"Nurse Holly!" The young intern shouted to her, "A patient would like to see you."
"Very well," Holly nodded, following the college age man through the halls until they reached the patient's room. She read the sign next to the door, 34B.
Taking a deep breath, Holly placed her hand on the doorknob. Typically, with a patient wanting to see her, and by the young intern's panicked face, that meant something bad had happened.
And Holly hated that.
"Nurse...Holly?" the young man asked, gingerly placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are...you okay?"
Holly looked over at him, realizing she had been shaking.
"Yes, yes of course, I'm okay." Holly said with a smile, then opened the door to the hospital room.
"Hello...?" the young girl in the bed asked, her voice weak.
"Hello," Holly knelt down next to the girl's bed, smiling as she looked into her dark brown eyes, "My name us Nurse Holly, but you can just call me Holly."
"Hi...Holly," the girl slowly said, "I'm...Melony,"
"How are you doing today, Melony?"
"Good," was Melony's answer, "but my stomach hurts." Holly quickly looked at the young girl's file, seeing that she was in here for a bad case of pneumonia.
"Well do you not feel as sick?" Holly asked.
Melony nodded.
"Hmm..." Holly thought, "have you been eating much recently?"
Melony at first nodded, then shook her head, then shrugged.
"Do you know?" Holly asked gently.
Melony shook her head.
"How old are you, Melony?"
Melony held up an open palm and two open fingers in the other hand. "7, huh?" Holly acted surprised, as if 7 was super old.
"Are you sure you shouldn't be in college?" Holly leaned forward in her chair, smiling as the girl giggled at that. "Our maybe...at a job?"
"No," Melony answered obviously, "I'm 7."
"Really?" Holly raised an eyebrow, "Or are you 27?"
"No!" Melony slapped her hands down on the mattress in play frustration, "Just 7!"
"Okay..." Holly laughed, sitting back in her chair.
It was nice, making the poor girl smile. She must've been so scared and concerned, going to a hospital all alone. And at such young age, too. It was these little moments, these tiny, happy, moments that made Holly smile.
"Nurse Holly?" Melony asked curiously.
"Hmm?"
"How old are you?" Melony asked very seriously, leaning forward in her bed.
"Hmm..." Holly leaned forward in her seat, starting into Melony's eyes. "Bold of you to ask such a question, child."
They stared at each other for a moment, faking anger towards each other before fighting a burst of giggles.
"127," Holly answered.
"What?!" Melony exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air as Holly fought to hold in a laugh.
"That's not true!" Melony crossed her arms, "Nobody's 127 years old. I thought you were a scientist!"
"No," Holly smiled, "I'm a nurse. And I'm actually 36."
"Woah," Melony said in awe, "You're older than my mommy!"
This time, Holly couldn't contain the giggles. She laughed for this little girl, she laughed for her own kids back at home, she laughed for her daughter not much older than Melony.
She laughed for the sake of joy itself.
"Uh...Nurse Holly?" The young intern uncertainty asked.
"Yes?"
"You're needed in Room 56C."
Holly sighed, in spite of herself. She stood up to leave, smiling at Melony.
"See you later, Melony. Have a good day," Holly waved at the girl, who waved back.
"Bye, Nurse Holly."
...
Later, on Holly's lunch break, the young intern walked up to where she was sitting.
"Uh...Nurse Holly?"
Holly looked up to see his sad face, biting his bottom lip to keep it from quivering.
"Why the long face?" Holly thought to ask, taking a swig from her glass of water.
"It's...that patient you saw, ma'am. The patient in Room 34B. Melony."
Holly looked closer at the intern, studying his face.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but she's gone."
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