by Laura Iding
“Yes. Are you and Tommy safe? Was there damage to the hotel?”
“We lost power for a while, and there seems to be a lot of confusion, but we’re fine. No damage to the hotel that we know of.”
Kat closed her eyes with relief. “I’m so glad. Listen, I have to stay here for a bit yet—will you be okay for a while?”
“Sure. We’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, I’ll check in with you later.” She closed her phone just as Miguel came around the corner of the nurses’ station. She quickly tucked the phone back into her pocket.
“Ready to go?” Miguel asked.
“Of course.” She felt bad for deceiving him, but obviously this wasn’t the time or place for a conversation about his son. As they walked together toward the stairwell, their hands brushed lightly. A tingle of awareness shot up her arm.
“So, maybe I should apply to be a nurse here, huh?” she said jokingly, in a feeble attempt to break the closeness that seemed to grow deeper between them every moment they spent together.
“Are you planning to stay?” he asked, in shocked surprise. The brief flash of horror in his eyes pierced the tiny balloon of hope that had begun to grow in her heart.
“No! Of course not. That was a joke, Miguel.” Ridiculous to be hurt that he didn’t want her to stay. She preceded him down the stairwell, wondering if he’d change his opinion once she told him about Tommy.
She had to tell him about his son. The sooner, the better.
* * *
Miguel mentally smacked himself on the side of the head, understanding from the stiffness in her shoulders and the sharpness of her tone that he’d inadvertently hurt her.
He hadn’t meant to make it sound like he didn’t want her to stay. He’d just been taken aback by her statement, especially after they’d worked together to save DiCarlo. He couldn’t help making comparisons with his mother. Maybe if his mother had been able to work in a career, other than helping his father run the olive farm, she would have been happier.
Could Katerina really be happy in Seville? And why did it matter as he himself wasn’t planning to stay?
He hadn’t slept well last night because all he’d been able to think about had been Katerina. And even now, in the aftermath of a small earthquake, he still wanted her.
But their situation was no different than it had been back when he’d met her in Cambridge. He’d already committed to Doctors Without Borders. He was finally going to live his dream. He couldn’t start something with Katerina that he wasn’t willing to finish.
A tiny voice in the back of his mind wondered if she’d be willing to go with him. But then he remembered Juliet. No, the Katerina he knew wouldn’t pack up and leave her sister. Especially not when Juliet had a potentially long road of recovery ahead of her. Several months of rehab at least.
He pushed thoughts of Katerina possibly going with him to Africa aside to concentrate on the situation down in the children’s ward.
Thankfully, Elouisa had kept her word, staying with the rest of the children. He was glad to see an additional staff nurse had come up to help.
“Which wing can we use as the children’s ward?” he asked, joining the group. “I’d like to keep them together if possible.”
“We can use the east wing of the third floor,” Elouisa informed him. “I too would like to keep them together if possible. How is DiCarlo?”
“Very ill. We had to intubate him in the elevator,” Miguel said. “You were right to make sure he received his antibiotic,” he said by way of apology. He’d been upset to find the children alone, but he understood she’d prioritized the best she could.
“I was hoping to get him to the I.C.U.,” Elouisa admitted. “But you were right, I shouldn’t have left the children alone.”
“Difficult decision either way, so don’t worry about it.” He noticed Pedro was listening to their conversation. He was impressed with how the boy had taken charge in Elouisa’s absence. “Pedro, are you able to walk or would you like us to get you a wheelchair?”
Pedro practically puffed out his chest. “I can walk. I’m fine, Dr. Vasquez.”
He could tell Pedro had some pain, but the boy wasn’t about to admit it. He vowed to make sure Pedro took some pain medication as soon as they were all relocated in their new rooms.
Elouisa gathered up several wheelchairs and between the three of them they assisted getting all the children ready for transport. Pedro helped, as if he were a hospital staff member rather than one of the patients needing to be relocated.
The elevator was too small for everyone to go at once, so Elouisa and Pedro took three children first, while the second nurse, Maria, took two patients with her. Miguel and Katerina waited for the next elevator with their three patients. They were lucky there hadn’t been more patients in the children’s wing.
“Pedro’s English is amazing,” Katerina said while they waited for the elevator. “I’m impressed at how he seems to understand everything we’re saying.”
“He takes learning English very seriously as he is determined to go to America one day,” he admitted. “You’d never know he had a burst appendix last evening, would you?”
Katerina’s eyes widened. “No, I certainly wouldn’t. He’s doing remarkably well.”
“Yes, but as his appendix ruptured, I want him to get a good twenty-four to forty-eight hours of IV antibiotics before he’s discharged.”
The elevator arrived and as they quickly maneuvered the three remaining patients into the elevator, Miguel found himself watching Katerina with awe. He’d always known she was an excellent O.R. nurse but seeing her interact with the young patients, managing to overcome the language barrier with smiles, simple words and hand gestures, he thought her skills would be better utilized in a position where she could care for awake and alert patients on the ward or in the I.C.U.
Or in the Doctors Without Borders program. They needed nurses to work with them, too.
Not that her career choices were any of his business.
It didn’t take long to get the children settled on the east wing of the third floor. The entire layout of the area was very similar to the one where the building had collapsed. Even Pedro reluctantly took to his bed, and Miguel made sure he took a dose of pain medication that was long overdue.
Afterwards, he glanced at his watch, thinking he should go up and check on DiCarlo. But he was hesitant to leave Elouisa here alone as Maria had been called away to help elsewhere. He walked up to the nurses’ desk where Elouisa was busy organizing the charts. “Have you requested additional nursing support?” he asked.
“Sí, but so far Maria has not returned,” she told him. “Thankfully, most of the children are very stable, especially now that DiCarlo is in the I.C.U.”
“True, but I still think you should have someone with you. What if you have to leave the unit for some reason?”
Katerina stepped forward. “I can stay for a while,” she volunteered. “I would just like a few minutes to check on my sister first.”
He nodded, filled with gratitude. Even though Katerina wasn’t licensed to practice nursing here in Seville, she could stay on the unit as a volunteer, offering a second pair of hands as needed. And her knowledge of nursing would be invaluable. He would feel much better knowing Elouisa wasn’t here on the children’s wing alone.
“Why don’t you run over to see your sister, and I will wait here until you return?” he offered.
“Gracias,” she murmured. “I promise to be quick.”
He couldn’t begrudge her the chance to make sure Juliet’s condition hadn’t changed since they’d been up there. “I will need to check on her too, but I will wait for you to return.”
“¿Que?” Elouisa asked, indicating she hadn’t understood his conversation, so he quickly translated for her. “Both of you go and check on her sister,” Elouisa said firmly. “I will be fine alone here for five minutes until Katerina returns. Pedro has been a huge help. He will get help in an emergency.”
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Miguel reluctantly agreed and led the way down to the I.C.U., using the stairwell as the elevator was so slow.
“You’re going to have to make Pedro an honorary nurse, soon,” Katerina teased as they walked towards Juliet’s room. “Maybe after all this he’ll decide to pursue a career in medicine?”
He chuckled. “There are not nearly as many male nurses here in Seville as there are back in America.”
They entered Juliet’s room and Katerina immediately crossed over to take her sister’s hand. “I’m here, Jules,” she said in a gentle tone. “Don’t worry, you’re still doing fine.”
Juliet was moving restlessly on the bed, as if she was uncomfortable. Katerina tried to comfort her, talking to her in a soothing voice as Miguel took the clipboard off the foot of the bed and scanned the latest laboratory results and vital signs that had been recorded.
“Miguel?” He glanced up at Katerina’s urgent tone. “Look! I think she’s having a seizure!”
CHAPTER FIVE
“DISCONNECT the ventilator and use the ambu bag to assist her breathing,” he directed quickly. He leaned over to hit the emergency call light and in less than thirty seconds two nurses came running in. He gave them orders in Spanish for a loading dose of IV dilantin followed by a continuous infusion. Also five milligrams of Versed to calm the effects of the seizure and for new IV fluids to correct Juliet’s electrolyte imbalance.
His heart twisted when he saw the sheen of tears in Katerina’s eyes. Thankfully, the seizure didn’t last long, and within ten minutes he was able to put Juliet back on the ventilator. The medications he’d ordered worked beautifully, and Kat looked relieved when Juliet was resting quietly in her bed.
“She’s going to be okay,” he murmured to Katerina as they moved back, allowing the nurses to complete the dilantin infusion along with the new IV fluids he’d ordered. “This isn’t a sign that her head injury is worse, but more likely as a result of her electrolyte imbalance.”
Katerina rubbed her hands over her arms, as if she was cold, and he couldn’t stop himself from putting a strong arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. “Are you going to do a CT scan of her head, just to be sure this isn’t related to her intracranial hemorrhage?” she asked.
He hesitated because normally he wouldn’t order such a test for that purpose. But he found himself wanting to reassure her in any way possible. “Let’s wait to see how she does after the electrolytes are in, okay? If there is any change in her neuro status, I will order the scan immediately.”
Katerina pulled away from him, turning to look at her sister, and he sensed she wasn’t happy with his decision.
He wasn’t used to explaining himself—especially not to a family member of a patient. “Listen to me, the earthquake has caused some chaos here in the hospital. I see now that your sister didn’t get the new IV fluids I’d ordered during rounds. I truly believe, Katerina, her seizure is the result of an electrolyte imbalance.”
She swiped a hand over her eyes, sniffed loudly and nodded. “All right, Miguel, we can wait to see how she does once the electrolytes are corrected.”
He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, wanting nothing more than to offer comfort, easing her fears. “I promise you, I’ll take good care of your sister, Katerina.”
For a moment he didn’t think she’d respond, but then she suddenly turned and threw herself into his arms. Surprised and pleased, he hugged her close.
“I can’t lose her, Miguel. I just can’t,” she said in a muffled voice. “I promised my mother I’d take care of her. She has to be okay, she just has to!”
Her despair tore at his heart. “I know, Katerina,” he whispered, brushing his cheek against her silky hair, ignoring the shocked stares from the two nurses. “I know.”
As soon as the IV medications were flowing according to his prescribed rate, the two nurses left them alone in the room. He continued to hold Katerina close, smoothing a hand down her back, giving her the emotional support she needed while trying to ignore the sexual awareness zinging through his bloodstream. He was stunned to realize how much he wanted her, even after all this time. And the feeling was impossibly stronger than it had been during the night they’d shared together four and a half years ago.
He hadn’t left her by choice, returning home because of his father’s stroke, but he hadn’t sought her out afterwards, either. Had he made a mistake? Was he wrong not to have gone back to be with her again?
He pressed a kiss along her temple and the slight caress must have been too much for her because she pulled away abruptly, straightening her spine and swiping at the wetness on her face. “I’m sorry, Miguel. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m usually not this much of a mess.”
“Give yourself a break, Katerina. It’s understandable that you’re worried about your sister. And this has been incredibly stressful for all of us. Despite what you may think, we don’t have earthquakes here often.” He lifted a hand to wipe a strand of hair from her cheek. “You don’t have to stay to help if you don’t want to. Maybe you should go back to the hotel for some rest.”
She bit her lower lip and he could sense her inner struggle, knowing she was tempted to take him up on his offer. But then she sighed and shook her head. “I can’t leave Elouisa all alone with those sick children. I will stay, but only for an hour or so. Hopefully by then, some of the staff will have returned.”
He nodded, admiring her strength and determination. “I would like to think so, too.”
For a moment she simply stared at him, and then she totally shocked him by putting her hand on his chest and going up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. It was everything he could do not to pull her into his arms for a real kiss. The feather-light touch was too brief and before he could blink, she drew away. “I’ll see you later, Miguel,” she whispered, before leaving to return to the children’s ward.
His throat was so tight, he couldn’t speak. He spent several long minutes wrestling his warring emotions under control. Part of him knew he was playing with fire, yet he couldn’t stay away from Katerina. Couldn’t keep himself at arm’s distance. He longed to kiss her. To make love to her.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax his tense muscles. He hadn’t forgotten their dinner plans for later this evening, but with the earthquake there was a possibility the restaurants would be closed.
But he refused to consider breaking their date. No, he could always cook for her at his place, if necessary.
The idea grew on him as he continued to make rounds on his patients. He would be happy to prepare Katerina a meal she would never forget. And maybe they could explore the attraction that simmered between them.
* * *
Kat tried to concentrate on distracting the children, but she couldn’t stop worrying about her sister and her son. Even though she’d spoken to Diana just a little over an hour ago, she wanted to talk to her again.
Tommy was pretty young to talk on the phone, but she needed to hear his voice, just for a moment.
She ducked into a bathroom, seeking a moment of privacy. She called Diana again, and her friend answered right away. “Hi, Kat.”
“Diana, I’m sorry, but I’m still here at the hospital. Some of the staff left and I’m volunteering on the children’s ward. How’s Tommy?”
“He misses you, but we’ve been playing video games since the power has come back on. Truly, he’s fine.”
“Can I talk to him? Just for a minute?”
“Sure, just a sec. Tommy, say hi to your mama, okay? Say hi,” she urged.
“Hi, Mama.” Tears pricked her eyelids when she heard her son’s voice.
“Hi, Tommy. I love you very much. Be good for Aunt Diana, okay?”
There was a moment of silence and then Diana came back on the line. “I know you can’t see him, but he’s nodding in agreement to whatever you said, Kat.”
Knowing that made her smile. “I’m glad. I told him to be good for you. Diana, I’m sorry we can’t go o
n the boat ride,” she murmured. “Maybe things will be back to normal tomorrow.”
“Sure. Just come back as soon as you can, okay?”
“I will. Take good care of Tommy for me.” Kat had to force herself to hang up, or she’d be bawling again.
Okay, she needed to get a grip here. She was becoming an emotional basket case. She quickly used the facilities and then splashed cold water on her face, pulling herself together.
As she returned to the children’s ward, she found herself looking for Miguel. Ridiculous, as he was obviously spending time with the sicker patients. She hoped DiCarlo was doing better as she made rounds on the sick children, pleased to note they were doing fairly well.
She saved Pedro for last, knowing he’d want time to talk. “How are you, Pedro?”
“Very good, miss,” he said, although his smile was strained, betraying his pain.
“Please, call me Kat,” she instructed, coming over to stand beside his bed. “When was the last time you took a dose of pain medication?”
He shrugged one thin shoulder and angled his chin. “I’m fine. I’m not sick like these other children.”
“Pedro, you had surgery less than twenty-four hours ago,” she reminded him gently. “Taking pain medicine is not a sign of weakness. You need to conserve your strength so your body can heal.”
She watched as he seemed to consider her words. “Maybe it is time for a pill,” he agreed reluctantly.
“I will ask Elouisa to come,” she said, turning toward the door.
“Miss Kat?” His voice stopped her.
“Yes, Pedro, what is it?”
“Are you and Dr. Vasquez…” He paused and frowned, as if searching for the right word. “Boyfriend and girlfriend?” he asked finally.
She couldn’t hide her shock. “No! Why would you ask something like that, Pedro?”
His dark eyes crinkled with humor. “Because to me it seems that you like each other very much,” he said reasonably.
