I'm lying in bed, caught between sleep and wakefulness, when Natalie walks in. She's on her way to work the night shift. Her Figs scrubs are slightly off, and her whole appearance is all over the place – nothing like her usual perfectly put-together look. The top half is tucked into her pants messily, and her hair's pulled into a loose bun, yet she still somehow looks flawless. Without a word, she steps forward and pulls me into a tight hug while I sit up.
"Hope everything goes super perfect," she murmurs, referring to my labour. Her voice is distant, almost hollow.
I pull back and study her face. "What's happening?"
She lets out a slow breath, eyes dropping to the floor. I grab her arm and guide her to sit on the edge of my bed. "Somebody was at home again. I woke up and couldn't find my phone. I heard someone downstairs, but when I went down… nothing. The door was locked."
I give her a long, confused look, studying her face to see if she's making it up. But she seems honest. "No way! So…, where was your phone then?"
"I found it on the coffee table. Nobody believes me. Mason and Bethany think I'm making it up," she groans, her voice trembling with frustration.
"I believe you." I gently squeeze her hands. "I've got no reason not to believe you. I can't do much while I'm here, though. We'll sort everything out as soon as he comes out," I add, gesturing toward my very pregnant belly, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. But it's no use – Natalie isn't letting go. It's always about her and her needs first.
"How can anyone think I'm making this up? Do I look crazy?"
I shake my head. "Not to me, Nat."
"You are the only one who believes me," she sighs. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She pauses, her expression softening before adding, "I can call in and stay with you if you want."
At last, she's focusing on my situation. Still, there's that hesitation – if you want. I smile, a little cynical. "No. Don't worry about it. I'm okay."
"You know I'm always looking for an excuse to skip work." She makes a show of insisting.
"I know, but you need the money," I remind her.
Natalie's never been happy with her job. She'd rather be a stay-at-home wife, but Mason can barely make ends meet. He manages one of those high-end restaurants, earning a bit more than minimum wage. With her pricey beauty routines and the skyrocketing cost of living, they can't get by on just his income. Their house is too fancy for their budget, which worsens everything. She would have gladly stayed home if they had been financially settled. Honestly, I don't even think she knows why she chose nursing. She's always hated hospitals. Blood used to make her faint. Death scared the hell out of her. I think she got into it because I did, and now she regrets it every single day.
"I do need the money," she says, voice flat. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing this."
"You shouldn't say that. You're making decent money now," I frown. "Plus, blood doesn't make you dizzy anymore, and death doesn't scare you. You even said you don't feel sad anymore when one of your residents dies."
She shrugs, eyes avoiding mine. "After seeing so many deaths, it's become part of my life."
"You work in a nursing home, where everyone's waiting for death, after all."
"I know. That's terrible."
I shift forward, cradling my belly, and offer a reassuring smile. "It's part of the job. But we do what we have to do."
"Dealing with death isn't the hardest part anymore," she says, exhausted. "It's Jaime. Her handover is a mess and hard to follow. She can't stand the job. Honestly, I don't know why she even bothers showing up. There are mistakes every single day. I'm done with it."
"She recently got divorced. She's still working on her mental health. You should give her some time."
"How much time, Lauren?" She opens her arms in frustration. "How much? She's putting my residents at risk!"
"They're her residents too," I remind her, trying to keep my cool.
What sets Natalie apart at work is her unwavering quest for perfection. She always puts the residents' needs above everything else, but the issue begins where she expects everyone else to meet her sky-high standards. She gets upset, and her cranky side emerges if they fall short. In Jaime's case, she used to work reasonably well, though not nearly as impeccably as Natalie insists, but her divorce has taken its toll. Personally, I think Natalie could ease up and give her a bit of time to recover. I hate having to side with Jaime because it only fuels Natalie's frustration, but I must speak my mind. "She loves them as much as you do," I say.
"If that's true, she wouldn't be making all these mistakes," she argues.
"Relax, Nat," I say, leaning closer. "You don't need to be over the top about everything. You've got to let go of some things. In our line of work, exhaustion is universal, but for some, it runs deeper. You need to give her a little grace."
"Alright," she lets out a reluctant sigh and mutters. "Sorry, I forgot to ask…" She hesitates, then touches my arm. "How's your blood pressure?"
I flick her arm lightly. "You remember? I thought you were too busy worrying about your stalker and Jaime."
Her face flushes with embarrassment. "Sorry. I was… distracted. How is it, though?"
"It's under control, but the back pain's killing me. I can barely walk."
She nods, relieved. "It's the blood pressure that matters. As long as you manage your BP, you'll be fine. The back pain will disappear once Logan's out. Call me if you need anything. I'll send Bethany or Mason over, and I'll be here as soon as I get a replacement." She hesitates as though she wants to say more.
"Don't worry. Go work, girl," I say gently, nudging her arm.
"All right, see you tomorrow," she replies, standing up. She gives me a quick hug before leaving.
"It's still early to really know Lauren, but what do you think of her? She was cheated on by her husband with her best friend. Do you think she has the right to feel the way she does? Please comment and vote!"