Page 19 of The Love Dose
“Not important now.”
I sigh. “Easy for you to say.”
“Actually, it’s not. You need to rest. The stress is going to kill you.”
“Bit dramatic.”
“You came very close, Caroline. Very.”
What?
I see him gearing up for more details when Evie walks through the door, followed by Barbie and to my surprise, Mo. She’s not a fan of mine.
Evie looks like she’s about to cry. I pray not. It will make me teary as well and I can’t risk it. I’m an ugly crier.
She hurries to my side and avoiding the machines and tubes, gives me a careful hug. “You scared the living whatever out of me.”
“Sorry,” I mumble into her hair. “Sam told you?”
She pulls back, sniffling. “Yes. I’m so grateful I was still in town.”
“Me too.” I wish she would never leave but I don’t say so. She’s happy with Adam in Yosemite.
Evie turns to Calvin, giving him the once over. “You’re Doctor Handsome.”
I have no idea how she knows that. I’ve never shown her a picture.
Calvin crinkles his nose. “Huh?”
“Nothing.” To me, she says, “At least you’re in good hands.” She winks at me. Thankfully, Calvin doesn’t see it.
A nurse steps into the room. It’s getting crowded in here.
“Doctor, we need you, now.” Her face is tense and Calvin says to me, “You and I will talk.”
I don't think I've ever heard such a dire tone from him. Before I can ask what else we need to talk about, he hurries after the nurse, leaving me more perplexed than ever.
Chapter Thirteen
Calvin
I’ve never been more scared in my life. Not because of the kid I’m attending to or because of the scary looking dude hovering nearby with tattooed tears on his face. He looks like Bozo the Clown, Stephen King style.
I’m on auto pilot, suturing the boy’s bullet wound like it’s something I do every day, because it is. Another gang-related visit to the ER.
“Yo, doc. Am I gonna die?”
The patient’s voice cracks like the twelve-year-old he is. I’m amazed he’s holding back the tears. It’s gotta hurt like the devil. Chart says he has no mother. Guess he’s seen worse than a bullet graze.
I keep it light. “Not a chance! But you might feel like it when you realize there's no WiFi.”
I want to give my practiced speech about starting off in life on the right foot, avoiding things that could take you down the wrong path but I don’t. I have yet to see anyone heed mywisdom. Let's just say, in this job, in this city, I have repeat customers. It's when they don't come back that I worry.
Despite the situation in front of me, my thoughts are elsewhere. Namely, when the ambulance pulled into the bay, medics helping the patient out the back. I was finishing some paperwork, considering what I could grab for dinner from the snack dispenser, when I glanced at the gurney whooshing past.
A frazzled soccer mom with a stricken look on her face was keeping pace until someone told her to stay back. Something caught my eye. A red purse jostling beside the patient. My first thought was Caroline has one just like it. It took a couple of seconds to realize itwasCaroline.
There’s a reason they say doctors should never treat friends and family in dire circumstances. You lose perspective and allow emotions to rule, when what’s needed more than anything is to remain calm and collected.
