Down to the Wire

[Isla Hudson]

Only a week to go before she was to take her state boards for nursing, and Isla was trying her best to stay calm and convince herself that she was as prepared as she was going to get.  At very least, she told herself, she'd pretty much learned all she was going to by this point, and getting overly-stressed about it wasn't going to do any good.

Still, that didn't mean there weren't charts and tables she could go over, making sure she had the order of things right, or the dosages, side-effects, adverse reactions, allergic reactions, contraindications, both absolute and relative...

Sometimes she was convinced that her head was going to explode with all those numbers and details running around up there! 

The relative free time of lunch gave Isla a chance to review some of the charts, so she was sitting alone at a table, picking over a salad and plate of chili fries...you needed to find balance, right?  Blah salad and yummy junk food, fuel for the brain!

@emily

[Deleted]

As Emily entered the cafeteria for her lunch she spotted her sister sitting at a table with her head buried in a stack of papers and some books, that undoubtedly had something to do with her taking her state boards soon. Emily sighed and grabbed herself a salad and a couple snack bars for later and headed over to her sister's table to save her from herself.

Emily sat her lunch tray down right on top of some of Isla's papers and sat down. She smiled at her sister before speaking, "Isla... seriously girl, you need to chill out about this test you're stressing me out and I'm not even the one taking the stupid thing. Besides, you're way smarter than you give yourself credit for. You've been working so hard for this all along, that there is no need to be cramming every single minute of every day. Trust me. Put everything away and enjoy yourself for a bit, schedule some study time every day... but don't do it constantly."

She smiled again before asking, "So what have you been up to lately? Feels like I haven't seen you in forever, and we need to change that. I really miss you, but don't tell anyone I admitted to that or I'll deny it." Emily giggled a bit as she waited for Isla to answer.

Tag: Isla Hudson

[Isla Hudson]

So engrossed was she in what she was staring at that Isla jumped a little and actually let out a startled yelp as the tray suddenly covered her papers.

"Hey!"

Looking up, she noticed her sister and relaxed, although she was frowning. "That wasn't nice!"

"Isla... seriously girl, you need to chill out about this test you're stressing me out and I'm not even the one taking the stupid thing. Besides, you're way smarter than you give yourself credit for. You've been working so hard for this all along, that there is no need to be cramming every single minute of every day. Trust me. Put everything away and enjoy yourself for a bit, schedule some study time every day... but don't do it constantly."

"I can't help it, I'm just afraid I missed something, overlooked something." As irrational as she knew that was, she still could shake the feeling, and really, there wasn't much she could do about it now anyway.

"So, um, join me?" Grinning, she gestured to the seat across from her, as if big sister needed an invitation!

"So what have you been up to lately? Feels like I haven't seen you in forever, and we need to change that. I really miss you, but don't tell anyone I admitted to that or I'll deny it."

"Oh, I'd never do that!" Isla shook her head with a grin. ""That would mean I'd have to admit talking to you!"

She laughed and took a sip of her drink. "Between work and study there hasn't been time for much, really. Well," she grinned, munching on some chili fires, "Steven went kind of nuts and took me zip-lining, can you believe that!"

It wasn't a secret that their brother wasn't particularly fond of heights for the sake of heights, nor that Isla had had problems with heights since her ex-boyfriend had kind of tired to push her off a cliff.

"It was a blast, really, and Steven...well, he only screamed once, and I think he had a good time." Her smile widened. "You should come with us some time."

@emily

[Deleted]

"I'm your sister, it's not my job to be nice to you... it's my job to keep you from driving yourself crazy over a silly test." She smiled at Isla as she listened to her talk about being scared of missing something or overlooking something. "Let me ask a question... Who aced all their tests all the way through nursing school?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "That's right.. you did. You know that those tests are like one hundred times harder than your boards right? Teachers design them that way on purpose. You are going to be fine, and working with me in no time. Have a little faith in yourself."

Emily had already taken a seat before Isla asked her to join her. "Thanks... I planned on it." She snatched one of Isla's chili fries and laughed when her sister said that she would have to admit to talking to her. "You know we used to talk a lot more... about everything until life happened and we got too busy for our own good. Maybe once you take this test and calm down a little we could go shopping or something." She said before taking a bite of her chicken wrap.

She almost choked when Isla mentioned that Steven had taken her zip lining. "Steven did what now? I hope you have photographic evidence of this excursion because I'm not sure I believe it really happened, and you...you got out there and did it too? I'm proud of you Isla." She had just taken a drink when Isla mentioned that she should come with them next time and coughed a couple times before responding, "Yeah... about that. I'm the type of girl that likes having both of her feet firmly planted on the ground... so there is absolutely no chance of that happening anytime soon. Sounds like you two had fun though." She smiled as she took another sip of her drink.

Tag: Isla Hudson,

[Isla Hudson]

"Oh, you bet there's evidence!" Grinning, Isla pulled out her cell phone and brought up the pictures. "You didn't think I'd let him get away without it, did you! But I was nice and didn't take video, so you can't hear him screaming like a girl!"

She laughed as she let her sister scroll through the pictures. "It really was fun, and, well, 'empowering' is kind of cheesy, but maybe 'freeing' is more like it?" She knew that by exorcising some of her demons it had really bolstered her confidence.

Then she shrugged and grinned. "Sure, we can go shopping to celebrate the end of school, maybe right after I take my test?" She snagged a chili fry and munched on it before adding, "I won't miss 'court stenographer', that's for certain. It's amazing how some people think everyone else is stupid and can't see through them. Besides, the ED is a lot more interesting anyway.'

@emily

[Deleted]

Emily thumbed through the pictures on her sisters phone, laughing out loud at several of them. "I wish you had taken video... I could have used those screams for black mail purposes. It looks like the two of you had a blast though, and I'm glad you took the time to go do that. You deserve fun, and empowering. If anyone deserves it, you do. You've been through so much, and managed to come out the other side a strong, beautiful, young woman. A woman who is about to be a nurse... I have no doubts."

She smiled at her sister when she suggested they go right after she took her test, "You mean right after you pass your test? I could handle taking my sister the nurse shopping for her first sets of scrubs and a few other things to get her ready for the ED. Speaking of interesting... it can also be dangerous. Part of me wants to tell you to go work somewhere else, but the other part understands because I wouldn't want to work anywhere else so I'm behind you no matter what you choose. I hope you know how proud Steven and I are of you."

Isla Hudson

[Isla Hudson]

"I guess it can be dangerous, but then, what isn't?" Isla shrugged. "Even in the court, it can get crazy, so I may as well be doing something more productive than just typing up notes, right?" There was no question that courtrooms could have problems, but there wasn't anywhere that you were completely safe, and at least courtrooms and hospitals had security, and in an ED she was doing something positive.

"I told Steven that I had thought about going the paramedic route, but...yeah, there's danger for you!" She was grinning as she said it, but, of course, their father had died in the line of duty and there was no doubt that they were the ones walking the line of uncontrolled scenes and potential chaos every day.

"Anyway, once I get my MICN I can go out on the helicopter, right? Or sign up on a Critical Care Transport unit. Of course, those only do transfers, kind of boring, right?" Well, and anyway, she had to be a nurse first, then take the courses for TNCC and MICN, so that was a couple years down the road.

"Have you ever thought about going out on a helicopter? I mean, you only get the 'real' stuff, and you get to fly over the city!"

@emily

[Deleted]

“You’re right, everything can be dangerous at times and you are going to be an amazing nurse. It’s always nice to make a difference in someone else’s life. Sometimes your patients can make a difference in your life too, I know they tell you not to get attached or too invested in a patient’s care but sometimes it’s virtually impossible to distance yourself from everyone.” Emily smiled and was quiet for a minute before she grabbed another of Isla’s fries.

Emily cocked a brow at Isla and laughed when she said that she had told Steven that she had thought about becoming a medic, “I bet that was a big hit with Steven… I can see that going over really well. Though I can’t say much I’m fairly certain that if you had told me that I wouldn’t have taken it very well either. It’s bad enough that Steven insists on doing it, I don’t need to be worrying about both of you out there.”

Emily had just taken a drink of her water when Isla mentioned her MICN and going out on the helicopter, and about choked. After coughing a couple times to clear her airway she looked at her sister like she had lost her mind, “I have no doubt that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you would be amazing on a helicopter… but it might take me awhile to get used to the idea of my baby sister flying around in a helicopter on a regular basis.”

When she had finished her TNCC and MICN the thought of going up in a helicopter had never even crossed Emily’s mind. “Uhm, no I can’t say as I’ve ever really given it much thought as I prefer my feet firmly on the ground. When I have a bad day at work it generally doesn’t involve crashing, and trust me I see plenty of the ‘real’ stuff on a daily basis.”

Tag: Isla Hudson

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

((As Isla))

“You’re right, everything can be dangerous at times and you are going to be an amazing nurse. It’s always nice to make a difference in someone else’s life. Sometimes your patients can make a difference in your life too, I know they tell you not to get attached or too invested in a patient’s care but sometimes it’s virtually impossible to distance yourself from everyone.” Emily smiled and was quiet for a minute before she grabbed another of Isla’s fries.

"Hey!" Isla aimed a playful swat at her sister's hand, although it didn't connect. Grinning, she shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've come across a few already who have made an impact." Whether it had been a patient or the family who had left an impression, Isla knew there would be impacts, and that sometimes it would be hard. But she knew, too, that she had a strong support system in her brother and sister, and that would get her through the rough parts.

“I bet that was a big hit with Steven… I can see that going over really well. Though I can’t say much I’m fairly certain that if you had told me that I wouldn’t have taken it very well either. It’s bad enough that Steven insists on doing it, I don’t need to be worrying about both of you out there.”

"Yeah...I know he would have worried himself sick..." She rolled her eyes. "Ever the care-taker, but that's why we love him, right?"

“I have no doubt that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you would be amazing on a helicopter… but it might take me awhile to get used to the idea of my baby sister flying around in a helicopter on a regular basis.”

"I just won't tell you when I go up, how's that?" Isla grinned, although the idea made her a little nervous, too. While it was relatively safe, there had been crashes, although most of those were written off as 'hard landings' because everyone had walked away, never mind that they'd lost a multi-million dollar helicopter in the process!

“Uhm, no I can’t say as I’ve ever really given it much thought as I prefer my feet firmly on the ground. When I have a bad day at work it generally doesn’t involve crashing, and trust me I see plenty of the ‘real’ stuff on a daily basis.”

"Well, I guess I could point out that statistically you stand a much better chance of getting hit by a car in the parking lot, or getting tagged driving home than you do getting into a crash in a helicopter, " she gave her sister a sly grin, "but that might make you paranoid. Heck, you could choke to death right here on a chili fry!"
[/i]

[Deleted]

When Isla swatted at her hand Emily stuck her tongue out at her before putting the fry in her mouth. “Not all impacts are bad though, most are positive and you learn something from each one. It’s very rewarding to know how much of a difference you can make in someone’s life by helping them when they are sick or injured. I often find the family needs more comfort and reassurance than the actual patient does, and they’ll remember what you’ve done for them long after the fact.”

Emily laughed when Isla rolled her eyes, “Not sure if that’s why I love him, but he means well… I tell myself this at least five times a day… Have you talked to him lately? Has he mentioned a new woman to you? I think he’s all googly eyed and smitten with someone, but he won’t tell me much about her. He expects to know all about anyone I’m interested in, but doesn’t seem to think it’s necessary for me to know anything.” Emily figured gossiping about their brother would keep Isla's mind off the test for at least a few minutes, plus it gave her a chance to figure out if Isla knew anything she didn't.

Emily smiled when Isla said she just wouldn’t tell her when she went up, “Yeah… I’m not really sure what would be worse knowing you were up there or thinking that you might be and wondering if you are. Are you trying to give me an ulcer? I do think that would be a very interesting job, and I’m sure you would enjoy it and be amazing at it. I’m proud of you no matter what you choose to do.”

Laughing at Isla’s facts Emily pointed out, “However if I’m hit by a car in the parking lot or get tagged driving home there’s still a chance of survival and I’m not going to plummet out of the sky to my death. I'm not exactly paranoid, I just like to consider the possible consequences before making a decision to do something.” Smiling as she stole another chili fry, “Death by chili fry, what a way to go. I just hope it would be on one that tastes a little better than this one.”

Isla Hudson

[Isla Hudson]

"Better on your hips than mine!" she laughed as she reached for another of the fries. "Guess I still have a long way to go, just starting with passing my nursing boards, I mean, then I need 'experience', and then my TNCC and MICN...does it ever end?"

Isla rolled her eyes dramatically, but then laughed. "Guess it all counts toward continuing ed, right?" Then she leaned forward with a frown. "Steven has a girl? Do tell! He didn't say anything to me, but then, he was awfully busy screaming like a girl!"

Sitting back, she shrugged. "All I know is that he's got a new partner, she's...well, a she, but he didn't talk like there was anything there past partners...and we'll see how long that lasts, you know how he is with partners."

Laughing, she took another fry. "I don't know what it is with him...I mean, sure, he's not Prince Charming, but he's nice and not that hard to get along with. Sometimes I wonder if he pushes people away?" The conversation had taken a more sober tone. "I don't know why he'd do that, though."

Of course, psychology wasn't her forte...

@emily,