Chapter 10 #3
Because I don’t mind helping when needed, and because I definitely don’t mind the double pay for coming in on a scheduled day off, I ask, “What time and for how long?”
“Mid shift,” she says, which is eleven to eleven.
“I just woke up. I need an hour and a half.”
“I’ll take it. With that championship game, I can’t get anybody to come in and cover. So, thank you. It’s going to be busy; pack a lunch.”
“Okay,” I say, then end the call.
I walk straight into my bathroom and grab my Tylenol/Advil combo pills from my medicine stash in my towel closet.
I pop three into my mouth and swallow them with water from my faucet.
Then I start one of my magic baths and amble down the stairs to make my cappuccino as the tub fills.
For this morning’s cup, I add an extra shot of Nescafé Espresso concentrate.
How my body feels, I’m going to need it.
Cup in hand, I make it upstairs into my tub.
While enjoying the soothing water, I sip my coffee, taking my time.
Once I step foot into Highland Regional, time always disappears and I’m immediately on go-mode.
This afternoon is no different. I make it to the hospital ten minutes after one.
My things are in my locker and my lunch kit is in the employee fridge within five minutes, and ten minutes after that, I’m triaging what appears to be a mild case of strep throat.
My first three hours go by like a whirlwind, and although I feel like shit, I try to push through it.
My body is less achy but my damn stomach is queasy and I have a slight headache.
When the floor seems quiet, I sneak off to splash cold water on my face then duck into an empty examination room.
I ease down into the chair and just breathe.
The door opening interrupts my much too temporary solitude.
“Oh! Girl, sorry. I didn’t know anyone was in here. I’m looking for small IV dressings,” Lawanda, one of the nurses I’m cool with, says as she walks in timidly.
“You good. Should be some in that second tray. I just needed a break. I think I’m building up to a migraine.”
“You better hope that’s all it is. Marlene, Kanetra, and Petey have pneumonia. Let’s pray it didn’t get you too.”
“Oh shit,” I sigh because we have had a few cases of pneumonia where the patients were symptom presenting. Some people call it walking pneumonia and that would knock me on my ass if I have it.
“Yeah. It’s no joke. Go home. I’ll cover.”
“Hell, I’m covering for someone. If I’m sick, I’m in the right place. I’ll see if Kevin’ll do a chest x-ray to check my lungs.”
“Stay here. I’ll grab him. You know he’ll do anything for you,” she says with a laugh. Kevin does have a little crush on me. He’s our newest x-ray tech. “I can draw your blood.”
“Thanks for real. And I’ll check my oxygen levels,” I say.
She walks over to the supply tray and grabs a handful of IV dressings.
I stand, grab the pulse oximeter, and place it on my finger.
The small electronic clip will read my SpO2, heart rate, and oxygen saturation level.
It only takes seconds and I see my level is ninety-five.
It’s normal but too close to baseline for me.
I’m normally one hundred so I definitely want an x-ray.
The door opens again and Lawanda walks in pushing a phlebotomy cart. She hands me a urine specimen cup. I frown at it.
“Don’t act like you don’t know the rules. We have to rule out pregnancy before all x-rays. No exceptions. Kevin will be in as soon as we have a negative test,” she says while waving that damn cup at me. “Better hurry. I’ll draw when you get back.”
“I don’t think I even have to pee,” I admit.
“Try,” she says while holding the cup. out
I stand, grab the cup, then head to the restroom.
I know it’s just protocol, especially for me.
Tyriq is the only man I’ve been with these past nine months and we are careful.
He’s always strapped and I take my birth control pills.
I’m not perfect with it but Slynd provides a twenty-four-hour catch-up window for continued protection.
If I miss a day, I’m still good. Mind you, some days I might miss more than one, but Tyriq always wears a condom.
Either way, urine samples are annoying as hell because I never have to pee when I need to pee.
Luckily, this time though, I manage to get out enough for the sample.
When I walk back into the room, I place it in the bag and on the counter then sit down.
Lawanda draws three vials of blood then takes them and my sample to the lab.
I remain in the examination room with the lights off while I wait on the results.
I don’t want to be discovered and pulled back on the floor before my x-ray.
About fifteen minutes later, Lawanda walks in instead of Kevin. She flips the light switch then closes the door. She walks over then sits in the chair next to me. With a peculiar look on her face, she turns to me.
“What’s up? Where’s Kevin?” I ask, trying to decipher her face as I speak.
“He isn’t coming. He can’t. You’re pregnant, Teaira,” she says but I’m a thousand percent sure she didn’t just say what the hell I think she did.
Losing all professionalism, I ask, “Bitch, what?”
“You’re pregnant. Both your urine and blood have hCG present.”
“My shit? Are you sure you were looking at my results?” I ask because this cannot be happening.
I can’t be pregnant.
I just can’t.
Nothing is how it should be.
My life plans are simple, transfer out of the ER, marry my one, then, and only then, have a baby. What in the entire fuck! Shit!
“I’m sure,” she says and shit!
What am I going to do?