The Bridge Repair. Misty MaloneЧитать онлайн книгу.
“I'm waiting to see if she has any fever before I leave.”
Stella nodded and checked Kara's temperature. “100.4”
He picked up her chart and began writing. When he was finished he turned back to Stella. “Check it hourly until it's under 100. If it goes up at all call me.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
Nick looked back at Kara and smiled. “Sleep well tonight. I'll be in tomorrow morning and check your foot.” He winked at her before he left.
Kara wondered why Nick left so quickly, but was busy with Stella, who was checking her IV and the stitches she'd gotten in her arm. She changed the IV bag then, talking to Kara the whole time.
When she left Kara realized she was sleepy again and closed her eyes. She was just starting to drift off to sleep when her phone rang. She looked at it and smiled when Nick Sherman came up on the ID.
“Kara, I hope I didn't wake you,” her handsome doctor said.
“No, you didn't,” she fibbed. “What's up?”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I wanted to explain my quick departure tonight. I had a reason, and I'll explain it all once you're released and I take you home. I can't really do it now, but I wanted to tell you I know it was quick, and I was rather rude with the nurse, but there is a reason. I'm not normally that rude.”
“Okay,” she said, even more curious now. “I didn't think that was the real you. I'm looking forward to get to know the real you better, though.”
He laughed at her wit, how she threw his own words back at him. “Getting to know you is going to be fun, I can tell. You get some sleep now, and I'll see you in the morning.”
“Okay. Thanks for calling, Nick.”
“My pleasure. Oh, and one more thing. The nurses should be giving you pain medication regularly, every four hours without you having to ask, until at least tomorrow evening. If they don't, you ask them for it. You'll heal quicker if you're not trying to deal with surgical pain.”
“Okay.”
“That's my girl. I'll see you in the morning. Good-night, Kara.”
“Good-night, Nick.” Kara put her phone down with a smile on her face. She found she really was eager to get to know him better. She closed her eyes and went right to sleep, with Nick starring in her dreams.
Kara slept soundly for several hours, but woke up restless. Her foot hurt, as did her head. She looked at the clock and thought back to when Stella had given her some pain medicine before she went to sleep. It had been a little over five hours ago. She'd been asleep, so she didn't know if a nurse had come in and put it in her IV or not. She assumed they probably had and she'd slept through it, since Nick said they would be giving it to her. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but the pain seemed to get worse. Ten minutes later it was becoming unbearable, and she hit her call button. Stella asked, “What can I do for you, hon?”
“Is it time for more pain medicine yet? My foot and head are really hurting,” Kara explained.
“Oh, my, yes. I'll be right in.” True to her words, Stella came into the room a few minutes later, carrying two syringes. She was talking as she put them into her IV. “You should have called sooner, dear, before the pain got this bad. This should help you in just a matter of a few minutes.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“Oh, you're quite welcome.” She set about checking her temperature, blood pressure and pulse, talking while she worked. “I'm so glad things turned out well with your surgery.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when you said Dr. Sherman had alcohol on his breath when he was in that accident with you I was instantly alarmed. That means he probably still had alcohol in his system when he operated on you. It must have been a small enough amount that he could still function well, and I'm so glad. I cringe every time I think about what could have happened.”
Kara was shocked. She now knew Nick was not the man that hit her and had been drinking, but she couldn't believe a nurse at the hospital was telling her this. She tried to think it through, but her head was pounding, and she was extremely sleepy, so she simply put it aside to think about later. But even though she was sleepy, she lay there awake for quite some time after Stella left before she was able to get back to sleep.
When she woke up next it was morning and a new nurse was in her room, adding medication to her IV. When the nurse saw her wake up she greeted her. “Good morning, Kara. I'm Ellie; I'll be your nurse today. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Much better,” Kara answered, glad the pain was gone. “Nice to meet you.”
Ellie smiled and went on working. “Nice to meet you, too. Are you saying you feel much better than yesterday?”
“Better than last night. When I woke up my foot and head hurt so badly I thought I was going to scream.”
“Really?” Ellie seemed surprised, and looked at her chart again. She was asking her about when she woke up in pain, when Nick came into her room.
“How's my patient, Ellie?” he asked with a smile.
Ellie looked confused, but concerned when she answered Nick. “I'm not really sure, Dr. Sherman. She says she feels much better this morning than she did last night when she woke up in pain.”
Kara watched her hand the chart to Nick, and she saw the brief look between the two of them after Nick looked at the chart. He quickly looked down at her and smiled, though. “Are you feeling okay now, Kara?”
“I feel good now, yes.”
“Good,” Nick said cheerfully. “I'm going to let Ellie check your vitals and then we'll talk a little bit and I'll check your foot.” Kara nodded, and Nick went to look out the window while Ellie checked her temperature, pulse and blood pressure.
When she was finished she hung a new IV bag and addressed Nick. “Okay, Doctor, her chart's up to date for you. Did you want me to stay while you check her foot?”
“No, that's okay, Ellie. Thanks anyway. I don't have office hours today so I've got plenty of time. I'll replace the dressings myself.”
“Okay. Call if you need me, Doctor. Kara, if you need anything at all, ring your button,” Ellie said as she was leaving.
Once Ellie had gone, Nick surprised her by leaning down and kissing her forehead. “Good morning.”
“And good morning to you, too,” Kara answered with a big smile, which Nick was glad to see.
He sat down beside her so they could talk easier. “So, tell me about waking up. When was this, and what kind of pain were you in?” He listened carefully as she told him what time it was and that she called and got some pain medicine then, which helped.
“Did it wake you up, or keep you awake when the nurse kept coming to check your temperature most of the night?” he asked.
She frowned as she thought a moment. “She didn't check it that I know of except when she came in to give me the pain medicine, and then Ellie just did.
“Stella didn't check it last night?”
“Not that I was aware of. Maybe I slept through it.”
“Maybe,” he said with a smile, although Kara didn't think he meant it. She was getting the feeling Nick wasn't a big fan of Stella's. She decided she'd ask him about that, but in the hospital was not the proper place to do it. She'd wait until she got home.
That idea gave her a thought, though. “So, do I get to go home today before lunch or are you going to make me wait until after lunch?” she asked with the most innocent smile she could muster.
“Nice