Olivia came into the break room with jeans and a scrub shirt. "You know you're out of uniform right," I asked since she looked rather tired and overworked.
"Yeah, I'm leaving after lunch, thank you so much for covering my patients. If you have any problems just call me, Sam can get a little scary when he doesn't sleep so have an orderly come with you when you check on him," she said seeming kind of stressed.
I stood up and put my hands on her shoulders. "Hey Olivia, take a breath," I commanded. "I have everything under control. Don't worry about thing here alright."
"Its kinda my thing to worry." She laughed weakly. "I'm going to go check on Cooper."
"Aren't there rules about nurses and patients," I asked raising an eyebrow.
"No," she said plainly, "there are romance novels and Lifetime movies," she teased walking towards the door. I shook my head and laughed weakly. She lead the way to Cooper's room.
Cooper was arguing with Blaine. It was more then strange to watch a man yell at an empty chair, "god you are such a baby. Not everything is about you." Cooper said across the table as we walked in.
"Cooper what's wrong?" Olivia asked standing at the table.
"Blaine is being a baby." He looked up to Olivia then back to the table, "Yes you are. Look at you, you're about to cry."
I felt a weird concern for Blaine, "what are you two fighting about?" I asked.
Cooper stared hard at the chair then shook his head, "Blaine grow up. You wont get everything your way. That's life."
"Cooper," Olivia said in a warning tone.
"He is upset because I don't want to do anything today." Cooper said.
"Why don't you want to do anything today, its Friday. Blaine's favorite day of the week." Olivia asked.
"I don't know, I just want to sleep this stupid day away." Cooper stood up and walked to his bed and crawled into it facing away from Olivia and presumably Blaine. I look at my watch April 15, Olivia did the same and gasped.
She took two strides and sat by Cooper and began to rub his back. "That's alright honey, you don't have to do anything today, I'll clear your schedule." She ran her hand through his hair.
I had no idea what was going on but the sorrow in her face told me enough that today was a bad day. Cooper turned his head, "Its ok Blaine, I'm sorry too." Cooper stayed facing Olivia and he stared at her like a traveler lost at sea stares at a lighthouse.
Olivia gave him a soft smile, "I'll come and bring you lunch later coop, then I'm leaving. But Kurt has letters to give you everyday alright." She ran her fingers through his hair and left her hand on his cheek. She was right about Lifetime movies, watching them stare was like watching The Vow all over again. I felt like I was intruding on personal time so I slipped out of the door and walked back to the break room.
Cooper was such a unique patient, but I wanted to break that wall he puts up between what was real, and what was not real. Andre, the only other male nurse on level 4, came into the break room and pulled a mug from the cabinet for coffee. "Hey Kurt," he threw over his shoulder.
"Hey Andr�," I said. "Can I ask you a question," Andr� sat across from me, he was twice my size. Yet, he was in the 'nice' crowd.
We nurses break into two categories: Nurses like Olivia, Andr�, and me, care way to much for our patients. We carry conversations, share our own life stories with them, overall treat them like they aren't crazy. The other nurses are overly nice, constantly saying, 'every thing is ok," treating them like shit and never going home thinking about them. Sure nurses like that have better mind sets when they get out of the business but they just don't care; Their apathy is annoying.
"What do you know about the patient Cooper Anderson?" I asked him.
"Olivia's Cooper. I know his parents threw him in here after his little brother died." Andre shrugged, "other then that, nothing, he has been Olivia's since day one."
"Wow, that sucks." I said, "do you know anything about his brother?"
"Nope, Liv knows all that's stuff, aren't you working under her?"
"Olivia doesn't tell me much about Cooper, she's very protective of him." I said.
Andre's pager went off. "Liv loves the guy, but she'll never admit it. I gotta run. See ya around freshie," Andr� stood and walked out the door and I heard him talking to Olivia. She came in to the office and sat beside me.
"What did you want to know about Coop?" She asked calmly.
"I was just making small talk with Andre, but I was wondering what today was." I asked.
"Today is the Sadie Hawkins dance, the night Blaine died. Cooper doesn't ever do anything on this day. But he also never fights with Blaine." Olivia said. "I'm going to make my runs, and next Saturday is the library trip for manageable patience, you are going for me, so if you can ask Abby if she wants to go, and Jason usually is the other one I take along with cooper," she said.
"Okay, I'll get right on that Olivia, and hey if you need to vent while your up there feel free to call." I told her.
"Oh yeah," she brought her hand to her face as she remembered, "let me give you Cooper's letters every night before bed give him a letter."
"Anything else?" I asked. She shook her head.
"I'm out, see you in a few," she left the room.

When I got home that night I did a little digging. I googled Blaine Anderson in the Westerville paper obituaries for April and nothing came up. I thought it was strange not to have an obituary, so I searched all the paper that year and month just to find a small article on Westerville high.

Freshmen Dance Night Ends in Tragedy.
Westerville High's Spring Sadie Hawkins ends with a bang, As two freshmen student were attacked by upper-class men.
While 14 year old Mathew Davison sustained few injuries his date Blaine Anderson, 15 is in critical conditions. The attack was said to be a hate crime against the schools openly gay students.
The names of the attackers has yet to be given but witnesses say the boys were juniors and seniors attending their dance across the street at the Hilton hotel ballroom.
Junior Sara gamble happened to.be out side to witness the attack on the young men. She claimed "Blaine and Matt were just standing not bothering a anyone when the guys just crossed the street and started jumping them. I went to get some chaperons but I was too late."
Westerville principle has yet to make a comment on the incident.