Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
SUTTON
“ I ’ll be back to check on them in a little bit, but once the IV’s are finished, we can discharge them and you can take them home.”
“Thank you.”
The mom who is sitting on the bed between her twin daughters gives me a thankful look. She looks less harried than when she first came in. With the flu starting to make its way around, there’ve been a lot more sick kids coming into the hospital.
“We’ll get you out of here in no time.”
“Sorry again for them getting sick on you.”
I smile at her, letting her know it’s okay. “Not the first time. Don’t worry about it.”
Pulling the curtain back to give them their privacy, I head toward the locker room to clean up.
I’m not even two feet inside the door when I bump into Jameson.
“Why do you smell so bad?”
“Because two twins just projectile vomited all over me.”
“Two? Urgh.” Jameson takes a step back from me. “You’d think I’d be used to puke by now, but I cannot deal with it. ”
I give him a fake smile as I peel the dirty scrub top off—very carefully. “At least they stopped.”
“And thankfully you’ll be done in a few hours, so it’s not like you have to deal with it all day.”
I drop the messy top into the laundry basket to be cleaned later. Thank God for the laundry service at our hospital. “God, I cannot wait for a night to myself.”
Derek has a late practice with the kids who want to try out for the team, Missy has Troy this afternoon, and Lydia is having a sleepover with one of her friends from school. With my mom going out with her friends, it’s one of the rare times I’m all alone.
“We could always go grab dinner after our shift,” Jameson says. “Gunnar has a work dinner tonight.”
“Jameson, I love you, but I am going to pick up dinner on my way home and go to bed early.”
He bursts out laughing. “That’s how you plan on spending your big night alone? Dinner and going to bed early?”
I nod. “Ask me if I feel any shame about it.”
“Do you?” He quirks a perfectly manicured brow at me as he disappears for a brief moment as I pull a new scrub top on.
“Not one bit. I want to eat in bed, maybe watch a baking show or two, and sleep all night.”
Jameson waggles his head back and forth. “Okay, maybe that does sound like a good night. Maybe I’ll do that too.”
“See?” I point at him. “You make fun of me, but it’s going to be the perfect night.”
“And no boyfriend is going to be attending this evening with you?”
I shake my head. “Derek has a late practice with the kids who want to try out for the team this summer. I’ll see him Sunday.”
“You’re blushing,” Jameson oh-so-helpfully points out. “Why are you blushing?”
“I am not! ”
“You so are. Spill. You were so worried about things before and now they’re good?”
I try to cover my face, but he doesn’t let me. “We talked about things the other day. We’re good.”
“You are?”
I nod. “Yes. I told him what I was feeling and we had a conversation.”
“Bless our hearts. Look at the two of us being adults in real relationships.”
I laugh at Jameson’s flair for the dramatic. “What a novel concept, I know.”
“I’m happy for you. Derek is a great guy and he is perfect for you.”
This time, I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks because I know it’s true. I love Derek more than anyone, and it felt good to voice my fears to him.
“Jameson. Patient in room three. Called in by someone because he was left in a car.” Linda walks into the room with a chart in her hand.
“Oh shit,” I hear him mutter. “Are they okay?”
“EMT said he’s alert and responsive, but scared.”
“Got it.” Taking the metal clipboard from Linda, Jameson walks out the door as I make to follow him.
She stops me as I’m almost out the door. “Got a minute, Sutton?”
“Sure. Is everything okay?” I ask.
“It’s fine. Sorry to bug you on your break, but I wanted to talk to you about your future here.”
“My future?” I swallow around a ball of nerves that’s suddenly made itself known. “Am I getting fired?”
She holds out a hand for me to sit down at the round table.
“God, no.” Linda points a finger at me, a stern look coming over her face. “And if you even think of leaving, I’ll drag you back here myself. You’re one of my best nurses, and I cannot afford to lose you.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Then what do you want to talk about?”
Linda pats my hand. “I’m getting older, dear, and I’m going to be retiring soon.”
“What? You are?” This is the first I’m hearing about this.
“My daughter is going to be giving birth soon, and I want to be able to spend time with my grandbabies.”
“That’s great, Linda.” I give her a warm smile. “I know you’ll be happy, but we’ll miss you around here.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Which brings me to your future.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to take over my position.”
My jaw hits the floor. “What? Really?”
I’ve never even considered another position within the hospital. I love my job. I love getting to help people, especially children.
“You’d be great at it. The doctors respect you. The staff down here love you. You’d be a natural.”
“Do I have time to think about it?”
Linda has been at this hospital since I started. She took me under her wing and helped train me to be the nurse that I am today. It’d feel weird taking her position, and coming into the hospital and her not being here.
“Sure.” She pats my hand. “You’re really my only choice, but if you don’t want to do it, I’m not going to pressure you.”
“Thanks, Linda.”
She leaves the break room with a soft click of the door shutting behind her. Charge nurse? Would I even have time for it? Sure, it’s a more set schedule, but it also comes with a lot more responsibility. It seems like I barely have time for life as it is. Raising a kid? Dating? I love my job, but I don’t want it to become my entire life.
It’s something I’m going to have to talk about with my mom, because if I have to take more call or cover if people are sick, I’m going to need her help.
Heading out of the room, I’m just about to grab a chart from the front desk when I slam into someone.
Jameson has a deadly serious look on his face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look like this before. It sends a wave of panic through me.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“Everyone is okay, but I need you not to panic.” Jameson drops his hands on my shoulders.
“You saying that is making me panic.” Bile rises in my throat, and it takes everything in me not to shake him to get him to tell me what’s wrong.
“It’s Troy.”