Night in the Hospital (Part I)

Editor’s note: This is inspired by a true story. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent. This is a three part series.

He started bleeding profusely. Blood splattered on me.
“Oh my Gawd! I can’t watch. HELP HIM!!!!! HELP HIM!!!!!!”
“Man, I can’t do it,” Em cried!
“Put pressure to stop the bleeding,” the poor victim said.
I can tell Shawn wanted to shed tears from the pain, but his pride wouldn’t let him show it. Yet, he found light of the situation and made a small joke.
“Hey, Brandi, you cannot be a nurse,” he said.
“I know,” I responded confidently with passion. “I’m a writer! I didn’t miss my calling.”
“We’re going to have to go to the hospital.”
Everything happened in less than five seconds.
Five seconds doesn’t seem like a lot. Until, you’re in pain.
Count them.
One… Two… Three… Four… Five…
In that time, my entire plans for the night changed.
One minute I was getting ready to go into Kimikos, a trendy bar and grill for young socialites. My outfit was ON, and I smelled like pure fun summertime with less on the floral. Because I wanted to attract people and not offend them. Then the next I was heading to the nearest medical facility, none other than the pissy-pew filled hallways of Earl B. Short Hospital, the charity hospital, or a.k.a. the city zoo. The exact opposite of where I wanted to be.
In route I guessed to myself how many inmates would be chained to gurneys along filthy walls.
Or a better guess would be have been how many bleeding, smelly drunks, and psych patients I would see in the dark alley. If I had to make a bet on 20, I probably would have hit on the mark. I hoped none would try to ‘holla’. I feared if I politely said ‘No’, it wouldn’t be understood and as disrespect and we’d be in a knife fight. Already nervous for my friend, I can’t think of fake numbers and excuses to give out on the fly of why I can’t go out with the fry boy from McDonalds, who has mental problems.
Sure enough, as if on cue, when we rolled up in the parking lot the flashlight cop sat in his car and we were off to fend for ourselves.

…to be continued.