In Good Hands With My Dad's Best Friend (BBW Contemporary Medical Taboo Romance) by Ava May Page B

until the parents have arrived, but we can make him comfortable.” He paused. “This is a surgical fix, Jan. What happened?”
    She didn’t want to explain it; she didn’t dare right now. Instead, she racked her brain to change the subject. “I can’t right now,” she told him, and he gave her a shrewd look.
    “How are things?”
    Jan let out a little brittle laugh. “I think I’m going to be looking for another job soon.”
    “Why’s that?” Keith asked, sympathy brimming in his gaze, his green eyes crystalline in the harsh lights of the ER cubicle.
    “It’s a nightmare,” Jan told him, tears welling in her eyes. She wouldn’t cry in front of Keith; she couldn’t humiliate herself like that. He probably still thought she was a teenager, when she was anything but.
    Keith looked at his watch. “I get off work my shift in an hour. Can I take you out for a bite?”
    “Sure,” Jan said, giving him her warmest smile. He’d been there when she’d ridden her first bike. He’d taught her to do so. He and Dad had taken her to her first baseball game. Keith and his wife, Miranda, had come to all her major life events, and when Miranda had died in a car accident ten years ago, her family had mourned deeply. Mom and Miranda had been close, almost as close as Dad and Keith had been.
    Keith had been a constant presence in her life, for longer than she could even remember. He and Dad had been best friends forever, meeting in kindergarten. The friendship it stayed, and while Keith wasn’t quite an uncle to her, he was one of her closest mill influences in her life. Jan knew that she could use his advice. She had a really bad feeling about this.
    Keith had to rush off to another emergency room visit visitor. Jan started to look through phone messages, but when she got to the " OMG, it’s a bad one ," she realized she had reached her limit, and closed her eyes.
    They wheeled little Brady back, and he seemed scared, but sleepy. He didn’t seem as if he was in too much pain, but he sought her reassurance by grasping her hand, little fingers curling around hers, the IV taped to the top of his hand.
    “Mommy?” Brady asked, in Jan’s heart clenched a little bit.
    “No, honey. Mommy and Daddy will be here soon. It’s Miss Jan.
    “Oh. I like you, miss Jan. Why didn’t the man stop?”
    Oh, God – what that one hurt. She had no idea what to say, she couldn’t implicate her boss, and the child didn’t need to know any of that. He was six and he was hurt, for God’s sake.
    “It was an accident honey,” she whispered tears again pricking her eyes. She loved these kids.
    “Oh,” Brady whispered, and then he sighed.
    Only a few minutes later, Brady’s parents rushed in. Mrs. Carson clutched Jan’s arm, her face flushed, her eyes brimming with tears. “What happened?” She asked trying to keep her voice down Brady’s father leaned down over the bed, kissing his son’s head. Both of them tried to avoid looking at the splinted leg, Jan noticed.
    “Can we talk about it outside?” Jan asked, and both parents nodded. Mr. Carson broke off and his wife took his spot at the head of the bed.
    “Hi honey, Mommy’s here. It’ll be okay.”
    “Thank you, Miss Jan. Mommy, I hurt.” Jan’s heart clenched at that that little boy should’ve never been hit.
    Keith met them right outside the room. He gave Jan a reassuring smile and she nodded in acknowledgment. It was so good having his presence here
    “Mr. Carson, this is Dr. Gordon. Not only is he an incredible ER doctor, is also a friend of my family for a very long time. He saw to Brady’s injury, and he’ll tell you more about it.” It was very easy for Jan to go into, teacher mode, even if she didn’t feel it. She was anything but calm.
    “Mr. Carson, let me explain Brady’s injury to you while we wait for the orthopedic doctor to get here.” He glanced over Jan. There are some chairs right down the hall,” he said. “Why don’t you go sit there?”