waiting room, I could see his number in my mind’s eye, pinned to my fridge with a magnet. I tried to imagine having a good reason to call, one that didn’t involve reporting test results to him, one that somehow resolved into us going on an actual date.
The door to the back office opened, and thankfully a nurse I didn’t know leaned out. “Edie Spence?” she read from a folder in front of her.
“That’s me.” I stood, straightened my shirt, and followed her in.
* * *
I spent the rest of the day in bed, trying to sleep up ahead of my night. As I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, it should have been easy, but anytime I slept I had nightmares about oceans, either real ones or ones made of tarry black. And when I was awake in between dreams I kept thinking about Asher’s number, and when and/or if I ought to call. Minnie wasn’t helping—her paws seemed to have organ-seeking powers and she paced across me at least once an hour. Like so many afternoons/evenings before, right after I began to feel like I was getting real sleep at last, my alarm went off, and it was time to go in.
“You’re extra help tonight,” Meaty said as I walked in the door.
“Really?” I said, surprised. “I mean—sure thing!”
Meaty grinned at me. “The action’s in room four. Hold down the fort out here, and we’ll call you when we need you.”
I stood a bit taller behind the nursing station. This was an amazing turn of events. I was being trusted with the entire floor. You didn’t get to be extra help nurse without actually being known as helpful. Meaty was in room four with Charles doing something—most likely talking to all the visitors that I could see in the room from here—and Gina was around the corner with her patients. It was just me and the charge desk. I sat down and felt downright official.
“I’m in charge, I’m in charge,” I sang to myself. “Meaty’s goooone, so I’m in charrrrge.” I heard a snicker from the were-corrals. “I’m in charge of Gina tooooo,” I continued, and there was an outright laugh.
There were labs to be ordered, and carts to be refilled—I tried to do whatever I remembered seeing Meaty do, industriously. This took about thirty minutes. “Need any help, Gina?” I called out, when all the carts were full.
“Not yet. Thanks!” she called back.
“Well, then.” I straightened my lanyard like a tie. And then my badge began to glow.
Oh, no. I looked around.
There was a kid in the doorway of room four, staring at me like a creepy kid from any number of Japanese horror films. He had a dark suit on, cut perfectly for his four-foot-nothing form, shined shoes, and a bow tie. I waved. “Did you need something?” I asked, hopefully. He continued to stare.
A Persian woman poked her head out, luscious dark hair bound up high atop her head. She looked at the boy, then me, and then smiled.
“Gaius, she is protected, she cannot hear you.” The boy stared up at her and she patted his shoulder. “Go on, tell her what you want.”
He—Gaius—opened up his mouth to speak, with no sound. How long had it been since he’d had to talk? “I—I would like a glass of water,” he stammered.
I grinned at him, and rose. “Ice, or no ice?”
“Ice. Please.”
“No problem.” I went to go get ice water, and when I came back I peeked into room four.
Room four was one of the bigger rooms, by about a ten-by-ten area—our ward was curved, and it was on the bend. There was a crowd in the room, milling quietly between several gleaming IV poles. All of them were dressed upscale casual, like they’d just stepped away from business lunches that might have taken place at a luxury golf course. All of them were also completely ignoring me. I’d have said something, about them or to them—visitors were supposed to be only two at a time—but I could hear the whoosh-click, whoosh-click of all the IV pumps strapped onto their poles running at full
The door to the back office opened, and thankfully a nurse I didn’t know leaned out. “Edie Spence?” she read from a folder in front of her.
“That’s me.” I stood, straightened my shirt, and followed her in.
* * *
I spent the rest of the day in bed, trying to sleep up ahead of my night. As I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, it should have been easy, but anytime I slept I had nightmares about oceans, either real ones or ones made of tarry black. And when I was awake in between dreams I kept thinking about Asher’s number, and when and/or if I ought to call. Minnie wasn’t helping—her paws seemed to have organ-seeking powers and she paced across me at least once an hour. Like so many afternoons/evenings before, right after I began to feel like I was getting real sleep at last, my alarm went off, and it was time to go in.
“You’re extra help tonight,” Meaty said as I walked in the door.
“Really?” I said, surprised. “I mean—sure thing!”
Meaty grinned at me. “The action’s in room four. Hold down the fort out here, and we’ll call you when we need you.”
I stood a bit taller behind the nursing station. This was an amazing turn of events. I was being trusted with the entire floor. You didn’t get to be extra help nurse without actually being known as helpful. Meaty was in room four with Charles doing something—most likely talking to all the visitors that I could see in the room from here—and Gina was around the corner with her patients. It was just me and the charge desk. I sat down and felt downright official.
“I’m in charge, I’m in charge,” I sang to myself. “Meaty’s goooone, so I’m in charrrrge.” I heard a snicker from the were-corrals. “I’m in charge of Gina tooooo,” I continued, and there was an outright laugh.
There were labs to be ordered, and carts to be refilled—I tried to do whatever I remembered seeing Meaty do, industriously. This took about thirty minutes. “Need any help, Gina?” I called out, when all the carts were full.
“Not yet. Thanks!” she called back.
“Well, then.” I straightened my lanyard like a tie. And then my badge began to glow.
Oh, no. I looked around.
There was a kid in the doorway of room four, staring at me like a creepy kid from any number of Japanese horror films. He had a dark suit on, cut perfectly for his four-foot-nothing form, shined shoes, and a bow tie. I waved. “Did you need something?” I asked, hopefully. He continued to stare.
A Persian woman poked her head out, luscious dark hair bound up high atop her head. She looked at the boy, then me, and then smiled.
“Gaius, she is protected, she cannot hear you.” The boy stared up at her and she patted his shoulder. “Go on, tell her what you want.”
He—Gaius—opened up his mouth to speak, with no sound. How long had it been since he’d had to talk? “I—I would like a glass of water,” he stammered.
I grinned at him, and rose. “Ice, or no ice?”
“Ice. Please.”
“No problem.” I went to go get ice water, and when I came back I peeked into room four.
Room four was one of the bigger rooms, by about a ten-by-ten area—our ward was curved, and it was on the bend. There was a crowd in the room, milling quietly between several gleaming IV poles. All of them were dressed upscale casual, like they’d just stepped away from business lunches that might have taken place at a luxury golf course. All of them were also completely ignoring me. I’d have said something, about them or to them—visitors were supposed to be only two at a time—but I could hear the whoosh-click, whoosh-click of all the IV pumps strapped onto their poles running at full
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