2

My stomach gives an anxious lurch as I close the door of the nurses’ sleeping quarter. Thank God, nobody is inside. I saw an empty cot and wobbly knees I immediately walk to it and sit. I- I can’t think clearly, is this really happening? Did I see what I think I just saw? That woman… that woman outside, she’s… she’s the same woman at the bar… the one who wanted to … oh my god… OH MY GOD!!! I feel like I’m hyperventilating. I feel like I’m running out of air

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!

Okay Bette don’t panic, remember the breathing technique that your first grade teacher Mrs. Wellington told you? She said whenever you feel scared, fear starts crawling on your skin just put your two hands on your stomach, take deep and nice breath, and you’ll be just fine.

Breathe… breathe…inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale… Okay I think Mrs. Wellington’s breathing technique is working, I feel a little bit calm now. Breathe again… inhale… exhale… Well I shouldn’t be scared you know in the first place it happened two months ago and besides there were a lot of women that time at Milk, I mean A LOT. For all I know she must have hit on tons of women that she wouldn’t remember what had happened.

Yeah I feel much better now.

I bet she won’t even recognize me.

“And what are you doing here all by yourself?”

I jump at the sudden voice, and just like that, I’m back to being a nervous wreck again

“What the fuck Lloyd?! How many times have I told you not to sneak on my back like that? And where did you come from? I didn’t see you coming in”

Lloyd Jeffries is one of the male nurses at Southwestern Teaching Hospital and also happens to be my best friend and roommate.

“Hey I didn’t sneak on your back!” he says with a high pitched voice, in case you are wondering Lloyd is a gay man, no erase that Lloyd Jeffries is the gayest man that you’ll ever meet in West Hollywood.

“I’ve been here ten minutes already and calling your name several times but you aren’t responding as if you are in a different dimension” he says as he sits beside me, he then puts his hand on my forehead “Are you okay?”