Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“I’ll let you know once she has been served,” she says and disconnects. I toss the phone on the bed and rub my forehead, feeling a headache slowly creeping up.
I lay my head down on the white pillow, kicking off my shoes. My phone beeps, so I grab it and see a text from Denise.
Just got the file. We should meet once you’re back. Let me know when it’s a good time.
I don’t bother messaging her. Instead, I call her.
“Hey,” she says, picking up right away.
“Hey, I just got your message,” I tell her.
“What’s the matter?” she asks right away.
“Nothing. Why?” I ask her.
“You sound like you’re exhausted or pissed,” she says, and I laugh.
“You got all that in hey I got your message?”
“Yeah,” she says, and I hear rustling in the background. “How is Jack?”
“He’s good. I hate leaving him, but it’s the way it is. He has a nurse with him at all times. Sarah,” I tell her. “You’ll meet her when we come in. She will be the one bringing him to appointments if I’m not around.”
“Perfect,” she says. “You think she can bring him in tomorrow morning so we could do a couple of blood tests and see his T-cell count?”
“Yeah,” I tell her, “I’ll have a car service bring them in. Did you get everything you needed?”
“I did. I’m going to read through it tonight. I’ll tell them that he is coming in so to expect him,” she says.
“Will you be there?” I ask her.
“I’m not on duty tomorrow,” she tells me, “but I think I’m going to go in anyway just so he isn’t scared.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. There is a difference. I want Jack to be comfortable with me and the hospital.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her.”
“Just tell her to come up to the third floor. I’ll be there, and if he doesn’t see me, ask her to have me paged.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, not sure what I’m thanking her for.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she says, “but I’ll take it after.”
“Deal,” I say and then yawn into the phone.
“Go to sleep. You need to protect my brother, so I need you on your A game.”
I laugh into the phone. “I’m always on my A game.”
“Oh, you hockey guys are all the same. The ego is as big as Texas.”
I laugh, thinking she is probably right. “Night, Denise,” I tell her, and she disconnects.
After I FaceTime Jack, I send Sarah the information along with the car service number. He looks good, and he sounds great. I smile when I think of his mini stickstournament tale.
When I finally crawl under the cool, crisp white sheets, I’m already half asleep. For the first time in a long time, I dream of an older version of Jack running in the park, his hair bouncing on his head. He looks healthy, but most of all, he looks alive.
Chapter Five
Denise
I read Jack’s file, flipping over the doctor’s notes and making my own notes as well. There are a whole bunch of things he didn’t do or even try because they were probably scared of the risk. I shake my head.
I have a whole sheet of notes that I need to ask the doctor when he calls me tomorrow afternoon. I set my alarm for eight, so I’m up and out the door by eight thirty. When I walk into the hospital at a five to nine, the nurses all look at me. “I thought you were off till tomorrow?” Mallory, the head nurse, asks me.
“I’m not here.” I smile at her. “I’m a figment of your imagination.” I sip my Starbucks latte. “I have a patient coming in. He’s new; his name is Ja—” I don’t have time to finish when I hear my name being called.
“Dr. Denise.” I turn and see Jack holding the hand of his nurse. His jacket carefully zipped up and his hat on his head. “That’s her, Sarah, that’s Denise.” I look over at the nurse who is perfectly put together, her curly blond hair hanging to her shoulders, wearing tight jeans and a beige jacket. I walk to them, smiling at her and then Jack. “She’s going to make me all better.” He looks at Sarah, telling her with the biggest smile, and for the first time in my whole career, I want to do it more than I want anything else.
“Did you sleep good?” I ask him, and Sarah answers.
“He did. He slept from seven thirty to seven this morning. I checked on him during the night, and everything was okay.” I nod at her.
“Mallory, come and meet Jumping Jack.” I look over, and Mallory comes over. She has four kids of her own. Her two eldest kids are in the military, so she takes no nonsense from anyone.