He found a parking space and fed the meter. As he strode toward the restaurant, Regina called his name. His body prepared for flight.
She grasped his arm. “Where are you going?”
“To the Hot Doggery.”
She made a face. “There are several nice restaurants in town. Scapio’s has great Italian food.”
“If I’d wanted Italian food, there was lasagna at home.”
“Come and stay with me. Be at my parents’ house for Christmas. Then we could get away for a few days.”
He shook his head. “No thanks. I’ll be working. Dr. Joe is taking his family on a long needed vacation. I’ll be too busy to feel lonely.”
“But your mother and I planned these weeks. You’re to have dinner with me every evening.” She leaned closer until her breasts touched his chest. “After dinner we’ll get to know each other better.” She pursed her lips.
He wanted to gag. If he’d lit a match, she could make flame like a fire-breathing dragon. Her breath reeked of Scotch. He stepped back. “Do not make plans for me.”
“How can you refuse all I offer?” She edged closer.
When she raised her arms, he grasped her wrists. “Get lost. I have never had an interest in you. I have my own plans.”
She pouted. “Caleb, I need you. Come home with me.”
His brother’s words about how she satisfied her needs flashed into his mind. “Find yourself another playmate.” He wheeled and strode into the restaurant.
“Caleb.”
He turned his head. “Just go away. I don’t appreciate being the object of a stalker.”
“Your mother wants us married. We’ll unite the richest people in town. Daddy has plans that need us as a couple.”
“I’m sure he does.” He grasped the door. “There’s never been anything between us. You were Warren’s girl in high school. I’m not in the market for castoffs.”
She stormed away. Caleb entered the restaurant and chose one of the small booths. He ordered two chili dogs, cheesy fries and a soda. He hoped when they arrived his churning stomach would have settled. Regina had an adverse effect on his appetite.
When he took his first bite of the chili dog, he savored the spicy explosion in his mouth. He polished off his food and ended the meal with a slice of key lime pie.
After a stop at Frank’s for cinnamon rolls, he drove home. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and settled in the large den. He called the hospital to check on the patients and then Rehab where he gave the nurse in charge that evening the schedule for the swim lessons with Jon.
What now? He switched on the giant screen television, sipped beer and surfed the channels. Nothing captured his attention. He could read a book or search the web.
How sad his live had become. Of his closest friends from high school, only Alex remained in town. But he had a wife and child and didn’t have time to be a companion. The one person he wanted to spend time with had brushed him off. He had to work on changing Suzanna’s mind.
Finding nothing of interest, he finished the beer, walked upstairs, showered and slid beneath the covers. Thoughts of Suzanna played in a steady stream. His feelings for her made no sense.
His hand touched his face where hers had landed. Good thing she hadn’t used a fist. He might have sported a broken jaw. Though he had to admit the truth. He’d deserved her anger. He turned on his side. Would his dreams provide a solution to his problem?
* * *
On Monday, Suzanna woke early, showered and dressed. Though she tried to make breakfast, her jumpy stomach kept her from wanting to eat. Not only would she face a new crew of nurses, some older than herself, Caleb would be there. She buttered a piece of toast and used the single cup coffee machine to produce a cup of mocha.
As she sipped the brew, she recalled the list of problems Eric and Jenessa had sent her regarding the unit. She couldn’t solve them all at once. One of the problems was the older doctor who had no use for nurse practitioners.
At least Caleb had worked with other practitioners and accepted them. She banged her mug on the table. No matter how she tried to dismiss him, he crept into her thoughts and she felt the light touch of his finger on her cheek. She drew a deep breath. She had to face him as though they had no past.
She rose and empted her cup. As she stepped outside the house, a blast of cold air slapped her. She drove through town and pulled into the staff parking lot. She slid her SUV next to Cate’s. “Hi, neighbor.”
Cate laughed. “We should have come together.”
“Maybe when Jon’s home. I’ll visit him every day after work. I need to check on his school progress. He has so much to do to catch up.”
“Will you need help pushing?”
“Not yet. He aims to be on the high school swim team and he can’t unless his grades are good.” They strode from the lot. Cate turned toward Rehab and Suzanna strode to the hospital.
When she exited the elevator on the fifth floor, she saw Caleb talking to Jenessa. He turned to leave. “Eric will be pleased,” Jenessa said.
Though curiosity nagged, Suzanna found her locker in the lounge and hung her coat before returning to the desk. “How long have you been here?” she asked.
“Ten minutes or so. I wanted to be organized to hand the unit off to you. Then Caleb arrived and made my day. He’s looking for an apartment. Eric and I want to sublet ours.”
“I’m glad. Why does he want an apartment?”
“Independence and it’s across the street.”
Jenessa and Suzanna joined the oncoming nurses to listen to report. After the night nurses finished, Jenessa introduced Suzanna to the staff. She knew she wouldn’t remember all the names for at least a week. Their name tags would help.
“Let’s head out for rounds,” Jenessa said.
First, they toured the patient rooms and met the children. Twenty four children from infants to teens made up the census. The unit could hold thirty though several of the rooms could have beds added if necessary.
Jenessa drew her into a small office. “This is your retreat from chaos.” She pointed to a pair of metal baskets labeled in and out. “I kept several incident reports for you to review. I signed them both, but you need to see how errors and incidents are handled.” She opened a side drawer of the desk. “The monthly time off requests are here. Nurses work thirteen hour shifts. Here’s a list of floats who are available if needed. Staff nurses are limited to one extra shift a week and on a voluntary basis. I’ll help you review January’s schedule after lunch.”
Suzanna drew a deep breath. “Any cliques? Any slackers?”
“Staff is okay. They’re friendly but there’s a lack of leaders among them so you’ll end up being called on your days off.”
“Training them to take responsibility is one of my first goals.”
“Since you’re a practitioner, you have extra responsibilities. Most of the nurses call the doctors for every sneeze and sniffle. All but Dr. Dunn are glad you’re here. You can write orders for the others, including Alex, who’s a family physician. Dunn considers all nurses as handmaidens.”
“Got you. One not on board.”
Jenessa nodded. “Or even in this century.”
One of the nurses tapped on the door. “There’s a problem. Susie Grimes is having an asthma attack. Should I call the doctor?”
“I’m on my way.” Suzanna rose. “Which doctor?”
“Dr. Joe.”
A sense of relief swept through Suzanna. She followed the nurse into the room and performed a quick assessment. The child was bundled in blankets from home. “Does she have allergies?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” the nurse said.
Suzanna pulled off the blankets. “Are these from home?”
“I believe so.”
Suzanna lifted the toddler into her arms. Not only was she having an asthma attack, but there was a rash on her face, arms and chest where the blankets rested.
“I don’t see any allergies listed,” t
he nurse said.
Suzanna’s study of the child continued. The toddler’s breathing had become less strained since she’d removed the woolen blanket. “Stay with her. I’ll be right back. Fold the blanket and put it in the closet.”
“But her mother insisted…”
“Just do it.” Suzanna rushed to the med room and drew up a solution into a syringe. An anti-histamine would help. She hurried back to the room in time to hear an argument. When she entered a woman held the wool blanket and was about to wrap it around the little girl.
“Don’t do that,” Suzanna said.
“She needs her blankie. I’m her mother and don’t tell me what to do. Call her doctor.”
“I’ll let Dr. Joe know. I believe your daughter is allergic to wool and that’s what caused the attack.” Quickly, she gave the injection and lifted the child into her arms. The acute attack which had begun again ceased.
“Just who do you think you are?” The woman pulled out a phone and dialed. “I want to talk to him right now…What do you mean he’s with a patient? Then the other one…I don’t see him.” She whirled to face Suzanna, “You’ll be sorry.”
Suzanna turned to the cowering nurse. “Have you documented the incident? When did the attack begin?”
“Just after her mother entered. I’m not exactly sure. She grabbed me as I was passing.”
“Make sure you document everything, especially how the attack subsided when the blanket was removed.” She stepped into the hall and pulled the child’s record. First, she documented what she had seen and what she had done. Then she wrote the order for the stat dose.
The unit clerk waved. “Ms. Rollins, there’s a call for you.”
Suzanna closed the chart and went to the desk. “Ms. Rollins here.” She heard Caleb’s deep voice and answered his questions. “The acute attack has subsided. I believe a wool blanket was responsible for the attack.” She told what she had done.
“Good. I trust you. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes and order tests. Let the mother know I’ll be there in the next fifteen to thirty minutes.”
Suzanna returned to the child’s room and passed the message to the mother. “Dr. Winstone will be here in about a half hour. He’s pleased with how quickly your daughter’s breathing steadied.”
The woman glared. The woman removed the wool blanket from the closet. “She needs her blankie.”
Suzanna shook her head. “Dr. Winstone wants nothing that could cause another reaction to be used with her now.” She removed the blanket from the woman’s hands. “I’ll keep this in my office until he arrives.” Suzanna stepped into the hall.
“Where is she?” A male voice reminding her of someone using a megaphone demanded.
She strode to the desk. As soon as she saw the short, pudgy gray-haired man, she remembered him from her student days. “Good morning, Doctor Dunn.”
He glared. “You’re the new one. I’m ready to make rounds.” He pointed to a tablet. “Bring that contraption. I’ll tell you what to write and you’d better be accurate.”
“Yes, sir.” Thank heavens he only had two patients on the unit. He pulled up the chart for the first patient and read the nurses’ notes and the results of the tests he’d ordered to him.
The next half hour made her want to scream. Betsy’s nurse interrupted her several times with a report of the child and mother’s status.
“Young lady, you have no right to issue orders on a patient,” Dr. Dunn said.
“I’m a nurse practitioner. I have Dr. Winstone’s permission.”
“I hope he won’t be sorry.”
Suzanna bit her lip. She wouldn’t scream. She wouldn’t slam the tablet over his head. Calm, calm.
By three forty five, she was ready to collapse. An irate mother, a bullying doctor and the one she thought she would be uncomfortable working with offering unconditional support.
Before going to see her brother, she drove to the local surgical equipment supply store. After checking the various kinds of beds, she rented an electric one plus the other equipment needed for Jon’s room at the house. She spent time discussing chair lifts and decided on one from the front walk to the porch. No sense disturbing the bedrooms on the second floor for a temporary situation. Arranging a Saturday delivery time took some promise of extra pay.
Back in the car, she drew a deep breath. She drove to Frank’s and ordered burgers and onion rings for Jon and herself. Ten minutes later, she reached the Rehab Center. Rick and Cate stood in the foyer.
“Is Jon all right?” she asked.
“Your brother’s fine,” Cate said. “We’re free for the evening.”
“Free.” Rick winked. “Free to do the year end summary. The bone doctors deputized me as the goat. Did you know Caleb is coming this evening for a pool session?”
“I don’t know the schedule.”
“Usually Tuesday and Thursday. Something came up for tomorrow. He’ll also come on Saturday or Sunday.”
Suzanna turned. “I’d better head up while the food is hot. Don’t want to zap Frank’s best burgers.”
“He’s had dinner,” Cate said.
“He’s a teenage boy with the appetite of champions,” Rick said.
“And he’ll eat everything and finish my onion rings.” Suzanna walked up the stairs and reached her brother’s room. “Brought you a second dinner.”
“What?”
“Burger and onion rings.” She placed them on the table in front of him. He tore into the bag, dispensed with the wrapper, and took a bite. “This is so good.”
“I agree.” She ate most of her burger. “How are things?”
“I stood for three minutes without tipping.”
“That’s great. Make any progress with the school tests?”
He nodded. “I’m halfway through the math. It’s now geometry.”
“Don’t push too hard.”
“I want to finish these tests, so I can start taking real courses.” He dipped an onion ring into the catsup. “Is every restaurant in town wonderful?”
“I haven’t eaten in many. When I was in college, The Hot Doggery and Frank’s were what we could afford. Saturday night, I had dinner at the Pirate’s Cove with my friends. They have great seafood. We’ll go there after you come home.” She finished her food. “Eat up. Dr. Winstone will be here soon for your lesson.”
Jon finished his burger. “I wish he could come every evening. I really like him.”
Suzanna studied her brother’s expression, which bordered on hero worship. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the connection. Still, she couldn’t let Jon know about her past with Caleb, especially when he was helping Jon move forward.
Chapter 5
By the end of his second week at Eastlake Community, Caleb had fallen into a routine. On Friday, he’d met with Eric and Jenessa to sign the sublet for their apartment. Once the five months had passed, he might sign a lease or buy a house.
Today was moving day for Eric and Jenessa. He joined the Grantley Gang in moving furniture and packed boxes to his friend’s new house. Friends, he thought. He felt as though he belonged to the group. If only the thaw with Suzanna would last.
He followed Eric to the apartment. After accepting the keys, he stood in the kitchen. He now possessed a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer and dryer.
Eric paused in the doorway. “Thanks for the help. Do you need help moving in?”
Caleb shook his head. “Furniture shopping is my next step. The only things I’m bringing from my parents’ house are clothes, books and my swimming trophies. My parents’ maid and handy man are bringing those soon.”
“Why did you decide on an apartment? I’ve heard your family house is quite large.”
“Do you really want to know?” Caleb didn’t want to burden Eric with the details if he didn’t want to know.
Eric nodded. “I’ll bite.”
“I needed to escape my mother’s plans for my life. We’re a mile apart and being a captive audience didn�
��t suit me.” Caleb ginned. “Why do parents want to control like they did when you were young?”
Eric shrugged. “Guess I was fortunate. My mom died when I was in college. My dad was a cop. When he retired, he became a nurse. When a shoulder injury sidelined me, I followed him gladly.”
“Then I envy you. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve decided being on my own works best.”
“I hear you. Hey, the docs and I are getting together for poker on Wednesday. Want to join us?”
“Be glad to. Let me know where.”
“At Alex’s house. He vouched for you. He said at seven.” Eric walked to the door. “See you.”
The door closed behind Eric. Caleb wandered through the empty rooms while waiting for Cecelia and Pete. What furniture did he need? One bedroom set, a desk and chair for the second and maybe book shelf and file cabinet, dining and living room stuff. Shopping didn’t sound like fun. Fortunately, he had credit cards with high limits and hefty bank accounts. During his residency, he hadn’t spent the interest from the money his paternal grandmother had left him.
He heard the bell and opened to find Pete. The middle-aged man carried in buckets, a broom, mop and vacuum cleaner. Cecelia followed with a box of cleaning supplies.
“Anything else?” he asked.
Cecelia laughed. “Boxes and boxes, suitcases, hanging bags.”
Mabel entered carrying two large shopping bags. “Food for the next few days. The prepared dinners will be in the freezer section of the refrigerator. I’ll see to the kitchen before I leave. Now go and help Pete.”
A dozen trips to the pickup truck for the rest of his belongings exhausted Caleb. He hadn’t realized there was so much.
Cecelia stood in the hall leading to the bedrooms. “Where will you sleep tonight?”
He shrugged. “On the floor. The carpet’s soft.”
She turned to her brother. “Bring in the cot, sleeping bag, card table and chairs.” She gestured to Caleb. “You’re going to the Mall to buy furniture. Find when they can deliver. Pete and I will be here.”
The Leo-Aquarius Connection Page 6