CHAPTER 20 A NEW START
AIFE
Dr. Bowie approached me as I was exiting a patient’s room. He nodded as a greeting and motioned for me to follow him, away from the nursing station.
“How are you feeling?” Dr. Bowie was a neurologist who really did care about his patients. Apparently, I was included in that.
“I feel fine. Thank you for asking.” The way he was looking at me made me nervous. His brows were furrowed, and he looked upset.
“Dr. Tevar tells me you were working last week,
that you came into work the day after being in the ER.” He folded his arms over his chest. “You should have taken last week off.”
Why was everyone so insistent that they knew my body better than I did? Everyone wanted me to rest so damn badly, but I did that. Rest was for the dead. Plus, I had no PTO to take, not after returning to Katy for Thanksgiving. I swallowed my anger.
“I know my body, Dr. Bowie.” My voice came out stern, strident. I normally didn’t talk to the doctors like that. Clearly, my frustration was getting the better of me. I hated feeling pain. It always took me back to pre-brain surgery days.
“I can appreciate your frustration, but this is about your brain health. Don’t take this as me lecturing you, Aife. You probably know better than most patients the importance of taking care of yourself. Even a one-day break would have benefited your brain,
and I know you know that based on the slight hostility coming from you.”
I looked down at my feet. Bowie had a way of chastising without being an ass about it. “I apologize, Dr. Bowie. Brain stuff freaks me out, even after all these years. Plus, rest is not a word in my vocabulary.”
“Make it one,” he said and started to walk to his office. Bowie paused and looked back at me. “You are the best social worker neuro has had. I can’t afford to lose you just yet.”
A smile crept onto my face. “Tell my boss to pay me more.”
The good doctor laughed, a genuine one. “I just might, Aife. I just might.”
Shaking my head, I got back to work. Patients weren’t going to discharge themselves.
Once I had my PhD, I would be ready to take on my own private practice.
Discharge planning was fine, but there was so much change needed in the medical world.
I had to try to change the system from out of a hospital.
The United States had a long and complicated history of medical issues.
Insurance, in particular, was a necessary evil in this country.
If you were chronically ill or disabled, there was no point in even trying to argue with insurance.
My social work calling was meant to be elsewhere, handling all aspects of medical social work, not just discharge planning.
I knew Bowie and the rest of the neuro team would be sad when I finally moved on, but I had to do what was best for me.
Hospital work was my bread and butter; however, there were better places out there for me.
I so desperately wanted private practice and of course, research. Research drove me; it always had.
Before I knew it, the day was at the end.
And of course, the way neuro worked on Thursdays, I got a last-minute call.
It was an emergency LifeFlight out of the hospital.
They were being transferred to another hospital closer to downtown for brain surgery.
With my bag slung over my shoulder, I ran to the fourth floor.
I already had the transfer center on the line and was providing all the required information.
While I waited for a call back, I filled out my memo of transfer packet and got the paperwork placed into an additional packet.
My phone buzzed as I finished printing. The transfer center had a bed and said LifeFlight would be there in twenty minutes. Bowie happened to be passing me as I got my transfer orders.
“406, can you put a discharge order in?” I asked,
scribbling down the information I’d just been provided.
“That was fast.”
Looking down at my watch, I saw it took forty-five minutes. It was definitely quicker than transfers at my Houston hospital. I nodded before faxing a facesheet and my MOT (memo of transfer).
“LifeFlight is about twenty minutes out,” I said to the charge.
It never failed that Thursdays were my long days.
Thank God I was done with in-person classes. Work was important, but so was my schoolwork. That’s why I had a timeline for my dissertation. I was spending a lot of money to get my doctorate, so it would occasionally take precedence.
With a yawn, I made my way off the floor. I was ready to be at home in a hot shower. Relaxing sounded so nice right now. There were edits I needed to do for my paper before I officially resubmitted it to my advisor, but I really couldn't even muster the energy to do that. It could wait.
My pocket started to vibrate as I made it to my car.
“Hello?”
“Aife, it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Davis’s voice sounded over my cell. “We need a hangout! I know Dre and Nat miss you too.”
A smile blossomed on my face as I began to back out of my parking spot. “Sure, it has been a while. At least since my little fainting incident.”
“Speaking of, you holding up okay?”
The word ‘yes’ was on the tip of my tongue, but Talon’s words about reaching out for help rang in my head.
My friends were my family, and they probably cared for me more than my own family did.
They didn’t judge me like my parents did.
There was genuine, unconditional love between us all.
It warmed my heart to know people loved me for me.
“You know, Davis, I could really use a hug right now.” I put the words out there. I was never one to admit that I needed help, but it felt like a weight was off my shoulders to actually say it aloud.
“My place or yours?” Davis was always ready to drop everything to be there for his friends and family.
“Mine, please.” Tears were welling in my eyes for some reason. The sensation of being a burden was all over my body. It made me feel icky and uncomfortable. But, I needed to stay strong and rely on my friends when I needed them.
“I’ll be there,” he said without further question.
He’d probably be at my apartment before me with all kinds of supplies. Davis was just that type of friend.
As I predicted, Davis was outside my apartment with supplies in hand.
He had a key to my place, so I wasn’t entirely sure why he was waiting for me outside.
Davis spotted me and immediately pulled me into his broad chest.
His arms wrapped tightly around me, and he gently 275 stroked my back.
Davis smelled good, like cinnamon and fire. It was a comforting scent.
“Come on. Let’s go get some rest.” Davis led me into my apartment where I was surprised to find Dre, Nat, Zeke, and Talon. Talon and Zeke were putting the finishing touches on a ridiculous pillow fort. The girls were putting out all kinds of snacks. My eyes once again filled with tears.
Dre and Nat spotted me first and immediately pulled me into a fierce bear hug.
Nat was rubbing circles into my back while Dre stroked my hair softly.
I could feel the sobs wanting to escape but repressed the urge as I allowed my friends to comfort me.
I’d missed Dre and Nat. It felt like a lifetime since I’d seen them, and we all worked at the same hospital.
They hugged me for what felt like hours, and my whole body seemed to drop from relaxing for the first time in years.
Zeke approached me next after the girls had released me. He patted my back and gave me a fist bump. From my limited time with Zeke that meant he liked me. He didn’t seem to be a very touch-feely person. I was okay with that. I was just happy he was willing to be there for me.
Then there was Talon. Talon looked so attractive in his tight black shirt and Levi jeans.
His hands were pushed deep into his pockets as he stared at me.
Once everyone had moved away from me, Talon swept me into his muscular arms and quickly pressed kisses into my hair and forehead.
I nuzzled my nose into his chest and breathed in his delicious scent.
He was all man: pine and something slightly sweet. I felt the most comfort in his arms.
“I’m proud of you,” Talon whispered into my ear.
“You did good by asking for help, darling.”
My chest and face grew red at his praise. It was the little things that could make me feel so special and wanted. Talon seemingly always knew how to do that.
“Alright!” Dre’s loud voice broke up our moment.
“We’ve got all your favorite movies on deck. What you feel like watching?”
Looking around at all my friends, I just felt so loved. “Can we watch Mulan?”
Soft snores echoed through my apartment.
Dre and Nat had fallen asleep during the second move, both laying on me somehow.
Zeke was pressed into my small sitting chair with his long legs splayed in front of him.
Davis was crashed in front of my couch, rolled like a burrito into one of my many blankets.
Talon was awake though, like I was. His eyes were focused on me.
“You feeling better?” He asked softly. His eyes were hooded, exhaustion lining his face.
I nodded. Words would likely fail me right now.
I was so overwhelmed with my friends and the love they showed me.
It was just something I wasn’t used to. People heard social worker and just assumed they could dump all their problems on me.
It could be very overwhelming, especially dealing with my own chronic illness.
Standing, Talon twisted his back to pop it. He sent me a lopsided grin before carefully moving my best friends off me. He was so gentle with them, settling them against the couch and pulling blankets over them.
“Let’s go get in bed,” Talon said and grabbed my hand.
We walked into my bedroom where I immediately plopped into bed.
Kicking my pants off, I wiggled into my covers.
Talon held in a snort as he peeled his own clothes off, stripping to tight boxer briefs.
I bit my lip as a reminder to control myself.
I wanted to ride those thighs, to feel them under me as I came undone.
Pulling the covers back, Talon climbed into my bed and wrapped his arms around me, so I was against his chest.
He was so warm and could instantly calm me.
I felt a little weird to rely so heavily on a man I’d only known for a few months.
He knew me so well, and there was a piece of me scared by that.