Chapter One, Page One

Tom did not have the restful experience I did for the first shift.  There were check-in procedures we didn't expect and they didn't get into bed until 11, then a procedure set off a bloody nose, then there was a problem with an early morning transfusion, then Annie got chills, then two machines malfunctioned, then radiation time (she had to be strapped to the wall and she looked so sick that the picture is too disturbing to post), then a wait for a wheelchair, then violent chills, then high fevers that continue, then several antibiotics and lots of checking on her.

Getting all the events of his past 16 hours compacted into 15 minutes was so overwhelming that I had to ask for a break before even starting to give him a break!  All I could think was, with such a terrible start I just wanted to turn to the last page of the story and see how it ended.

Annie has felt miserable all day, hasn't eaten or had more than a few sips of water.  She has been groggy and barely able to communicate.  When I explained Tom would be arriving shortly for the night she was shocked to discover it was still Monday.  She thought it was already Wednesday.  She asked if every day was going to be this long.  Definitely not how the first day was supposed to go.