straight to her locker, she went down to the ER.
“Hey,” Dr. Tucker greeted as she arrived. “What brings you down here?” he asked.
Elizabeth moved her hand and showed him her reason for the visit.
“Ouch,” he said. “Want me to have a look?”
“Aren’t you doing somebody’s surgery?” she asked.
“Nah,” he said. “I was called down here for a possible emergency appendectomy, but turns out I wasn’t needed. But I think that needs stitches,” he said, pointing at Elizabeth’s head. “How about I fix you up?”
Elizabeth nodded. Dr. Tucker was not only a coworker, but also a friend. He was marrying Leanne in a few weeks. Elizabeth had gotten close to both of them over the last year. He walked her to an empty exam room.
“Yeah, that needs a stitch or two,” he mumbled. He brushed Elizabeth’s hair from her face and got to work cleaning the wound. “What happened?”
“Would you believe I shut my face in the car door?” she asked with a smile.
“Actually, I would,” he said. He soaked some cotton in betadine solution and gently patted it onto the cut. “I did it once myself. Hurt like a bitch.”
“Mmm,” Elizabeth agreed.
“Ok let’s get you stitched up,” he said. He took his needle and tweezers and set to work repairing the damage she caused. Three stitches later, he was finished. He applied a thin layer of Neosporin and declared her fit for duty.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Now, get to work,” he laughed as she grabbed her stuff and headed upstairs. The OB unit was quiet for a change. No one was in dire need of her, and no babies were pushing their way into the world right that moment. It was just as well, seeing as how she was late and arriving with stitches.
She briefly explained her tardiness to the nurses and then told them that if they needed her to page her. Elizabeth then took herself for a walk around the floor. She passed the nursery and stopped for a look at the babies she delivered the day before.
***
Ash hated to admit it, but Antonio had been right. Babies were very calming. Antonio was making goofy faces at one newborn boy and the child was watching him intently. “I thought no one could see us,” Ash said.
Antonio turned to look at him. “Normally they can’t, but babies always can. Don’t really know the whys of it, they just can.”
Ash looked at the baby next to him. She was in her little crib, sleeping away. Her mouth twitched every now and again and he wondered what a newborn would dream about. The whole place smelled like Johnson’s baby bath and powder, combined with the scent of what he could only describe as baby. Why did babies smell so good? He leaned down and breathed in near the little girl. She smelled wonderful….like flowers, sunshine, and happiness. Yeah, happiness. That was what babies smelled like.
Ash thought one day he would want a baby, but then immediately decided against it. He wanted a son, but who would be the mother? He didn’t want a family in the life that he led now. There was no room for that. He wouldn’t be able to give them the attention they would deserve.
Then he felt it. That string that pulled him yanked on him hard. He looked behind him and saw her. Elizabeth. She was walking outside of the nursery, just on the other side of the glass. His brain brought up images of her lying on her bed the night before.
“Let’s go,” Antonio said, taking Ash by the arm. “We need to get out of the nursery.”
“Why?” Ash asked.
“Because you have a nasty habit of getting visible at bad times,” Antonio answered him. “Just outside there.”
The pair left the nursery and got visible before walking back toward Elizabeth. Antonio’s heart jumped in anticipation. Maybe now the SOB would touch her. As they
“Hey,” Dr. Tucker greeted as she arrived. “What brings you down here?” he asked.
Elizabeth moved her hand and showed him her reason for the visit.
“Ouch,” he said. “Want me to have a look?”
“Aren’t you doing somebody’s surgery?” she asked.
“Nah,” he said. “I was called down here for a possible emergency appendectomy, but turns out I wasn’t needed. But I think that needs stitches,” he said, pointing at Elizabeth’s head. “How about I fix you up?”
Elizabeth nodded. Dr. Tucker was not only a coworker, but also a friend. He was marrying Leanne in a few weeks. Elizabeth had gotten close to both of them over the last year. He walked her to an empty exam room.
“Yeah, that needs a stitch or two,” he mumbled. He brushed Elizabeth’s hair from her face and got to work cleaning the wound. “What happened?”
“Would you believe I shut my face in the car door?” she asked with a smile.
“Actually, I would,” he said. He soaked some cotton in betadine solution and gently patted it onto the cut. “I did it once myself. Hurt like a bitch.”
“Mmm,” Elizabeth agreed.
“Ok let’s get you stitched up,” he said. He took his needle and tweezers and set to work repairing the damage she caused. Three stitches later, he was finished. He applied a thin layer of Neosporin and declared her fit for duty.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Now, get to work,” he laughed as she grabbed her stuff and headed upstairs. The OB unit was quiet for a change. No one was in dire need of her, and no babies were pushing their way into the world right that moment. It was just as well, seeing as how she was late and arriving with stitches.
She briefly explained her tardiness to the nurses and then told them that if they needed her to page her. Elizabeth then took herself for a walk around the floor. She passed the nursery and stopped for a look at the babies she delivered the day before.
***
Ash hated to admit it, but Antonio had been right. Babies were very calming. Antonio was making goofy faces at one newborn boy and the child was watching him intently. “I thought no one could see us,” Ash said.
Antonio turned to look at him. “Normally they can’t, but babies always can. Don’t really know the whys of it, they just can.”
Ash looked at the baby next to him. She was in her little crib, sleeping away. Her mouth twitched every now and again and he wondered what a newborn would dream about. The whole place smelled like Johnson’s baby bath and powder, combined with the scent of what he could only describe as baby. Why did babies smell so good? He leaned down and breathed in near the little girl. She smelled wonderful….like flowers, sunshine, and happiness. Yeah, happiness. That was what babies smelled like.
Ash thought one day he would want a baby, but then immediately decided against it. He wanted a son, but who would be the mother? He didn’t want a family in the life that he led now. There was no room for that. He wouldn’t be able to give them the attention they would deserve.
Then he felt it. That string that pulled him yanked on him hard. He looked behind him and saw her. Elizabeth. She was walking outside of the nursery, just on the other side of the glass. His brain brought up images of her lying on her bed the night before.
“Let’s go,” Antonio said, taking Ash by the arm. “We need to get out of the nursery.”
“Why?” Ash asked.
“Because you have a nasty habit of getting visible at bad times,” Antonio answered him. “Just outside there.”
The pair left the nursery and got visible before walking back toward Elizabeth. Antonio’s heart jumped in anticipation. Maybe now the SOB would touch her. As they
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