Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“No?”
“You’re unsure?”
She nodded. “I’ve been cold. More so than usual.”
I took her blood pressure, wrote it down, and then reached for the thermometer.
101.8.
“You have nearly a 102 degree fever,” I told her. “Fevers sometimes make you have chills. Especially one this high.”
The girl nodded miserably.
“Okay, let’s get you back there.”
I gestured for her to follow me, and then walked her back to the only room available.
With the full moon around the corner, we’d had an influx of crazy patients today. Hopefully this girl would just be routine.
“All right,” I pointed at the bed. “There’s a gown here for you to change into. You can leave your bra on, but everything else has to come off. They will need a urine specimen. The cup is on the counter. Bring it back here to this room. Then have a seat and a nurse will be right with you.”
I walked out and waved when I saw Sean pushing through the ambulance entrance, followed shortly by his much sexier father. God, the man did things to me.
An excited shiver rolled over me as our eyes connected, and I met him at the nurses’ station with a smile on my face.
“Hey,” I whispered.
He winked and then turned to talk to Dr. Tommy Tom who’d come up on his other side. I brushed my backside up against him as I let Ellen know that she had a patient.
“She’s complaining of pain down below,” I explained.
Ellen nodded, looking a little frazzled.
“Can you come in with me?” she asked. “All the other nurses are busy with other patients. You can start an IV for me once I get a look at what’s going on…if it’s needed, that is.”
I nodded and turned to follow her, and felt Steel’s hand brush my backside.
I grinned at him over my shoulder but kept going.
Once inside the room, I pulled the curtains open and smiled at the patient.
She was now in nothing but a gown just like I’d instructed.
She was shifting on her bottom, just like she’d done in the triage room, wincing every time she did.
Poor girl.
“Hi, my name is Ellen. I’m going to take a look at you today.”
“Nice to meet you,” the girl lied.
My lips twitched.
“All right, scoot to the edge and let’s have a look,” Ellen said.
Five minutes later, we were back at the nurses’ station, Ellen standing next to Dr. Tommy.
“Uhhh,” Ellen said. “Could you come look at something for me?”
Dr. Tommy’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”
Ellen was completely competent and rarely asked Tommy for anything. This time, though…
“Ummm,” Ellen just shook her head. “I just…I don’t even know what’s going on right now.”
Tommy shrugged and gave Steel a look. Steel nodded at him. “I’ll wait.”
Tommy Tom and Ellen disappeared into the exam room.
“What’s going on?”
I knew that he wasn’t asking in general, but what was wrong enough to warrant Tommy Tom’s help.
I shook my head.
“That woman has some things wrong downstairs,” I finally settled on. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Tommy Tom came out long moments later and gestured at me with his head.
I went.
“Can you go get me a suture kit, some saline flushes and a whole lot of gauze pads?”
I nodded and hurried to do what he asked, dropping them off to him a moment later.
Just when I was about to leave, though, Ellen said, “Please, stay. We may need assistance.”
I didn’t want to stay.
Not when I’d seen what I’d seen.
“Ummm,” I hesitated.
Ellen gave me a look that said if I left, she was going to kill me after she was done.
I nearly laughed.
I stayed, but I stayed far enough back that I couldn’t quite see what was being done.
Not until Dr. Tommy moved slightly, allowing me to see what was between the girl’s legs.
Maggots.
Lots, and lots of maggots.
I nearly lost my lunch.
An hour later, I was white-faced, and walking out with Dr. Tommy and Ellen.
“That was…” I tried to find the words.
“That was a goddamn nightmare,” Dr. Tommy muttered.
“What happened for it to get that way?” I asked hesitantly.
“Apparently, she thought that it’d be a grand idea to shove a piece of chicken up there for her unborn baby to have something to eat…”
I nearly vomited in my mouth.
“And it rotted?”
“And it rotted,” he agreed.
“Gah, Dr. Tommy…” I did a full body shiver.
“Call me Tommy already. I feel like we should be forgoing the formal names, don’t you?” he joked.
I shrugged.
Yes, and no.
Steel was the president of the motorcycle club, The Dixie Wardens, or better known as the Dixie Warden Rejects around these parts. Steel spent a lot of time with them, and Tommy was right. I spent a lot of time with them, too. I probably should call him by his actual name instead of adding the ‘Dr.’ in front of it. But I couldn’t do it. Not at work, anyway.
At least, that was what I’d found to be as of late. I’d tried, multiple times, but I didn’t want anyone at work that wasn’t related to this little group of ours to see me being treated any differently.