Jenna started to run down the corridor with Carolyn on her heels toward the injured patient on the gurney. The man was in his mid to late twenties with a large gash on his forehead near the hair line. Blood had been running down his face and onto the clean white sheet that covered the gurney. His left arm had a very deep gash and part of the bone was sticking out.
"What happened?" Jenna asked
"Twenty-seven year old male was involved in a single car accident on the highway. He has suffered a laceration to his head, left arm, and some minor lacerations over the rest of his body from the shattered glass. Witnesses stated that he was speeding and lost control which made the car roll several times and then land on the roof. When we arrived he was conscious but right after we arrived he lost consciousness and we haven't been able to get him to wake up. He was wearing his seat belt but we had to use the jaws of life to get him out of the car. Driver's license says his name is Brock Hammond and he's from New York" stated the paramedic.
"Page Dr. Franklin and mark it STAT" Jenna yelled out of the room to a nurse that was standing close to the nurses station. Out of the corner of Jenna's eye she could see someone walking into the room and they had red hair and she immediately knew who it was.
"Patrick come over here and help us transfer the patient to the bed?" Carolyn asked the paramedic. With the help of Jenna, Carolyn, Patrick, and his partner, they were able to lift Brock from the gurney and transfer him to the bed to start assessing his wounds and to put a oxygen mask on. Just then Dr. Franklin ran into the room with a concerned look on his face. Jenna updated Dr. Franklin on the history of the accident and vitals.
"We need to order a brain MRI and an x-ray for his arm to asses the damage." He took a small pen light and open Brock's eyes one at a time then grabbed an instrument to look in his ears and mouth. "This doesn't look good at all but we won't know definitely until the results come back from radiology. Have radiology page me when he gets done the test and I'll look over them and schedule surgery for his arm. Right now I need to go contact his family to let them know what happened.”
Carolyn left the room to call the radiology department to get Brock scheduled for his testing while Jenna started to stitch up his wounds. Patrick was still standing there while scribbling on his clipboard but would occasionally glance up at Jenna.
"Hey Jenna how have you been?" Patrick asked nonchalantly. Jenna looked up briefly to see he had on his blue polo shirt with the county logo stitch on the pocket and khaki pants. Jenna and Patrick had grown up together with Carolyn and had dated for a short period of time but Patrick had ended the relationship with the famous ending ‘It's not you it's me and can we still be friends?’ Jenna later found out that he was interested in dating another girl who was skinny and was very sure of herself and he had wanted to have her instead. Jenna rolled her eyes she really didn't want to answer him but thought it would be very rude of her not to.
"Fine Patrick and how have you been?" she answered with a fake smile. She wished he would just get done whatever he had to do and leave before she really did say something rude.
"That's good to hear and I'm doing good as well". he replied "I was thinking.." and with that Jenna cut him off short before he could continue, but of course she so politely and with a fake smile.
"I'm sorry but I'm real busy here so I can't talk right now but it was nice to see you again." She then started back to work on the gash on Brock's head giving the impression that she was done talking and it was time for him to leave. He took the hint and without further word he walked out of the room which made Jenna relax a little. "Thank goodness he left. That man makes my blood boil". she mumbled to herself.
After she had finished with the last stitch on the head and some on the arm except where the bone was sticking out, she started to scan over his body for any other wounds that needed to be irrigated or stitched up. Jenna's eyes surveyed his broad chest that was tanned and muscular with a few stray chest hairs. Her eyes roamed south over his taut stomach and even while he was lying there she could tell that he had a six pack and the neat trail of hair and disappeared under the white sheet. Trying to deny the warming sensation that was starting low in her stomach she shook her mind of the highly inappropriate thought. Jenna then noticed a bright red blood stain on the sheet that was located where Brock's thigh was. As Jenna was lifting the sheet Carolyn burst into the room
"Radiology is ready for him". Jenna jerked the sheet down and quickly looked up her face turned crimson red as the blood stain on the sheet. Carolyn bust out laughing
"What are you doing, Jenna, I know he's hot but I didn't think you would try anything with him in the state he’s in?" Carolyn said while trying to control her laughter. This statement made Jenna's face even more red which she didn't think was possible.
"I..I'm not doing anything like that, you pervert! I was just about to look at the cut on his leg". Jenna said shortly while giving Carolyn and evil look, Carolyn just gave her a broad smile and walked out. Jenna shook her head and let out a breath and lifted the sheet to close Brock's wound. Shortly there after Brock was wheeled down the hall by orderlies to get his MRI and x-ray done.
Jenna took off her bloody gloves and threw them into the orange bio hazard container before heading to the nurses station to see Carolyn standing there with a smug look on her face.
"Just shut up, I don't want to hear it" Jenna stated as she roughly grabbed Brock's chart from Carolyn's hands. She started to scribble information down in his chart as John came walking up the hallway "Hey honey, hey Jenna, how's your day going?" John asked with a smile as he came behind Carolyn and wrapped his arms around her. Jenna wished she had somebody that treated her like gold as John did with Carolyn, she quickly looked back down to the chart in hand not wanting to be intrusive.
“We're good. It's been a busy day. What are you doing here anyways?"
"I was running an errand for work and thought I would stop by because I'm going out for drinks with some of my co-workers after work and wanted to know if you all wanted to come with?"
"I'm game how about you Jenna?"
"I don't know, probably not. I have to still go to Cassie's diner and pick up Mr. Jenkins dinner and take it to him. Maybe some other time." John and Carolyn looked at each other and just shrugged their shoulders. They had been trying to get Jenna to go out for a long time but had never been successful. They worried about her being alone and wished that she could find someone that loved her for who she was.
"Well I better get back to work before they send out the search party." John said. Carolyn gave John a sweet kiss on the lips and he headed out the door waving at both of them. Just then Dr. Franklin walked up
"It looks like Mr. Hammond has suffered some head trauma and is in a coma he also has fractured arm in several places that will need surgery." he stated
"How long do you think he'll be in a coma?" Carolyn asked
"I'm not for sure. His MRI doesn't look great but I've seen much worse so from what I have seen on his, he is a very lucky man to be alive. We'll just have to monitor him and keep talking with him like he is still here with us. It's been proven that patients that have family members and staff talk with them while they are in this state helps with the recovery process. I've contacted the family and they should be here by tomorrow morning I've just checked on him, let me know if there is any changes"
"Yes sir, will do." Jenna answered. Jenna looked down at her watch and realized it was getting late and she had to go pick up Mr. Jenkins dinner and deliver it still.
"I'm going to check on Mr. Hammond one more time and then I'm going to leave." Jenna told Carolyn as she strolled away. Jenna walked into Brock's room and over to the side of the bed, while looking at the monitors that read his heart rate and breathing. After nodding with her approval she looked at Brock's face and noticed his chiseled jaw line and square chin with a dimple in the middle. She ran her nimble fingers in his hair trying to fix it so that when the family came in it wouldn't look like a mess. Jenna felt tiny sparks in her finger tips but just ignored them as she brushed his hair to the side. Bending down to whisper in his ear she breathed in and could smell sandalwood and musk on his neck. She smiled to herself.
"My name is Jenna and you are going to get better, Mr. Hammond, but we you need to wake up and help us" Jenna said softly. She was not surprised when his body didn't respond so she placed a hand on his arm and then turned and walked out of the room.
Jenna drove to Cassie's and picked up Mr. Jenkins' dinner and a sandwich with fries for herself. She arrived at Mr. Jenkins house and as she pulled into to driveway, hearing crunching gravel, she noticed Boomer the blood hound just staring at her from where he lay. She could remember that dog from when she was little, so this dog must be older than dirt itself. She climbed the stairs to the front door and stopped to pet Boomer's head
"Some guard dog you are" she stated. Boomer just barked once and then laid his head back down. Mr. Jenkins opened up the front door and greeted Jenna with a smile as he opened the screen door.
"Thank you again, Jenna, for bringing me dinner. Like I said I haven't had Cassie's food in a long time and I can't wait to get my teeth into that chicken. Why don't you come in and join me for awhile?"
"I would love to but I have to get home it's been a long day and I still have to let Lilah out and do some things around the house"
"Oh, yes I heard about what happened with the accident today. Is he alright?"
"It's too early to tell but we are being optimistic. Now you go eat that yummy food and take it easy ok?"
"Yes ma'am I will and you take care Jenna. I worry about you running and taking care of everyone else. You need find someone that can take care of you. I hate to see you alone all the time."
"I'm not alone Mr. Jenkins but I'm sure I'll find someone some day". Jenna said with a smile and she then she got in her car and headed for home exhausted.
Pulling into her own driveway Jenna was beyond tired so she hurried to let Lilah out for her evening run and started to do some chores around the house. Yawning, she pulled some pajamas out of her dresser drawers a tank top with a frog on the front and pants with lily pads all over them. Jenna then let Lilah in. Barely able to keep her eyes open she crawled into bed with Lilah following suit. Before her head even hit the pillow Jenna was sound asleep.