TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT - PINK

Welcome! This week we're writing to the word prompt "pink." I'm interrupting "The Chase" to start a new story. 
Note: if reading about the pandemic is upsetting, do not continue reading this stoy. 
A story of sacrifice, fear, heroism, loss and, ultimately, love. Yes it takes place during the coronavirus pandemic we're living in now. I hope it won't upset anyone to read this. The story came to me and was so compelling, I had to write it. It's aptly named, "Unforgettable." 

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Dr. Cary Metcalf slammed into his house and took the stairs to the bedroom two at a time. He yanked a suitcase from the closet and emptied his top two drawers into it. Throwing the closet door open, he grabbed a handful of jeans and shirts. A hasty folding, then in they went. One more item – his dopp kit from the bathroom. He added that to the mishmash, and, with maximum effort, closed it.

“Good luck, son. Stay healthy.” His father's eyes wetted, his cheeks pinked. 

“Thanks for taking over, Dad. I'll be fine.” He hugged him.  

He locked his front door, dumped the case in the trunk and got in his car. He set his GPS for an address on West 78^th Street in Manhattan, turned the ignition and sped out of his driveway.

His mind took over. Who was he? Simply a country doctor. He treated all sorts of complaints and diseases, but he’d never been part of a rescue team for a pandemic before. At thirty-five years old, he had experience, a wealth of knowledge, and a calm demeanor. But could he stand up to the stress of treating hundreds of patients day-after-day and face death tolls beyond his imagination?

Traffic was light so he pushed the speed limit until he was doing eighty. Sitting back, searching for a comfort zone, he talked to himself.

“You’ll do whatever you have to. Hell, you’ve done ER before. Piece of cake, right?” But his words brought little comfort. He searched his brain for any experience that could come close to the horrific situation in New York City and couldn’t come up with one.

His phone rang. Feeling reckless, he answered.

“Cary?”

“Oh, hi, Aunt Sue.”

“Where are you? When do you plan to arrive?”

“I’m in my car now. ETA according to the GPS is about an hour and a half.”

“Oh, good. I’ve made soup.”

“Great.”

“It’s a wonderful thing you’re doing.”

“Everyone has to do whatever they can, right?”

“Of course. See you soon.”

She clicked off. With no time to arrange for a hotel room and no idea how long he’d be needed,  he’d contacted his widowed aunt. She’s offered the spare room in her apartment and he’d jumped at it.  

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