Is This Déjà Vu?

Krystal made it to work just in time. She pulled up to her parking spot that said Director of Nursing. The protests were still going on and now the lines grew bigger. Memorial Hospital hadn’t had this problem before COVID. Now we had a nursing shortage because of the risk the nurses were taking treating patients with COVID. They were overworked and underpaid. She agreed that they should have been getting hazard pay for dealing with COVID patients. But even though Krystal was the Director of Nursing, she still had to go through the proper procedures  with her supervisor and then they had to go to the board to ask for the demands. Krystal did all she could  to try to get the hospital staff what they needed. Each day, the protest lines grew even longer and the nursing staff grew shorter. They all were exhausted from treating COVID patients as well as regular patients. Every night when she got home, she was totally exhausted to the point of not showering, leaving her scrubs on, not eating, and falling asleep in the chair. She didn’t have the energy to communicate with Karl before going to bed. Something had to change.

That night when Krystal went to bed, she started dreaming about Wallace again. She wondered if it was a sign that she should look him up. She never truly got over him. She needed something exciting in her life. Work was getting to her, though it was fulfilling it was sucking the life from her body.  Soon, Karl would be off to college, And she would be an empty nester! It’s crazy that time flew so fast and That her little boy was almost grown. When Karl’s gone what would she do with her life except work until she couldn’t anymore ?  Krystal needed something different in her life, she needed a distraction. A very good distraction!

The days were overlapping. Krystal couldn’t wait for the weekend because she was super exhausted. She pulled into her parking spot as usual and prepared herself for the busy day ahead. It was no different than any other day with this strike going on, so she mustered up the courage to get through it. It was Friday and she didn’t have to work the weekend. Thank you, Lord! She was planning to just chill and relax her mind. Maybe she would get together with some fellow nurses and go out for a meal.  

Krystal checked in with her nurses at the front desk to see what she could do to help.  They said that the influx of patients was a little bit less today. There were 25 patients on the roster, she skimmed over the names. When she got midway, her eyes stopped and stared at one particular name.  It read Wallace Mackey.   Her heart fluttered. What was he doing here? Why was he coming to the emergency room? Was he stationed here? Was he still in the military? She was going to make sure that she was the one who would see to him. Did the dreams mean something? Krystal didn’t want to get too excited and overly anxious about seeing him. It had been well over 10 years, heck closer to 18 years before Karl was born. She wondered if he looked the same; if he still had that disheveled brown hair, and those sexy  eyes.  Krystal wanted to know if he would still think she was beautiful.  She tried to keep herself in shape by exercising every day.  She was told that she still looked good and didn’t look her age of 44.  She kept her hair, nails, and makeup flawless,  because she had to represent as Director of Nursing.  Krystal wondered “ Did he ever get married?” Regardless she was anxious to see him.

She called his name, and it slid off her tongue like silk. Wallace Mackey. He came towards her, and he still looked the same… just as handsome as ever.   He was limping. As he got closer,  he started turning his head from side to side and then he said, “Krystal? Is that you?”

“She said yes, it's me Wallace. What are you doing in the emergency room, And why are you limping?”

“I sprained my ankle jogging.”

“ Well other than that you look good.”

“You look beautiful as ever.  How have you been?”

I’ve been pretty good we're slammed here at the hospital.  I’m the director of nursing now. Come back and we’ll take your vitals and talk a little bit.  Do you need a wheelchair? Or can you make it to the back on your own?”

“I think I’ve got it.”

“Don’t put too much pressure on your foot, I can get you a wheelchair. Actually I prefer to do that for you Wallace.”

“OK you're the boss Krystal”.

“ I’ll push you through so let me take your vitals. I need to put your information in our database or see if I can pull it up.”

Few seconds later..

“OK, you’re not in our database, let me take your information please? I need your phone number and address.”

Krystal begins typing the information. 

“Oh, so you live in Virginia now?”

“Yes, I finished my stint in the military so when I got out, I came back to Virginia. I got a job working at a military base as a civilian. Let me ask you a question Krystal.”

“What is it Wallace?”

“Are you single?”

“Yes, I am, are you?”

“Yes, actually I never got married after all those years I just couldn’t get over you”.