Medically Speaking

Chapter 14

My soul felt like we had weathered a storm and came out worse for wear. The bitter tendrils of betrayal were trying to burrow their way into my heart. Between Miranda, the Academy guys, and Phil, my week was getting off to a pretty shitty start, but I didn't have time to let the roots take hold. No matter how tempting it was, my calling as a nurse took precedence over my desire to quit and leave the Academy high and dry while I drove by Miranda's place with my middle fingers high in the air.

Under better circumstances, I'd be gearing up to head to my brother's office, where I'd be hiding behind his desk, moving his things around by a centimeter just to mess with his head, and stealing his oatmeal creme pies from his junk food stash that he has to keep hidden from Ramon. Growing up, I had spent a lot of time taking care of Oli, but he was still my safe space when I felt like the world was overwhelming. My instincts were screaming for me to find my brother and hide from my problems.

Instead, I'm hovering over a patient that isn't even mine in an attempt to help out on an overcrowded and overworked hospital floor.

Technically, Brandon is my only patient today. Both times I've gone in his room, I've been professional and resisted the urge to strangle him with the many cords, strings, and tubes laying within easy reach, just waiting for me to use them. Everyone present acted like sad, kicked puppies but I didn't try to soothe anyone's feelings. That's not my job. They were buttheads who were only making my life harder.

Being civil with Sean was the hardest, though. He looked so lost and sad, and it made me want to scream. I held it together, though, and he managed to not bring up our problems while he told me that Brandon was going to have surgery tomorrow morning. My anger unfairly flared because that meant I was going to have to be here at 6 AM for his pre-op crap, but it mellowed quickly. This was my job and I wouldn't let them win by allowing our disagreement to interfere with Brandon's medical care.

There had been a family meeting about 20 minutes after I left Phil. They respected my wishes and all went to the conference room and when they came out an hour later, a mixture of solemn and pissed off, North and Raven had both immediately gone to the elevators. No passing go. No collecting two hundred dollars.

Marc had taken a gaggle of brothers back to Brandon's room, but I didn't bother to go down there to check on them. I didn't even register who all was staying beyond ensuring that North and Raven weren't both going to be there. I'm only here to take care of Brandon today. I just want to do my job and go home.

But being on the floor meant that people came up to me for help, especially since I had the easiest workload today. So, between trying to put out fires that the Blackbourne-Toma's had caused and dealing with Brandon, I was also picking up slack on the rest of the floor. To be fair, if I'm going to be here, I'd rather be busy, but what I'd really prefer is to be literally anywhere else right about now.

I'm only feeling a little bit cranky about it. Really. My resentment is under control.

There was a benefit to being called in to help with other patients besides keeping me busy, though. It gave me somewhere to hide so the Academy boys couldn't find me. Juvenile though it may be, I didn't want to cross paths with one of them outside of caring for Brandon. I'm angry with all of them for one reason or another and that's not going to be fixed by an awkward public encounter.

They can look into the staff room on their way by, but they can't sneak into patients' rooms. Even if it means doing the dressing change on someone else's patient's port. Hovering mama and all.

"Joey!" I freeze at the sound of Danny's voice from the doorway, my eyes going wide. The thirteen year old girl below me giggles weakly. "What are you doing in here?!"