Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down Read Free

anyway?  The night kept getting weirder and weirder. 
    The elevator doors opened and I stepped out onto the deserted hallway.  I knew my roommate Bridget worked nights up on the third floor in long term care as a ward assistant (a glorified name for an orderly, but I’d learned long ago she didn’t particularly appreciate that label ), and I hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to find her without attracting more attention.  Luckily , I didn’t meet a soul , and I spotted her standing at the nurse’s station, head bobbing to Linkin Park blaring from her earbuds.
    You’d never think someone like Bridget and I would be friends from looking at us.  Maybe that makes me a little judgmental of appearances, but you have to admit, most people do make snap decisions based on looks.  Paired with her maroon scrubs, she wore chunky, black combat boots that flopped open at the top, a score of black rubber bracelets like Madonna used to wear back in the eighties, and at least three chunky silver necklaces.  H er da rk hair was plaited into thick braids that hung down her back , revealing the top of the tattoo on her neck .  I’ve always wanted one , but I could never picture myself as a grandmother with a tattoo.  Who wants to see a cool design get saggy , old , and faded as you age? 
    Bridge t didn’t know how to do subtle with makeup , and I could see the heavy dark eyeliner on her eyelids and deep red ‘vixen’ lips from a mile away.  It was a little surprising the hospital didn’t care how she altered the dress code to suit her tastes, but when you worked the graveyard shift, things were more lax , I supposed . 
    I guess you could say I ’ve always been a little bit classical and she was a little bit rock and roll.  Not that I didn’t want to be rock and roll myself… I d id like rock music , I just hadn’t had much opportunity to pursue that kind of lifestyle, not even in college.  But at least I knew who Linkin Park was. I should get points for that, right? 
    Making a beeline for the nurse’s desk, I was gratified to find it deserted , except for the two of us .  T he entire floor was silent, but for the soft drone and beeps of equipment in the background.  Her head bobbed to the music, casually flipping through a magazine on the counter, completely unaware of my approach until I touched her elbow and she jumped a foot. 
    “Jesus Christ, what are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?” she gasped, hand flying to cover her heart .  I could practically hear it beating too, thump, thump, thump, it was almost hypnotic.  “Hello?  Earth to Anja…” Sh e waggled her fingers in front of my face, and I snapped out of it.   
    “Oh, sorry.  I was just… I’m having the weirdest night.”  Talk about an understatement.  Now that I’d found her, I wasn’t sure where to begin.  It was obvious she had no idea I’d been down in the morgue .  H opefully that meant my family was blissfully unaware of th e fact as well. 
    “Ah, i t’s a lit tle early for Halloween isn’ t it?   What’s with the ensemble?” H er fingers waved again in the general direction of my outfit. 
    “ T hat is the l east of my worries right now.  Do you think we could sit down and talk for a bit? ”  I could see the aversion on her face .  M aybe she thought I was having boyfriend troubles.  Bridget wa sn’t big on heart to hearts .  “ Please?   It’s important.”
    “ Fine , y ou don’t have to be so dramatic ,” she rolled her eyes, slouching against the counter.
    My eyes darted up and down the length of the corridor.  “ Can we talk somewhere more private? ”  Anyone could come along and spot me at any moment and I still dreaded the questions that would come with it until I had more answers myself.
    A nother roll of the e y e s was given, but she led me in to a patient’s room.  “ Is this good enough for you? ”
    I looked at the old man occupying the bed, his eyes watching us with vague