The Nurse

You walk out of the store with the supplies you needed, but something was nagging at the back of your head. What had you forgotten? You counted the bandages, antiseptics, disposable gloves, and a Twix bar. It’s rare that you got the chance to eat candy any more since you moved into the commune, but seeing as how you were the only nurse in the damn thing you got the privilege of leaving for supplies around once a month. Luckily, there have never been any serious injuries that you couldn’t handle, but even the cuts and scrapes you’ve dealt with add up over time. You feel for the keys to the car. Check. What could it be? You get in the car and are just leaving the parking lot when it hits you.

“SHIT!” You yell to no one in particular as you whip the care around in the lot and park it once more. You go to the card aisle and start the song and dance routine that is buying a simple card to celebrate a momentous occasion. After realizing that any card would do, as just the fact that you decided to spend any money on one will probably embarrass him, you go to check out.

“I hope it’s not overstepping to say congrats ma’am.” The store clerk, who couldn’t have been older than 18, just ma’amed you. “I’m sorry? Also, I’m only 26. Calling me ma’am makes me feel like I’m halfway to retirement.” You hope your smirk and sarcasm lessen the blow, but you couldn’t let this slide. “Oh, uh, you don’t look, i-I mean uh I was just trying to be polite I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Ok maybe the smirk and the sarcasm DIDN’T lessen the blow. “Easy there junior. I’m just messing with you, and thank you for the congratulations.” His awkward smile tells you that this will have to suffice for a win and you grab you card and leave before he freaks out again.

“I thought living in the commune was going to keep me young. I never expected it to age me even faster!” You know you should let it go, but it’s not often you meet strangers anymore, so the interactions with them have gotten more annoying month after month. Luckily a nice long drive out of Cape Ragelorner towards the commune is exactly what you need right now. 5 years have really flown by so fast.

It feels like yesterday. You had just graduated from nursing school a year early and wanted to leave your small town and find a better life somewhere else. Well, that better life lasted all of 5 months when you went from cheap ass apartment and shitty landlord to somehow even worse apartments and criminal landlords. You hated life in the city, so you decided to swing it all the way to the other side of the spectrum and moved out into the middle of nowhere. That’s how you found Cape Ragelorner, and a month there led you to Trenzalore and your life changed.

It felt so strange, even hearing about it at the time. “A commune? Come on, those are all bullshit or like cultish right?” “That’s the reputation, but this one seems different. I think they only have maybe a dozen or so people there, and they need a nurse to give everyone a clean bill of health and administer the flu vaccine. Though we technically can’t barter with them, one of the leaders happened to pre-pay us when they founded it last year for 3 years of medical service, as well as any goods they may produce that we could use here, or in the town.”

Your boss was a good man, and you’re grateful for the time you spent under his care. In fact, you’ve thanked him numerous times and you’re technically still employed by him all these years later. That income, as small as it is, is vital for your supply runs. So you drove out to Trenzalore that day, expecting a dozen creepy hippies or coked out gun nuts. Instead, you found the love of your life.

“Hello! You must be the nurse that Doctor Burke said would come by this week. My name’s James Young and I guess I’m what passes for leadership around here.” The man in front of you couldn’t be more than 3 years older than you, but the way he carried himself made him seem even older. You looked him over as you answered “Yes. Where can I set up?” and realized that this specimen in front of you was exactly your type.

Not overly athletic, but trim and tall. The way the sun lit up his light brown hair you could see streaks of auburn, and the hazel in his eyes sparkled sexily whenever he caught you staring. If you weren’t here on business… “So this is where you can set up. There are only 13 of us, not counting myself, and I’ll have the older members of the community come by first if that’s alright with you.” God the smile was making you horny all on its own. “That sounds fine. I brought 15 vaccines to be safe.” Wait a second. “Wait, why aren’t you counting yourself?”

He smiled again, but this time there was a hint of something else behind it. “If we’re being honest, needles and I don’t mix well. Unless you have another way to deliver the vaccine I won’t be getting one.” Was that embarrassment behind his smile? “A fear of needles is nothing to be ashamed of. If you want, we have some nasal doses of the vaccine back in town. I can come again some other time to give you the vaccine.”

You mean it too, and it would be a convenient excuse to come back and see him again. “Is that so? Well then let’s do just that.” Uh oh, that smile looks borderline dangerous now… “How’s the same time next week work for you? I’d love to treat you to some of our cooking and show you our growing town.” Was he asking you on a date? This is perfect. “It’s a date then.” For someone so brazen, you were not expecting the blush.

The day went by rather smoothly, 14 residents, 13 injections, and one date. You weren’t sure how to explain it to your boss, other than saying one resident requested a nasal dosage and you’d be fine making the drive again the next week. No reason he should know the other details. The week seemed to take half a lifetime, you couldn’t explain why excited you were to go on this date with the mysterious James Young, but one thing was for sure, you were going to come prepared with questions.