<strong>Kate Frost, Making Her Way to the Morning Meeting</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://www.emeraldlich.com/uploads/Kate2.jpg)</div>Kate sped madly through the parking lot of Calvin Coolidge Memorial Teaching Hospital, oblivious to the four or five orderlies and nurses she almost hit with her battered Mustang. A smoldering cigarette, half gray ash, trembled between her fingertips. She took a last quick hit from it, stubbed it out in the overflowing ashtray next to the steering wheel, and wheeled the car into a cramped spot.<br/><br/><em>You’re late, you’re late, you’re fucking late, hurry it up,</em>Kate thought nervously.<br/><br/>It wasn’t really her fault. Honest. It was just the vicious cycle of being a nurse at Calvin Coolidge. The shifts were long and grueling and – lately – increasingly frustrating, so when Kate left work, she was exhausted. But she wanted a life, so she didn’t just go back to her crappy apartment and sleep, like some of her older colleagues did. No, in Kate’s case, last night she invited Steve over – Steve, her sort-of-kind-of-not-really-a-boyfriend-unless-I’m-horny-and-just-want-to-fuck boyfriend – and they’d smoked some dope, snorted some blow, fucked, watched some television, and fucked some more, like rabbits in heat … up until about an hour ago. She’d then passed out for about a half hour, then the stupid alarm clock went off, so she threw on her work outfit and … voila. Here she was. Running on fumes, as usual.<br/><br/>Running into the hospital, Kate smiled and waved as she passed reception, making her way to the Nursing Station in B Ward … no, scratch that. She headed to the bathroom first. It was empty, which was perfect for what she wanted – she opened her purse, and took out a little baggie and a razor. Quickly, she chopped up a pair of lines on the edge of a sink. She dipped her head down, and …<br/><br/>Snort. Snort.<br/><br/>Kate stood up, throwing her head back. She smiled happily and tied her long red hair back into a ponytail. She’d felt like a zombie, driving to work, dead on her feet … already, she was feeling better. Feeling alive, again. And ready to work. Ready to help.<br/><br/>It was going to be a good day, she thought.<br/><br/>Kate left the bathroom, and made her way to B Ward, where she saw the nurses starting to congregate. With seconds to spare, she hung her coat on a hook, and slid her purse behind the nurses’ station. She scooted in amongst the other nurses, listening – kind of – to Margret’s morning announcements. But to be honest, she was way more interested in standing next to sexy blonde Lottie … Kate’s activities earlier in the evening had left her still feeling a little frisky, and the lines she’d just snorted was only amplifying that feeling.<br/><br/>Out of the corner of her eye, Kate caught the Fat Man– sorry,<em>Dr. Goldwasser</em>, that’s what Margret always wanted the nurses to call him, while on duty – and gave him a playful little wink, and stuck her tongue out at him.<br/><br/>Her heart was starting to race. It was quite the joyful feeling.<br/><br/><em>Damn, it’s good to be alive,</em>Kate thought.<br/><br/>“Nurse Forman … I’m Nurse Frost,” Kate said. She reached out a hand to the newcomer, shaking it … and then, impulsively, gave the nurse a quick hug, completely forgetting Margret's words about not being frisky … although the hug was only meant in an enthusiastic, friendly way. “You can call me Kate, though. Let me know if you’ve got questions … first day’s usually a fun one!”