Ms Johnson

Chapter three

Samantha's POV

After the kids finish eating I lock the cafe and make my way to my car with the two kids. I packed some food and groceries to last a few days for them in a basket and place it in the trunk. I buckle on the seatbelts of the two kids in the back seat and make my way to the general hospital close by. 

I sit in the car taking a deep breath before driving; this will be my first time entering a hospital setting since the "incident" 18 months ago. Hospitals use to be my temple; a magical paradise where healing took place. I felt immense joy whenever I entered a hospital. Now I see it as a dreadful place where I lost my child and lost my career. 

I drive in silence to the nearest hospital, luckily the nearest hospital to the cafe is Hope Medihealth Hospital and not Hendry Smith Memorial hospital. Hendry Smith Memorial or as I call it HSM is the main hospital of the Smith Medical Group, one of the businesses the Smith family owns. Also happened to be the hospital I worked in ever since my internship. Right now I could not risk running into one of my former colleagues especially Amanda.

We arrived at the hospital after a few minutes, I notice how tense Tommy looks and smile at him. "Don't worry Tommy, everything will be ok. I will not allow them to hurt you." I try to calm his nerves. 

The strong scent of antiseptic liquid and bleach invites us as we enter the emergency room. The emergency room was not like the one at Hendry Smith Memorial which has state-of-the-art technology and equipment or fancy modern furniture. But the equipment and technology were outdated, plain white walls making the hospital more a dreadful place. This place needs a serious upgrade. 

The emergency was full of injured and sick patients today; nurses and doctors were running around trying to treat as many patients as they could. Nurse at the reception area looking extremely busy multi-tasking taking phone calls and typing away on the computer. I walk up to her with the children. 

"Good evening, my name is Samantha Johnson, the kid I have with me has a deep wound on his arm and I'm afraid he might need stitches," I inform the nurse. She looks at me with disinterest, she holds the call and looks at Tommy "what happened to you now you little brat?" I am shocked at her reaction towards Tommy and look with anger in my eyes. How dare she speak to the poor child in this manner. "Who do you think you are talking to the poor child in this manner? You are a healthcare professional and should treat all patients entering this hospital with respect!" I shout at her, she looks at me apologetically. "Sorry ma'am, I will not do it again. I apologized for disrespecting you or the kid. As you can see everyone is busy, can you please wait in the waiting area? We will assist you shortly." She apologizes and directed me to the waiting area. 

I nod and make my way to the waiting area. I hear a familiar voice calling me before I reach the seats in the waiting area. "Doctor Samantha Smith!" I look around and see a familiar figure with jet black hair in a high ponytail running towards me. Her sparkling green eyes look at me excitedly and give me a tight hug.

"How have you been?" she says while pulling away looking at me from head to toe.  "You look amazing! What are you doing here?" "I'm fine thank you, Becca how have you been?" I smile at her. "I'm here with Tommy, bringing him in to receive some stitches. Anyway, the nurse at the reception informed me that you are busy and I need to wait."  I say as I point at Tommy.

Rebecca was my scrub nurse at HSM and one of my close friends. She is free-spirited and loves breaking the rules. Even though Rebecca loved making jokes and annoying her seniors she's a brilliant nurse and loves her job. I have to admit I missed her terribly. She and Amanda were the only friends I had at HSM even though they never saw eye to eye. I always wondered why she never liked her I guess she saw right through her.  

"Well you are a surgeon and you can stitch him with your eyes closed," she says indicating that I should do the stitches. "I don't know Becca I don't have credentials at this hospital to treat patients here and besides I don't practice as a doctor anymore." She frowns knowing why I no longer practice. "Nonsense you are a world-class surgeon and it might take a while before Tommy is treated. Anyway, the evening has been boring so far" she gives me a sly smile and pulls me towards one of the cubicles. "You cannot do this nurse Rebecca, she is not allowed to treat patients without..." Rebecca waves a middle finger at the angry nurse at the reception shouting behind us. "I see you still love causing trouble." "What is life without excitement besides same rules are meant to be broken," we walk towards the cubicle, giggling. 

Rebecca brings a stainless steel tray with all the necessary tools I might need and some gloves. "Well, if you don't mind I have to leave now I need to attend to my patient," she says in a serious tone. I nod in agreement and Rebecca leaves the cubicle. I help Tommy to sit on the bed, Lilly sits on the chair in the corner. I clean the wound and rub an anesthetic gel around the wound to numb the area and begin the sutures. 

After a few minutes, I'm done with the stitches and apply a bandage. I look for Rebecca to thank her but notice Miss Attitude giggling and flirting with a familiar chocolate brown-haired male. His back is turned towards me and I am unable to see his face. I walk towards him but Rebecca stops me before I could see who the nurse was talking to. "Earth to Sam," she waves her hands in front of my face in order to get my attention. I direct my attention to her and ignore the nurse and man she's talking to. "So we should meet up sometime, give me your number and I will call you." Rebecca gives me her phone and I type my number in. "Yes we should Becca, it was a pleasure seeing you again," I say after handing back her phone. "Yes see you soon," Rebecca places her phone in her pocket and gives me a tight hug. She gets back to work, I leave the hospital with two children. 

___

After an hour of driving and Tommy giving directions, we finally reach Tommy and Lilly's home. No words could describe the condition of their home if you could even call it that. It was a small two-bedroom house that looked neglected and dilapidated. "Are you sure you live here?" I ask Tommy and Lilly looking at the condition of the house. The grass is tall and the front yard was uncared for. There are broken windows and the wooden wall outside that looked like it was falling apart. "Yes we live here," Tommy says leading me to the front door. I'm afraid to knock thinking the door might fall off if I do. 

I knock on the door and a skinny woman with dirty blonde hair and green eyes slightly opening the door. She has a busted lip and the skin around her left eye is blue. She looks at me confused wondering who I am and notice her two children behind me. "Tommy! Lilly! where have you been?" she hugs the two children. "Mommy!" both of them shout in unison giving them a tight hug. She looks at me confused and hides the two children behind her. "I don't mean any harm, I saw Tommy looking for food in the trash," she looks at Tommy angrily. 

"I brought some food for you and the children." She looks at me suspiciously and takes the basket. "Thank you for the food," she says giving me a small smile. "Mommy look the kind lady took me to the hospital and give me stitches, but don't worry mom I was a brave boy." Tommy shows her his arm, she looks at me and mouths thank you to me. I smile at them "I should get going anyway please don't look for food in the trash Tommy you can come to look for me at the cafe. Just ask for Sam." 

I leave their house and drive back home. Tommy, Lilly, and their mother are suffering at the hands of their father. The fact that these poor people have to live in these conditions breaks my heart. I think I will bring them some food in a few days and talk to my mother about offering a job to their mother.