I'm Sorry

32 ICU rooms emitted a cacophonous cry of death and despair in the form of beeps and alarms. They were relentless and spoke of the dire circumstances the patients they were attached to were facing.

Shelly was covered in her personal protection equipment so that only her eyes were visible. They were at capacity, and the ambulances would not stop arriving. Excited to share good news for a change, as she was hurrying past her co-workers, she hip checked someone.

“I’m sorry.” Shelly said over her shoulder as she entered the room of a 96-year-old. This woman had fought for her life in room five for over a month. She was sitting up when Shelly entered her room.

“Hello, my sweet RosaLee. We have good news. You are going to go down to the fourth floor hopefully before the night is over.” Shelly checked the IV bags and glanced at the patient’s data that was brightly displayed in lines and numbers on the monitor.

“I am excited, but I will miss you all,” said RosaLee quietly. “And it is still so hard to talk and breathe.” She touched her throat and ran her hand down her chest.

“That’s why you are going to stay here in the hospital, hon. We are not ready to let you go quite yet.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do when I go home. My Dalton, my sweet Dalton.” RosaLee hung her head and shook it gently.

Shelly didn’t know what she could possibly say to ease this woman’s pain. Everything just sounded lame, so she just didn’t say anything anymore but a heartfelt “I’m sorry.” There were so many lives lost these last 18 months, that she could not find the words to adequately express any emotion. If she was going to continue being a nurse during this seemingly never-ending pandemic, she had to keep her emotions in check before she totally lost it.

“He was my grandson, you know? I had 50 years on him and somehow, I survived. Granted, I’m not in the best of health, but who is at nearly a 100? His fame and fortune did nothing for him in the battle he waged in the next room. His wisdom and love saved me though.” RosaLee looked up at Shelly and blinked a lot to try to keep the tears at bay.

“I think you are right. He got you here so we could take care of you.” Despite the mask and shield, Shelly’s smile was evident in the crinkles by her eyes.

“And you, you saved me too. I’ll never be able to thank you all. I never thought I'd see my kids and grands again,” said RosaLee. She smoothed her unruly hair back.

“Ms. RosaLee, I am so glad that you are going to be going to the fourth floor. It makes my heart so happy.” Shelly grabbed RosaLee’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Your getting better is the only thanks I need.”

“Before you go, can you help me to the bathroom?”

“Code Blue, Code Blue,” called out a woman’s voice over the intercom.

“Hurry now,” RosaLee shooed her thin hand at Shelly and watched as slipped out of the room back to the war with Covid-19.

That was the seventh code blue since lunch and dinner was still some time away.


Prompt: ▼

Include the following words in bold
love
fame
fortune
health
wisdom