“Don’t ignore me! I have been waiting for the doctor forever. Can someone please tell me when my wife is going to get here?” His voice cracked slightly.
I took a deep breath, and looked at my lab partner, “Sorry, it must have been something I ate. I’ll be back,” I got up and headed back out of the room, tipping my head towards the man. Each step took focus, each breath took intention.
I found a small bench down the hall, just past the bathrooms. I knew the cadaver labs were at the end of the corridor, but I had no plans on getting closer than this.
I sat down, grounding myself, trying very hard to stay centered. “I am so sorry to tell you this, but you are dead” How exactly was I supposed to deliver this news? I couldn’t really break it to him gently. I needed him to understand and move on.
“Well aren’t you the smart nurse! I know I am dead missy; I am asking when my wife is going to get here?”
His words took me back. “You know?”
“I died on the operating table; heart attacks are not exactly an easy thing to get through. Now, when is my wife coming to pick me up?”
My mind spun and I had to focus on my breathing to keep from passing out. “Sir, I don’t know. I haven’t seen your wife.”
“Well a lot of help you are,” he turned and walked back towards the cadaver lab.
Feeling returned to my toes.
What the hell?
I got up and headed back toward my class.
I marked time with each step, each lecture, but couldn’t tell you what happened in any of them. I couldn’t stop thinking about the last 24 hours. What a complete change in my reality.
I walked to lunch in a fog, not even sure if I noticed who passed by me. Grabbing food, I found a table near a window and munched mindlessly.
So apparently the gift was back, and the door was wide open.
“Hey, can I sit with you for a few?” A girl sat down, looking completely out of place. I looked around, not sure where she came from.
“Sure. I’m Savanah,” I tried to act normal.
“I’m Karson,” She looked over her shoulder again. "My dad thought I was a boy,” she laughed. “That’s ok, he wants me to be a doctor too,” her laughs felt off, out of place.
“Yeah, what are you majoring in?” I shivered slightly. Consequences of sitting next to the windows in winter.
“I’m going to major in journalism.”
Going…
I took another look at her and I realized she was wearing cut off 501 jean shorts.
In winter.
I exhaled and I felt the ice flood out of my lungs.
“So what year are you?” I asked casually, now focusing on keeping myself grounded.
“I’m a senior. I can’t wait for college. Are you so excited?”
I nodded and took a bite of French fry.
She scanned the room again, “I don’t know where my friends are, I’ve been looking for them,” her face shook in frustration. “Anyway, are you coming here for college?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I can’t wait.”
“I don’t know yet. I mean I wouldn’t mind it here, it is a great school, but my ex-boyfriend lives close,” she shrugged and blushed a little, “It was a really bad break up,” she met my eyes, “So yeah, there’s that.” Karson laughed nervously. “Anyway, away college is looking good if you know what I mean,” she rocked back and forth on her stool.
“Yeah, I can imagine. You should totally go away; ex-boyfriends are the worst.”
“Totally. Like, I can’t even get over the drama.” She looked around again, “Ok, I am going to go. Thanks for letting me chat.”
“Bye Karson.”
“See ya around, Savanah.”
I watched her walk out of the room, but no one else noticed her. “Who ya looking at?” Tyler took the seat that Karson just vacated.
I met his face, “Um this was been the weirdest day.”
“Yeah? Cause you had a pretty weird night.”
I looked in front of him, he must have already eaten. “You already ate?”
“Yeah,” He laughed, “I called to you when you got here, but when you didn’t answer, I figured you were deep in thought. Then I saw you talking to yourself, I thought I better come over and make sure you were ok.”
I met his eyes, “Today has been weirder.”
“Weirder than last night?”
I shook my head, raising my eyes brows as high as they would go. “Oh yeah, your girlfriend is batshit crazy.”
He laughed and took my hand, “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Well, you thought I was talking to myself. Apparently, I was talking to my new friend Karson. She is a senior in high school and just went through a really bad breakup with her boyfriend,” I shook my head erratically. “Yeah, and THEN BEFORE at lab, I had an old guy follow me from the bathroom INTO my class, asking the nurse, by the way that is me, if I had seen his wife.”
Tyler’s eyes filled with humor and something else I couldn’t identify.
I took a sip, “OH but it’s ok, because he knew he was dead,” I started laughing. “Holy crap this day is nuts.”
“So, what? They all see you now and they’re everywhere? Hmm, so I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
I looked up at him quickly, realizing his eyes rang with humor.
“You wanna head to the auditorium? Cause apparently, the doors are open, and I am here to listen to whatever ghostly stories you may have. Just call it ghost confessional! Pope Savanah at your service,” my voice was a little higher than I realized, and a few people looked at us. I took a deep breath. “And that doesn’t even
