Medically Speaking

Chapter 4

While I was in the supply closet snagging everything I needed for morning meds, Tammy, the night shift nurse I had foisted the Blackbourne-Toma crew onto, came in. "Hey, Joey. Running late?" If she'd been anyone else, I'd think she was being passive aggressive, but I knew her. She was in her late 30s and had two teenagers of her own. She was kind of the night shift mom, I loved her. She looked out for everyone.

"Stupid car," I told her by way of explanation. She nodded in understanding, hers was a clunker that routinely had her running late to something or other. "How'd 843 do overnight?"

The look in her eyes told me that Brandon had been a teenager the whole night through. "Fitful sleep, fought me tooth and nail over wound checks. His groupies weren't exactly helpful, although they didn't get in the way." Yeah, sounds about right. "Vitals are stable, heart rate still elevated. The redness around the infected wound seems to be spreading, though."

My heart fell. I was really hoping that there'd be progress from last night. She patted me on the arm before disappearing. I took a deep breath and made my way out onto the unit to start my morning process with all of my patients.

I saved Brandon for last and had to duck back by the nurse's desk before heading to his room. Tina was watching me intently and I knew she wanted the gossip, although she had already resigned herself to how tight lipped I could be over protective custody cases. So, instead, she asked with a teasing smirk, "What had you strolling in late on your phone?"

Naturally, this caught the other three nurses' attention. Nurses survive off of coffee, energy drinks, and gossip. "I was on the phone with my brother's friend. He's coming in to pick up my car later, it started acting up on the way into work this morning."

Tina perked up immediately, "Is it that hot one that came in with your lunch last week?"

It took more effort than I care to admit to not tell her that he was most definitely not as into her as she had been into him. For starters, she was missing some important hardware. Secondly, she wasn't Oli. "No, it's not Ramon. It's Jett."

"All of those hot guys always hanging around your brother and you refuse to trap any of them," one of the other nurses whined. They were all half in love with my brother's team and couldn't understand why I wasn't. I had tried explaining that I was still too haunted by their awkward teenage phase, but they never seemed to get it.

"She's always turning down hot guys," Tina shares like I'm not there at all. "That doctor over in pediatric cardiology? The one that kept coming up here to get coffee, claiming that ours was better?" There was a trading of glances while I rolled my eyes. "Joey has turned him down six times."

"Rich and gorgeous? What even is your type, Joey? Are you insane?"

I shake my head as I gather everything I need. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. If I'm going to try to find someone new, I'm more interested in someone that can build me some shelves or do maintenance on my furnace. Hell, my car is dying as we speak. I don't have any interest in a sugar daddy. I need a... sugar mechanic."

"Is that so?" a Greek accent that sounds more distinct than it did last night says from behind me. Before my eyes close in embarrassment, I catch the round eyed, hungry look from the other nurses. I turn around, already knowing who it's going to be. Silas smirks at me before teasing, "I can't fix a car or a furnace, but if you need your shower looked at, I'm your man."

There's giggling from behind me and I fight to ignore them. They're all in love already, there's no point in trying to get onto them. "Good morning, Silas. I was just on my way to room 843. Want to walk with me?"

Silas gestures down the hall. "I will never pass up the opportunity to spend time with you, Glikia mou (my sweet)." I can practically hear the nurses swooning. They'll be fighting over Brandon's room assignment as soon as I get Silas anywhere near out of earshot.