“Mom and Dad are on that Alaskan cruise they’ve been saving for, Leo is on an assignment, and Braxton said he’ll stop by after he closes down the shop,” I tell them all. It’s really not a big deal. This surgery was a bitch and a half, the recovery being worse than anything.
“Well, shit. Who’s helping out when you break out of this prison?” Slade questions.
“If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d take a wild guess on who he wants to stay with him,” Bridger chuckles.
“I wouldn’t tell her no, that’s for damn sure. Having her nurse me back to health wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” My eyes are slowly closing. Those God-awful drugs are pulling me under, and I really hate that feeling.
“Get some rest, bud. We’ll be here when you wake up.” I nod my head, and that’s the last thought I have before I’m fast asleep.
Two
Giana
I’m back at my station, documenting everything after my rounds when the four men who were in with my patient file out of his room, and every last one of them saunters over to me. Right now, Rita is on her lunch break, so I’m the only one here at the moment.
“Can I help you?” I ask. My voice is stoic, though I’m not sure why.
“Sure, we need to see if you’d be interested in working with Drake. There’s no way he’ll let us stay with him or him with one of us. Not even our wives will convince him,” the one in a police uniform says. It takes me a minute to realize that it’s in fact our Sheriff here in Lodgeview.
“Me? Why me? We can find him someone from his health insurance provider,” I offer.
“Well, to be blunt, he requested you. It’s not like you’d need to be there around the clock, just be there for a couple of hours a day. Enough to change his bandage, help him get in and out of the shower, and make sure his ass doesn’t do something completely stupid.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,” I interject. “I know Sheriff Daniels, but I can’t say that I even know who I’m talking to.”
“I’m Bridger,” the one who clearly joked about the sponge bath says, extending his hand.
“Giana Duncan,” I reply, taking his hand.
“This is Slade and Easton.” He points to the other two men. We all shake hands as well.
“I’m not saying I’ll even do this. You’d have to clear it with the administrator of the hospital, plus my salary that I make here, while I’m there. I’d expect more compensation, especially since this will be happening on my time off.” I fold my arms under my chest, letting them know in no uncertain terms that I’m not really buying what they’re selling.
“If you’re willing, we’ll handle the rest,” Slade states.
“Wait, what? How is that even possible?” I’m flabbergasted to say the least.
“You’ll work here, we’ll pay you double what you make here for two to three hours a day if you take care of Drake.” This time it’s Easton talking. I swear I’m getting whiplash from moving my head back and forth between these men.
“Um, okay, I guess. But I’ll need to at least see some kind of credentials.” I may be a fool for taking this side job, but there’s no way I won’t do my own due diligence. My parents did not raise a fool.
“Sure.” All four of them pull out their badges of some sort. I look at them carefully, knowing full well as soon as this shift is over what I’ll be doing, research, a shit ton of it. I see that Bridger and Slade work for the same place, Easton has a different company, and then, well, Travis. There isn’t much I need to do there, not to mention everyone in town knows Raelynn.
“I guess that sums it up. It’s not like I couldn’t use the extra money anyways. Student loans are a you know what,” I mutter.
“We’ll have everything ready later this afternoon,” Easton lets me know. I nod my head, still in a state of ‘what the hell did I get myself into’ when each of them turns on their heels and leaves.
I fall back in the chair carefully. It wouldn’t look too good if a nurse landed in the hospital with a broken tailbone because she plopped down unsteadily and the wheels on the seat took off.
“This has got to be one of the weirdest days ever,” I whisper out.
“Hey, girl! What was that you said?” Rita comes strolling back in, a to-go cup in her hand, and now I have the sudden craving for waffle fries.
“Nothing. This has been a weirder day than normal, but everything was good while you were gone.”
“That’s good. Are you taking your break now or later?” Rita is an older nurse. She took me under her wing when I landed on this floor. Her white hair shows her age, which is not a reflection of her spirit. I swear she can run circles around me on any given day of the week.