“No ma’am. I need to drive home again afterward. And I don’t get to sleep on the job, not with these two rug rats.” Mrs. Baxter winked at the toddler.
Lia held the cut hand over a disposable pink plastic bowl and poured alcohol over the wound. Mrs. Baxter’s eyes flooded with tears, but she made nary a whimper.
“Thanks for the help, Blossom.”
“In case you forgot, I don’t do kids.”
Lia tried to hide her smile. “I was desperate. Child Life won’t come down to the ER unless it’s a kid we’re stitching up.”
Blossom’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“Not their choice. It came from higher up. Had someone from Child Life been in the ER, I could’ve grabbed her, but you know how it is. Chaplains are never busy…”
Blossom snorted. “Like ER nurses. We sit around all day and braid each other’s hair.”
“Promise!” Dr. Zagel’s voice rang out.
“Gotta run. Have a good day.” Lia jogged over to the doctor’s side. “What do you need?”
“A massage would be nice, but I’ll settle for your help with an acute abdominal distress in 5A.”
Lia arrived at the cubicle in no time, glanced at the chart, and swept the curtain aside. “Hello Mr. Smith. What seems to be the problem today?”
She reached for his hand to check his pulse while he complained that he’d already told three people about his problem and shouldn’t be forced to repeat it. In mid-diatribe, Mr. Smith leaned over the side of the bed and retched. He didn’t even pause long enough for Lia to jump out of the way. At least most of it landed on her shoes instead of the floor. Less splatter that way.
Dr. Zagel shook his head before poking it back out the curtain. “Salazar! We have a Code V in 5A.”
When he looked back at Lia, she summoned a half-hearted smile. “And people wonder why I don’t wear tennis shoes to work. If they can’t be hosed off, they don’t belong on my feet.”
Salazar, one of the techs, bustled in with a mop bucket. “Code V, huh? Took me a minute to figure that one out.”
The hospital had a policy against using words like vomit and puke in the ER. For some people, the word alone induced a hypersensitive gag reflex. Each doctor had their own shorthand, but Dr. Zagel stuck with Codes. V for vomit, Brown for fecal matter. Code Slushy meant an urgent bleeding problem. He’d tried Gusher for a while, but the admin hadn’t approved of that, so he’d switched to Slushy.
Dr. Zagel had another quirk, too. He called everyone by their last name, a holdover from his days in the Army Medical Corps, no doubt.
Lia wasn’t particularly fond of her last name. On the bright side, her parents hadn’t named her Eternal like they’d originally planned. They’d been quite the Christian hippies back in the day, or so the story went. Lia’s paternal grandparents had come to her rescue, thank goodness, by offering to buy the young couple a car if they refrained from naming the baby Eternal Promise. In desperate need of a vehicle, they’d caved to the pressure.
Lia still sent a thank-you card to her grandparents every year on her birthday. It was the least she could do.
Salazar finished up the floor and wiped down the side of the bed. “Anything else?” He eyed her shoes with barely concealed horror.
“We’re good, and I have a clean pair in my locker, so no worries.”
She had two clean pairs in her locker. She’d learned that lesson the hard way. Clean socks, too.
Dr. Zagel stepped back in. “Do you feel any better since you threw up, Mr. Smith?”
“Oh yeah, doc, lots better. Thank you. I think I’d like to go home now.”
“Still any nausea?”
“A little, but not like it was. No pain or anything, either.”
Dr. Zagel nodded as he typed something into his tablet. “I’m going to palpate your abdomen to see if I can feel anything.”
Mr. Smith was still asking what palpate meant when Dr. Zagel snapped his gloves on and started moving his hands over the patient’s abdomen, stopping every so often to press down. “Did you come here tonight on your own, or did somebody drive you?”
“Girlfriend’s out in the waiting room.”
“Good. I’m going to have the nurse give you a shot to help alleviate any further nausea you have. The medicine will make you sleepy, so you can’t drive or operate heavy machinery for at least six hours after the shot.”
“Sure thing, doc.”
“If the pain returns, you may want to come see us again.”
“You sure it’s not my appendix or anything like that?”
Dr. Zagel gave his I’m-done-talking-to-you smile. “That’s what I felt around for. It doesn’t appear to be your appendix. But like I said, if the pain returns, come on in.”
He pivoted toward Lia. “Eight milligrams ondansetron. I just punched it in.”
“Yes, Doctor.” It wasn’t one of the usuals they kept in the ER, and it would take the pharmacy a little while to deliver it. “Mr. Smith, I need to go collect your medication. Can you stay here for me? I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.”
He waved his hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Lia tried to keep herself to a walk as she headed back to the locker room. Only two patients in, and she needed to change shoes. That did not bode well for the rest of the day.
Chapter 4
Maverick settled in to eat his lunch. He offered up a short prayer of thanks for the meal and took a bite of his roast beef sandwich.
Lia burst into the room as he was mid-chew. “I have ten minutes, fifteen tops. I need to scarf, but did you check out your phone yet?”
He pulled out his phone and held it up in question.
She rolled her eyes. “Did you install the Holy Hearts app? It gives you real-time data about who’s looking at your profile.”
He hadn’t even thought to look for an app. He was content to confine Holy Hearts to his laptop. Maverick swallowed. “I’m not sure I want that much drama in my life.”
Lia took a bite of her salad. “Yeah, because life in Information Technology is riddled with drama.”
“Don’t knock it. Without us IT guys to keep this hospital running, you nurse types would be in a world of hurt.”
She took another bite of her salad. “Did you notice this service gives you a choice of whether or not you let people see your picture? You can decide to let them get to know you without the picture first if you want. Then you choose when they see what you look like.”
“Yep. I decided to keep my handsome mug hidden.”
Lia frowned. “What if nobody contacts you then?”
He shrugged. “Then they weren’t interested enough in me to begin with.”
Another bite. “You’re playing hard-to-get, aren’t you?”
Maverick chuckled. “Anybody ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?”
“Ten minutes. Fifteen tops. What part of that didn’t you understand?”
She shoved another bite of salad into her mouth as someone pushed the door open. “Lia, you’re needed in the pen!”
She gave a quick wave as she took off, still chewing her last bite. For some reason that remained a mystery to him, the ER was referred to as the bullpen, or pen for short. He’d thought of asking if the patients were the bulls or the cowboys, but he’d worked around medical personnel long enough to know a thing or two — like when not to ask something.
Maverick picked up the remains of Lia’s lunch. She’d run off without putting it away. He went to click the lid onto her salad bowl when he stopped to take a closer look. Lettuce and celery, no dressing.
As he slid the bowl back into her insulated lunch bag, he couldn’t help but take note that the only other thing in there was a fat free, low-calorie plain yogurt.
He shuddered.
Gross.
How did Lia have so much energy when she ate like a rabbit during a famine?
“How was your week?” Lia’s cheeks were flushed as she slid into the
booth opposite Maverick.
“You’re running late today. Please tell me there wasn’t another mouse incident.” He wouldn’t wish that madness on anybody.
“I had children’s church, remember? I thought I texted you.”
“Yeah, but you’re usually here by now.”
“There was a new kid, and her dad wanted to ask some questions when he picked her up.”
Something in Lia’s voice… “Dad, huh? Where was Mom?”
She broke eye contact and unwrapped her silverware. “I didn’t ask, but she’s obviously not in the picture. No wedding band, and little Lucie didn’t mention her mom even once.”
“He didn’t ask you out, did he?”
“Don’t be silly. We barely met.”
Maverick’s antenna remained on high alert. “What’s his name?”
She tucked her napkin away on her lap. “Don’t go all weird and protective on me. We were talking. He didn’t get down on bended knee or anything.”
The subject wasn’t over, not by a long shot, but maybe it was time for a tactical retreat. “Did you have a date this week?
She shook her head. “I decided to stick to my three week rule.”
“It’s a good rule.” He hoped she applied the same discriminating judgment to strange men she randomly met at church.
“What about you? Any dates to dish on?”
“No dates yet, but I’ve started talking to a couple of women.”
“Yeah, me too. Only men. Not women.”
“I saw Samantha Willard.”
Lia’s brow crunched. “At church today?”
“Holy Hearts.”
Samantha used to be in the singles’ group at church. When she stopped coming, they’d all assumed she had a serious boyfriend somewhere.
“Oh, wow. I guess things didn’t work out with the mysterious boyfriend.” Lia tucked her hair behind her ear. “Either that or she finally accepted that the pool of eligible men at church had shrunk beyond all hope. Short of going around and kissing random frogs, she never would have found anyone to date. So, did you message her?”
He shook his head. “No, that seemed weird. Besides, there was never a spark when we saw each other on a regular basis. I doubt that’s changed. And I kind of decided with Holy Hearts not to message the women. I’ll respond to the ones who contact me, but I’m taking a break from chasing women down.”
“Samantha’s nice. Do you get many women contacting you? Sometimes I worry if being the first to make contact means I’m too aggressive.”
“No complaint against Samantha, but she’s not the one. As for aggression, nah. Not in today’s world, anyway.”
Laughter sparkled in Lia’s hazel eyes. “So you think there’s only one? Do you call her your…” She batted her eyes. “…soul mate?”
This time Maverick rolled his eyes. “I don’t think we’re limited to just one. We mess things up too much for that. If God had only one person for each of us, this world would be a disaster with an even higher divorce rate than it already has. But I do think when you meet someone with whom you can make it work, something inside tells you.”
“What does it sound like? How do you know?”
The waitress arrived, and not a moment too soon. The conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn toward girly emotional stuff. “Bacon cheeseburger, extra bacon on the side, and seasoned fries.”
Lia eyed him. He had to order the bacon on the side if he wanted to slip it into her salad. On the burger it would be all coated with meat juice and cheese.
“Chicken Caesar Salad, dressing on the side. Separate checks, too, please.”
The waitress’ eyebrow went up, but she didn’t say anything.
Maverick opted not to defend himself with the we’re-just-friends spiel. Trying to change her mind would only make it worse.
The waitress left, but not before sending a healthy scowl in Maverick’s direction.
“I hope she doesn’t spit in my food.”
Lia’s lips pursed. “People don’t actually do that, you know. And it’s not like you did anything to upset her, so why would she?”
“She thinks I’m your date and that I’m too cheap to pay for your food.”
Lia’s eyes grew wide, laughter reflected in the hazel pools. “Oh dear. That’s too funny.” She fought to get her mirth under control. “Would you like me to explain it to her? I could tell her that you’re not a cheap date. You’re just a cheap friend…”
“Gee, thanks, but I think I’ll pass. You’re a peach for offering, though.” Maverick reached for his water.
Some guy would to be lucky — no, blessed — to have Lia for a wife someday. No matter how bad — or boring — the week had been, she always found something to laugh about.
Chapter 5
A warm cup of lentil soup and a hot shower behind her, Lia sat in bed, her phone in-hand.
She’d started daydreaming about potato chips halfway through her soup, but chips had salt, and salt retained water. Good thing she didn’t have any chips in the house, or she’d probably give in to the craving.
Lia forced her attention away from thoughts of food and back to the Holy Hearts app on her phone.
Eighteen new people had viewed her profile that day, but only two messaged her. Bob and Rick. Ever since her last two-hour stint on the phone with tech support — to get something as simple as her DVR working — she harbored an innate dislike of anyone named Bob.
It wasn’t, however, fair to judge all Bobs by one, so she read through his profile. He worked in automotives — which could mean used car salesman — and had been divorced twice. Divorce happened. She got that. But… Two seemed like more baggage than she wanted to take on. Not one to give up easily, she kept reading. He’d marked smoking as occasional. She wasn’t a fan, not at all, but she didn’t want to be too critical, either. Under previous convictions, though, when his answer said would prefer to discuss in person, she clicked out of his profile.
She didn’t mind some baggage, but this guy had more luggage than a Hollywood princess.
Lia moved over to Rick’s profile. Late 20s, gainfully employed, not a smoker, never been arrested. He was a veritable knight in shining armor compared to Bob. She tapped the button to open the message he’d sent.
Hey. These profiles are pretty impersonal, but yours caught my eye. Maybe we could visit online a bit and get to know each other.
Okay, so he wasn’t the most talkative guy in the world. She could live with that. She talked enough for two people anyway. Time to send him a reply…
Hey Rick. You’re spot-on about the profiles being impersonal. So…getting to know each other better…what does that look like for you? Do you want me to talk about myself, or do you have questions you want to ask? For now, I’ll ask one. Let’s start with… Where were you born?
Rick’s profile picture was hidden, and he worked with computers. That didn’t tell her much.
A couple seconds after she hit send, a new message popped up in her inbox.
Huh. We must be online at the same time. I guess that makes sense. We’re in the same time zone, and almost everyone’s work day is over.
So, to answer your question, I was born in Virginia, and I’ve lived here my whole life. What about you? Where are you from? Ever been anywhere exotic? (I went on a mission trip to West Virginia once. That’s about the most exotic place I’ve been.)
A man with a sense of humor. She could appreciate that. Lia typed out her reply.
Born in Maryland, but I’ve lived in Virginia since the age of two. Or since my sister turned two. I can never remember the story, but one of us was definitely two.
As for exotic places, I go into DC every once in a while. It’s pretty exotic with people from all over the world. Does that count?
She hit send and waited. Five minutes passed with no reply, so she decided to go through some other profiles and see if anyone interested her enough for a HeartGram, Holy Hearts’ version of email.
A brief se
arch revealed three men who might be interesting. Zeke, a firefighter; Michael, a community support specialist — whatever that meant; and Rod, who worked with computers. Which could mean anything from programming to retail sales. Only one way to find out.
She shot a quick message off to all three.
Saw your profile and thought it might be worth getting to know each other a little better. Let me know if you agree.
Ha. Her message was even shorter than Rick’s.
When she’d first ventured into the world of online dating, Lia had sent lengthy messages with each introduction. It took a while for her to realize a third of the men were never going to reply. Since she didn’t like wasting energy, she’d started to make her introductions shorter but still personal. Eventually, however, she gave up on personal altogether. They would go straight to her profile and decide from there whether or not they wanted to respond, anyway, so why bother? Witty repartee was squandered on an introductory message. She would save her charm and effervescence for any follow-up conversation that might occur.
She clicked back over one more time to see if she’d heard back from Rick.
Nada.
Oh, well. Now she had time to surf social media before going to bed.
Chapter 6
“You look like death.”
Lia dragged her eyes up to stare at Maverick. “I need more coffee.”
He chuckled and moved aside. Never get between a woman and the coffee pot. As far as life mottos went, it was a solid one. It had served him well working in a hospital, too.
Once she took a drink, she nodded to him. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought IT guys usually stayed up on the fifth floor.”
“Network’s down in the ER. Your workstations and tablets aren’t able to access patient records from the main database. You can’t tell if someone’s a return client, and even if they tell you this is their fiftieth visit, you won’t be able to access their file.”
“Great.”
Keeping patient records connected was vital. To effectively treat a patient, the staff needed to know if the patient suffered from a drug allergy or pre-existing condition. Not to mention the drug-seekers. Maverick hadn’t realized what a problem drug-seekers were until Lia educated him about it one day. Without access to patient records, the nurses couldn’t tell which patients were flagged.
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