“Yeah, it’s terrible. I wanted to check in on him. Dr. Tremont asked me to.”
She arched her eyebrows at him. “She asked you to check on a patient for her?”
“Yeah. Just wanted me to pop my head and make sure everything was fine. You know how she is.”
The nurse hesitated, then pointed down the hallway to the right. “Room 320. You know not to touch the equipment, right? Maybe I should come with you.”
“No need. I’ll only be a second.” He pointed at her book, “Looks like a good one.”
The nurse smiled, “Oprah never lets me down.” She lowered her voice and glanced up and down the halls, “This one has sex scenes.”
Jack grinned and pretended to look at the page she was reading. The nurse shooed him away with a giggle. Jack whispered, “I’ll let you get back to it then. I won’t be long.”
He strode down the hall without waiting for an answer. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the nurse was settling back into her chair, book in hand. Good. He wanted to do this alone. Jack walked down the hall until he came to room 320. He rested his hands against the heavy wood door of Nate Huckley’s room and turned his head to listen for any sounds coming from inside. He heard nothing so, with a deep breath, he pushed on the door.
SIXTEEN
“Hola Felicia. Que Pasa?” Lauren said, pulling back the curtain from the bed.
The little girl gave her a weak smile. “Your accent is getting a little better. Could still use some work though.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s pretty good,” she said. “So tell me, how are you feeling?”
“Sore. I’m sore everywhere,” Felicia said.
Lauren leaned forward and smoothed back a few strands of loose hair on the girl’s forehead. She was a pretty thing, ten years old, with dark skin and long black hair. Over the last week Lauren had grown attached to the girl. Even though Lauren wasn’t a pediatric specialist, Felicia’s condition had immediately attracted her attention. “I’ll get you something to make you more comfy, all right?”
Felicia nodded and watched Lauren write in her file. “Dr. Tremont?”
“Yes?”
“I’m gonna die.”
The little girl’s matter-of-fact tone caught Lauren off-guard. It was as if the girls had read Lauren’s mind. Lauren stared down at her notebook while she thought of the best way to answer. She had never lied to a patient before, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell the girl the truth. Before she could say anything, Felicia reached out and touched her forearm.
“It’s O.K. Dr. Tremont. You don’t have to lie to me. I mean, I’m scared a little, but I don’t…I don’t want to feel this way anymore.”
Lauren swallowed hard and put her notebook on the bed. “You listen here young lady. There will be no more talk like that. We’re going to find a way to beat this thing, all right? But I need your help. I need you to fight.”
Felicia smiled but looked away toward the window. “Mom told me I would see my Nana in heaven. That’ll be nice.” She closed her eyes as she spoke, her voice winding down like a toy that needed a new battery. “She was always so nice to me.” Seconds later Felecia was back asleep.
Lauren sat on the edge of the bed and rested her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. She had grown close to Felicia. Her clinical detachment was gone, replaced by a maternal need to protect the sick child however she could. It was impossible for her to look at the little girl and not see her own daughter in the bed, her own daughter sick with some mysterious disease that she, despite all her education and skill, could not stop. This was no longer medicine. It was personal.
Lauren circled the tests she wanted done on Felicia Rodriguez’s blood work. The symptoms read like a med school multiple choice test. Open sores on the skin, hair loss, abdominal cramps, weight loss, heart arrhythmia, erratic pulse, fever, and so it went. It was like her body was giving
She arched her eyebrows at him. “She asked you to check on a patient for her?”
“Yeah. Just wanted me to pop my head and make sure everything was fine. You know how she is.”
The nurse hesitated, then pointed down the hallway to the right. “Room 320. You know not to touch the equipment, right? Maybe I should come with you.”
“No need. I’ll only be a second.” He pointed at her book, “Looks like a good one.”
The nurse smiled, “Oprah never lets me down.” She lowered her voice and glanced up and down the halls, “This one has sex scenes.”
Jack grinned and pretended to look at the page she was reading. The nurse shooed him away with a giggle. Jack whispered, “I’ll let you get back to it then. I won’t be long.”
He strode down the hall without waiting for an answer. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the nurse was settling back into her chair, book in hand. Good. He wanted to do this alone. Jack walked down the hall until he came to room 320. He rested his hands against the heavy wood door of Nate Huckley’s room and turned his head to listen for any sounds coming from inside. He heard nothing so, with a deep breath, he pushed on the door.
SIXTEEN
“Hola Felicia. Que Pasa?” Lauren said, pulling back the curtain from the bed.
The little girl gave her a weak smile. “Your accent is getting a little better. Could still use some work though.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s pretty good,” she said. “So tell me, how are you feeling?”
“Sore. I’m sore everywhere,” Felicia said.
Lauren leaned forward and smoothed back a few strands of loose hair on the girl’s forehead. She was a pretty thing, ten years old, with dark skin and long black hair. Over the last week Lauren had grown attached to the girl. Even though Lauren wasn’t a pediatric specialist, Felicia’s condition had immediately attracted her attention. “I’ll get you something to make you more comfy, all right?”
Felicia nodded and watched Lauren write in her file. “Dr. Tremont?”
“Yes?”
“I’m gonna die.”
The little girl’s matter-of-fact tone caught Lauren off-guard. It was as if the girls had read Lauren’s mind. Lauren stared down at her notebook while she thought of the best way to answer. She had never lied to a patient before, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell the girl the truth. Before she could say anything, Felicia reached out and touched her forearm.
“It’s O.K. Dr. Tremont. You don’t have to lie to me. I mean, I’m scared a little, but I don’t…I don’t want to feel this way anymore.”
Lauren swallowed hard and put her notebook on the bed. “You listen here young lady. There will be no more talk like that. We’re going to find a way to beat this thing, all right? But I need your help. I need you to fight.”
Felicia smiled but looked away toward the window. “Mom told me I would see my Nana in heaven. That’ll be nice.” She closed her eyes as she spoke, her voice winding down like a toy that needed a new battery. “She was always so nice to me.” Seconds later Felecia was back asleep.
Lauren sat on the edge of the bed and rested her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. She had grown close to Felicia. Her clinical detachment was gone, replaced by a maternal need to protect the sick child however she could. It was impossible for her to look at the little girl and not see her own daughter in the bed, her own daughter sick with some mysterious disease that she, despite all her education and skill, could not stop. This was no longer medicine. It was personal.
Lauren circled the tests she wanted done on Felicia Rodriguez’s blood work. The symptoms read like a med school multiple choice test. Open sores on the skin, hair loss, abdominal cramps, weight loss, heart arrhythmia, erratic pulse, fever, and so it went. It was like her body was giving
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