Daily Prompt:  Identical, Blush

This week’s two words are Canard and/or Rumor.

It was late when her shift at the hospital ended.  She was tired and she couldn’t stop thinking about the rumors she had heard at work.  I can’t believe they are going to lay off nurses, she thought.  We are short staffed as it is.

She was lost in thought and not paying attention to her surroundings while she walked to her car in the dark parking lot.  They still hadn’t fixed the lights that had burned out weeks ago.  As Peggy started to put the key in the door to unlock the car, something hit her on the head.  She felt herself falling down, but it was in slow motion.  Suddenly as she was losing consciousness, she felt hands around her waist.  Peggy heard garbled voices.

It seemed like she had been asleep for days when she finally opened her eyes in the emergency room.  Not sure why she was there, she tried to get up but fell backward on the liter.  Her head really hurt and she felt a huge bandage on her head.  She could not figure out what had happened to her.

She fell asleep again, then woke shortly after hearing voices near her.  Opening her eyes she saw that her identical twins were standing next to the bed.  Wait, how did I get into a bed and room without me knowing it.?  What is going on?  Her kids were happy to see she was awake finally.  They gave her a big hug and started asking questions about her injury.  All Peggy could remember was something hitting her head and someone grabbing her.

Then her nurse came into the room.  She explained that one of the overhead lights in the parking lot had exploded and the metal bracket fell on your head.  It was very lucky that the security guard was there and saw it happen.  You could have been out there until day shift started.

Peggy appreciated the fact that the security guard got her attention right away, but she was furious that the hospital had been neglectful in not repairing the lights.  She was steaming.

After Peggy’s kids left, the security guard that had helped her walked into the room.  He told Peggy that he was happy to see she was awake.  He had been worried about her all night.  Apparently, she had said some strange things to him when he was trying to keep her from falling.   Peggy, blushed as she thanked the kind man for what he had done for her.  He told her no worries that he knew she didn’t realize he was trying to help her.

In the evening, the nursing supervisor came in to check on Peggy.  She told her that she had given everyone quite a scare.  Peggy looked at her square in the eye and asked her if the hospital was laying off nurses.  Her supervisor laughed and said that canard has been going around the hospital for months.  Peggy just stared at her and asked if it was true.  The supervisor just smiled and said you just get better and don’t worry about anything.  Then she was gone.