“Finding the truth could be easy.”
“How?”
“Gossip. If she’s a patient and knowing her family, nurses will talk. Let me find out.”
He clasped her hand. “That doesn’t prove I’m not the father.”
“Depends on how pregnant she is. Even if she’s in the early stages, you can demand a paternity test.”
“I definitely will.”
He finished his part of the turnover. “I’d better go. If not, I might do something we’ll both regret.”
“You’re right. This isn’t the time.” She walked with him to the door.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He opened the door. “See you.”
Suzanna smiled. “Perhaps I’ll have news tomorrow.” The door closed. She leaned against the frame. She hoped he felt more for her than lust.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Suzanna woke at six and had breakfast prepared before the aide arrived. She carried Jon’s meal to the bedroom and set the dishes on the overbed table. The doorbell rang, and she hurried to answer.
A tall, dark-skinned man smiled. “Is this the Rollins’ residence?
She nodded. “Come in. I’ll introduce you to my brother and show you around. I’m Suzanna Rollins.”
“George Baxter.”
Suzanna led him to Jon’s room. Her brother placed his fork on the plate. “Jon, this is George. He’ll be here five mornings a week.” She turned to the aide. “I’ll show you the set-up while Jon eats.” She opened the door to the small bathroom.
He nodded. “I see you have a shower chair. That’s good.” He handed her a folder. “These are my instructions. Check to see if any other care is needed.”
She ran her finger down the check list. “Looks good. The PT and OT will be coming today. They’ll let you know their schedule. They may add exercises to your list.” She led him to the kitchen. “One of my neighbors, Clint, will stop by with Jon’s lunch.” After showing him where things were kept, she pointed to the coffee maker. “Feel free to help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“Here’s my cell number in case you have a problem.”
“A nurse from the agency will be stopping by. She may need to speak to you.”
“Have her call or drop by Peds.” The clock struck the quarter hour. “I need to leave.”
He smiled. “We’ll do just fine.”
Suzanna gathered her things, including her parking pass. She stopped in her brother’s room. “Have a good day. I’ll see you around four thirty. When your friends come, they’re to stay down here. Sodas are in the fridge and chips in the food closet.”
“Got you.”
Hoping her brother would be okay on his first day alone in the afternoon, she left the house. George would remain until eleven. The man seemed efficient and caring. Clint and Maddie were due at noon and his friends at two. Jon would be fine.
After parking in the lot, she headed to the fifth floor. The nurses on night duty had just finished report. One of the nurses stopped Suzanna. “A warning. Danny Thorpe, three years old. Fever of unknown origin. Dr. Dunn’s patient. Temp on arrival here was one hundred point five,”
“Any seizures?”
The woman shook her head. “We put him in one of the isolation rooms.”
Suzanna checked the assignment sheet. “Mary, as a precaution against seizures, we need to pad the siderails. What has Dr. Dunn ordered for an elevation?”
“All I see are routine admission orders.”
“Check his temp. I’ll be in in a few minutes. I’ll call Dr. Dunn,”
“Thanks.”
After Suzanna asked the unit clerk to page Dr. Dunn, she stopped in the utility room for bath blankets for padding. She also took a tongue blade and used four by fours and tape to pad the blade. When she reached the room, Mary was ready to bathe the child.
“His temp?”
One hundred two.”
Suzanna touched the water in the orange plastic basin. “Change this and try a tepid sponge.”
“It’s not ordered.”
“I’ll take the blame. Just think of it as routine morning care.” She began padding the siderails of the bed. “Do you know how to use the padded tongue blade?”
Mary nodded.
Suzanna turned. “I’ll make rounds and return to check his temp after the bath.” The toddler’s lethargy troubled her. “I’ll call Dunn again.”
She stepped into her office and called Dr. Dunn’s service. “He should be at the hospital,” the service operator said.
Suzanna called the operator and asked for a second page. Then she dialed admissions. “Could you tell me where Regina Bishop is located?”
“Fourth floor, room 421.”
Great. She called Liz. “Could you meet me for lunch?”
“Cafeteria at twelve thirty.”
“See you there.” Suzanna hung up. After a quick check of her in and out baskets and finding nothing, she rose. This afternoon, she had to finish February’s time sheet. She stepped into the hall.
The emergency light above the door of the isolation room flashed. She dashed down the hall. The toddler’s body thrashed. Thank heavens, Mary had the tongue blade in place, so he wouldn’t swallow his tongue. “How long has the seizure lasted?”
“Just begun. I rang because his temperature went above one hundred and four.”
“I’ll be right back.” Suzanna darted into the med room and removed a suppository from the small refrigerator. She waved to the unit clerk. “Try Dr. Dunn again.” She stopped in the utility room and grabbed some gloves and culture tubes.
Back at the bedside, she pulled on gloves. Danny’s seizure had ceased. She turned him on his side and applied the suppository. His heated skin and his poor response troubled her. “Prepare another tepid sponge. We need a nose and throat culture. Blood cultures times three.”
Someone coughed. Suzanna turned and saw Dr. Dunn. Here comes trouble. In a business like manner, she reported what she had done.
He handed her the tablet. “What else would you do?’
“Take the cultures and add urine cultures. Analgesics for temperature above one hundred and one. A cut down for fluids and antibiotics if they’re needed. He’s dehydrated.”
“Write those orders. The IV to be D 5 W. You’ve done exactly what I would have done. Send the orders and make rounds with me. You do know what you’ve doing.”
Suzanna released a held breath. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “I called a friend at City. He had nothing but praise for you. If there’s an emergency with one of my patients, you can act until I arrive.”
“I understand.” She typed the orders and handed the tablet to him for a signature. “I’m planning a series of continuing education classes for the nurses. Would you agree to give one of the lectures?”
“If you give me a list of the topics and I can choose the one I want. Why are you doing this?”
“For several reasons. To keep the nurses up to date on the latest information. To use when renewing their licenses. I believe the more they know the better care they can give.”
“Good. Good.”
Once he left the unit, Suzanna felt as though she’d won a war. She returned to her office and checked the request book against the time sheet and finalized the schedule. She put the paper in an interdepartmental envelope and carried it to the desk. Thank heavens Jenessa had done most of the work.
By lunch time, the unit had settled. Suzanna headed to the cafeteria, selected a chef’s salad and found Liz. She slid her tray onto the table.
Liz looked up. “How’s your day going?”
“There was a bit of excitement and I acted as a nurse practitioner for one of Dr. Dunn’s patients.”
“Gutsy.”
Suzanna grinned. “Actually, he gave me a thumbs up.” She chuckled. “Only for emergencies though. Your day?”
“Strange,” Liz said.
“How so?” Suzanna hoped her question would be a way to
ask about Regina.
“We have a patient cuffed to the bed, an officer in the hall outside her room and an irate father in harassment mode.”
Suzanna leaned forward. “Is she pregnant?”
“Definitely. I’d say three months, maybe a bit more. Why do you ask?”
A weight slid from Suzanna’s shoulders. Caleb was clear. There wasn’t even a need for any paternity test. Three months ago he had been in London. He hadn’t returned to the States until the first of December. When he came for Jon, she would tell Caleb. “That’s good to hear.”
“Why?”
“She told her father Caleb was responsible. Caleb was out of the country when she became pregnant.”
Liz grasped Suzanna’s arm. “Do not get involved with any Bishop. The…Regina drives me crazy. Demands things we don’t have. Went into the DTs. I know she had a concussion but if she hadn’t been drunk, three people wouldn’t be dead.”
“I want nothing to do with her, but she’s been stalking Caleb.”
Liz grinned, “So that’s the way things go.”
“What do you mean?”
Liz laughed. “Has the house gotten to you, too? Or is it Megan’s Astrological predictions?”
Suzanna shook her head. “We’re friends because of all he’s doing for my brother.”
“We’ll see.”
Was Liz right? No question there. She was right. Suzanna had to admit she’d fallen in love with Caleb, but he was only in lust.
* * *
In the middle of the crisis with Dr. Dunn’s patient, Caleb arrived for rounds. He watched as Suzanna stepped in and started treatment. When he saw the older doctor’s arrival, Caleb lingered to prevent Dunn from creating a scene. Suzanna’s mastery at handling the older man was professional. He’d grinned when the older doctor had accepted her actions.
When Suzanna had asked Dunn about lecturing to the nurses, Caleb frowned. Why hadn’t she asked him? He would be glad to participate.
Get over yourself. Everything she does or says isn’t about you. Her invitation to the older doctor was another way of proving her competence to the man. Caleb had heard how Dunn had protested hiring a nurse practitioner.
Caleb finished rounds and headed to the office. As he passed the receptionist, he waved.
She placed the receiver in the cradle. “Going to be a busy day. That’s the fourth patient I’ve had to squeeze in.” Mildred winked. “You shouldn’t be so handsome that all the mothers want to see you.”
Caleb’s face heated. Had word of his announcement on arrival on Peds reached the office? Joe had heard and laughed. “I’ll handle them.”
“I’m sure you will. Imagine you’ll finish between six and seven this evening.”
As the door into the waiting room opened, Caleb entered the treatment/office area. Charts were in the holders beside the doors of all six exam rooms. He groaned.
Gloria, the office nurse, winked. “You’ll need to clone yourself.”
“Looks that way. Start filtering the children into the treatment rooms.” He entered his office, hung his jacket on a hook and donned a white lab coat.
“Coffee’s fresh.” Gloria popped her head into the room. “You’ll need a gallon.”
“Just keep it coming.”
Thus began the mass invasion. Immunizations, check-ups, coughs, fevers, stomach viruses, rashes, breathing problems and assorted other ailments. As he saw the last child of the day, he felt ready to collapse but his day hadn’t ended. He had to finish the charts on the children he’d seen, visit the two he’d admitted to the hospital and give Jon his workout in the pool.
By the time he’d examined the boy and girl at the hospital and written orders, his watch showed quarter to seven. Though his stomach growled, he dashed across the street to his apartment, changed clothes, grabbed presents and swim gear and drove to Suzanna’s house.
Jon stood in the foyer. He handed Caleb a present. “For Christmas. Forgot yesterday.”
Caleb set the present for Suzanna and Jon on the marble table in the foyer. “Here are yours and Suzanna’s.”
Jon put his on the tray and walked to the living room. He tore the paper off the books and eagerly examined them.
Caleb opened his package. He chuckled when he sat the Greatest Coach tee shirt. “Thanks.”
Suzanna opened her hand lotion and liquid soap. She sniffed. “Coconut.”
“I like the scent. Reminds me of spending time with our cook. She used to make coconut pies and cookies.”
“These books are great,” Jon said. “Suz, they’re all about swimming and swimmers. Maybe the school will let me use one of them for the last book report.” He handed them to her and returned to the foyer for his jacket. “Let’s go.”
Caleb opened the door. When they returned he would ask Suzanna what she’d learned about Regina.
“Let’s not take the wheelchair,” Jon said. “I can walk from the car to the pool.”
Caleb pushed the chair outside. “We’ll take it as a precaution.”
At the Community Center, Caleb pushed the chair after Jon. They stopped in the dressing room and then entered the pool area. The aroma of chlorine filled the air. A group of boys jumped into the pool. They stared at Jon as he began his exercises.
Caleb crouched at the edge and held his stop watch. “Swim time. Do the crawl. Remember the length is longer than the one at Rehab. When you do the turn, come back via the backstroke.”
“Got you.” Jon took off.
Caleb hoped the change in distance wouldn’t dishearten the boy. He glanced at the stopwatch. Jon reached the end and turned. He started the backstroke. When he reached Caleb, he grinned. “How did I do?”
“Now we have times for both strokes. They are good.” He paused. “How was the greater distance?”
“No problem with the crawl. Coming back, I had to push a bit.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Caleb Winstone how are you?”
Caleb turned. “Art Harley, good to see you again. What are you doing these days?”
“Teaching Chemistry at Eastlake High and coaching the swim team.” He pointed to the two boys who paddled around Jon. “My freshman tryouts. Is the boy yours?”
Caleb shook his head. “A friend’s younger brother. He was in an auto accident. Had many fractures. Swimming is therapy, but his progress surprises me.”
Art frowned. “He’s not in school. I would know.”
“He has some catching up to do. He’s doing his freshman year on line. He starts at Eastlake in September.” He saw Jon and the boys talking with animated gestures.
He and Art walked toward the boys. Caleb realized a race had begun. The trio sped across the pool and turned to swim back.
Jon inched ahead and touched the wall first. His green eyes glistened. “I won.”
Caleb knelt. “Show off. Weren’t you supposed to practice the breaststroke?”
“Yes, but they challenged me.” He waved the two boys over. “Chuck and Brian, this is Caleb Winstone. He’s my coach.”
“Hey, I saw your name on the trophy board at the high school,” one of the boys said.
“You won a lot of races,” the second added. He turned to Art. “Coach, are you going to grab Jon for the team?”
“For the summer club for sure,” Art said. “I need to do some research.” Jon pulled himself onto the edge of the pool. Brian’s eyes widened. “Dude, what happened to you?”
“Car wreck. Door flew open and I flew out before the car hit a huge rock and exploded.”
“Wow,” Chuck said. “Broken bones?”
“A lot.”
Art nodded to Caleb and walked away from the boys. “Brave boy.”
Caleb nodded. “He’s healing. What amazes me is he never swam before he came to Rehab.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Not.” He watched the interaction between the boys. They exchanged phone numbers. Their laughter and chatter made Caleb smile. Maybe Jon had found some
friends.
“Tomorrow,” Jon called. “I’ll ask my sister when I get home and call you.”
Caleb brought the walker and chair over. “What was that about?”
“They want to visit me.” His green eyes flashed happiness. “They’re really nice.”
Caleb turned to Art. “The boys?”
Art grinned. “Are good kids. Parents are good people.” He paused. “Is Jon’s home study program one the school recognizes?”
“I don’t know for sure. His sister is concerned with his starting school in September. I’m sure she investigated.”
“Good to know. He might be eligible for the junior team. We’re here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for practice. I’d like to see if Jon can develop more than two strokes.”
Caleb paused. “He had a great backstroke and is learning the others. I’ll see if I can rearrange our schedule, but we’ll be here on Thursday.” He waved to Jon. “Come and change. Time to go home.”
* * *
Suzanna heard the door open and closed her computer. She had almost finished outlining the continuing ed program for the nurses. She still had to line up the doctors and check with the state about certifying the program. With a pleased feeling, she started downstairs. Jon and Caleb stood in the foyer.
The moment her brother spotted her he began talking. “I had a really good time. Met the coach of the high school team and made two friends. There was a race and I won. Chuck and Brian want to come and visit me tomorrow afternoon. Chuck’s mom will bring them and take them home.”
“Slow down.” She reached the foot of the stairs.
“But I want to know if they can come tomorrow afternoon. I really want them to come.”
Suzanna drew a deep breath. Thoughts of three teenage boys being alone in the house troubled her. “I don’t know them or their families. I have to work until four.”
“They’re okay,” Jon said. “Didn’t get mad when I won the race. The team coach knows Caleb. He said they were all right.” He turned to Caleb. “Didn’t he say that?”
Suzanna looked at Caleb. “What do you know about these boys?”
The Leo-Aquarius Connection Page 12