“I’m going to let him know and give him the rundown on what he’ll need to do moving forward and the medication he’ll have to take. Do you mind getting his papers ready and making sure he has a follow up appointment with his Primary to get rechecked in a week? We’ll probably have to play a game to get the right dosage.”
“Will do,” I say with a nod.
I finish the documentation for another patient before I pull up Tyler’s chart. The call to his Primary’s office is easy enough and I have him scheduled for next Tuesday to get rechecked. I see the order for the medication, standard for this diagnosis, and call the pharmacy downstairs to make sure they have it ready by the time he checks out. This isn’t a medication he can wait a day or two for.
There are three other patients that I make my rounds on before I head to Tyler’s room once more. I’m still waiting on a final sign off from the doctor, which might take about half an hour or so, but I can at least get his last checks in to make sure he’s good to go home.
I knock twice before pushing the door open. Austin and Remington are still in the room. I sanitize my hands before grabbing a pair of gloves and putting them on. Tyler is sitting up in the bed and he is smiling when he looks over.
“Hey, Brandt. Do I get to go home now?”
“Soon,” I say. “We just have to do a last check and have the doctor sign off. Which means you can finally get out of this bed and get dressed.”
“Finally,” he says with a sigh.
“Ty,” Remington says sternly, giving him a look that says don’t be smart. “They just saved your life, from what the doctor said. I think he deserves a little more respect than your sarcasm.”
“Sorry,” Tyler mumbles. The way Remington said it isn’t rude, more like a protector. I can see the worry on his face. I feel like there’s something between them, but can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m also going to ignore that pang of jealousy as well. Tyler’s green eyes are back on me. “Thank you for everything today.”
“Just doing my job,” I say and plaster on a smile. My eyes flick to the two other men and back. “Do you two mind stepping out while I help Tyler get dressed and we go over a few more things?”
“Of course,” Remington says. “I’ll go ahead and get the car from the parking garage. Austin, do you want to wait for him at the main doors and I’ll pick you both up?”
“Okay.” They both give Tyler a quick glance before walking out of the room.
“So, what other things do I need to go over?” Tyler asks.
“We’re just going to do a quick walk up and down the hall to make sure you’re good. No lightheadedness or anything. Do you want to get dressed first?”
“Please,” he says. “Can I dress myself?”
“I’ll have to stay in here just to make sure you’re good, but I’ll turn around unless you need help. Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“I’m good right now,” Tyler says.
I help him out of the bed and have him stand for a minute to make sure he doesn’t have any sudden drops in his levels. When I’m satisfied that he’s okay, I turn around and give him the privacy to get dressed.
“I’m dressed,” Tyler says after a few minutes and I turn around. He’s in a pale green shirt and jacket with a faded pair of jeans. His feet are still bare.
“Need help with your shoes?” I ask.
“If you don’t mind,” Tyler says. He sounds almost sheepish. “I bent down to put my socks on, but I felt a little wobbly.”
“Do you still feel like that?” I step closer to him, laying on a hand on his upper arm to guide him back to the edge of the bed.
“No, it was just a quick feeling.”
I grab his socks from the bed and bend down to slide them on. His shoes go on next and I make sure they’re tied properly before standing back up. I pull the pulse oximeter out of my pocket and place it on his finger. “Let’s get walking, shall we?”
I help him up once more and we walk side-by-side across the room and down the hall. He’s steady on his feet, the pulse oximeter stays normal. We don’t say anything as we round the corner and head back to his room.
“Did I pass the test?” he asks when we’re back in the room. I smile. His oxygen stayed over ninety-seven and pulse was within range.
“How do you feel?”
“Way better than I did this morning,” Tyler says. “I do feel good. Hopefully this is a thing of the past now.”
“Tyler.” I wait until he’s sitting back on the edge of the bed. I’m standing just a foot away from him. He looks up at me.“This is a lifelong thing. You’ll have to be careful to avoid stressful situations, be vigilant on your medication and follow up appointments. I would also suggest getting a medical alert bracelet. If you go into another one of these crises, that bracelet will let anyone trained know what you need.”
