Page 40 of Forever and Other Lies

Nursing had never been Jayna’s calling in life, yet it had become her passion. During her final year of high school, she felt completely lost. Her friends had their futures mapped out, while Jayna had no clue. Jamie wanted to pursue carpentry, which held no interest for Jayna. Jessica was taking a psychology course which didn’t resonate with her either. But Kylie’s decision to apply to Toronto University for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing sparked something within her. The allure of living in such an exciting city, coupled with Kylie’s fun-loving nature, had Jayna applying as well. Plus, it was a far cry from the business degree her parents urged her to pursue.

After earning her nursing degree, Jayna remained in Toronto, working in the bustling ER of the city hospital. The fast-paced environment provided an exhilarating rush but also took a toll, leaving her mentally and physically drained.

Returning to Blythe Landing had been a wise decision. She missed her best friends, who had all moved back, and she missed the close-knit community. However, the Blythe Landing Emergency Department was much slower paced. And dating? Well, that was slow-paced too. There just weren’t as many men in the small town as compared to Toronto.

Jayna glanced at the time displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the computer monitor. This shift was dragging painfully slow. They’d seen fifteen patients all day. Fifteen! The Toronto ER saw fifteen every half hour. She couldn’t wait for her shift to be done. Tonight, she had a date. It was not just any date, but a double date. The new X-ray tech was gorgeous, and he had a friend who she’d set Leighton up with.

Leighton had been less than receptive to the idea, but Jayna insisted. She felt a deep compulsion to make up for her past bad behavior. Witnessing Leighton’s heartbreak at Piper and Nick’s wedding had left Jayna feeling guilty and ashamed. She’d misjudged Leighton like the rest of the town. Leighton’s upbringing was far from easy, thanks to parents who were the town joke. They were the complete opposite of Jayna’s—poor and unrespectable. However, there was a shared common thread of dysfunction and neglect.

Jayna was determined to make it right with Leighton. The best way to get over a broken heart was to get back on the horse. She just prayed that Leighton didn’t bail.

She sent a text:

“Jayna, you have a patient in exam room 3,” Michelle, the charge nurse, said, shooting a disapproving look at Jayna’s cell phone.

Jayna shoved the phone behind her computer monitor and stood, grabbing the chart off the wall. Overdose, 22-year-old female. Sadly, even in a small town, drugs and overdoses were becoming epidemic.

“Hi, I’m Jayna, your nurse.” She identified herself and pulled the privacy curtain behind her.

The young woman sat on the exam bed, tightening her arms around her legs, refusing to meet Jayna’s eyes. The makeup was thick on her cheek, covering a bruise.

“I see that you ingested quite a few OxyContin today,” Jayna stepped further into the room and glanced at the chart. “Talia, is it?”

“Yes, and it was an accident. I’m fine.” Talia swiped at her lips, smearing the activated charcoal drink the triage nurse had given her.

“Are you sure, Talia?”

Talia’s eyes darted. She reminded Jayna of a distrustful, wounded animal. Life had clearly been unkind to her. And why wouldn’t she try any means possible to escape? Unfortunately, the sterile hospital room was not comforting.

“I need to get an IV started,” Jayna pulled over the nursing cart and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling kindly.

Talia held out her arm, and Jayna tied an elastic band above a vein.

“I’m more than just an addict,” Talia said softly while Jayna swiped an alcohol swab across the vein. “I wasn’t always this way.”

Jayna glanced up and met her eyes for the first time. Big brown doe eyes. Frightened and so very sad.

“It’s not too late to make this right,” Jayna told her softly.

Talia sighed, blinking back tears. “Oh, I’ve tried. The past year has been a living hell. I wish I was stronger.”

Jayna reached for the tissue box off the cart, handing it to Talia.

Talia wiped at her tears. “I am a mother of a beautiful four-year-old boy. I once had a nice home for us. It wasn’t big, but it was clean and safe. I had a good job and a nice car. Now I have nothing. I lost my job, my car, my home,” she choked on a sob, “my son.”

Setting a comforting hand on Talia’s arm, Jayna blinked back tears herself.

“And now I’ve lost all hope as well. I’ve lost everything,” Talia repeated. “I’ve ruined my life. I have lost absolutely everything I have ever cared about. I have nothing left.”

“It’s never too late,” Jayna said again, with more conviction this time.

“I only have the clothes on my back. The bank repossessed my car, we were evicted, and my parents took my son. The storage unit auctioned off my belongings. I was living in shelters, and I thought I had met a great guy,” she pointed at the bruising on her cheek. “But again, I was wrong.”

“You can’t just give up,” Jayna persisted. “You have too much to live for.”

Talia shook her head. “I have tried. I worked hard to become clean. It didn’t make a difference. Everyone still sees me as a drug addict. My mom refuses to let me see my son. No one will give me a job. Without a job, I can’t get an apartment. Without an apartment, I have no chance of getting my son back. And without my son, I have no hope.”

“That was before you met me, Talia.” Jayna leaned forward and squeezed the woman’s hand. “I have enough hope for both of us until you can find your own.”

---