beverage. She also pulled out ingredients to make him some oatmeal. All the medications he took in a day, he needed something solid in his stomach to keep him from getting sick. Not to mention the oatmeal would help in regulating his cholesterol which was off the charts six months ago from a lifetime of poor diet and health.
Placing everything on the tray she returned to the room. She had days before she would even see Evan again, but a job to do at the moment.
“Okay, Mr. D, I have your juice and something for you to eat, as well.”
Sitting the food on the small adjustable table attached to the bed and moved it up towards the older man’s waist.
Mr. Douglas peered into the bowl and scrunched his nose as he continued to press the button on the remote and flip through channels. “I don’t like porridge. Do I look like Goldilocks or a damn bear?”
“You’re as grouchy as one. I know you don’t prefer it, but you will eat it anyway.” She smiled down at him, as she compressed the button to raise the head of the bed, placing him at a higher, upright position. Mr. Douglas was a petulant old man, but she’d learned a long time ago that he was all bark, at least when it came to her. Other nurses always complained that he gave them a hard time and fought them on every front. By what she’d seen this morning between him and Evan, his son didn’t have an easy time with him either. It explained a lot. Now she could better understand the dejected look in Evan on the plane. Who would want to come home to this kind of treatment?
“For you,” he grumbled.
Going to the table on the other side of his bed, she set a med-cup out and began to dole out his plethora of medications for his blood pressure, vitamin D, iron, fluid, cholesterol and muscle relaxers.
When she turned back to him, he was eating his oatmeal with his left hand while staring at a rerun of Matlock . She held the small cup out to him. “Lily will be here in about an hour for your physical therapy.”
He mumbled something under his breath about not wanting to do it. Setting his spoon down slowly, she noted the severe shaking of his hand and the beads of sweat that popped out on his forehead. It broke her heart to see him struggle so, but she knew it was his own fault that he wasn’t further along in his strength and coordination; his tetchy attitude.
“None of that ill tempered behavior towards Lily or I’ll move your remote so you can’t watch Murder, She Wrote and put it on one of those reality shows you hate.”
Holding his cup of pills in his hand, he stared at her. “How can you threaten a dying man?”
She laughed. “No worries. You’re not dying anytime soon. Not on my watch.”
As he dumped one of the pills into his mouth, she thought she noticed a small twinkle in his eyes. It wasn’t quite illuminated, or joyful, but it was Mr. Douglas’ slight way of showing humor.
“Mr. Douglas why is it you are so hard on your son?”
He didn’t respond at first, just stared down into the small cup of meds as if he expected the colorful menagerie may have held the answer.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he whispered in a gruff voice.
“I may if you give me a chance.”
He shook his head. “Some things are just between a father and his son.” Bringing the cup to his mouth he went silent again.
As much as she wanted to help cure the bad blood between the Douglas men, she respected the older man’s wishes. Besides, her role there as a caretaker, a nurse, she wasn’t supposed to get involved in the family affairs of her patients.
What do you call your agreeing to a date with Evan? Her mind taunted.
She didn’t know what was happening between her and Evan or why she was allowing it, but she’d never felt the connection to another man as she did with the younger Mr. Douglas and she couldn’t resist the desire to explore it.
Chapter six
“Man, do you wear a uniform well.”
Evan shut the front door and turned to see
Placing everything on the tray she returned to the room. She had days before she would even see Evan again, but a job to do at the moment.
“Okay, Mr. D, I have your juice and something for you to eat, as well.”
Sitting the food on the small adjustable table attached to the bed and moved it up towards the older man’s waist.
Mr. Douglas peered into the bowl and scrunched his nose as he continued to press the button on the remote and flip through channels. “I don’t like porridge. Do I look like Goldilocks or a damn bear?”
“You’re as grouchy as one. I know you don’t prefer it, but you will eat it anyway.” She smiled down at him, as she compressed the button to raise the head of the bed, placing him at a higher, upright position. Mr. Douglas was a petulant old man, but she’d learned a long time ago that he was all bark, at least when it came to her. Other nurses always complained that he gave them a hard time and fought them on every front. By what she’d seen this morning between him and Evan, his son didn’t have an easy time with him either. It explained a lot. Now she could better understand the dejected look in Evan on the plane. Who would want to come home to this kind of treatment?
“For you,” he grumbled.
Going to the table on the other side of his bed, she set a med-cup out and began to dole out his plethora of medications for his blood pressure, vitamin D, iron, fluid, cholesterol and muscle relaxers.
When she turned back to him, he was eating his oatmeal with his left hand while staring at a rerun of Matlock . She held the small cup out to him. “Lily will be here in about an hour for your physical therapy.”
He mumbled something under his breath about not wanting to do it. Setting his spoon down slowly, she noted the severe shaking of his hand and the beads of sweat that popped out on his forehead. It broke her heart to see him struggle so, but she knew it was his own fault that he wasn’t further along in his strength and coordination; his tetchy attitude.
“None of that ill tempered behavior towards Lily or I’ll move your remote so you can’t watch Murder, She Wrote and put it on one of those reality shows you hate.”
Holding his cup of pills in his hand, he stared at her. “How can you threaten a dying man?”
She laughed. “No worries. You’re not dying anytime soon. Not on my watch.”
As he dumped one of the pills into his mouth, she thought she noticed a small twinkle in his eyes. It wasn’t quite illuminated, or joyful, but it was Mr. Douglas’ slight way of showing humor.
“Mr. Douglas why is it you are so hard on your son?”
He didn’t respond at first, just stared down into the small cup of meds as if he expected the colorful menagerie may have held the answer.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he whispered in a gruff voice.
“I may if you give me a chance.”
He shook his head. “Some things are just between a father and his son.” Bringing the cup to his mouth he went silent again.
As much as she wanted to help cure the bad blood between the Douglas men, she respected the older man’s wishes. Besides, her role there as a caretaker, a nurse, she wasn’t supposed to get involved in the family affairs of her patients.
What do you call your agreeing to a date with Evan? Her mind taunted.
She didn’t know what was happening between her and Evan or why she was allowing it, but she’d never felt the connection to another man as she did with the younger Mr. Douglas and she couldn’t resist the desire to explore it.
Chapter six
“Man, do you wear a uniform well.”
Evan shut the front door and turned to see
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