The Final Countdown

Chapter 25

Maddie

I've only been back in Los Angeles for two hours, and I had to drive straight to work. Not that I had any room to complain. I just started here, and my boss didn't have to give me the time off to visit my nephew. When I received the call this morning that they needed help, I felt like I couldn't refuse.

Thankfully, Nina was on duty today. Well, I'm not sure how thankful I am considering the situation that occurred between her and Cameron, but until I'm there to inspect things myself, I can't focus on that today. Right now, there's a sick little girl in need of my care, and she takes precedence over trying to figure out if my nanny is flirting with my husband.

Sliding on my shorter white coat, which labels me a student, I shove my things into a locker, ensuring my pager is turned on and connected to my scrubs, and dart out into the pediatric unit where my resident stands at the end of the hall with a clipboard for our morning rounds. "You're late," the tall, curly-haired woman says with disapproval. I don't think she realizes I was called in and I got here as fast as I could, but I know better than to fight her on it.

Melinda is a tough woman who is feared by most of the interns. In her mid-thirties, she's gearing up for her boards, which has her on edge more than usual. At least, that's what the other interns have shared with me in the short amount of time I've worked here.

"I'm sorry," I say instead.

Her gaze lingers on mine a beat too long before she jerks her chin to the other four interns standing in a circle. They scurry off, scared to piss her off, but I don't shrink back from her stare when she presses closer, holding the clipboard closer to her chest. "You're watching Carley Sheffield today," she explains. "She was admitted last night presenting symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and decreased urine production. Carley is a frequent patient of ours. She's been on a waiting list for a kidney transplant for six months now, and if no one else has told you, she's a very important patient. She means a lot to the staff here."

Working in the medical field, it's ingrained in us not to become too attached to any patient, but I know as well as anyone that there are patients who tend to slip through the cracks, capturing our hearts regardless of whether we want them to or not. Carley's name has been brought up a few times, and although I've never met her, I'm honored that Melinda trusts me enough to be the intern on her case.

"If anything goes wrong," Melinda warns, tapping her clipboard with a pen, "you page me. Immediately. Her fever spikes? You page me. She vomits? You page me. Do you understand?"

"Understood," I respond firmly.

"Perfect. She's in room nine." With another lingering stare, Melinda disappears down the hall, more than likely to catch a few hours of sleep while I gear up for a long shift.

The morning in a hospital during shift change is always the busiest. Doctors and nurses are leaving for the day while others are bustling by with cups of coffee starting theirs. I already texted Cameron when I landed explaining that I had to go to work, but he has to practice all day today regardless, so it's not like we'd be missing time away from each other. Izzy, however, hasn't seen me in four days, either. I'm itching to spend time with her.

Pausing outside of Carley's room, I send a text to Nina for an update on how my daughter is doing before I knock softly on the door and enter the room.

I freeze when my eyes land on Tre, who is currently hovering at Carley's bedside taking her blood pressure. We work in the same unit, so I knew there was a possibility he'd be a nurse on one of my cases. I guess that day is going to be today.

He glances over his shoulder, mouth quirking up. "Hey, Maddie. Good to see you."

"Hi," I reply, striding over to the patient's bed. "I take it you must be Carley, hm? You're a favorite around here, so I've been told." I take the chart off her bed, scanning it over. Ten years old, and much too young to be dealing with kidney failure.