"You're going to have to lay off the ollies for a little while with this. It looks like you have a distal radius fracture, or a broken wrist. We'll need an X-ray to know for sure exactly what's broken." I gently placed his damaged wrist back in his lap. He looked at me with big eyes. "As long as it is just a simple break, it shouldn't be a problem. In a little bit, someone will be in to take you to Radiology to get your X-rays. Once we get them back, we'll have a better idea of what to do next."
"Is he going to need surgery?" The boy's mother's face was pale and drawn.
"We won't know until after the X-rays. Hopefully not, though," I answered honestly. The mother nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. "I'll make sure to let you know as soon as we get the films. Can I get you anything?"
The boy and his mother shook their heads, and I thanked both of them, washed my hands and left the room. I could hear a trauma alert going off for Section Three. I was Section Two, but I still mentally prepared myself. If it was a rough one, I would have to hop over and help.
"Kaylee, you have a phone call, line two," Allie called out to me from the desk. I went into the nurse's station and found a chair, opening the chart to write my notes and orders before picking up the phone.
"ER, this is Kaylee, how may I help you?"
"If I wanted to see you again, would I have to be a patient?" The voice caught me off guard for a moment. No way it was Owen. As much as I wanted it to be him, there was no way a suave, handsome billionaire was going to call me at the ER.
"Owen?" I hoped I didn't sound as squeaky through the phone as I did to my own ears.
"Are you in the habit of seeing many people?" I could hear his handsome smile through the phone. Out in the parking lot an ambulance siren sounded its arrival. I glanced up, checking the status boards, seeing two more patients pop up for my area. Hopefully the trauma wouldn't need my help because this day was starting to look a little hectic.
"If you came into this ER without a major trauma, I would give you one. It is too busy today and we are just getting busier." I scribbled out my signature on the bottom of the order page and handed the chart to the charge nurse for order input.
"Alright then. What time do you get off work?"
"7:30. Though it's usually a little later just to finish paperwork. Why?" Three new patients in the waiting room.
"I'll give you a call then." There was a smile in his voice as the line shifted to silence. I placed the receiver back on the phone, a small smile forming on my lips. It was something to look forward to at the end of my shift. The medics wheeled an elderly woman with what appeared to be a broken hip into the trauma room. At least they weren't going to need the backup, I thought to myself as I headed to room five.
My mind kept replaying Owen's voice, the promise lingering in my head. I'll give you a call then. I wondered where he got the ER's phone number, but I realized it wouldn't be that hard to figure out. He knew I worked in an ER and there aren't very many ERs in Des Moines. Heck, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out my private cell number for a man as wealthy as Owen.
I couldn't wait to hear from him again. I stepped into Room Five, my shoes slipping on the floor. Just because we had given him a bucket didn't mean he was using it. I sighed. 7:30 couldn't come fast enough.
Chapter 9
My feet hurt so much I was tempted to crawl through the parking lot to get to my car. It was almost 8:00, but the ER had been so packed I hadn't been able to escape any earlier. My boss was not going to be pleased with all the overtime. Maybe she'll stop pestering me to take extra shifts, I thought. Nah, not gonna happen in this lifetime. The phones had been ringing off the hook, but the desk secretary promised none of the calls had been for me. I had been able to stave off disappointment until I got to my locker and saw I had no messages on my phone.
So much for Owen's call.
As I stepped out of the main ER doors, the frosty night air stung my face. It smelled like it might snow later. I adjusted my scarf to keep the draft out of my coat and began the long walk to my car. I was just hoping it would start with the bitter cold and a semi-dead battery. Note to self, I really needed to get that fixed. Just as I reached the curb, my phone began to buzz.
A grin cracked my face as I didn't even pause to look at the caller ID and just hit "Answer".
"Owen?" I asked excitedly into the phone.
A siren from the ambulance room sounded, covering up any response I might have heard. I shot an irritated glare toward the ambulance driver, hoping that Owen was still on the line. I nearly dropped my phone when I looked over though.
Instead of seeing a bashful EMT, there was Owen, leaning against the hood of the ambulance with a bouquet of flowers. He grinned and pushed himself off the red hood and gracefully sauntered over to where I stood, my jaw resting on the pavement. He reached over and gently hit the "End Call" button once he reached me, the contact bringing me out of my shock at seeing him.
"What are you doing here?" My mind was spinning. This had to be a trick my brain was playing. Owen was supposed to be in New York working for Jack, not bringing me flowers at an ER in Des Moines.
"It's a little after 7:30, and I said I would call you. So, I'm calling you," he said quietly. His breath frosted the night air as he spoke and he was close enough that I could almost feel his warmth. I was torn between reaching out and touching him to make sure he was real, or just holding still and letting the dream continue. "These are for you."
He held out the flowers, the plastic lining rustling as he uncovered the protective shell so I could see them. They were soft pink plumeria flowers. I took a deep breath, the sweet fragrance instantly bringing me back to the warm sun and sand. I realized they were the same type of flowers that I had been wearing in my hair.
"They're beautiful," I whispered. My eyes flickered up to look at him and his blue eyes made my heart skip a beat. Even in the garish light of the garage he was gorgeous. I kept hoping he would lean down and kiss me.
"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered, and for a moment, I believed him. He tipped his chin down, angling to bring his mouth to mine, but then a cold wind whipped my hair, flinging the tiny strands that had escaped my messy pony tail into my eyes. It must have hit him too, and I remembered we were standing in the middle of an ambulance receiving bay.
"Thank you," I said as I shivered. Owen looked perfectly warm in his long black wool overcoat, but my own coat was just a little short in the sleeves and let in bursts of cold air whenever I moved. Owen rubbed his gloved hands up and down my arms as soon as he saw I was trembling.
"Let's get you out of the cold. Follow me. I have Chinese food in the car." He reached for my hand and began pulling me gently toward Visitor Parking. I followed eagerly, my stomach growling for something other than hospital coffee and the bagel I stole from the doctor's lounge for lunch.