CHAPTER TWO

                 THE NEXT MORNING...

                            Whitney

27th October 2019

The night breaks into morning. A heavy fog emerges on Elm University, south of Forest Hills. The fog so thick, that you can only see a couple of metres in front of your face. Whitney, a nineteen year old girl sleeps in her bedroom. It's dark, you can just about see the mess of clothes thrown around the floor. Whitney looks over her right shoulder to see Matt, a guy she has been dating. She runs her hands through her long, flowing blonde hair. She picks up her phone from the dresser. It takes a minute for her eyes to adjust to the blinding light on the screen, Whitney hastily throws the covers off of her warm body. The phone rings "Hello." She asks.

"Your late." Replies the voice.

The call cuts off. Whitney checking her time, 10:45am. She realises she is late for her shift at the University hospital. She jumps from her bed. She rummages around the room trying to find clothes. She sees Matt still asleep "Matt... Matt... Goddamn it... Matt."

Whitney searches around the room finding a heel from the night before. She tosses it at Matt's back, knocking him from the bed to the floor. He quickly springs up, still holding the heel in his hand. "Really Whitney, a shoe?." Whitney still searching for clothes replies "We fell asleep, get dressed quickly."

Whitney eventually finding her clothes begins to throw Matt's at him. He tries putting on his Jean's, balancing on one foot. He falls over only to pop back into the same position. He eventually gets dressed. Suddenly a knock at the door sends the room into quietness. A voice from the other side of the door asks "Hello?."

"Who's there?." Replies Whitney.

"It's me, Naomi ." She insists.

Whitney panicking knows it is frowned upon to have boys spend the night at the sorority house. She nervously asks, "What are we going to do?."

Matt has no reply scratching the top if his head trying to think of an idea. Whitney points to the bed "Get underneath the bed ." Matt looks at her and shakes his head refusing to go along with the plan. Whitney places her two hands on his shoulders and says, "Matt, listen your a great guy and all, but I need you to get under the bed."

Matt gives in to Whitney's demands, laying on his stomach and rolling under the bed. Whitney rushes to the door, unlocking the door. She steps to the side allowing Naomi in. She walks around the room almost inspecting it. Whitney stands the door nervously "Looking for something?." Asks Whitney.

"My book for English literature. I thought I left it on my bed." Replies Naomi.

Naomi sits on the bed wondering where it can be. Whitney stands at the door nervously, folds her arms thinking of a way to get Naomi out of the room. Placing her hand underneath her pillow, Naomi pulls her literature book from under it. "Found it." She utters. Whitney smiles as though her problem has been solved. Naomi walks toward the door, pulling the handle. She turns and hugs Whitney then says cunningly "Matt, get out from underneath the bed."

"You knew I was there?." He replies.

"Your foot was sticking out." She responds.

Whitney places her hand over her mouth and giggles. Naomi leaves, closing the door behind her. Whitney approaches Matt laughs and apologises, "I'm sorry". Whitney picks up her bag. Matt asks her, "Do you want to grab a coffee?." Whitney replies, "I can't, I'm already late." She kisses Matt on the cheek and dashes out of the dorm room.

Whitney runs out the main entrance of the sorority house. She stops dead in her tracks, the fog is heavy, dense and blinding to her surrounding. She continues walking down the concrete steps, taking her phone from her pocket trying to call her professor back. The phone rings with no answer. Whitney forced to run, hoping the odds are in her favour not to cause an accident. Running across campus we can just about make out the buildings around her. Lined with brick. The buildings have constant construction being done to make Elm University the most prestigious university in the state.

The feeling of excitement sets as Whitney arrives at her destination. Elm University hospital is a resemblance of the Boston Metro hospital. It was designed to be the top of the range hospital at any given university. Whitney looks at the hospital before entering. No matter how many times she is here, she can never get over the sheer size and exterior of the building. She enters through the front door, sanitising her hands as she walks in. A lavish interior, what seem like the never ending twisting stairs scattered around the atrium. The beautiful stain glass ceiling that's sits above the ground floor. The white marbled walls are a nice touch, complimented with a dark marble floor. It gives the building a professional, and some what home feeling. Whitney marches through the hospital greeting co workers and other students as she tries to make it to the changing rooms.

She pushes door open, revealing a giant locker room for the staff to change into their scrubs. The modernized locker room is big, spacious and warm. The steel lockers against the wooden wall with a cubby hole underneath each one. It gives great comfort to the feet with a dark carpet filling the room with the university Crest on it. Whitney makes haste, not wanting to be another minute late to check in with professor Harrison and to get her patients list of the shift. She quickly scrubs up and closes her locker as she quickly rushes to the professor's office.

Whitney walks quickly through the hospital, wanting to get to her professors office. She reaches the door. Whitney knocks gently. No one opens. She takes a big sigh and turns to walk away. Suddenly she bumps into professor Harrison, causing him to spill coffee on his shirt and tie. The professor, annoyed by the clumsiness of Whitney tells her, "Whitney, a word in my office please." The two enter the office, closing the door behind them. Whitney turns around to a kiss from her professor. She smiles and drapes her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him closer so there is no space between their bodies. Whitney pulls away promptly "David, I need to talk." She says.

The professor pulls away promptly approaching this desk "About?." He asks. Whitney rests against the door, walking toward him slowly "I can't keep sneaking around the campus with you." She replies. Professor Harrison grinds his teeth to Whitney's demand "Listen Whitney, if the board finds out I've been sleeping with one of my students it could ruin me and you."

He opens the first drawer on his left hand side, grabbing multiple files and shutting the desk. He throws them across to the opposite side. Whitney grabs her files and begins flicking through them. "David, these are my mortician files". The professor nods explaining "Your in the morgue today, I know you were promised floor work but... Abigail called in sick. So I need you down there today. Next time don't be late please."

Whitney picks the files up off the professor's desk and blows him a kiss and reaches for the handle. She pulls open the door. Whitney bumps into professor Harrison's wife. Whitney nervously apologises and leaves walking down the hallway. She uses her ID card to scan into the east side of the building. This part of the hospital is strictly for morticians and higher ranked doctors. She approaches the desk, at the back of the room. Her trainers glide along the black marble floor. She places her right hand on the desk, and shows her ID with the left.

She greets the security guards "Hey Mack, is doctor Whittaker already down there?."

"How is he?", Whitney continues.

Mack, staring at his desktop replies, "Still as in love you as ever Whit. Still as in in love with you as ever." Whitney smiles leaving the desk, making her way to the elevator on her right hand side. She presses the button and waits patently for the lift.

She enters, scanning her ID badge on the scanner and pressing the button for the morgue. The list closes. The lift is spacious, with enough room to fit a gurney if needed. The bell songs, the doors open. Whitney steps out of the elevator and begins walking toward the office for the morticians. She pulls the knob down, entering the office. Doctor Evan's is nowhere to be seen. Whitney takes off her jacket, hanging it on the back of the door. The glass windows allow her to see out onto the floor. The floor is big, marble grey pillars reach from the floor to the ceiling. The marble floor is stain proof. It's so clear you nearly see your reflection. Whitney reclines back on the chair, tapping her hands off the arm rests.

She stands up, taking her lab coat from a separate hook. She puts her two arms in and throws it on. She sits and waits for the first arrival of the day to arrive. Due to the heavy fog, she is expecting a lot of casualties for her shift. The day unravels, casualties are to the bare minimum. Whitney sits, bored. She rocks back and forward in her chair. Suddenly doctor Whittaker enters into the office. Whitney turns around on the chair "Hey, where have you been?."

Doctor Whittaker shakes his head, passing by Whitney with a coffee in his hand. He places the coffee down on the table and turns back to her "You, know what I hate?... Whiskey, I hate Whiskey."

"Some people say that Whiskey is the devils drink." She replies.

"That it is... That it definitely is."

Suddenly, the office phone rings, Whitney answers "Hello, Mortuary. Whitney speaking."

The voice on the other line responds "Hey Whitney, it's Alice from reception here. Can you come to the desk you have a visitor ."

"Ok thank you, I'll be right up." Whitney looks at doctor Whittaker and leaves the office. She gets in the elevator, taking it to the atrium level. Whitney exits the elevator passing by the security desk "Hey Mack." She says.

Whitney continues walking, scanning her ID on the scanner to her left. Pulls open the double doors that allow her back into the main section of the hospital. She walks along the hallways with her fingertips sliding off the walls. Whitney turns the corner to see Matt standing at the main desk. She approaches him.

"Matt?, what are you doing here."

"I know you didn't have time for breakfast, so I brought you a coffee." He replies.

"Thanks Matt, this is very sweet." She answers.

Professor Harrison approaches the desk, he looks over his shoulder to see Whiney. He tells her "Ms. Brookes, what are you doing on the hospital floor?." Whitney holding the coffee is frozen. She tries to think of a good excuse but can not find the words. Matt says "Sorry professor, this is my fault. I brought her a cup of coffee." Professor Harrison gazes upon Whitney "Ms. Brookes, your lunch is not scheduled for another two hours. Which means I don't want to see you on my floor until then. As for you young man, Whitney is working, I don't need my students being distracted."

Matt looks at Whitney, kissing her on the cheek as professor Harrison looks on "I'll see you later." He says. Matt leaves the hospital as he stares at the professor. Whitney approaches and apologises "Professor I'm so sorry about this, it won't happen again." He leans in and whispers in her ear "We'll talk about this later." He turns and walks down the hall annoyed. Whitney turns to make her way back down to the mortuary. Whatever good mood Whitney had earlier is surely gone. She exits the lift, back out onto the morticians floor. Whitney enters into the office, closing the door and sitting down. Suddenly the alarm begins to ring. This means that something is pulling into the off loading dock.

Whitney checks the camera to see a ambulance pulling in. Which means, her work is about to begin. She stands up walking out of the office, closing the door behind her. She walks along the marble floor softly. She enters the lift, pressing the button for the off loading dock. The bell dings, as the door slides open. She exits the lift, as the driver exits the vehicle "Got your first one of the day." He greets

"Ok, thanks. What happened?." She asks.

"Caucasian female, nineteen years old. Detectives are on the scene. She was found in her dorm room with multiple stab wounds and lacerations on her stomach, legs and neck." He says.

"Poor girl. ok, lets get her inside." She responds.

The driver opens the back doors of the ambulance, he flips open the ramp and wheels out the gurney. Whitney taking the top pulling it into the building. She enters the elevator the three of them get in. Their is an awkward silence as no one speaks. Whitney fixated on the body, her eyes hardly blink. Almost impossible to pull her vision away from the deceased. The doors open. To Whitney's delight, doctor Whittaker is standing on the other side of the door, waiting to take the cadaver. She smiles and lets him handle the situation, as she walks back toward the office.

The day draws to an end. Whitney clocks out, leaving her lab coat back on the hook. Taking the elevator back to normality. She waves goodbye to the receptionist before heading out the main doors of the hospital. She steps outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air into her lungs. She looks out over the campus, as if everything is worth it for this one moment. This is her moment of triumph, another day done, a lesson well learned. She walks across the grass, a shortcut back to her dorm room. Although it's getting late, she cannot help but stop and sit on the grass, to feel that cool breeze on her face. Taking her bag from her shoulder, she sits down. Her legs crossed, reclining back with her arms posted behind her. She smiles again. Her mood has changed, smiling uncontrollably.

Whitney is tapped on the shoulder by Naomi, she drapes her arms over her shoulders and hugs her tightly. "Hey, how are you?." Naomi sits beside her. Whitney smiles, "You know what, I want to go out tonight. I feel like today is just perfect, for some reason." Naomi, not one to drink, "Well, I'm not much of a drinker, but hey, I can break my rules." The two giggle and laugh, excited about the future of tonight. The two embrace in another hug, before picking up their stuff and heading back to their room.

The two reach the room, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Naomi last in, closes the door behind her, locking it. Whitney jumps onto her bed. Sprawling out, letting out the biggest sigh of relief. Naomi says, "It must have been a really good day". Whitney sits up "Nope, it was horrible, but for some reason I'm happy. I mean, Matt showed up today and brought me a coffee. No one has ever done that for me." Naomi smiles for her best friends happiness "Good, I'm happy for you. Matt is awesome, and he is super into you." Whitney giggles placing the pillow over her face, her giggles muffled. Whitney throws the pillow down "Ok, lets get ready."

The night is cold, the temperatures have dropped. The wind picks up. Whitney and Naomi end up outside Brady's Bar. A little spot just off campus. The two enter. The interior is that of wood. Wooden, steps leading in, wooden hand rails and a fire place toward the back of the lavish bar. The dark red couches with wooden handles compliment the bar even more. The walls are stained oak. The bar is quiet, exactly what Whitney needs. A place where she and Naomi can talk with some peace. Naomi heads to the bar to get the first round. Whitney sits alone at the couch.

Whitney rummages through her purse, pulling out her phone. She writes a text message to Matt, "Hey, out with Naomi. We can catch up tomorrow." She sends the text smiling. She places her phone back in her black, leather strapped bag. Whitney looks up toward the bar to see Miller. Her smile disappears. She looks nervously in his direction. Miller approaches "Hey Whitney, long time no see."

"What are you doing here Miller." She replies.

"Having a drink." He responds.

"No I mean here, in front of me?." She asks.

"I know what you meant." He utters.

Whitney is aware of her past with Miller, even though it is not a healthy one, they have never had problems in high school. Naomi approaches the table and places down the drinks. She stares at Miller. He says "It was good seeing you Whitney... Take care." Miller walks away from the table, as he takes one last sup from his drink. Naomi looks at Whitney, she seems almost in a trance like state "You okay?." Whitney nods "Yeah I'm fine, just an old friend, I had forgotten about." Naomi takes Whitney's hand "Hey, whatever that was, let it go. Enjoy tonight." Whitney places her hand on top of Naomi's and takes a large gulp of her red wine.

"I know I said to forget about earlier... But I have to ask, who was that guy anyway?." Asks Naomi.

"That was Deion Miller. He was the star quarterback at my old high school." Replies Whitney.

"An ex boyfriend?. It's just you two don't seem to have the best of relationships." Says Naomi.

"Me and Miller?... A couple?... No but we do have a very complicated past."

The night goes smoothly. The girls leave the bar. Putting on their jackets, as they head out of Brady's bar. The two girls inter lock arms as they walk down the street to get back to the dorms. One drink has turned into many, the girls stumble side to side, laughing at silly jokes they tell each other. They reach the campus, still struggling to walk in a straight line.

They eventually find their building. They enter as they stumble up the stairs trying to find their front door. They struggle to put the key in the door, dropping it repeatedly. Trying to be quiet, they have even worse giggles.

They get the key in the door and fall in as it opens. Naomi says, "I need the bathroom". Whitney once again jumps onto her bed back first. She sprawls out, closing her eyes. Suddenly her phone rings. Whitney jumps from her zen like state to answer "Mom?, why are you calling so late? - what?." Whitney drops her phone on the floor as her face turns to horror.