Loss Of A Dear Friend

I work in the medical profession and have been at the same facility for 30 years. Through the years people came and quit but a constant was a very good friend I made my first day, her name was Kim. She was dependable, funny and hardworking. We became as close as coworkers could get without being involved. I often would sneak up and scare her because her reactions were priceless. She would often tell me if I ever scared her to death she would come back and get even. She did, once. I think because she never lied. She was always one to tell the truth. Then one day it all changed.

Kim was taking a friend who did not drive to the store on her day off, she was thoughtful like that all the time. The store is located at the bottom of a steep series of hills. A grandmother who had her 3 grandchildren in her car thought it would be a good idea to take the children for a joy ride over those hills for a thrill. Only she had been drinking all day and smoking pot. Taking the hill at 70 mph she hit Kim's car from the back driving it into a telephone pole killing Kim instantly and maiming her passenger. Thankfully the kids were not hurt as well as the grandmother.

Watching the footage of Kim being towed away still in the car with a blanket over her because they could not cut her out on scene will stay with me forever. Several days of work without Kim it hit me. It really happened. She was dead. A woman who never said a single bad word, nor drank was murdered by a drunk driver.

About 2 weeks after I was called to work several hours early by the charge nurse. Mainly because of living 2 blocks away and my longevity. We were also good friends and she knew I would come in even though she gave me a cryptic reason. "We have a situation and I cannot call the police." I was there by 3 am. We have a very secure building with several protective measures such as codes and such to enter and leave because of residents with dementia, so I knew it was probably not an intruder. The nurse, Mary told me all my staff are accounted for (all women), and a bathroom in the remotest part of the building was showing occupied. Thinking somehow it was one of the residents, she went and checked only to find a blinking light and a woman crying inside and not responding to anything being said to her. We both went straight to the bathroom in question and to be honest I thought an ex employee or current one might be behind it all.

We got there and it was exactly as advertised, blinking light crying woman, unresponsive. But I had heard the cry before. It was the day Kim had told me she had caught her husband having an affair. But I wrote that off to still feeling the loss, no way it could be Kim. I tried my best to get this woman out even joking the stress of the job had had me resort to breaking down and locking myself in rooms. After about 5 minutes the light stayed on, the crying stopped. Total silence. I have a master key that opens all but a few doors and used it. I unlocked the door to...nobody. An empty ordinary bathroom was open to us.

Mary only knew Kim slightly and said "I thought it sounded like Kim." She was saying what I was thinking. We never reported it to admin, nor anybody else. We would be ridiculed, made fun of or just be thought of as nuts.

Having met Kim's sister at her funeral I decided to ask her of her opinion. I was scared to do so because the wound was and still is raw. Her sister related a story of driving past the crash sight and seeing Kim in her rear view mirror but was afraid of the same things Mary and I were if she told anybody. Knowing how close we were her sister told me she believed it was Kim. We have since become good friends and call each other if Kim stops by. Which is several times a year. She let\'s us both know by little Kim things as we call them. Flickering of lights when she is discussed, vivid dreams we both have of the same memory. A cold blast of air around that date in July when she was taken.

I often talk to her at work telling her she should go home. I think she is either confused or unaware she is dead. I know she never had a bad bone in her body in life so she would not do any harm in death on purpose. Unless she is keeping her promise to me about payback. I would like to see her rest, because of the way she died I don't know if that is possible. I miss my friend and love her dearly. I hope she finds peace one day. Having told her numerous times she should go be with her parents and all her old fur babies I have run out of ideas. Rest in peace Kim.