Where the Sun Sets
Chapter 5
Josephine was awakened by the sound of the vacuum as the cleaners started their
evening shift. She slowly sat herself upright and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with
her fingers. She let her gaze drift from the vacuum to the cross on the wall in front
of her, rubbing her eyes again she stood. Chilled, she pulled the suit coat tighter
around her shoulders, as she headed for the waiting room.
Once inside she took notice of Bernie, passed out in the corner of the room. She
walked to the receptionist desk, but found no one there so she headed over to the doors
of the emergency room. They opened automatically towards her, almost knocking her over.
Regaining her composure, she stepped through the doors. Timidly she took a step
ortwo inside the doors, which closed behind her once again. She looked around,
cautiously.
The nurse on duty saw her and asked her if there was something he could help her
with. Josephine walked over to the nurse's station, still searching the room with her
eyes. Once she was at the station, the nurse again inquired if he could help her.
"Um, Anthony..." she started, "I need to know...Is she...has anyone..." She
rubbed her head with her left hand before pulling back her hair which had fallen in
front of her eyes. The nurse took notice of the injury Josephine was sporting.
"Does it hurt? Does your head hurt?"
"Yeah. Yes, it hurts."
"Did they give you anything for it? For your head? For the pain?"
"He gave me a shot of something, I'm not sure, it was a while ago."
The nurse looked over the logs from the evening. "You came in with the gunshot
victim, right?" Josephine just nodded. The phrase "Gunshot victim' left her with a
hollow feeling. "You should really go home, get some rest. Are you waiting for a ride?
Is there someone I can call for you?"
"Billy, would you mind calling Billy for me? He should be back at the house."
The nurse passed Josephine a pad and pencil. She jotted down the number and stared
at it before passing it back to him. The surgery room was off to her right. Above the
doors, a sign lit up, warning surgery was in progress. Josephine stared at the sign as
she held her head.
"Here, take this." The nurse handed her a little paper cup, which held two small
white pills. He placed a larger plastic cup filled with water on the counter in front of
Josephine before turning to search through the cabinets behind him as he spoke. "No
one has come out of that room for a while. From the way she looked when they brought
her in, they may be a while yet. Everyone else has gone home except for the individual
sitting in the waiting room." Josephine returned her gaze, from the doors to the nurse.
"You can leave a number. I'll call you if anything changes. You look like you could
really use some sleep." He stated as he handed her a small brown bottle. "Here, for the
pain. Only take one every four hours, if you need them."
"Thanks." Josephine responded as she twirled the bottle in her fingers
thoughtlessly. Josephine exited the emergency room and took a seat out in the waiting
room. She picked the chair farthest away from Bernie, who seemed to be drooling.
Jessie, a gopher from her latest set and his date walked through the doors. Josephine
noticed Jessie's date seemed to be all of about fifteen years of age.
19
Josephine was awakened by the sound of the vacuum as the cleaners started their
evening shift. She slowly sat herself upright and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with
her fingers. She let her gaze drift from the vacuum to the cross on the wall in front
of her, rubbing her eyes again she stood. Chilled, she pulled the suit coat tighter
around her shoulders, as she headed for the waiting room.
Once inside she took notice of Bernie, passed out in the corner of the room. She
walked to the receptionist desk, but found no one there so she headed over to the doors
of the emergency room. They opened automatically towards her, almost knocking her over.
Regaining her composure, she stepped through the doors. Timidly she took a step
ortwo inside the doors, which closed behind her once again. She looked around,
cautiously.
The nurse on duty saw her and asked her if there was something he could help her
with. Josephine walked over to the nurse's station, still searching the room with her
eyes. Once she was at the station, the nurse again inquired if he could help her.
"Um, Anthony..." she started, "I need to know...Is she...has anyone..." She
rubbed her head with her left hand before pulling back her hair which had fallen in
front of her eyes. The nurse took notice of the injury Josephine was sporting.
"Does it hurt? Does your head hurt?"
"Yeah. Yes, it hurts."
"Did they give you anything for it? For your head? For the pain?"
"He gave me a shot of something, I'm not sure, it was a while ago."
The nurse looked over the logs from the evening. "You came in with the gunshot
victim, right?" Josephine just nodded. The phrase "Gunshot victim' left her with a
hollow feeling. "You should really go home, get some rest. Are you waiting for a ride?
Is there someone I can call for you?"
"Billy, would you mind calling Billy for me? He should be back at the house."
The nurse passed Josephine a pad and pencil. She jotted down the number and stared
at it before passing it back to him. The surgery room was off to her right. Above the
doors, a sign lit up, warning surgery was in progress. Josephine stared at the sign as
she held her head.
"Here, take this." The nurse handed her a little paper cup, which held two small
white pills. He placed a larger plastic cup filled with water on the counter in front of
Josephine before turning to search through the cabinets behind him as he spoke. "No
one has come out of that room for a while. From the way she looked when they brought
her in, they may be a while yet. Everyone else has gone home except for the individual
sitting in the waiting room." Josephine returned her gaze, from the doors to the nurse.
"You can leave a number. I'll call you if anything changes. You look like you could
really use some sleep." He stated as he handed her a small brown bottle. "Here, for the
pain. Only take one every four hours, if you need them."
"Thanks." Josephine responded as she twirled the bottle in her fingers
thoughtlessly. Josephine exited the emergency room and took a seat out in the waiting
room. She picked the chair farthest away from Bernie, who seemed to be drooling.
Jessie, a gopher from her latest set and his date walked through the doors. Josephine
noticed Jessie's date seemed to be all of about fifteen years of age.
19