CHAPTER THREE: SOMEONE WHO WON'T BREAK

Jasmine's eyes snapped open as the shrill ring from her phone invaded her slumber. She stretched her hands towards the table, grabbing her phone. 

  “Who is it at this hour? “ Jasmine muttered, her thumb sliding to answer.  

  “Good morning sis”, Jasper's voice said from the other end. 

Morning kiddo, is everything okay?, Jasmine asked. 

“Not really sis, my school fees would be due next week and the landlord came to ask for his rent yesterday”, he replied. 

“I didn't forget. Jasmine said, now fully sitting on her bed. Sleep had left her eyes.

"How is mummy?” she added. 

“She went to get water in the kitchen”, her brother said.

Okay,tell her I would call her later and be a good boy,she finally said.

“Okay sis, thank you. I love you” . 

“ I love you too kiddo”, jasmine replied.

The screen lit up as soon as the call ended; 5:30 am. “But I had barely slept”, she said loudly. She stretched herself and standing up she muttered” If I don't do it,who will? So I'm doing it”.

   

  By 7:30 am ,Jasmine was already signing herself in at the front desk. The nurses’ station was already loud. Two nurses in blue scrubs huddled over the chatting computer , coffee in one hand, pen in the other.

“I'm telling you”,the taller one said, lowering her voice.

"Mr Harrison screamed at Emily for refusing to remove the oxygen tube and refused Charis from checking his vitals and giving him his medications”

The other nurse rolled her eyes.

"I also heard he ripped out his IV at 3am because ‘nobody was listening ‘. His condition worsened right after and we ran in there for 15 minutes. Family is a mess too. No one had come to visit".

“Yeah . He did it to himself . And now the Intensive care unit is mad at us like it's our fault”.

Jasmine grabbed a new chart and was about to head up to the locker room when the shorter nurse looked up.

"Oh! Dr Richard requested you see him once you sign in”.

 “You should be fast about that so you don't get him angry” Sharon Bennett added.

“I'm here for the patients not the drama”. Then she turned to the other nurse .

"Please, is Dr. Richard Lawson in his office?”

“Yes”. The nurse replied.

“Alright ,thank you”. Jasmine said as she immediately climbed the stairs to change.

Sharon's face stiffened as she watched Jasmine climb the stairs. “How does she stay so calm? How does she restrain herself?”, she wondered.’

The locker room was quiet. Jasmine adjusted her badge,checked her reflection once. Ensuring nothing was out of place she stepped out onto the ward floor.

  “Nurse Carter.”

She turned.

Dr. Richard Lawson stood a few feet away with a file in his hand, a stethoscope around his neck already moving toward her.

"Good morning, sir, I was on my way to your office “

He didn’t slow. “You’re being reassigned.”

Jasmine blinked once.

“The Private wing. Room 301” Richard Lawson said handing her the file without making any contact with her eyes. He knew this wasn't her usual.

“Yes, sir.” Jasmine replied still trying to maintain calmness.

“There was an incident late last night,” he continued. “High-profile patient. Difficult.”

Jasmine said nothing.

“Maintain control,” he added, stopping just long enough to look at her directly. “No complications.”

“I understand sir.”

He paused for a while then he nodded once and moved on.

Jasmine stood still for a second. The private wing meant pressure and expectations. There was no room for error because consequences were severe. 

She looked at the file and the name hit her.

”Harrison Cole”.

Her hands tightened around the folder as she let out a slow breath she didn't know she was holding. The CEO of Cole industries. Major shareholder .The name she’d heard the nurses gossiping about . She adjusted her badge once more and then headed for room 301. Behind her, two nurses exchanged a glance.

“That’s the one?”

“Yeah.”

“Good luck to her.”

Jasmine didn’t hear them or maybe she did. It didn’t matter. The corridor ahead was quiet. Soo quiet that one would think it was an isolated area. It was different from the rest of the hospital. It was more controlled and more expensive. She walked toward it without slowing. Whatever waited, she would handle it like everything else, with accuracy even if it cost her.