Choices

Chapter 5: Peyton

“Evans.” Peterson yells as he slams his fists against the glass doors with panic evident in his eyes. “Roll her onto her side. She is having a seizure.” I let out a deep breath that I didn’t know I was holding in before rolling Peyton onto her side. Her body convulses in my hold and I can practically feel the worry radiate off Jamie.

“Andrews, go down to security and find someone who can open these doors. Tell them it’s a direct order from Craig Peterson.” He commands and just like that Dean is off again. The only thing that Jamie and I can do right now is wait it out with Peyton until Dean gets back with someone to open the doors.

“Jamie.” I call out when I notice that her eyes are stationed on the glass door in front of her. “Doctor Black, get over here and help me.” I try my hardest to hold Peyton onto her side but my arms are failing me.

“We have a problem.” She calls out and at first I thought she was talking to me. That’s until my eyes meet the other end of the glass door and I see Mr and Mrs Humphrey running towards Peterson, who is pressed against the door, with worry in their eyes. Peterson catches on to our wide eyes and he turns around and manages to stop the parents from coming anymore closet towards the barricade that separates their daughter and them.

“What is going on?” The father yells out in a fit of panic as he grabs onto his hair. It’s scary to see your child like this but it’s even scarier to not be able to get to your child.

“It’s just a misunderstanding.” Peterson informs them. “Someone is getting these doors open as we speak.” I pray to God that Dean knows here he is going, for Peyton’s sake. It’s only his first day here and to find the control room isn’t the easiest task at the hospital.

Peyton stops convulsing in my hold and I slowly roll her over on her back. Just as her back meets the mattress she lets out a breath. I’ve been around dead people long enough to know what a last breath sounds like. My fingers meet her neck to look for a pulse and when I feel absolutely nothing my entire body freezes. I turn my head into the opposite direction and look towards the door, where Peyton’s parents are no longer standing behind. “Jamie, don’t freak out but she is dead.” I barely whisper and her head snaps to my direction.

I quickly wipe away a tear from my eye as the lights go from red to green and the double doors open. “I will get the parents.” Jamie volunteers and I am thankful that she does because right now I am unable to think straight, let alone deal with the dead patient’s parents. The mother and father come rushing in and I quickly put myself at the bottom of Peyton’s bed and try to block her parents from their lifeless daughter laying on a hospital bed.

“You guys can’t be in here.” Jamie manages to push the parents out and into the small passage. “You need to get back to your room Mrs Humphrey.” She leads the way but the two parents are not budging. They want to see their daughter and nothing is going to stop them. Peterson takes over and leads them down the hall while a few nurses surround me and take the body down to the basement.

I find myself back in the residents locker room and it isn’t even two minutes later until the other two join me with a defeated look on their faces. “It was an aneurysm and they didn’t pick it up in the C.T. Scans.” Dean slams his fist against the locker and I expected anger, just not from him.

“All three 007’s in one room I see.” James walks in with a teasing smile and for the first time in three months, I don’t find it attractive at all. “I mean two. You’re new here so we don’t really know that much about you.” He throws a wink in my direction and I can feel my blood begin to boil. “I mean I knew your anger would get you thrown into the deep end at some point but I didn’t think it would be five months into our residency year and I didn’t think that it would actually kill a patient.” He points to Jamie with a smirk and I watch as her fists ball up in anger. “And you, I heard you were the best of the best at the previous hospital you worked at. So tell me, how much of an i***t can you be to not be able to find a control room?” He doesn’t manage to get another word out because one second he is tormenting Jamie and Dean and the next Jamie attacks him. I mean full blown attack, she jumps onto him and he falls onto the ground with a thud. Jamie is on top of him throwing punch after punch.

Dean is pulling her off him after she has thrown at least three good punches to his jaw and she is thrashing in his hold. “If you ever speak to me or him like that again you will find yourself in a f*****g body bag.” She screams out and he brown hair sways from side to side as she tries to escape from Dean’s hold.

James stands to his feet and the blood is trickling down the side of his mouth, the rage is evident in his eyes and I can tell that he wants to say something or do something. The thing is, he knows that if Dean let’s go of Jamie then the chances of him walking out of here are slim to none. He makes a wise choice, he spins around and walks out of the residents locker room but not without throwing his best glare at Jamie and Dean.

“Get your f*****g hands off me.” She roars at Dean and he quickly unwraps his arms from around her waist. “I need a drink.” She mumbles under her breath and Dean and I throw each other curious looks. “Are you guys coming?” She doesn’t wait for a reply, instead she grabs a clean outfit from her locker and begins to change.

I’m surprised by how shocked Dean is to see Jamie in a bra, it’s residents locker room. We all change in front of each other because the bathrooms are all the way down the hall.

When I walk out of the residents locker room in a pair of denim jeans and a black sweater, Jamie and Dean are already waiting outside for me. I dump my scrubs into the laundry basket in the residents locker room and shut the door behind me. We walk into Joe’s bar s***h restaurant and the first thing that my eyes land on is the bar.

More specifically, the person behind the counter. He is breathtakingly beautiful with his auburn hair and his mesmerising blue eyes, he offers the three of us a smile as we approach the bar. It’s safe to say that Joe’s bar consists of a handful of day drinkers from nine in the morning until five. After that the staff members from the hospital pour in after their shifts for a drink or perhaps dinner.

“Three shots of tequila and three rum and cokes.” Jamie orders for us and something tells me that she has been here more than once. I on the other hand have only been here once with James and Jake for lunch.

When our tequila arrives we each take a glass and make ourselves comfortable on the barstools. “To Jamie, for punching James Lawson in the face.” Dean proposes a toast and for the first time in an hour, we all burst out laughing.

“She’s probably got a suspension coming her way.” My eyes meet Jamie’s when the words leave my lips and I offer her a sarcastic smile.

“To Dean for not allowing me to kill James and end up with a murder charge.” Jamie’s mood seems to have lightened since we left the hospital. I don’t know if she is actually in a much better mood of it is a front that she is putting up.

“No, to Peyton.” I finally say with a sad smile and two of them give me a look. We don’t say another word, we clink shot glasses and just like that we are downing out shots.

Four more glasses of tequila and a glass of rum and coke, it’s safe to say that we are drunk and laughing our heads off. You would never say that a patient died on our watch today, it’s weird how alcohol has the ability to lift our moods. “So you’re telling me that on Monday she had you pinned against a locker and today you guys are sitting together in a bar drinking?” Dean nearly falls of his barstool with the way he is laughing as he tries to comprehend the history between Jamie and I.

Jamie’s phone buzzes and she is off just like that leaving Dean and I alone with the bartender. “You have some crazy friends.” He announces as he pretends to wipe a crate full of glasses. I offer him a small smile and a nod. “Kyle Jacobs.” He thrusts his hand forward and offers me a charming smile, this earns me an elbow in the ribs from Dean.

“Madison Evans.” I notice how he holds onto my hand for a few seconds longer than he should and I am sure Dean notices it also. When he finally let’s go Dean gives me a knowing smirk and I can feel my entire face begin to heat up.

“Three more shots Fred?” Jamie drunkenly hoots from the hallway and I turn from her to Kyle before giving him a questioning look.

“She thinks I’m that guy from Harry Potter.” He casually announces before grabbing three more shot glasses. Dean is in a fit of laughter beside me and I can’t help but wonder is Jamie knows his name and calls him Fred just because it annoys him or if she genuinely doesn’t know his name and is just assuming.

By the time Kyle’s night shift ends and someone comes in to replace him at eight we are all drunk. I don’t think I have ever been this drunk in my entire life, I was giggling by myself while I was on the toilet earlier. “You guys need a lift home?” Kyle offers as he reaches for his backpack and I nod immediately.

“Yes please.” Jamie answers for the three of us. Dean’s arm is hooked around my shoulder as we all stumble out of the bar. I figured that all of us going to my place will be much easier, they can sober up from there and head home instead of making Kyle drive to three different locations. Jamie calls shotgun as Dean rests his head against my shoulder and just like that he is out cold as Kyle drives us back to my apartment.

Kyle helps me take Dean up and Jamie manages to stumble to the elevator and walk into the apartment perfectly fine. When I push open the door to the apartment, there are six pairs of eyes on me. Brook, Zak, Nicolas, Daniel, Christopher and Jake are all seated on the couches in the living room. Brooke reaches for her phone before she vanishes off down the hallway and into her room.

“Jake?” Jamie slurs and I mentally face palm myself on the head.

“Where were you guys? We were worried sick” Jake questions and he doesn’t sound to happy.

“You were supposed to meet Drake back here for dinner and when you didn’t show up him and L-“ Christopher begins to speak but Jamie abruptly cuts him off.

“We got drunk because I punched Lawson in the face.” She says with a smile and everybody except Jake gives her a confused look. Of course, they don’t know who James Lawson is Jamie.

“We need to talk about that.” Jake gives her a glare. I don’t think he is too happy about the fact that she punched a co-worker and then ended up drunk.

“Twins Jacob. That means no acting like a parent and besides if I wanted another father I would have asked for one.” The bitterness is evident in her tone when she spits out the words and Jake flinches.

“We’re going home.” He begins to walk over to us but Jamie raises her hand and stops him.

“You are going home. I am sleeping here.” Without another word, she walks off into the kitchen and I am sure she doesn’t know where she is going.

Jake gives me a look and I offer him a smile. “It has been a tough day, she can sleep here and I will make sure that she is okay.” I assure him. “Down the hall, first door to the right.” Kyle gives me a nod before dragging Dean to my bedroom and the other four guys rise to their feet.

Zak and Christopher wait behind as Nicolas, Daniel and Jake leave. I assume the other two Parker brothers are waiting for Drake to return and I am sure that Brooke has already announced my arrival to Drake. “I should get going.” Kyle says from the hallway and both the Parker brothers turn around to get a good look at him.

“I’ll walk you out.” I hold the door open for him and walk out right after him, without giving the Parker brother’s another look. I can feel their eyes burning holes at the back of my head.

We make it to the elevator in comfortable silence and he pushes the button down before turning around to give me his full attention.

“Can I count on seeing you again some time soon?” Is he flirting with me right now?

“Depends.” Am I seriously flirting back?

“On what?” He takes a step closer and one more step before the distance is closed between us. Before anything else can happen the door to the stairwell is pushed open and Drake marches through with a livid look on his face. He doesn’t acknowledge Kyle or me, he just makes his way back to the apartment with smoke blowing out of his nose.

“I should go. I’ll see you around Kyle. Thanks for the ride home.” He doesn’t answer me back, instead he just stands there and stares at me for a few seconds longer. He slowly begins to lean in and I am surprised by how much I actually want him to, just before his lips barely touch mine the elevator dings and the double doors open. I quickly pull away and turn around to see Satan standing in the elevator with a look that matches the one Drake was wearing when he walked in.

“I’ll see you around Madison.” He throws a wink in my direction before stepping into the elevator as Lucas Parker walks out. The doors close and the both of us don’t break eye contact until the doors are shut.

When I turn around my body slams into Lucas Parker’s front and I take a quick step back. “Who was that?” He doesn’t waste time beating around the bush, does he? The jealousy is evident in his tone and I think it’s the alcohol kicking in because I swell with pride.

“Is he your boyfriend?” I try my hardest not to laugh at his words as I take a step closer and look up at him.

“If I said yes would that make you jealous?” I whisper as his eyes drift from my eyes down to my lips.

“Incredibly jealous.” He hums out before shifting his eyes back to mine. Those beautiful hazel brown orbs that have been haunting my dreams since we first met a few days ago.

“I am not going to date you.” I take another step closer until my body is pressed against his and I hear him suck in a breath. “You don’t want to date me, you just want to f**k me and I am not going to allow that. You should just quit while you can.” When he begins to lean in I take a step back.

Within seconds he has me pinned up against the wall next to the elevator with his body pressed to mine. His one hand snakes around my waist and the other hand comes up to my cheek. The ring on his pinky finger is ice cold as he brushes his finger up and down my cheek. He brings his lips down to meet mine and a shiver runs down my spine. The soft kiss suddenly turns into a battle with his tounge and mine as he grips into my waist and I tug on his hair. He pulls away after a few seconds and our heavy breathing is the only thing that fills the silence between us.

“You and I are going to be acquainted.” He pushes the button down to the elevator besides me and leans in one last time before leaving a soft kiss against my lips. He steps into the elevator without another word and I hear the doors close and the elevator move but I can’t seem to bring myself to move. What just happened?