Page 16 of Stay with Me
“Um, I think I’ll be able to afford a little place of my own, Uncle Scott. But I’ll probably crash with Uncle Mike while I look for a place.” Drew pulled his shoulders back and met his uncles in the eye. He wasn’t going to fidget. He wasn’t being disrespectful. He was going to stand on his own two feet. But he could give a little and staying with family instead of a hotel wasn’t the worst idea in the world.
“Scott, drop it. Drew will be perfectly fine in an apartment down there. Not saying that Mike and Trish or even Nova won’t be offering to feed him but he is completely capable of living onhis own. He survived four years in Greenville. Now, where are we eating?” Uncle Mackey asked as he wrapped one arm around Drew’s shoulders, the other around his husband’s. Before Drew could answer, Uncle Mackey said, “You better grab your phone and call your parents. Honor graduate?”
“I didn’t know, Uncle Mackey. I knew I cleared all the courses so I could graduate. I managed my gold GAFBMP but—” Drew wasn’t going to squirm as he confessed to his perceived shortcomings. He wasn’t.
“Managed? Are you fucking kidding me? You saved all our asses,” Wilson interrupted Drew’s explanation. “There is no way that I would have qualified on the range without your help. Can’t thank you enough. Where are you headed?”
He assumed Wilson was asking about Drew’s orders. “San Antonio. You?”
“Germany. I should catch the end of Oktoberfest. Thanks again.” Wilson slapped Drew on the arm, nodded to Drew’s uncles, and walked off.
“Being modest?” Uncle Scott teased. Drew shook his head and got them moving toward the car.
“Not sure on that, Uncle Scott. I’m nothing special.” That was Drew’s story, and he was sticking to it.
§ § § §
Brody was sitting on the couch in the break room, staring at the ceiling. He heard someone push the door open but didn’t look to see who it was.
“Brody, you doing okay?” Kayla asked as she dropped next to him. Not bothering to say anything, he just shrugged. “You’ve got good instincts. Oliver is going to be okay. He’ll be in NICU a few more weeks but considering how he came into the world?”
Rolling his head to the side, he met Kayla’s gaze. “How the hell do you do this day after day, week after week? I’ve only been in the NICU for a few weeks and it’s breaking me.”
“How the hell do you handle running traumas day after day, week after week? We all have our strengths and weaknesses. It doesn’t make you a bad nurse that you’re not cut out for the NICU. Just like I’m not a bad nurse because I can’t handle the constant chaos of the ER.” Kayla slapped her hands on her thighs and push herself up. “Want a coffee?” she asked as she popped a K-cup into the machine.
A quick internal check had Brody shaking his head. His stomach was still in knots after seeing Oliver blue. “I’ll pass thanks.”
Kayla leaned against the counter and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You are going to bid on the ER right? Shelly is still talking about your rotation through there. If I didn’t love her from her blonde hair to her pedicured toes, I would’ve strangled her by now. She keeps talking about—”
“Brody! There you are,” Jae exclaimed as he entered the breakroom. Brody caught Kayla’s eye roll before she turned away from the bouncing man. He didn’t think there was enough energy in his soul to deal with the man right now.
“Did someone let you have an espresso again?” Brody asked as he straightened from the couch. His fifteen had to be up by now.
“Espresso? Me? Green tea all the way. Anywho, when are you joining us over on the peds floor? We could use some more testosterone.” Jae bumped his hip into Brody’s.
It was all Brody could do to hold in his laughter. Jae was a nice guy, kinda handsome in a twink way. Nah, not Brody’s type. Never mind he was still trying to find his way around the hospital. “Sorry, Jae. I don’t think I’m cut out to work pediatricsin any shape or form. If they come into my ER? Okay, but not on the daily.”
“Your ER?” Kayla teased from behind Brody. “Guess you’ve made up your mind?”
“Oh, come on! You have your choice of slots and you want the ER?” Jae whined.
Brody thought about it and looked between the two nurses. Yeah, he was claiming the ER as his territory. “I think I do. The controlled chaos settles me. No two shifts the same and the possibility of advancing to be a certified trauma nurse? Maybe even a flight nurse. I do think that if I’m given opportunity, I’m taking it.”
“Son of a bitch. I owe Shelly drinks,” Kayla complained.
Chapter Nine
Drew checked his uniform before he knocked on the captain’s door. He’d gotten to JBSA a few days ago and in-processed the day before. Rank, patch—check. Beret in his thigh pocket—check. Taking a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles against the doorjamb and waited.
“Enter,” a voice called out. Drew stepped into the office and snapped to attention.
“Lieutenant Andrew Nolan reporting, sir.” He didn’t look at the captain, just stared at the wall.
“At ease, Nolan, at ease,” the captain commanded. “You’re going to be making my life easier for the next ten months that I’m in command. Go, you!”
Drew dropped his shoulders and met the captain’s eyes. He wasn’t sure why he was seeing excitement from Captain… Ash, a quick glance at name tape confirmed.
“Sir? I’m not sure what you’re referring to.” Look at him being all polite. His mother would be so proud.
