Page 43 of Safe With Me

“Yes, boss.” Alice wore cute pink scrubs today.Pax’s were blue bringing out thecolorof his eyes.

Jon asked, “Is Noreen here today?”

Stephfelt herself stiffen.

“No. Remember, she’sparttime.”

Stephhelped Diego and Annie with the chairs, then they headed out back.

The clinic opened at nine. Ten people were in line.Paxgreeted them, then waited while Jon gave them the registration forms. AfterPaxread them he said, “We’ll start with JaniceAppleby.”

Jon added, “We’ll take two more. Mark Cornell and Suzie Slate, go back with Nurse Alice.”

Alice smiled at them. She would check their forms and take their vitals.

The coffee pot had been perking since they arrived and Annie set out cups, milk, sugar anddonuts; she stayed on the floor to talk to the patients and help Jon.

Stephwalked around too, greeting the clients. She’d do this every few hours to get a reading on them. No one was bleeding, but three were coughing. One old man leaned on his cane. His lined face and taut jaw told her he was in pain. Two children fidgeted in the chairs.

“There’s a play area over here,”Stephsaid to the mother. “They can use it until you’ve seen the doctor.”

“Can we go,Mom?” one asked.

“I guess so.”

A few seats down, she walked by a man who was sleeping. Uh-oh. He reeked of alcohol. He must have slipped in late. They wouldn’t treat anyone who was high or stoned. She reached over and shook him gently.

He startled awake, said, “Get away from me bitch,” and smackedStephhard in the cheek. Pain radiated everywhere as she was thrown across the room and hit the chairs on that side.

The world went black.

* * *

Jon shouted, “I need help out here.”

Pax, Alice and Diego rushed to the front.Paxfroze when he sawStephon the floor, her back against a chair, limp as aragdoll. They all hurried to her. In the background, Annie tried to calm the other patients.

Paxwent into doctor mode. “Don’t move her. I need a C-collar.” As Alice retrieved the collar,Paxput on gloves. Then he wrapped the device around her neck. “Ease her onto the floor now.”

Once she was stretched out,Paxforced himself to be calm. He felt her limbs, listened to her breathing then checked her head. Ouch. “There’s an exam bed in my office. We’ll take her there. Somebody get her an ice pack for her cheek.”

Diego andPaxpicked upSteph.Paxmurmured almost to himself, “Careful.” They carried her to his office and settled her on the bed. Alice tucked a blanket around her.

Both the wound and her bruised cheek were on the left side of her head, which he tipped to the right. He parted her hair and Alice secured it with hair pins she took from her pocket. Then he examined her head. She had a three-inch cut that had clotted; “I need a wet cloth to clean this out.”

Annie brought him one, along with an ice pack. Annie went to the end of the bed and placed it onSteph’s cheek.

Paxdabbed at the wound, careful not to disturb the clotting. After he’d thoroughly washed it, he could see no signs of splinters from the chair. “It doesn’t require sutures. I’ll need antiseptic and salve and a roll of gauze.”

When Alice retrieved the medical needs, he treated the wound.Stephroused, presumably from the sting of the antiseptic. “Ah….oh.” She reached for her head. Alice grabbed her hand.

Paxsaid. “Hush now. You’ve got a head injury and you were unconscious for few minutes.”

She opened her eyes. “H-how bad is it?”

“Not bad. But I have to finish treating it and it’ll sting. Then I’ll wrap some gauze around your head. Stay still if you can.”

She scowled. “My cheek hurts, too.”

---