She holds out a hand for me to sit down at the round table.
“God, no.” Linda points a finger at me, a stern look coming over her face. “And if you even think of leaving, I’lldrag you back here myself. You’re one of my best nurses, and I cannot afford to lose you.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Then what do you want to talk about?”
Linda pats my hand. “I’m getting older, dear, and I’m going to be retiring soon.”
“What? You are?” This is the first I’m hearing about this.
“My daughter is going to be giving birth soon, and I want to be able to spend time with my grandbabies.”
“That’s great, Linda.” I give her a warm smile. “I know you’ll be happy, but we’ll miss you around here.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Which brings me to your future.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to take over my position.”
My jaw hits the floor. “What? Really?”
I’ve never even considered another position within the hospital. I love my job. I love getting to help people, especially children.
“You’d be great at it. The doctors respect you. The staff down here love you. You’d be a natural.”
“Do I have time to think about it?”
Linda has been at this hospital since I started. She took me under her wing and helped train me to be the nurse that I am today. It’d feel weird taking her position, and coming into the hospital and her not being here.
“Sure.” She pats my hand. “You’re really my only choice, but if you don’t want to do it, I’m not going to pressure you.”
“Thanks, Linda.”
She leaves the break room with a soft click of the door shutting behind her. Charge nurse? Would I even have time for it? Sure, it’s a more set schedule, but it also comes with a lot more responsibility. It seems like I barely have time for life as it is. Raising a kid? Dating? I love my job, but I don’t want it to become my entire life.
It’s something I’m going to have to talk about with mymom, because if I have to take more call or cover if people are sick, I’m going to need her help.
Heading out of the room, I’m just about to grab a chart from the front desk when I slam into someone.
Jameson has a deadly serious look on his face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look like this before. It sends a wave of panic through me.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“Everyone is okay, but I need you not to panic.” Jameson drops his hands on my shoulders.
“You saying that is making me panic.” Bile rises in my throat, and it takes everything in me not to shake him to get him to tell me what’s wrong.
“It’s Troy.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
DEREK
“Isaacs. C’mere.”
The kid looks sick as he jogs off the field and comes to stand in front of me. “Yes, Coach?”
“How’s training been going this offseason?”
