That's What Love Is For

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Mina, nice to meet you, I'm Eddie." Eddie smiled her greeting and reversed her chair to allow the nursing candidate entry.

"Nice to meet you too," Mina replied as Eddie directed her to the kitchen table.

"This is Jamie. This is just a formality really, we are considering three candidates including you so it's just to chat."

"Well, not entirely," Jamie replied. "My wife and I will be paying your salary so I have to be satisfied that you'll take the best care of Eddie, I previously terminated two other nurses, one for cutting Eddie's foot during foot care and not disclosing it and the other for manhandling her."

"Mr. Reagan," Mina began. "Did you ever see a neonatal nurse handle a new born baby? They are skilled and know those babies are stronger than they look. So is Eddie."

Jamie sat up straighter thinking already this was not the right candidate. "Well, Jamie prefers more care so maybe we can make that a concession so he to feel more comfortable. Tell me about your previous experience with quadriplegics."

"I worked with several ALS patients in various stages of mobility, but never with a SCI patient. Still you are much more mobile than most of the folks I worked with."

"What is your experience with autonomic dysreflexia?" Jamie asked. "Eddie's system is highly sensitive from the damage to the nerves and she has at least a minor episode a few times a week."

"I'm not experienced with it, but I know the basic first aid."

"Thanks for coming," Jamie replied standing up. "That is something I won't concede on. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Such was the result for the second nursing candidate as well. While Eddie was ready to accept anyone with reasonable experience and rates, Jamie insisted the person think Eddie was made of glass and have experience with spasms and AD.

"Jamie, we are not going to find a nurse that shares your view," Eddie sighed. "The nurses are professionals and even Linda told you that you do not have to use kid gloves moving me around anymore, the injury healed it's just the residual stuff, the stupid paralysis and AD and that stuff!"

"Eddie, I'm not just going to let any idiot have this job, I want the best. I worry about you all the time when I'm not here I need to hire someone to give me peace of mind. This next candidate is young but has actual experience with a vent dependent quadriplegic. This might be the one."

The door man buzzed and Jamie admitted the final candidate thirty year old recent nursing graduate.

"I'm Jamie," he offered his hand and the women.

"I'm Laura nice to meet you," she replied. "Where is the patient?"

"Hi,' Eddie greeted smiling. "I'm Eddie it's good to meet you. Have a seat. As I told the other candidates, it's a formality to go over..."

"Oh, good," Laura replied. "She's verbal, that's excellent."

"Yes, I am verbal," Eddie replied. "I'm also sitting over here, I get he's better looking but I'm hiring you so..."

Jamie patted Eddie's shoulder, "It says in your resume you have experience with AD and worked with quadriplegic patients before."

"Yes, I have. The last patient passed recently of pneumonia, a C3/4...vent dependent so more advanced an injury, more complicated but not one of my patients passed from blood pressure or sore related episodes..."

The interview continued with Jamie smiling and Eddie frowning, but this was really for Jamie's peace on the job, she didn't want him shot worrying about her.