Page 52 of Every Last One
Currently, she was tucked into the corner of the room, next to a window, with her phone in her hand. Since she received that text a while ago, she was often cradling the device.
“Hey, are you all right over there?”
The nurse sniffled and pushed her phone into the pocket of her pants. “Yeah, fine.” She resorted to hugging herself, telling Gail she was lying.
“We will get out of this alive.” The words spilled from Gail’s lips. The confidence surprised her, considering how despondent she felt.
“You can’t know that. While we’re talking, someone just down the hall may be fighting to stay alive.”
There were likely many in the hospital struggling at this moment, but Gail sensed Torres’s immediate concern was for the victim of that morning’s shooting. “It’s understandable you’re worried about your colleagues.”
Nurse Torres looked at Gail with wide, wet eyes.
The pain in them told Gail there must be more to this. “You can talk to me.”
Tears spilled down Torres’s cheeks at the invitation, and she put a hand over her stomach.
It was a move that Gail remembered doing too many times to count when she was expecting Phoebe. “You’re pregnant.”
Torres bit her bottom lip and nodded.
It didn’t take long to figure out how that connected with someone in the nurse break room. “It’s the father, isn’t it? He’s a nurse and out there? That’s why you’re so worried?”
“He’s an attending, but yes, he’s who I’m worried about. He was in the break room with me moments before the lockdown.”
“He could have been gone before the gunman got there.”
Fresh tears fell down the nurse’s cheeks.
“What’s his name?” Talking about him might help calm her down. After she’d saved Phoebe’s life, it was the least she could do.
“Jordon. He’s my soulmate.” The nurse slipped her hand into her pants pocket, and Gail saw she wrapped her hand around her phone. The text must have been from him.
“How far along are you?”
“Five weeks.” She offered a weak smile.
“Congratulations.” Gail grinned, relishing the little escape into good news.
“Thanks. It was such a shock, unexpected.”
Gail looked at Phoebe, recalling when she first realized she was pregnant. It had taken a morning of hugging a toilet. “It’s the most exciting adventure you’ll ever have.” And Gail had started off meaning that, but as she took in her daughter, she felt a jab in her chest. Thatadventurewas clouded by her sweet girl’s defective heart. Still, she wouldn’t change anything or go back. If only she could save Phoebe the pain, though. “How did Jordon take the news?”
“Like an idiot.” Torres laughed, but more tears fell and had her palming her cheeks. “That’s why he was in the break room, to apologize. I think we’ll be just fine. We were going to talk more after our shifts ended.”
Gail tried to muster a smile, but her story couldn’t have been further from that. She’d done everything to set a romantic scene. She’d made her boyfriend’s favorite meal and broken the news. He’d gotten defensive,blamedthe pregnancy on her, accusing her she’d done it on purpose to trap him. He’d left right after that, and she never saw him again.
Torres continued. “He was only there because of me. I should have eased him into the news, or something. Then he wouldn’t have been in that break room.”
“You never could have expected a gunman.”
“But what if he’s seriously hurt? What then? What will I do?”
“As you know, Phoebe’s had a weak heart from birth. I’ve spent many hours spiraling out with worry. And as hard as it was to do this, at some point I had to accept that I was doing all I could for her. The rest is in God’s hands.”
“I’m an atheist.”
“Though I’m sure you believe in something. Ah, science?” When Torres nodded, Gail continued. “Isn’t the study of science all about facts?”
