>>> Jell-O

I felt like the green Jell-O on my hospital tray was staring back up at me.
I had never really cared for Jell-O but being hospitalized had really left me with no choice.
I thought I had just caught some silly little cold, that “flu bug” that everyone had been catching. But I was wrong – Dad knew right away.
“Clover,” my dad walked in with his scrubs on, “How are you feeling?”
“My throat hurts,” I tried to whisper to ease the pain. “Can I have another popsicle?”
He tried to smile, “How about if I get Wren to bring an entire box?”
I knew this was hard on him. I had only just met my father a few months ago – how would he have ever known his daughter was seriously ill? Was this the reason my mother abandoned me in the first place and left me in the care of a person I had never even met before?
My father was looking over my chart – he was a nurse at the hospital. It was odd being dropped off at a hospital until my mom said that my father was a nurse here. She grabbed my suitcase out of the trunk of her car, hugged me good bye and drove off. She never would answer any of my questions – like when she was coming back… if she was ever coming back. Dad tried to track her down – the most he got was that she was moving out of the states and living somewhere in Asia. Why – we’ll never know until she comes back… if she comes back.
The first impression of my father wasn’t a favorable one. I asked the front desk and the nurse grinded her teeth as she heard the name “Kingston McCrary.” I didn’t understand why until I saw him – hitting on a nurse named Nikki… followed by a doctor named Mark… and another resident named Wren. Nikki insulted and threatened him, Mark seemed somewhat nervous but knew my dad was joking, and Wren turned flush before turning him down. Plus, my dad’s hair color wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought he was going to have ginger hair like me. However… it was and still is a green as my Jell-O.

Characters:
Clover and Kingston from Silvercrest Hospital