The two cups of steaming coffee started to burn her hands as she stared at Miklo.
He sat in a recliner with his arms crossed over his abdomen, his feet up on another chair, and he was fast asleep. His chest rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing. More than likely he’d spent most of the night sitting up with Roberto, and her heart went out to him. Dedicated doctors never caught a break. He had to be exhausted after the day they’d had, and then a night sleeping in a chair on top of that. In her own bed, she’d slept like a rock. Here, she wasn’t sure how he could have slept propped up like that.
After setting the cups on the counter, she focused on Roberto. Quickly assessing his condition, she noted his skin was flushed and his heartbeat was too fast for her liking.
Jeannine touched the back of her hand to the side of his neck.
“Is he still hot?” Miklo asked, his voice husky and rough.
Turning, Jeannine saw that Miklo hadn’t moved. “How did you know I was here?”
“Coffee. I can smell it all the way over here.”
Jeannine grinned, then hid her expression. “I figured you could use some of the good stuff this morning.”
“Thanks,” he said, and stretched, then stepped closer to Jeannine, and her heartbeat fluttered just about as fast as Roberto’s. “His temp started climbing a few hours ago. I started an antibiotic that will hopefully cover any bacteria he might have been exposed to.”
“Infection goes hand in hand with any trauma, doesn’t it?” An unfortunate truth. Trauma wounds always came in dirty.
Jeannine bit her lip and pushed Roberto’s damp hair back from his face. His tawny skin seemed pale, and she pulled down his lower eyelid to examine the color of the inside.
She turned to Miklo. “What are his labs like today? He seems pale to me.”
“Good observation. He’s a little low on the blood counts. It’s hard to say how much blood he lost already, and then we’ve diluted it more with the IV fluids. But if he drops any more, he might need a transfusion.” Having a nurse with such insight and ability to think through the medical issues of a patient was certainly an asset to have in any situation. Though there were plenty of experienced nurses in the pediatric ICU already, she was certainly going to be an asset.
Jeannine glanced away from him and picked up a cup of coffee, fiddling with the lid and adjusting it. “Well, I guess I’ll go now.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to check on him. Enjoy the coffee.”
As she walked away, Miklo had a sudden urge to convince her stay. Or go with her. Or…something. Taking a step toward her, he hesitated. “Jeannine?”
She turned to face him, her delicate brows lifted, opening her blue-green eyes wider as she waited for him to speak.
Now what was he supposed to do? Think of something clever to say? That was out of the question. He’d run out of clever a long time ago. He cleared his throat and frowned as he struggled to make the right words come out of his mouth. “What are your plans for today? Got anything going?”
“Well, there’s a new exhibit at the Museum of Natural History I was going to check out.” She hesitated for a second. “If you don’t have plans, I wouldn’t mind the company,” she said, then clamped her mouth shut.
“Change your mind already?” he asked, amused at her reaction. At least her reactions were honest, and she didn’t try to hide them.
“No.” Gave him a sideways look that clearly said she was thinking about it. “When you’re around, I just seem to say whatever comes into my mind.”
“That’s okay. I like your spontaneity, and I’d love to come.” He walked to Roberto and spoke a minute to him, then grabbed his labcoat from the back of a chair. “I’ll change and meet you in the lobby in ten minutes.”
Soon after, they were driving away from the parking lot of the hospital toward the Old Town part of Albuquerque, settled in 1706. Though primarily geared to
He sat in a recliner with his arms crossed over his abdomen, his feet up on another chair, and he was fast asleep. His chest rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing. More than likely he’d spent most of the night sitting up with Roberto, and her heart went out to him. Dedicated doctors never caught a break. He had to be exhausted after the day they’d had, and then a night sleeping in a chair on top of that. In her own bed, she’d slept like a rock. Here, she wasn’t sure how he could have slept propped up like that.
After setting the cups on the counter, she focused on Roberto. Quickly assessing his condition, she noted his skin was flushed and his heartbeat was too fast for her liking.
Jeannine touched the back of her hand to the side of his neck.
“Is he still hot?” Miklo asked, his voice husky and rough.
Turning, Jeannine saw that Miklo hadn’t moved. “How did you know I was here?”
“Coffee. I can smell it all the way over here.”
Jeannine grinned, then hid her expression. “I figured you could use some of the good stuff this morning.”
“Thanks,” he said, and stretched, then stepped closer to Jeannine, and her heartbeat fluttered just about as fast as Roberto’s. “His temp started climbing a few hours ago. I started an antibiotic that will hopefully cover any bacteria he might have been exposed to.”
“Infection goes hand in hand with any trauma, doesn’t it?” An unfortunate truth. Trauma wounds always came in dirty.
Jeannine bit her lip and pushed Roberto’s damp hair back from his face. His tawny skin seemed pale, and she pulled down his lower eyelid to examine the color of the inside.
She turned to Miklo. “What are his labs like today? He seems pale to me.”
“Good observation. He’s a little low on the blood counts. It’s hard to say how much blood he lost already, and then we’ve diluted it more with the IV fluids. But if he drops any more, he might need a transfusion.” Having a nurse with such insight and ability to think through the medical issues of a patient was certainly an asset to have in any situation. Though there were plenty of experienced nurses in the pediatric ICU already, she was certainly going to be an asset.
Jeannine glanced away from him and picked up a cup of coffee, fiddling with the lid and adjusting it. “Well, I guess I’ll go now.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to check on him. Enjoy the coffee.”
As she walked away, Miklo had a sudden urge to convince her stay. Or go with her. Or…something. Taking a step toward her, he hesitated. “Jeannine?”
She turned to face him, her delicate brows lifted, opening her blue-green eyes wider as she waited for him to speak.
Now what was he supposed to do? Think of something clever to say? That was out of the question. He’d run out of clever a long time ago. He cleared his throat and frowned as he struggled to make the right words come out of his mouth. “What are your plans for today? Got anything going?”
“Well, there’s a new exhibit at the Museum of Natural History I was going to check out.” She hesitated for a second. “If you don’t have plans, I wouldn’t mind the company,” she said, then clamped her mouth shut.
“Change your mind already?” he asked, amused at her reaction. At least her reactions were honest, and she didn’t try to hide them.
“No.” Gave him a sideways look that clearly said she was thinking about it. “When you’re around, I just seem to say whatever comes into my mind.”
“That’s okay. I like your spontaneity, and I’d love to come.” He walked to Roberto and spoke a minute to him, then grabbed his labcoat from the back of a chair. “I’ll change and meet you in the lobby in ten minutes.”
Soon after, they were driving away from the parking lot of the hospital toward the Old Town part of Albuquerque, settled in 1706. Though primarily geared to
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