Janeece hated going to work in her new hospital. At least she wasn’t alone. Two other newbies were being given the same treatment as her. A charge nurse could make or break a work area and the sister in charge of the Intensive Care Unit she was now employed was a breaker. Janeece knew she did her job well. Already the intensivist was requesting she look after the sicker patients so why did the Charge Nurse hate her so much? Probably, she rationalised, because the government had closed down the hospitals that the three new staff members had previously worked and they had been forced upon Sister Pearson.
The most difficult part to bare was that she called every other staff member by their christian name and they in turn called Sister Pearson Edith, her christian name. Janeece and the other two were still Sisters Morrisson, Hennessy and Turner and they would certainly not have dared call her Edith. The two girls from Sydney Hospital were given a much harder time than Janeece, their work constantly being criticised. Sister Hennessy, an ex-rebel nun, was still the renegade and gave back as good as she got. Sister Turner escaped and cried. Janeece took it on the chin and bounced back in good humour. It was even easier to do this after she heard Sister Pearson’s life story from one of the older staff members.
“She was madly in love. She met him whilst she was doing her training. He was a patient and they fell in love and married as soon as she had finished her time. Her Mother wasn’t too pleased as he was a cattleman from out west and she was unhappy that her daughter would leave for a life of isolation in the bush. They hadn’t been married a year when he was killed in a tractor accident, three months before he was to become a dad.”
“What did Edith do?” Janeece asked using the dragon’s christian name in private but not yet to her face.
“She couldn’t manage the farm so she returned to the city where she had a baby girl.Her mother never forgave her moving and refused to have contact with her ’til the day she died. She had no choice but to work and work hard to give her daughter everything. The only life she has outside her daughter was work, and you can see she’s totally focussed on that. Really Janeece, you couldn’t get a better charge nurse. I know she makes your life difficult but she really does care.”
“That’s okay. I can cope. It’ll be easier now I know her background.”
Janeece knew she’d made it when just before Sister Pearson went on her four weeks holiday break she called Janeece by her given name and invited her to reciprocate. Although the other two newcomers enjoyed the four weeks without Edith, Janeece could see that ruling the ward with an iron rod ensured a high standard of patient care and looked forward to her return.
The day she was due back from holidays came but with no Sister Pearson. Someone rang her home – the phone rang out. Worried staff members tried to ring her daughter before remembering that she was off hiking in Nepal. She would have had no contact with her mother.
“She must have thought she was due back next week.”
“It just isn’t like her. She doesn’t forget.”
“We should report her missing.”
“Ring the hospitals and see if there has been an accident.”
“We can’t do nothing.” Anxious, the staff didn’t know what to do.
Finally the Intensivist made an executive decision. “If she is not back tomorrow I’ll contact the police myself.”
The next day dawned, grey and miserable. No Enid Pearson arrived to work. True to his word the intensivist went to the privacy of his office and rang the police.
To be continued……….
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/weekly-writing-challenge-cliffhanger/
- Coming Out To My Sister | Basically Beyond Basic
- A dark act | MC’s Whispers
- A Lethal Clue | MC’s Whispers
- An unexpected awakening | MC’s Whispers
- Weekly Writing Challenge-Cliffhanger | A Veil of Enlightenment!
- Too Damaged | donnainrecovery
- Music Reviews Insult My Intelligence | Bumblepuppies
- B.O.G.O. Blog Post!! | The Fiction of Michael R. Wilson
- Big Shot Jerk Face (or, how I met my husband) | East Meets Breast
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger! | Finding Life
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger | The Uncustomary Housewife
- Cliffhanger/Weekly Writing Challenge | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
- Weekly Writing Challenge | girlinaland
- What Am I? | The Backwords
- The Daily Post Zero To Hero Challenge that is Simply the BEST Cliffhanger | The Playground
- First Time Out | Fish Of Gold
- Words Give Me Wings | Finale to an Entrance
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger! | diamondroseranchmn
- My dearest bundle | From One Crazy Life To Another
- Life Of A Book Lover
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger! | Dear Blog ’14
- Broken Promises Insult My Intelligence | Bumblepuppies
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger! | imagination
- Cliffhanger Part 1: Disaster In Space | Musings of a Soul Eclectic
- You Never Can Tell… | Babbleogue
- Cliffhanger challenge | Passionate Dreaming
- Seeking the Star | Leonas Lines–Poetry Plus
- 2000 Words Worth of Pictures… (Part 1) | The Armchair Socialite
- 2000 Words Worth of Pictures…(Part 2) | The Armchair Socialite
- Resistance is Futile, Time for a Change | Mary J Melange
- i made it | Musings of a Random Mind
- Finding “The Light” | Leonas Lines–Poetry Plus
- A Night at the Club | Graced Images
- The One with the Goddess Pele | Jackie Cangro
- The Raven’s Omen | The Crone’s Apprentice
- Weekly writing challenge: Cliffhanger | La chica de la burbuja
- Showdown | Perceptive Pot Clueless Kettle
- Weekly Writing Challenge – Cliffhanger | Joe’s Musings
- Cliffhanger | The World Has Room For Improvement
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Cliffhanger (Part 1 of 2) | Gradual Thought
- Where’s The IT Guy? | My Play Nook
- Cliffhanger writing challenge | lizzyloveslipstick
Pingback: Ojhri Camp disaster (Part 1) | A mom's blog
eagerly waiting…..shall keep guessing …..
LikeLike
Thank you. Will post probably tomorrow.
LikeLike
Pingback: What Am I? | The Backwords
I don’t know if you have ever heard of the the song Sister Christian by the American band Night Ranger, but for whatever reason the MC reminded me of that name. This is a thrilling story and I want to come back for the conclusion next week.
LikeLike
I haven’t heard of the band or the the song. I’ll have to head off and have a listen.
I hope you’re not going to be disappointed by the ending but really glad you found it a “cliffhanger”. 🙂
LikeLike
I am sure I won’t. I enjoyed trying to put together a good cliffhanger to try to draw people’s interest so they will return for part 2.
LikeLike
Will be there for part 2. 🙂
LikeLike
I just know Miss Marple or Poirot will be showing up soon!
well, ok, maybe not for your story (licensing/copyrights-whatever)
Yes, a cliff-hanger. I love it!! Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story.
LikeLike
Thanks. Just hope you aren’t disappointed.
LikeLike
Hmmmm.. you got me hooked Irene 🙂
LikeLike
Good.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Ojhri Camp disaster (Part 2) | A mom's blog
LikeLike
Pingback: First Blood: The dance-off | ThE cRaZy NiGeRiAn
Pingback: Weekly Writing Challenge – Cliffhanger | Joe's Musings