With my two medical interns in tow, I turn the corner and find Talia, one of the nurse practitioners on my service, with my favorite little patient.
“Knock, knock. How’s my favorite patient today?”
“Better now that Nurse T got me extra chocolate pudding.” My nine-year-old patient, Joel, beams at me from the bed, chocolate pudding smeared around his mouth.
“You must be really special because nurse T doesn’t sneak just anyone chocolate pudding.” I wink at Joel, and he giggles, licking his spoon clean.
Admittedly, Talia sneaks all her patient’s extra pudding. She makes each child feel special and cared for while staying at the hospital. She’s hardworking, cares deeply for her patients, and has the most amazing bedside manner. Talia is the best pediatric nurse at the hospital.
“Here you are, Dr. Winters.” She hands me the tablet, with Joel’s chart and post-surgery lab results, for me to review. He’s being treated for a broken tibia and fibula.
“Thank you, Nurse T.” I scan the chart and step back for my interns to complete an exam of their own and present the findings.
Everything looks great. Joel is healing well. His leg will remain immobilized and in traction until his bones mend from the surgery. If all goes well with his post-op checklist, he’ll go home next week.
I’ve been at Mercy Hospital for the last four years, and while this job never gets easier, I love it. I love teaching newbie doctors and nurse practitioners. I love caring for my patients. The children I treat arrive at our hospital with a variety of symptoms, injuries, and diseases. Some are life threatening; some are not. Some patients leave, and others don’t.
Today is one of the good days.
After my interns finish presenting Joel’s case, I send them off to update his chart and get ready for the next set of patient rounds. Today I’m on medical student duty, but I prefer rounding with the nurse practitioners like Talia.
I join her at the nurse’s station and grab an old-fashioned chocolate donut out of the pink box. “You’re good with him.”
“Thanks.” Talia blushes as she stacks patient’s charts into a pile.
“Just calling it like I see it.” I nudge her with my elbow before taking a bite of the sweet pastry. Nothing like a donut in the middle of the day.
“Joel makes it easy. He reminds me of my soon-to-be nephew, who’s also too cute.”
Talia recently got engaged to her boyfriend, Cameron Miller, the star pitcher for the Los Angeles Evaders, and apparently, he has quite a large family.
“He’s going to play the guitar at our wedding.” Talia smiles to herself as she reads the rounds board, preparing for her next patient.
“How’s the wedding planning going? Stuck doing everything yourself?” I ask and take another bite of my donut.
“Oh, no. Cam is so excited. He has more ideas than I do.” Talia laughs as she grabs a glazed donut.
“You’re lucky.” Bradley wanted nothing to do with the planning. It was just another reason for me to kick him to the curb like a bag of trash.
Talia grins. “I am. Even my brother is getting on board. Nico finally agreed to walk me down the aisle.”
“That’s nice.” The words taste like ash as I pick up my tablet and start mindlessly reviewing charts.
I still can’t believe Talia is that jackass’s little sister. She’s so sweet and kind, and he’s not. Nico Romero is a womanizing pig with a short temper.
He’s also a sexy baseball star with stormy-gray eyes and a firm, round butt from squatting in the dirt all day, my traitorous brain adds.
A shiver runs down my spine at the memory of him watching me from behind the dark windows of his car. I shove the thought of his eyes on me into a locked chest and finish my doughnut.
“My offer still stands, you know.” Talia bumps me with her shoulder, but since she’s short, she ends up hitting my arm instead.
I hug the tablet to my chest like armor, ready for the invitation I know is coming.
“My bachelorette party is tonight. I’d love it if you could make it.” Hope glimmers in her silver eyes, and I hate being the one to kill it.
Talia and I are work friends. Nothing more. She would like to have more of a friendship, but guilt keeps me from forming that bond with her. I haven’t told Charlotte about the connection. I don’t know why. Charlotte would never hold a grudge. She’s all sunshine and sweetness. Like Talia.
“Thank you for the offer. It’s so sweet of you to include me. Unfortunately, I have appointments to see some apartments after shiftand a few more tomorrow.” An uncomfortable feeling squeezes my ribs as I decline her offer.
