Once I was back in, Sammy handed me his beer, but all the while he watched me with a frown.
“What?” I asked.
“What was that back there?” he asked curiously.
I shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”
I knew exactly what he meant.
I was treating Reggie like she was mine, and for my own sanity I had to freakin’ stop.Chapter 8
Better grab a dumbrella. It’s really stupid out there today.
-Text from Reggie to Nathan
Reggie
“What’s going on?” I asked quietly.
“Baby Stanley had a turn for the worse through the night,” my charge nurse, Peyton, said as she read off the paperwork above Eerie’s child’s bed. “All hands on deck today, girl. We don’t care if Eerie’s a dumbass. We’re going to need you today.”
I walked over to the baby’s bedside and looked at him.
For a twenty-nine weeker, he was big. He looked like one hell of a fighter.
After one last glance at the little boy to make sure everything was okay, I went about my work.
Sierra floated in about an hour later looking frazzled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously.
She pointed to her stomach. “I had a doctor appointment.”
It was her eyes gleaming that gave it away. She was pregnant. The turkey basting had worked.
“Congrats, darlin’,” I said, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her tight.
Sierra returned the gesture and stepped away, her eyes taking everything in.
“Okay, where am I needed?” she asked.
I went about telling her everything that happened, ending with Baby Stanley.
“They think he might have an infection, but we’re not sure just yet. His temp is slightly elevated, and we need to keep a close watch on his jaundice levels.” I spouted off the information and looked at her. “I have been informed that it’s all hands on deck, so I don’t have to keep my distance today. If you need anything, holler.”
Sierra nodded and reached for a pair of gloves that were on the pillar beside her head.
Just as she did, Baby Stanley’s stats started to drop, and I rushed over there while pulling on my own new set of gloves.
Just as I did, the doors to the NICU whooshed open, spitting out Eerie who rushed to our sides.
I started to move everything from around the baby—the blankets that held him propped up to one side so that he wouldn’t be lying in one spot all the time—and was just about to move the baby onto his back when Eerie shoved me aside.
“Don’t touch my kid!”
This would be the very first time that I would not feel bad about checking a mother to get her out of my way.
“Move, or I’ll move you.” I shoved her right back, pushing her skinny ass out of my way.
Eerie went to retaliate but Sierra was there, pushing her back as well.
“Listen, ma’am,” Sierra said, not nicely, but definitely not mean like I would have. “Your son is fighting for his life right now. His stats are dangerously low. We need you to back up and let us work.”
For once, Eerie listened.
Imagine that.
***
“I’m going to take my lunch,” I said as I gathered up some papers. “I need to get you those papers out of my car anyway.”
I gestured at the parking lot that we could see from our window out of the NICU.
“Okay,” Peyton paused. “If you see Eerie, you can tell her that she’s allowed to come back in.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’ll just do that.”
I’d rather eat dirt than talk to Eerie.
But I would do it anyway, because at the root of what she’d done today, it was just because she was scared for her baby.
I could understand that.
Mostly.
“That’s exactly who I want to talk to,” I muttered as I made my way out of the NICU.
Thankfully I didn’t see her anywhere, so I thought I was home free.
I made it all the way out to my car, gathered my paperwork that I needed for my insurance, and headed back inside with my head down as I scanned the papers.
A gust of wind sent a chill down my spine and I looked up. As I looked up, I didn’t see the curb, which meant that I almost face-planted into the bushes that separated the entrance from the exit.
“Shit.” I laughed, looking down at the roses that I nearly took a nose dive into. “That would’ve been bad.”
I maneuvered myself around it just in time for another gust of wind to slap me in the face.
The top paper blew out of my hand and I cursed, ducking down to pick it up, but just as I was about to reach for it, the wind blew again, pushing the paper out of my reach.
This happened four more times before I finally pinned it to the wall of the hospital.
As I was about to stand up straight, furious whispering had me freezing.
“I don’t care what you have to fucking do, Dr. Messings. This is a big fucking deal. She’s working with my child. A child that I’m not supposed to have, and she knows it.” Eerie growled angrily. “No, I don’t care if you don’t work on the NICU floor. You do work at this hospital, and likely have more pull than you realize. Do something!”