A Time For Love (A Time For Love Series-Book 1)

Reality

LENA POV 

With Callie out yet again for almost two weeks, I had been taking on many of her patients in addition to managing my own. This had caused my workload to pretty much double, and I felt as if I was living at Lenox Hill.  Honestly, I didn't mind being here and I enjoyed helping my patients as much as I could, but at the same time it took a great deal of focus away from some of the patients I had whose conditions were more demanding then others.

With the holidays also approaching rather quickly, and this growing epidemic which was scaring half of the hospital staff away, today I was most certainly feeling the strain of it as I head up the elevators of Lenox Hill and walk towards my office where I hang my coat up and place my coffee on my tiny desk.

"Lenaaaa, we are glad you are here! It's been nuts!" Duke says as I look up from my paperwork.

"Is everything okay?"

"NOPE. Callie won't be in until God knows, and your other PT left. So you are down to you and Nicole." He says, sipping his coffee.

"When did Laura quit she just got here?"I ask, confused as he nods his head.

"Yeah, well, they stuck her with your girl Stefanie Foster, and she was done. She threw a metal tray at her, and it hit her in her face. The girl has an eyepatch now, and her nose is broken. Callie is terrified to come back to work because of all the patients dying on that floor. "And, they had to sedate your girl."

"What girl? Callie?"

"Nope. Stefanie Foster."

"When did all this happen? I was off one day."

"Yesterday. So they are switching patients around, and Nicole refuses to work with Stefanie Foster. So head nurse Donna is gonna come in here and tell you. But I figured I'd give you a heads up. But, it was a big mess yesterday in here. BIG. Your girl threw a fit in the PT room and destroyed her own room. They had to bring her brother over to calm her down."

"She has brain damage. She can't help it." I say, taking a seat at my desk as Duke leans against it.

"Yeah, well, you're the only one left, Lena. No one else wants to deal with her."

"But this is a part of what we do, Duke. This is a part of physical therapy and all therapy and the conditions we work with, and if Laura and Nicole don't get that, then they don't need to be here. Stefanie Foster needs more help than anyone in this entire hospital. That's just it."

"She refuses it, honey. She cusses everyone out. Even her brother." He says as Nurse Donna walks in without knocking, placing a folder on my table.

"You will be working with Stefanie Foster starting today. They had to sedate yesterday, Laura quit, and Callie is, well, she is taking a few more days."

"Do you think sedating her is the best method. She has brain trauma." I say, getting up as she looks at me coldly for were they kidding. Sedating her?

"We do, yes. It is medicine to calm her. She was a danger to herself and our staff, and I suggest you don't allow her to see that young girl you are working with either." She snaps now, turning to walk off as I follow behind her. The nerve of her telling me what to do like this with my patients. She wasn't the boss at all.

"Excuse me, Donna, but that little girl is in no danger whatsoever. They enjoy each others company."

"Lena, we don't use other patients as bait or security blankets."

"Bird isn't bait or a security blanket. She went through that experience with Stefanie, and I believe they provide each other comfort. Why would we take that from them when they have both been through hell. That little girl was shot in the legs and arm. Not to mention the trauma she saw and is still feeling. She has no family. None, zero. "