Page 17 of Saving Luke

I leave Luke's room and head right to my friend Hailey's house. After my talk with Lexi, I texted her to make sure she was home. Lexi assured me everything was fine, but to say I'm a bit freaked out would be an understatement.

Hailey is a nurse at the military hospital, and we worked together for many years. I've been trying to convince her to come work at Oakside with me, but she likes it at the hospital, so I don't push too hard.

She meets me on the front porch with a hug. “Come on, I have some drinks set up on the back porch.”

In my mind, Hailey is a true Southern bell. She has her blonde hair done up in what I think is a fancy, messy bun. The kind that’s meant to look lazy, but it took her a while to perfect. Her perfectly applied makeup and hot-as-hell clothes amplify her image. Along with her charming Southern accent and, of course, her quintessential Southern house, she reminds me of Reese Witherspoon.

Her back porch is my favorite. It’s done in white wood, has large two story ceilings, and it's been enclosed as a sunroom withglass walls on three sides. She’s using it as a sitting room, and has decorated it beautifully, but my favorite part is the swinging sofas, hanging from the rafters.

Though the hanging sofas are relaxing to sit on after a stressful day, they’re not a good place to sit after you have been drinking. Trust me on that one, as we both learned that the hard way.

We both curl up on the swing, facing each other with some sweet tea and cookies.

"Okay, you have the'I have a problem, and I need to talk to you about it'face, so spill it," she orders.

"I think I'm falling for a patient," I tell her outright.

This causes her to sit up straight. No more relaxed friends chatting, she’s getting down to business. I tell her about Luke from the first day, and how I felt just seeing him, and to him being reassigned to me. I don’t leave out any details about his sister, taking him shopping, going to the cardinal with him, and how his sister acted.

"Then, I get a call from Lexi today, asking me to come in, because she needs to talk to me. When I get there, she locks us in her office, which she never does, and then proceeds to tell me Gabbie tried to file a complaint against me for taking advantage of Luke. Lexi thankfully stopped it, saying she has seen Luke putting the moves on me, Lexi's words not mine, and unless Luke comes forward, then she isn't able to do anything. Gabbie ispissed. Lexi told Luke, so Luke is pissed, and I'm just... scared," I finish.

"Have you talked to Luke?"

"Yeah, right after I got done with Lexi and before I came here. He kept saying he’ll talk to Gabbie, but I ended things. I can't lose my job and everything I've worked for. If this had been the hospital, I'd be on leave right now," I say.

"Not necessarily. Remember Marla?" She asks.

Marla was another nurse we worked with at the hospital.

"Yeah?" I ask curiously, wondering where she’s going with this.

"She met her boyfriend while she was his nurse. The mother tried to make a stink about it and went to the hospital board. Yes, she was put on leave while they investigated, but her boyfriend stood up and said the mother was causing problems and trying to be controlling. He gave this huge speech, and Marla was cleared. They were told to keep it out of sight until he was released, and they have been together ever since. She didn't have a history of dating patients, and neither do you," Hailey says.

"She got lucky. What would have happened if he hadn't stuck up for her?" I say.

"I was curious about that, too, so I asked around. Apparently, they would have reassigned her and put her on probation. Yeah,it would have been on her record, but it wouldn't have been an issue if it's not habitual. Only when it becomes a pattern do they really step in. They frown about dating current patients and discourage it, but there isn't anything in the handbook that says we can't. At least, not yet, anyway."

"This just sucks," I say.

"Listen, you can be friends, so be his friend,” she goes on. “Once he's discharged, you can see if it goes anywhere, but with the bitchy sister, you might have dodged a bullet. No one needs the sister-in-law from hell to deal with."

"I don't think I can work with him every day and just be friends," I say.

"Then have him reassigned."

"It's a small place, and he's already been reassigned once, and I don't like the idea of anyone else working with him."

"Now you are just being difficult," she laughs.

"This isn't just a crush. I want to date him. What I feel for him is... stronger than I have ever felt before. There’s a pull to be around him. When I’m with Luke, I'm calm and relaxed, and I can be myself. That kiss? I've never felt anything like it and want to experience it again and again."

She looks at me and bites the side of her lips as she thinks.

"I guess this comes down to you. Is this so strong that you don't want to give it up, but you'd give up your job at Oakside if it came down to it? If so, then by all means go ahead. But if Oakside is more important, then you need to stop, even if it's just until he's released. This is a decision only you can make."

"Why can't finding a guy be easy? Why is there always something complicated?” I lament. “Why can't we know if this is the guy? If I knew he wastheguy, then I'd be fine risking it all. But the thought of stepping away from Oakside for him, and it not working out, would crush me."

"Give it time. Maybe, just be friends and see. You will know when you know, and you can't rush these things," she says.

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