Page 120 of Charmed, I'm Sure
“You sure you don’t want to give me the problem child?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Nah, I can handle him. He’s not nearly as scary as he thinks he is.”
“Alright. Yeah, I’ve got a bit before I have to round again, so I can pop in for you.”
“You’re the best. I owe you one.”
“Don’t hurt ‘em, Meg,” I called as she spun around and stood.
“Never. But I think he might need a catheter,” she said with a wink before striding out of the nurses’ station.
I chuckled as I swiveled back toward the computer and logged into the system. “Hey, Chels, can you give me the rundown on the ambulance notes for bed four while this thing loads?”
“Yeah, give me a sec.”
The spinning wheel of death continued to circle as Chelsea tapped away, and by the time she had the patient information pulled up, my screen still hadn’t loaded.
“Okay, let’s see here. Two-car MVA… Looks like Fredmont’s problem patient t-boned the patient in bed four—ouch. Uhh, front and side airbags deployed, unresponsive at the scene, superficial facial laceration—”
Her words fell on deaf ears.
My screen had finally loaded, and the second I saw the last name of my new patient, I was out of my chair, rounding the nurses’ station before I even had time to think. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that I barely registered Chelsea calling my name. It wasn’t until I saw her pacing the hallway that my steps slowed.
“Magnolia?”
She turned at the sound of her name, just briefly, but long enough for me to see the flush in her cheeks, the smears of black running in rivulets from her eyes as she whispered into her phone.
As if her brain took an extra second to register that it was me who had called her name, her head whipped back toward me, eyes wide, mouth agape. “I’ll, uh… I need to call you back, Jae.”
Her gaze flicked over my face as she took a hesitant step forward, tucking her phone into her pocket. “Taylor, what… what are you doing here?”
I pointed to the hospital name and logo on my coat. “I, uh… I work here.”
It was a statement, but good God, it sounded like a question.
Recognition flashed in her eyes, and she nodded. “Right. Sorry.”
It had been over a week since I’d seen her—since we’d said anything to each other—and this being the reason she was finally back in my orbit was killing me. In that moment, I wasn’t Dr. Hallows. I was just Taylor, and all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
“Magnolia—” I stopped when her eyes snapped to mine, a fresh well of tears lining her lashes. “Shit, baby, come here.”
I barely took two steps before she launched herself into my arms, burying her face against my chest, her body shaking as her tears soaked into my scrub top.
This wasn’t the reunion I wanted.
But fuck if it didn’t feel like I could finally breathe again.
“I was so worried that it was you in that bed,” I murmured against her hair. “Fuck, I was so scared.”
Her arms tightened around my waist, and I ran a hand up and down her spine, some of the tension I’d been holding onto finally ebbing away now that I knew she was in one piece.
“I’m alright. It’s Aunt Evie,” she choked out, her words muffled against my chest.
“Dr. Hallows?” Chelsea’s voice was soft, her eyes flicking between me and the back of Magnolia’s head.
I swallowed hard. “Go on in, Chels. I’ll be there in a minute. But after, I need to let Fredmont know I can’t take this patient.”
Magnolia jerked out of my hold, her eyes frantically scanning my face. “What do you mean you can’t take this patient? Why? What’s going—”
