Chapter 10 #2
As soon as the little girl had given up hugging him for a stuffed rabbit that Lexie had produced from the Nurse's Station, Kaleo's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He answered it and heard words he hadn't wanted or needed to hear.
"We're headed to the E.R. Greco and Rock were injured in a scuffle at the accident site."
"W-" Kale moved away from the little girl and into the hall. It wasn't much of a distance, but he lowered his voice, too, and hoped that she wouldn't hear what was going on. "What? Tell me."
Halo sighed, but his voice held a deep note of frustration.
"After you left a couple of cars showed up at the scene.
From what we can gather they're connected to one of the cars in the accident.
We were waiting for the van from the coroner's office when they all piled out of their cars and rushed the scene and- Oh, hey, we're almost at the hospital. You still there?"
"Yeah. I'm still here. They just finished with the exam. We're now waiting for someone from DCFS to come and figure out who she is."
"If you can, come over and see us when we get there. You can fill Faust in on the situation."
"'Kay. I'm sure I'll hear you guys come in."
Kaleo hung up the call and went back into the examination area. Lexie was rocking the little girl in her arms and Kaleo could see the little girl's eyes slowly closing.
He moved around so that the little girl couldn't really see him.
He didn't want to wake her or upset her.
"So," Lexie's words bounced softly the same way she was holding the little girl, "is something wrong?"
He nodded, a little.
"The rest of the crew is coming here. Rock and Greco were injured in a scuffle at the accident scene."
Lexie frowned. "Why didn't they come in sooner?"
"It happened after I left with Ambo Nineteen. More cars arrived after I left. I'm sure we'll get more information soon. They're on their way."
Doctor Ashley stepped inside the exam area. "Lexie?"
Kaleo saw the way Lexie smiled at the handsome trauma doctor.
He knew that the doctor was married and happily so. He'd seen Doctor Ashley with his wife who was a uniformed officer at Precinct Four, the local Police Station. He also knew that his relationship with Lexie was just getting better and better.
However, that didn't stop him from standing a little taller when the other man was in the room.
Both Lexie and the doctor seemed completely oblivious to his moment of ridiculous jealousy.
"I heard that we're expecting some injuries from the accident scene. From the sound of it, some of the troublemakers might be related to our little girl."
Kaleo saw Lexie's shoulders tense, and they both looked down at the little girl who frowned in her sleep.
"Until DCFS shows up, could you take her to the pediatric wing?"
"Sure," Lexie was all aboard with the suggestion. "Happy to. She doesn't need anyone upsetting her right now."
Kaleo turned to look at the doctor when he heard his name.
"They call you Duke, right?"
"Yes, sir."
Kaleo saw the hint of a smile on Doctor Ashley's face. "Would you walk Lexie over to Pediatrics? I don't anticipate any issues, but since people appeared to start trouble on the scene-"
"You don't have to explain," Duke smiled. "I'll walk her over there."
"Good."
"Doctor Ashley?"
They all turned toward the hallway to see Thuy standing there. "They're coming up the drive."
Kaleo put his arm around Lexie's shoulders. "Let's over to pediatrics."
He didn't imagine the way she'd tensed when Thuy had announced the incoming ambulances. He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her cheek before they followed the doctor into the hallway.
LEXIE
Pediatrics could be heartbreaking at times, more so than other departments, at least that's how it was for Lexie.
Seeing children released from the wing and heading home would be amazing, but she didn't want to be there when things didn't work out.
The Emergency Room gave her the opportunity to give people a fighting chance and that was the main reason she'd opted to apply for the Emergency Room.
She just couldn't stand to see children suffer.
But this time, she was heading to pediatrics to give the little girl in her arms some peace and quiet.
"Do you want me to carry her?"
She tilted her head and looked up at him with a smile. "I've got her."
They walked on for a few steps and Lexie enjoyed the warm look in his eyes.
"That," she explained, "and I don't want to wake her up. I think she's sleeping."
Kaleo's steps slowed and he fell back behind her.
When he caught up a few steps later, he was smiling. "She's sound asleep."
Lexie drew in a lungful of cool air-conditioned air.
Kaleo moved around to her other side and leaned in to touch a kiss to her cheek.
While he was leaned in close, he laughed softly. "That, and she's drooling on your back. You can't feel that?"
She shook her head. "Nope. I basically have a toddler sized heater against my chest and shoulder. I might feel it more if she wasn't a heavy sleeper."
Lexie felt Kaleo reach around behind her and gently touch the little girl's head.
"I hope we find out her name soon."
She nodded and smiled when she saw the door to the Pediatrics department up ahead. "I hope there's a happy ending and she has someone who loves her who'll come and get her."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I don't want to see her cry anymore."
"Me, either, Ipo."
Her steps slowed to a stop, and she turned to look at him.
Her first instinct was that he was making a joke of some sort, but that idea disappeared quickly.
She almost didn't speak because the look in his eyes was something she didn't want to see change.
There was a warmth in his gaze and touched her from her head to her toes.
A warmth she never wanted to let go.
Someone walked down the hallway and moved between them. "Excuse me. Sorry."
Once they were alone again, the spell seemed to break, but it didn't mean that the moment was ruined.
Instead, it only seemed to get better.
"Ipo," he said the word again, "means sweetheart in Hawaiian."
Her eyes widened at his words and her heart pounded happily at his meaning.
"Ipo." She said the word and smiled. "I like the sound of it."
Kaleo moved in closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's a shorter version of ku'uipo, but the meaning is the same."
They walked together to the door, and he opened it so she could walk through without a worry.
One step into the door, she turned to look at him, a big grin on her face. "You're going to have to teach me words I can call you."
"Sure."
He smiled and as she walked toward the nurse's station in the pediatrics wing, she heard him speak again.
"You can call me yours."