him. “How’s Brian?”
“They haven’t seen him yet.” Mike sighed. “I’m sorry I called you. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’m glad you called me.” Allie leaned over and ran her hand gently over Brian’s forehead. Mike was right. He had a fever.
“He’ll be fine,” she said.
Mike nodded, but tension oozed from him. Brian was sitting in his lap, his head against Mike’s chest. Mike kept rubbing the baby’s back and murmuring soft words. For a man who didn’t know a thing about babies, he was doing a great job.
They waited another twenty minutes before a nurse called Brian’s name. Mike stood up, started forward, then looked back at her. He seemed surprised, but grateful, when he saw she was following him. The nurse led them into the back section of the E.R. to a small room with two chairs and a bed. Mike put Brian on the bed and held him there, and Allie stood on the other side to help if she needed to.
The nurse asked Mike what Brian’s symptoms were. Then she weighed the baby and took his temperature. Brian cried softly during the exam, settling down only when the nurse left and Mike once again held him.
“He’s even hotter than he was at home,” Mike said flatly. “I don’t know what happened.”
Allie patted his arm. “Try not to worry,” she said soothingly. “It wasn’t anything you did wrong. And I’m sure it’ll turn out to be nothing serious. Babies’ temperatures go up higher than adults’ when they’re sick.”
Mike didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t say anything. While they waited, Allie studied the room. It was a standard E.R. examination room. Although the hospital was fairly small, it was well-equipped.
She’d wondered if being in a hospital would makeher nostalgic for med school. Instead, she felt relieved. She wasn’t certain what path was right for her in life, but she knew in her heart she couldn’t handle a baby in pain, wasn’t meant to come into this room in a white coat or green scrubs and deliver bad news to frightened parents.
A few minutes later, the doctor walked in. She was a young woman with a wide smile. “What an angel,” she said, looking at Brian, then at Mike. “He’s the spitting image of you,” she marveled.
“He has a fever,” Mike said rapidly. “And I think he’s in pain.”
The doctor read Brian’s chart, and then examined him. It didn’t take her long to find the problem—an ear infection.
“It happens sometimes at this age,” she told them, writing in Brian’s chart. “I’ll give you a prescription, and the nurse will tell you how to bring down his fever.”
“He won’t lose his hearing?” Mike asked.
The doctor smiled. “Nope. In a couple of days, take him to his regular doctor to check his progress.”
After the doctor left, a nurse came in and handed Mike a prescription for antibiotics. Then she gave Brian a dose of acetaminophen, walked them through how to bring down the fever with lukewarm baths and sent them home.
“You two have been up all night,” she said sympathetically. “I hope you can get some rest tomorrow. Or today, I should say.”
Of course she assumed they were Brian’s parents. It made Allie feel uneasy—but, somehow, good.
When they reached the parking lot, Allie turned to Mike. “I’ll wake up Cliff Hemphill and tell him you need this prescription filled in a hurry.”
“Wake him up?”
“Happens to him all the time,” Allie said. “Either let people wake you up, or run a twenty-four-hour pharmacy. While I get the medicine, you can take Brian home and give him his lukewarm bath.”
For a minute, she thought Mike was going to protest. He looked at Brian for a moment, then said, “Okay. Thanks.” He sighed. “At least a chef knows what lukewarm water is.” He turned his gaze on her. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
She could see how rattled he was. “You did just the right thing,” she said. “I’ll see you back
“They haven’t seen him yet.” Mike sighed. “I’m sorry I called you. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’m glad you called me.” Allie leaned over and ran her hand gently over Brian’s forehead. Mike was right. He had a fever.
“He’ll be fine,” she said.
Mike nodded, but tension oozed from him. Brian was sitting in his lap, his head against Mike’s chest. Mike kept rubbing the baby’s back and murmuring soft words. For a man who didn’t know a thing about babies, he was doing a great job.
They waited another twenty minutes before a nurse called Brian’s name. Mike stood up, started forward, then looked back at her. He seemed surprised, but grateful, when he saw she was following him. The nurse led them into the back section of the E.R. to a small room with two chairs and a bed. Mike put Brian on the bed and held him there, and Allie stood on the other side to help if she needed to.
The nurse asked Mike what Brian’s symptoms were. Then she weighed the baby and took his temperature. Brian cried softly during the exam, settling down only when the nurse left and Mike once again held him.
“He’s even hotter than he was at home,” Mike said flatly. “I don’t know what happened.”
Allie patted his arm. “Try not to worry,” she said soothingly. “It wasn’t anything you did wrong. And I’m sure it’ll turn out to be nothing serious. Babies’ temperatures go up higher than adults’ when they’re sick.”
Mike didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t say anything. While they waited, Allie studied the room. It was a standard E.R. examination room. Although the hospital was fairly small, it was well-equipped.
She’d wondered if being in a hospital would makeher nostalgic for med school. Instead, she felt relieved. She wasn’t certain what path was right for her in life, but she knew in her heart she couldn’t handle a baby in pain, wasn’t meant to come into this room in a white coat or green scrubs and deliver bad news to frightened parents.
A few minutes later, the doctor walked in. She was a young woman with a wide smile. “What an angel,” she said, looking at Brian, then at Mike. “He’s the spitting image of you,” she marveled.
“He has a fever,” Mike said rapidly. “And I think he’s in pain.”
The doctor read Brian’s chart, and then examined him. It didn’t take her long to find the problem—an ear infection.
“It happens sometimes at this age,” she told them, writing in Brian’s chart. “I’ll give you a prescription, and the nurse will tell you how to bring down his fever.”
“He won’t lose his hearing?” Mike asked.
The doctor smiled. “Nope. In a couple of days, take him to his regular doctor to check his progress.”
After the doctor left, a nurse came in and handed Mike a prescription for antibiotics. Then she gave Brian a dose of acetaminophen, walked them through how to bring down the fever with lukewarm baths and sent them home.
“You two have been up all night,” she said sympathetically. “I hope you can get some rest tomorrow. Or today, I should say.”
Of course she assumed they were Brian’s parents. It made Allie feel uneasy—but, somehow, good.
When they reached the parking lot, Allie turned to Mike. “I’ll wake up Cliff Hemphill and tell him you need this prescription filled in a hurry.”
“Wake him up?”
“Happens to him all the time,” Allie said. “Either let people wake you up, or run a twenty-four-hour pharmacy. While I get the medicine, you can take Brian home and give him his lukewarm bath.”
For a minute, she thought Mike was going to protest. He looked at Brian for a moment, then said, “Okay. Thanks.” He sighed. “At least a chef knows what lukewarm water is.” He turned his gaze on her. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
She could see how rattled he was. “You did just the right thing,” she said. “I’ll see you back
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