Billy Rae Holland
“Oh, c’mon, Billy! Please!” The office lounge was mostly empty, with a nurse or doctor running in and out of it every now and again to grab a coffee or an energy bar. “I was supposed to get off four hours ago!” The female speaking was Amy Marshall, a nurse in the hospital. She was on her cell phone in a corner by the vending machine, whispering to her coworker who had the night off. “I have to check on him every twenty minutes, my feet hurt, my husband is bitching up a storm, you know how much he--” “Alright! Alright. Fine, I’ll come in. You owe me,” Billy’s voice sounded mildly amused with a hint of annoyance, but Billy couldn’t stay mad at anyone.
It took her all of twenty minutes to get there, and when she did she was surprised to see paparazzi crowding the halls of her workplace. “Excuse me, excuse me please, Ma’am, sorry.. MOVE” The frightened news crew blinked at her like curious owls as she forced her way through the throng of people. What the hell was going on in here? She went to the lounge where she found Amy, with dark rings under her eyes. “Okay, he’s in room 138, and for god’s sake, don’t tell anyone.” “Why?” “Just don’t, Billy! God! I have to get out of here, Tyson has been crying for an hour.” “Alright, alright. Give me his chart..” Amy went flying from the room, bursting her way through the crowd of reporters.
Billy thoughtfully looked over the man’s chart as she walked to his room. Mr. Spicer. What a weird name. Apparently he was brought in in critical condition. Alcohol poisoning. How charming. She pushed open the door to his room and slipped inside, still looking down at his chart as she began to speak. “Hello, Mr. Spicer, I’m Billy, I’ll be taking over for Miss Amy. She got called away. Is there anything I can get you to make you more comf-“ she glanced up from her chart and her words were stopped in her throat. Of course he was an alcohol poison case. She was surprised he wasn’t an OD. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she maintained her nursely attitude. “Comfortable.”
She looked over his body, he was in recovery now, in a hospital gown like most of her patients. Unlike the others, though, this particular one was covered in tattoos to mask his incredibly milky skin. Her blue hues looked him over, checking the machine by his bed side to make sure all his vitals were stable and normal. Billy was wearing a cow print pair of scrubs today, with white shoes. Her long golden hair was pulled up in a ponytail to keep it out of her way for work, and in case someone threw up on her. She shifted her weight to one side of her hip and held his chart closer to her as she looked him over.
“You know, as ironic as it is, today is a pretty okay day to end up in the hospital. Apparently, some celebrity is in here. There’s a throng of reporters outside. Maybe you’ll get put on TV if you get well enough to leave before they do.” She offered him a smile, to show that she was joking. “Just trying to make light conversation… but seriously, can I get you anything?” She was looking past his tattoos and his strange hair. Today, he was just another patient. Guys like him came in every day. Still, the idea of a celebrity being in the hospital was a little exciting, and she couldn’t help but wonder who it was.