Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

clearly in the wrong job. The woman continued to tap on the computer while Sallie straightened herself and took her phone out of her bag.

‘Straight down to the lifts. Third floor. You’re expected.’ And the woman dismissed Sallie with a curt nod.

‘Where I come from, it’s considerate to say please and thank you, even if you can’t manage a smile. Might be a good idea for you to take that on board in, you know, your line of work.’ Sallie smiled broadly as she pulled the handle of her suitcase up and went over towards the lifts.

The woman’s large angular chin dropped and as Sallie stalked off, head held high she thought she heard the woman mumbling about not liking the use of the title Ms.

Nurses on their way home after a shift, an old man pushing an extremely large woman in a wheelchair and a young dad gripping the hand of a toddler holding a new baby balloon stood in line with her for the lift. They walked in and it sped up super quickly and stopped at ICU.

Sallie stepped nervously out of the lift into a long corridor, went through a set of automatic doors and into another eerily quiet, low lit corridor which made her careful where she stepped. Approaching a second set of doors a sign instructed her to wave a hand over a screen and wait for assistance. Two minutes later, and the door opened outwards and a young male staff member dressed in a shirt emblazoned with the hospital name greeted her with a smile.

‘Hello. What can I do for you?’ He spoke quietly, with kind eyes and a lovely aura.

‘I’m a visitor. I’m here to see Nina. I did email in but I’ve only just arrived from the airport so not sure whether or not it’s still going to be okay.’

‘Not a problem. Name please? I’ll just go and check on the system and ascertain where we are at with the doctor and visitors and let you know what’s what.’

Relieved at his calm demeanour and polite friendly face compared to the hideous woman in the foyer who had done nothing to allay any of her fears, Sallie felt everything drop - her shoulders relaxed and she unclenched her hand from her case, resting the tote bag on top of it and taking her scarf and coat off. The warmth of the hospital compared to the cold outside made her cheeks burn and her cashmere jumper had started to stick to the little rolls of skin over her jeans at her sides.

The young nurse came back a few minutes later and led her into the dimmed lights of the reception area of the unit. A faux wood reception desk covered in notices, folders and screens greeted her, with two staff sat staring intently at their computers. Her suitcase rolling along behind her and her shoes clipping on the tiled floor sounded extremely loud against the low hum and monotonous beeps of machines echoing from every room.

Sallie’s gaze slowly took in the dimly-it area as the nurse started to log her details into the computer and instructed her what to do with her stuff and where to go. A small waiting area adjacent to the lifts had a flat-screen TV on the wall playing the news, each of the small, uncomfortable-looking chairs was empty and a pile of magazines on a tiny side table looked like it hadn’t been touched for years. Sallie shuddered at both the memories of being in hospital and what was happening to Nina.

She followed the nurse quietly until they found Nina’s room at the very end of the corridor.  Antiseptic mixed with food smells hit her nostrils whilst she washed her hands with pink, medicinal soap and pulled paper towels to dry her hands from a dispenser on the wall.

‘Okay, we can go in,’ the nurse said, gently opening the door.

Nina was surrounded by equipment in the dimly lit room, cannulas in each arm, propped up on pillows and covered in taut, white cellular blankets. An oxygen mask hung nearby and a myriad of machines displayed various coloured numbers, lights and information. A lone, rectangular-shaped water jug sat on the table beside the bed and a murky green coloured plastic chair was pushed back by the window.

Sallie slipped in quietly behind the nurse. The nurse gestured her to the chair and she sat down and placed her hands tightly together in her lap. Shocked, she could barely speak seeing Nina like this - she looked much worse than she had anticipated, so small, yet at the same time almost bloated and helpless in the bed surrounded by all the equipment.

Nina, sensing something in the room flicked her eyes open momentarily and as recognition flashed across her face, took a deep breath as if even the thought of smiling or speaking was too much of an effort.

‘Sals.’ She whispered.

‘I’m here sweetheart.’

‘Look after Tillie for me,’ Nina said, her breath laboured as she spoke and as she finished, pleased with herself at getting the words out, the tiniest of smiles curled up from the sides of her mouth. Her whole body seemed to ever-so-slightly relax, her head dropped to the side and her eyes closed tightly.

Sallie looked at the nurse, not trusting herself to speak in case she burst into tears.

‘She’s been exhausted - that’s the most I’ve seen her interact since I’ve been with her in here,’ he said, putting his hand gently on Sallie’s shoulder, and standing there beside her looking at Nina in the bed.

Sallie nodded quietly and just sat there staring at Nina, helpless in the bed surrounded by white and beeping sounds and tiny little flashes of green, orange and white.

The nurse whispered, ‘I’ll leave you here for a few minutes.’

Sitting bolt upright in the disinfected plastic chair Sallie looked back at Nina. The atmosphere was sterile, grim and she could almost hear her own heart beating in her chest along with the beeps of the machines