Night Shift

286

Those nurses in Sweet Revenge weren’t as clueless at to what was happening in the tag as it seems.

 

Every nurse in this story is named after a nurse I’ve known as a friend in real life.

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“Everything all right?” Caroline asked as she looked in Dave Starsky’s room. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning and manage to maintain a serious demeanor. As if a six foot something blond detective could hide beside their miracle patient in a hospital bed.

She closed the door, listened to the hushed whispers, and the giddy giggles before opening the door again to ask if he wanted orange juice or something.

The innocent look Dave gave her made her just about undone. She held in her laughter until she made it two doors away.

“They getting started?” Gretchen, the charge nurse, asked as Caroline walked to the nurse’s desk still laughing.

“Detective Hutchinson is in bed with him, trying to hide under the covers,” Caroline reported.

“And they thought you couldn’t see him?” Gretchen’s lips twitched up in a smile. “I suppose they thought we didn’t notice the food either?”

Caroline shook her head unable to speak because of the laughter that kept bubbling up—a release she supposed from the scares Dave had given all of them during his long recovery.

“Had a call from Mike down on three. He said that Hutchinson bribed him with a bottle of Jim Beam.” Missy piped up as she put down a file. “Said he’s a bit tipsy.”

“Mike tipsy?” Gretchen looked over her glasses at the other nurse.

“Hutchinson. Mike wouldn’t touch a drop of liquor if he was dying of thirst in the desert and it was the only thing to save his life.” Missy held up her hands as if in horror. “Most strait-laced guy on the staff, I think.”

“Gretchen?” Caroline glanced down the hall before turning back to the others. “You’re sure Doctor Bachman is okay with all of this?”

Gretchen nodded. “Told me he wanted a full report tomorrow. Well today, now. Just between us, I think he was a little disappointed he wasn’t invited.”

Missy and Caroline laughed as they walked away to check on the other patients on the floor. Luckily they had few patients and their rounds were uneventful. At least there were no longer armed police standing guard on the floor as there had been the first few weeks David had been transferred to them. Caroline hoped it would be a quiet night for once.

Missy answered the phone when it rang. “Got it. Yes, I’ll let the others know. Thanks, Monique.”

She turned to Caroline and Gretchen. “Mr. Brown and Captain Dobey are headed this way. Monique said the captain is carrying a big tray of vegetables and she wasn’t quite sure what Mr. Brown is carrying but it’s in his pants.” She held up her hands. “That sounded worse than I meant it to.”

Gretchen shook her head. “Well ladies, we’d better look the other way while our star patient’s friends sneak a party into him.” She started doing some of the never-ending paperwork while Missy and Caroline reviewed charts. But all three nurses were more than aware of the arrival of the other two men.

“They sound like they’re having fun, don’t they?” Caroline asked as she closed one of the patient charts.

“The least they could have done was invite us,” Missy said.

“You just want to ogle Mr. Brown,” Caroline teased.

“He owns a place called The Pits. Maybe we could go there sometime, huh?” Missy said. “You know, just to check it out.”

Gretchen gave an unladylike snort. “You’re so transparent.” She tapped her fingers on the counter—the sign that talking was over and it was time to focus on the paperwork again.

“What the h…?” Gretchen yelled as the fire alarm started going off. “That’s in Dave’s room.”

Missy started down the hall to begin evacuating the patients. Caroline dialed for emergency help as Gretchen headed for Dave’s room.

Caroline heard some rather colorful language coming from the room just as help began arriving from another floor.

Mr. Brown and Captain Dobey backed out of the room and for a moment Caroline could have sworn they were cringing before the wrath of a five foot one Gretchen Berkowicz. Not only that, they were…wet?

Detective Hutchinson soon followed, his hair plastered to his head and his shoulders hunched as Gretchen continued. They’d grown used to his presence—even nicknamed him Dave’s guardian angel. But more than that, he was Dave’s solace, the only person who could bring his friend out of the dark abyss he’d sometimes fall into when the pain got too much to bear, the recovery never-ending.

“Of all the stupid stunts…Doctor Bachman allowed you to have this for Dave’s sake and what did you do? Don’t any of you even think of leaving for now. I’ll deal with you later.”

Caroline swore all the men shrank at those words although Detective Hutchinson seemed to pull into himself even more—shoulders slumped, eyes downcast.

“Caroline. Missy. We need to get Dave moved to another room and cleaned up. His ‘friends’ set off the sprinkler system.” Gretchen motioned for some of the other staff to come closer as she gave them orders.

They got Dave into a wheelchair—oh yeah, those painkillers were still doing their job– and into the hall. He looked up at them through wet curls. “Sorry.”

Caroline supposed she should be grateful that the sprinkler was at least turned off. She didn’t think spending the rest of her shift in a wet uniform would be comfortable.

“414 is open,” Gretchen told them as they headed down the hall. “Take care of him. I’ll be there once we get this mess sorted out.”

Caroline and Missy had little trouble with Dave as he seemed strangely subdued when they settled him in his room. Caroline heard Monique in the hall as she reassured the other patients that everything was fine.

“Sorry,” he said again as Missy toweled off his hair after they’d gotten him dried off and his bandages changed.

“What happened in there?” Caroline asked. She looked up at him after buttoning a dry pajama top.

“Huggy hung a lantern on the sprinkler,” he said. “It was dark.”

“Heavens,” Missy said. “Didn’t anyone think of turning on the lights?”

He glanced first at Missy, then Caroline. “No. I mean, we…No.”

Caroline shook her head but kept a smile pasted on. “How are you feeling? Warm again?”

He nodded and then sighed. “I just wanted a little bit of fun.”

“How about you try to get some rest now? How’s your pain level?” Caroline said. “Missy and I need to check on how things are going.”

Dave pulled the blanket higher and lay back on the pillows. “About a three. Thank you.”

“Just don’t hang anymore lanterns tonight, okay?” Missy said.

“Got it.”

Gretchen was on the phone with someone when Caroline emerged from 414. Captain Dobey and Mr. Brown had disappeared but Detective Hutchinson still stood against the wall outside of Dave’s previous room.

“…yes, Doctor. We’ll do that and see you at six.” Gretchen finished her conversation and looked at Caroline. “So much for a quiet night.” She glanced down the hall towards Hutchinson. “Doctor Bachman said he can stay.” She sighed. “Frankly I don’t know that I’d trust him on his own.”

“There’s another bed in 414.” Caroline motioned towards the room. “There’s an extra pair of pajamas we have for Dave.”

Gretchen nodded. “Any problems with him?”

“Other than apologizing and feeling guilty? Everything was looking good.”

“You want to take care of our wayward detective? I think he’s afraid of me right now.” Gretchen grabbed Dave’s chart before heading towards his room.

Caroline approached Detective Hutchinson. She’d seen him worried, scared, sad, angry, and elated over Dave’s progress. She guessed she’d be adding bedraggled and deflated to the list. He was shivering even though the hallway was warm and his hair was already drying.

“Detective?”

He looked at her, his eyes reddened. “I guess I’m kicked out of here for the night. Can I just see…”

“Gretchen…Nurse Berkowicz said you can take a shower and stay the rest of the night.” She smiled her brightest smile in reassurance, but she didn’t think he even noticed, especially since she’d told him he could stay with Dave despite the debacle.

“If you’ll follow me. The shower’s this way.” She walked down the hall, heard him muttering beneath his breath about stupidity and knowing better.

He took the towel and pajamas from her. His hands were cold and had the slightest tremor. He seemed shaken—the expression on his face one they’d seen off and on since Dave had been transferred to their floor, times when Dave had gotten a fever or been in pain after a particularly hard day of therapy. It was as if he absorbed Dave’s pain into himself, took on the hurt and the anger and used it to become stronger for his friend.

“If you need anything, there’s a call button,” she told him. “If you feel dizzy or…” She trailed off when she realized he was staring at her.

“I’m okay,” he said. “I’m…Starsky?” She was sure his voice cracked just a little when he said Dave’s name.

She wanted to tell him he wasn’t okay, considering he was still shivering and his face was paler than usual but he was in no shape to listen to her reason. What he needed—his friend to be okay, his world to be right again was something on the horizon—a trip he and Dave were still taking together. Still he needed reassurance at the moment.

“Dave’s dried off and resting.”

He gave her a sharp nod before closing the door. Caroline waited until she heard the shower start and then went down to Mrs. Emmet’s room when she heard the older woman call out.

By the time she finished helping the woman get comfortable again and then tended to two more of her patients, Detective Hutchinson had long left the shower. The hallways were once again quiet—the earlier excitement settled into peace.

She walked to room 414 and opened the door.

Detective Hutchinson was stretched out beside Dave on the bed, asleep while Dave appeared to be awake.

“Dave?” she asked, keeping her voice down. “Are you in pain? Is there anything you need?”

He smiled at her in the dim light. “I’m terrific.” His voice was heavy with sleep. She figured it wouldn’t be long until he too joined his partner. “Hutch was having trouble fallin’ asleep, so…”

She looked down at their joined hands. Hutchinson had his left hand resting lightly on Dave’s chest, Dave’s on top, holding it in place.

“Needed to remind himself my heart’s still beating,” Dave said as he blinked up at her. “Tol’ him it’s his forever.”

“Time to sleep,” she said realizing she sounded just like she did when she told her five year old Emmy the same thing.

Hutchinson made a quiet sound—not quite a sigh, not quite a moan, but Dave seemed to understand. He moved his hand to Hutchinson’s hair, smoothed it, whispered, “I’m here, Hutch. I’m here.”

It was enough. Dave smiled at him and Caroline felt a strange twist in her belly.

“Sleep,” she told him again and closed the door.

She stood against the wall for a few moments, swallowing hard against the tears that threatened. My heart is his forever. How blessed they both were. What more could anyone hope for than to be loved that completely?

Caroline straightened and headed towards another patient. No matter the excitement of this night, they were going to miss these two men when Dave was finally well and released.