Page 4 of Counting the Stars

“I’m so sorry, ma’am!” The words spill out as soon as I step into the office. “I know that looked extremely unprofessional. I wasn’t on the clock yet, not that it matters. I mean, I still shouldn’t have been messing around with Alex. It’s just that I know him. I mean, we’re neighbors…and friends—”

“Gabriella!” Gail holds up her hand to silence my rant. “You’re not in trouble.”

“I-I’m not?” Air refills my lungs.

“No, not at all.” She shuffles around some papers on her desk and motions for me to take a seat.

“I thought when you called me back here—” My voice trails off as I sit down.

“I called you back here for something completely unrelated to whatever that was I walked in on.” She waves her hand nonchalantly in the air. “I wanted to catch you before your shift started. How would you feel about a change in departments?”

“A change?”

“Mm-hmm.” Gail nods. “One of the nurses from Pediatrics will be going on maternity leave soon. We need someone to fill her spot, and I think you would be the perfect person for the position.”

“Peds?” I never thought about working on the pediatric floor, but I know I can’t be an emergency room nurse forever. I can handle the fast-paced environment, but sometimes thestress of certain cases keeps me up at night. Some hit too close to home.

“I’ve seen how you are with young patients. You have a gift, you know. Kids feel comfortable with you. I hate to lose you here, but I know you will be a perfect fit for them. If you want the job, of course.”

“Yes! Thank you! Thank you so much!” I pause. “Are you sure you’re okay with what you saw between Alex and me?”

“You mean Mr. February?” She flips her calendar back three months to the picture of Alex posing shirtless in front of a fire truck with a hose wrapped around his broad shoulders. “Honey, if I were twenty years younger and single, I’d be all over that man.”

I laugh as she stands up from behind her desk. We walk out of the office together and cross paths with Hilda pushing a code cart.

As soon as the world’s grumpiest nurse is out of earshot, Gail leans into me and whispers, “The moment an opening becomes available in the ICU, I’m sending Hilda there. That way most of her patients will be comatose or too drugged to remember her.”

I laugh again and my shoulders relax. I can’t wait to tell Alex and my friends about my new position. As I head toward my station to finally start my day, Dr. Cody taps me on the shoulder.

“Miss Ruby is back,” he says when I spin around to look at him. “Room 5.”

Miss Ruby is what we like to call one of our frequent fliers. She’s here several times a month but not for your typical ailments. At eighty-eight years young, she’s a woman who has an affinity for living life on the edge. In the short time I’ve worked here, I’ve treated her for minor burns from settingoff fireworks and whiplash from a ziplining adventure gone wrong. As crazy as she may seem, she’s a delight to work with.

“Hello, Miss Ruby! What did you do to earn yourself a trip to the ER today?” I step into the room and notice an extra person standing in the corner. “Alex? What are you still doing here?”

“I was getting ready to leave when I heard the familiar voice of the beautiful and vivacious Miss Ruby. I just had to check on her.”

“Oh, you are one of my favorites.” Miss Ruby’s hazel eyes twinkle as she turns to look at the tall, dark, and handsome man beside her.

I don’t even need to ask how Alex knows Miss Ruby. He’s brought her in several times since I’ve been here.

“I was out watering my garden when a few of the neighborhood kids came by on those things that look like a skateboard, but you don’t push them,” Miss Ruby starts to explain.

“Hoverboards,” Alex answers.

“Yes, that’s it.” Miss Ruby nods. “It looked like fun, so I asked if I could go for a ride.”

“And you fell?” I assume.

“One of the kids tried to catch me.” She lifts up her bedsheet to reveal a nasty bruise on her upper thigh. “It was a soft fall and I landed in a grassy area, but the neighbors insisted on calling an ambulance so I could get checked out.”

“I understand,” I say, stepping a little closer to her bed. Typically, elderly patients have brittle bones, but not Miss Ruby. She’s stronger than most.

“I’m fine,” Miss Ruby continues. “But that doctor with the poor bedside manner insisted I need these things.” She points to the heart monitor. “I hate these wires.”

“I get it, Miss Ruby, but while your bones are as tough as nails, you do have a history of heart disease. Dr. Cody justwants to make sure you’re in tip-top shape before sending you home.” I grab a pair of gloves to inspect the hematoma closer.

“Do you think this bruise will heal by next Thursday? I volunteered to be a nude model for a sculpture class at the art institute.”

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