The Unbreakables (BWHM)

Chapter 3

As soon as I walked into the hospital, the emergency room looked like the set of a rap video. Potential patients and family members wandered around the waiting room cursing the staff and harassing the hell out of the triage nurses. Ignoring the madness, I quickly made my way across the lobby of the ER. Once in the back, I hurried over to the nurses' station and nodded hello to Nika, a pretty nurse with a ready smile for saints and sinners alike.

"Hey, Nika. How are the masses tonight?"

"Unwashed and begging for Dilaudid as usual. You know how it goes down on Skid Row. No worries, though. If they get too live I have restraints and Ativan on deck for all," Nika said, gifting her with her trademark smile.

"And our fearless leader?" I asked with a cocked brow.

"Mean and petty as ever. There she is now terrorizing the oncoming residents," Nika said, nodding her head in the direction of Dr. Santiago who at present was ripping into one of my colleagues."

"I'd better go and join them before she notices I'm late for rounds." The last thing I needed was to tip-toe on that woman's bad side. Not that she had anything other than a bad side.

"Don't worry, Dr. Nichols. Maybe she's had her fill of blood for the night and will go easy on you," Nika said, chancing a doubtful glance in Dr. Santiago's direction.

"Please, the woman's a vampire. She'd gorge herself on blood if she could. Only Devine intervention can deliver me from the hell she's about to rain down on me."

"Be strong, weakness will only piss her off," she said before returning her gaze to the computer screen.

I headed over to Dr. Santiago and the other residents who all looked as if they wished they could be anywhere else than between our boss' locked jaws. Careful without making a sound, I attempted to blend in with the other residents, but Dr. Santiago might as well have been a mythical beast because the glare she shot me froze me in my tracks and damn near turned me to stone.

"Thank you, Nichols," she said with a tight smile that reminded me of a rabid dog baring its teeth.

"For what, Dr. Santiago?" I asked, almost afraid for her to answer.

"For gracing us with your presence, but especially for volunteering to take on Williams morning rounds. He's out sick with the stomach flu." She used her index finger to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

I swallowed all the nasty things I wanted to say to her, and bared my teeth right back, "You're welcome, Dr. Santiago."

Dr. Santiago completed rounds, and then assigned patients. Once we had our assignments, we scattered. I headed to my first patient's room. Inside, an old man sat on the edge of the hospital bed, he appeared to be in his eighties. As I gave him a reassuring smile, I gloved up.

"What's brought you in tonight?" I ran my gaze over him. On visual assessment he appeared fine. No lacerations, contusions, are open wounds to speak of.

"This." The patient tossed his hospital gown to the side and revealed an erection that looked to belong to a twenty year old man. My eyes came close to popping free of their sockets. In my opinion, his affliction was not a problem it was a miracle.

"Sir, how long have you had that erection?"

"What time is it?" His glare swung around the tiny room.

I checked my watch. "Nine–thirty."

"Six hours, and it hurts like a son of a bitch too. Now unless, you're going to climb aboard and ride me like my granddaddy's prize stallion I suggest you get the doctor in here to give me something to shrink this damned thing." He snapped, damn near coming of the bed to get in my face.