13
"Mrs. Alvarez, I need you to squeeze my fingers for me with both hands," I said. She squeezed with her right hand fine but the left barely moved at all. I noted it on her chart and checked her pupils again before adjusting her IV drip.
"Am I doing good?" she asked me.
"You're doing exactly what I need you to do," I said, which wasn't a lie.
She was three days out from a stroke and every day she was still here was a good day.
As much as I tried not to get emotionally attached to my patients, my heart just wouldn't allow it.
I finished up her vitals and stepped out into the hallway.
"Nurse Mitchell, room 412 is asking for you again," one of the aides said, walking past me with a cart.
"That's my fourth time in there today. Is she in pain or is she bored?"
"Bored," she said.
"That's what I thought, she'll have to wait a few minutes before I can keep her company," I said laughing as I walked to the nurse's station to finish filling in my chart notes.
"You still write your notes like you're being graded on penmanship," a voice said in my ear damn near causing me to almost jump out of my skin.
"What the hell Mark!" I said turning around to face him.
"That's how you greet me?"
"Yes now what do you want?" I asked as he pulled a bouquet of white peonies from behind his back. I looked from the flowers to him with a blank stare on my face.
"These are for you. I remembered that they are your favorite," he said.
"No thank you but again, what is it that you want?" I asked him.
"Wow I have to want something to stop by and speak with a friend and colleague?"
He said flashing me one of his famous panty dropping smiles.
However, I wasn't the least bit affected by it, not with the dick I was getting.
And it wasn't even just about sex with Kilo, I feel like we connected on a deeper level.
I liked the fact that he didn't allow half the stuff other guys let me get away with, and really put me in my place.
Not in a scary way, but rather in a sexy yet aggressive way.
I had to shake my head and snap out of my thoughts because I was standing in front of one man but getting turned on thinking about another one.
"I'm in town for a three day conference at Mount Sinai," he said, leaning on the counter like he had all the time in the world. "I asked around, found out where you were working. Figured I'd come see you."
"You asked around," I repeated.
"Is that a crime?" He said.
"It's a little weird," I said, going back to my chart.
"Have dinner with me," he said.
"I'm working a double today," I replied.
"Ok how about coffee then?" he asked.
"Listen is there anything in particular that I can do for you?" I asked him in annoyance.
"If you give me five minutes of your time then you would know," he said.
"I actually don't have five minutes, I don't even have another minute to spare," I said.
"Damn Lyric it's like that now? You used to always have more than enough minutes for me; platonically," Mark said.
"Used to but I'm all out now," I said. Then, deciding it was time to cut this interaction short I said, "Listen Mark, I'm seeing somebody now and besides we haven't been on that level in a long time, so cut the shit and tell me what you really want?"
"Seeing somebody. Is it serious?" He asked.
"Why does that matter?" I said.
"It doesn't. I'm just asking, now about that coffee," he said with a smile.
"I'll still pass, now last time asking, what do you want to discuss?" I said.
"Doctors Without Borders. I sit on the selection committee for Doctors Without Borders now. There's a nine month rotation in the Eastern Cape and they are short two nurses, and I have been asked to submit names.
I figured while I was here for the conference we could get together and I'd be persuaded to submit yours. I know from our past relationship that it was always a dream of yours to work with the organization. Or rather it was. Anyway,
you have my number if you find yourself free in the next two days and want to grab that coffee," he said before placing the flowers beside me on the desk and leaving. What the fuck just happened?