Chapter 1: Introduction
Sara rolled her eyes as she walked down the halls of St. Vincents Hospital at the sound of the beeping machines, their incessant rhythm echoing in the otherwise serene environment of the hospital. The sterile scent of the place mingled with the faint odor of antiseptics and latex gloves. There was the constant lingering aroma of hot morning coffee and burnt toast wafting from the nurses lunch room, which would inevitably go cold. Nurses clad in scrubs hurried by, medical records in hand, with their expressions varying from grave concern to blase automaton.
As a Clinical Nurse, Sara had dedicated the better part of her life to caring for others in need. She had just turned thirty, or "dirty thirty" as her colleague and friend Alexis woudl remind her. She had become somewhat disenchanted with the monotonous routine that her career demanded, despite its apparent success. Life had settled into a pattern of unvarying certainty. It's like she had become the very place she spent most of her adult life, Columbia University Hospital; a grand exterior and a tidy, organized routine, but inside a place designed to save lives, life and it's joys were missing.
Sara glanced at her reflection in the polished metal of a trolley that zipped by, seeing a striking woman with dark brown hair falling to her shoulders and framing her face, which she always found tucking behind her right her. Her eyes were deep, blue pools, that contained a sense of calm yet, when stared at long enough, would create unease as thought you couldn't see the bottom . She had an Ironically, heart-shaped face was punctuated with dimples on her cheeks plotting silly grins or cheeky giggles. A hopeless romantic at times, stuck in an enviroment which cares little and gives no time to such Her full lips would tilt whenever she spoke, and her expressive hands traced paths in the air when she spoke. the shapes she would make when she danced her words were much like the curves of her figure. Her hips swaying slightly as she moved through the hospital halls hypnotically.
As she rounded the corner to enter the bustling emergency room, she scanned the sea of scrubs, the figures of nurses, doctors, and patients all blending in a symphony of life's impermanence - the granting and taking of life in a place so lifeless.
In the midst of all that chaos; Alexis. Thank god.
Her petite frame bounced as she sashayed towards Sara, and she flashed her famous warm, bright smile. Her welcomeing brown eyes were crinkled in the corners, with laughter lines peeking through her fringe. With her shoulder-length brown hair, which she often tossed over her shoulder in jest, Alexis looked every bit as lively as the busy emergency room behind her.
"Hey, stranger!" Alexis's voice sliced through the sea of white-noise, bridging the gap between them. Sara noticed how her friend's eyes sparkled with excitement. She was undoubtedly the source of Sara's rare bursts of laughter, the one who reminded Sara of her own vibrant and playful spirit, even if it was locked awa
inside.
Alexis's hands moved animatedly as she spoke, "Guess what? I heard that a new nurse is joining our department today!" Sara raised her eyebrows, curiosity piquing. Alexis leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And guess what, my darling Sara? He's drop-dead gorgeous!"
Sara laughed, playfully rolling her eyes. "You always have some gossip or another, don't you, Alexis? So what's this handsome stranger's name?"
Alexis's eyes gleamed mischievously. "His name is Jake. I saw a picture of him, and let me tell you, you're going to swoon when you lay your eyes on him."
Sara couldn't help but giggle, enjoying her friend's liveliness.