Olly is lying on the sofa looking drunk and pliable, watching the Winter Olympics on YouTube.
‘Are you okay, sweetheart?’ I put my arms around his shoulders and kiss his cheek.
‘What?’ Olly turns to me, his eyes hazy. ‘Oh. Yeah.’ He points at the TV screen. ‘They’re amazing, these guys. The heights they reach.’
‘We should sort out your meds,’ I say. ‘You haven’t had any today.’
‘Haven’t I?’ he says, blinking languidly.
‘No, love. There’s a whole new lot to take now. Remember?’
‘You know, maybe I should see the doctor again. It’s about time I had another blood test. I can’t have you doing my visits forever.’
‘Olly.’ I put a gentle hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m a nurse, remember. I’m telling you, you don’t need a blood test. You’re just depressed, that’s all. Trust me. I’ve seen it a hundred times. You’ll just be wasting the doctor’s time. And you know how painful it is to move on your leg now. Let me sort out your meds.’
People take power in all sorts of ways. Being tough. Sexy. Rich.
Without power, we are nothing. Empty.
For years, I was a shadow. Impotent. Part of someone else. I had no control. No life of my own. No profession or identity.
But now I am powerful beyond measure.
A real nurse who cares for the sick.
Sometimes, that means making people sick.