“And just thought I’d mention this about that patient. The poor guy got the injuries on the job while working as a fire fighter. He saved a little girl’s life.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Yes, and please don’t think me insensitive for mentioning this last part, but boy is it true. He’s a complete knock out. You might find yourself needing to fan yourself when you’re around him. Just a word of caution.”
I chuckled. “Duly noted Madam.”
I grabbed my belongings and headed over to the employee garage. I reached my car and settled gingerly behind the wheel, tossing my bag on the passenger seat. I cranked the engine and let the cold air help me relax and center my thoughts. The first thing that came to my mind was the apparent hot fire fighter who was now my newest patient. It sounded like something out of a movie.
Tomorrow should be an interesting day.
CHAPTER THREE - CALEB
My head felt heavy as I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through blinds I didn’t recognize. I squinted against the bright light and turned my head, trying to figure out where the hell I was. As I glanced around, I saw my mom’s face smiling down at me. She was standing right by my bed, her husband Darren just behind her. They both smiled at me nervously.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked, trying to sit up. A sharp pain shot through my back and I winced, falling back against the pillows. “Shit. What happened to me? Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital,” Mom said. “You had an accident on the job.”
“The little girl!” I cried out, suddenly remembering what happened in the apartment building. “Is she okay? Did they get her out?”
“I think so,” Mom said nervously, glancing at Darren.
“Tyler said no one else was hurt,” Darren said, taking a step forward.
“Good,” I said, sighing with relief. “Shit, this fucking hurts.”
“Language,” Mom said, a warning in her voice.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “But my back is killing me.”
“Your back?” Mom asked. “How’s your leg feel?”
“My leg?” I frowned and looked down. My lower half was covered by a hospital blanket so I couldn’t see my legs. I lifted my left leg and didn’t feel any pain, but when I tried to do the same with my right, I screamed and threw my head back against the pillow.
“Don’t move it!” Darren said, rushing around to steady me. “I’ll go get your doctor, okay? Just be still.”
Darren glanced at my mom before he disappeared into the hall. I watched him go with a frown on my face. It wasn’t a surprise to see my mom here but Darren? I never expected him to flock to my bedside, no matter how badly injured I was.
“He’s worried about you,” Mom said, reading my mind.
“Right,” I snorted. “Worried I’m going to take your attention away from him.”
“Caleb!” she snapped. “Don’t talk like that.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I’m just out of it right now. My back hurts like hell, Mom.”
“I’ll tell the doctor when he arrives,” Mom said. “For now, let’s just try to relax, okay? You’ve been through a lot, and your body needs to heal.”
I nodded, knowing that arguing would be futile. My mother had been a nurse for most of my life. She knew this hospital inside and out. There wasn’t anything I could experience as a patient she hadn’t seen a thousand times before. I could tell from the way she kept her hand clamped firmly on my shoulder that she was worried I would move too much and hurt myself even more.
She wasn’t wrong. I longed to get out of this bed, to find my buddies and hear the real story of what happened out there. They, unlike Mom and
Darren, wouldn’t sugarcoat things. They would tell me straight up what the hell happened to me, brutal details included. I needed that, but I knew my mom would never let it happen. She wouldn’t leave my side unless she had to.
“Your doctor said he’d be here in a few minutes,” Darren said, stepping back into the room. “He has two patients to check up on first.”
“What?” Mom asked, her eyes narrowing with rage. “Caleb is in pain. He can’t take two seconds to stop in and assess him?”