Page 9 of No Greater Love
Thank God. At least I wouldn't have to explain myself in front of everyone.
I followed her, Paige trailing silently behind me, clutching her book like a talisman. Once inside the relative privacy of the charge office, the words spilled out in a desperate rush.
"Soph—Miss Mitchell. Ma'am, I apologize for the breach of protocol." I felt myself slipping into military formality, a defense mechanism against the crushing embarrassment. "My babysitter didn't show, no warning, no communication. I had no alternative childcare options available on short notice. I have no excuse."
Sophia's eyes softened. "Nathan, you could be on fire and you'd apologize for the smoke. Relax. It's okay."
I exhaled sharply, some of the tension leaving my shoulders. Still, the immediate problem remained.
She smiled cheerfully at Paige. "Hi there. I'm Sophia. Your dad's told me alotabout you."
Paige gave a small, polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Okay, Nate," Sophia continued, her voice even. "Deep breath. It happens." She paused. "She can't go out there. And you'll be worried sick if she's just tucked away somewhere." She glanced at the schedule. "Can you get someone to pick her up soon?"
I ran a hand over my face. "Working on it. My neighbor usually helps in a pinch, but she's out of town until this afternoon. I'm calling everyone I know."
"You could call out," she offered, though we both knew what that meant. "I can try to cover triage myself for a bit, or ask Maria to pull someone from the float pool, but... it'd count as an occurrence. And a late call-out."
The unspoken "and you can't afford that" hung in the air between us. Even one occurrence and I'd be on thin ice. With Paige, I couldn't risk it. Who knew when she might actually get sick and need me to stay home with her?
I shook my head, feeling the walls closing in. Then a knock at the door interrupted us, and Tasha Williams stuck her head in, coffee in hand.
"Oh my God, hiiiii, is this your daughter?" she asked, her eyes lighting on Paige. "The one who drew that heart valves picture you showed everyone!?"
I blinked, momentarily thrown by her enthusiasm. Tasha Williams, of all people, remembering Paige's science project?
Paige looked up at me, surprise evident. "You showed my drawing to people?"
My ears burned. "It was exceptional work."
Tasha leaned down to Paige's level. "I thought it was soooooo cool how you included the interatrial septum. Most people forget that's technically a fifth distinct area."
Paige brightened visibly, sitting up straighter. "Dad helped me build a model!"
"If you need someone to watch her," Tasha continued, turning to Sophia, "I could stay with her in the break room. Just until Crawford can sort something out." She shrugged. "I'm good with kids. Got a bunch of younger cousins."
I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. Tasha Williams, the same nurse who'd rolled her eyes at me three days ago when I'd asked for her help with a difficult catheter, was offering to babysit my daughter?
"Are you sure, Tasha?" Sophia asked, her tone neutral but evaluating. "You'd be responsible for her. I'd need to pull you from the floor."
"I can handle it," Tasha replied, a flicker of her usual defensiveness in her voice. "For an hour or so. Give him time to make some calls."
Sophia made her decision quickly. "Okay, Tasha. Thank you. For one hour. Break room. I'll let Nathan and I handle Fast Track between us."
Relief washed over me, so profound that for a moment I thought my knees might buckle. "Tasha, I... thank you. Seriously. I owe you big time."
"No worries, Crawford," Tasha said, already turning to Paige. She gestured to the book in Paige's hands. "Is that 'The Giver'?"
Paige nodded, holding it up. "For school."
"That's one of my favorites," Tasha said, her face lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. "The ending still makes me mad, though."
Paige's eyes widened. "You've read it?"
"Dystopian literature is kind of my thing," Tasha admitted, then looked at Sophia defensively. "What? I read!"
Sophia raised her hands in surrender. "Never doubted it."
