
The huge man shakes his head. It’s like he’s just woken up from a dream.
“Mandy,” I say, “what exactly is the problem here? You're disturbing the patients.”
It's night shift at The Tommy Sandwich Centre For Medical Treatment and Help and Other Things That Will Make You Feel Better and Less Sick.
Mandy looks at me like she’s thinking about poking both my eyes out with the pen that’s clenched in her fist.
We’ve never been friends.
She’s too arrogant. She thinks she’s better than everyone. She’s the kind of woman that brings cake into work and lets everyone have a slice and then when someone asks why she isn’t having any she says, looking at me or one of the other plus-sized nurses, that she’s minding her weight and that she’ll never find Mr. Right if she’s not 'at her best'.
Fortunately, I’m her senior. Which means I get to pull rank on her from time to time.
I try not to enjoy it too much. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t like how it feels to get my own back a little.
“Nothing is wrong,” Mandy says from between clenched teeth. She’s not half as pretty as she thinks. Especially when she’s mad. “I was just telling this gentleman that there’s no way he can visit his mom. Not until tomorrow. Not until visiting hours start again.”
I put my hand on my hip and scratch my chin. The man’s still looking at me like I’m a big old slab of BBQ ribs. There’s a hungry look in his eyes that almost scares me.
“I’ve driven all night and day,” he says. His voice is so deep and gravelly it sends shivers all through my body. “All I want is to see her. To make sure she’s ok. I’m worried sick.”
A lightbulb goes off in my head. I was talking to one of our newest patients earlier.
“You’re Cyrus?” I ask. “Your mom is Big Mel?”
A wide grin spreads across his face. “I take it you’ve met her?” he says.
I look him up and down, taking him in for the first time. His mom said he was big. Said he was handsome, too. But that’s what they all say. I never expected her to be so right.
“Mandy,” I say, not taking my eyes off Cyrus, “why don’t you leave this to me. I don’t see any reason why this gentleman can’t visit his mom for a minute. It’s quiet tonight. And it will only take a minute, right?”
