Page 11

“Here.” Joyce placed a wrapped burger and fries at my desk. “Eat while you get me up to speed, then go find an empty room and take a nap.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice, and even though we weren’t supposed to eat at the nurse’s station, I tear into my food. In between chewing and swallowing, I filled her in on everything. No pineapple juice was needed for Lucy, however, that could change when Dr. Hahn came back. I think told her about Jackie. By the time I finished, my belly was full, and my eyes were drooping.
“Go,” Joyce said, waving me off. “Get some rest. Tonight will be busy, if the information you gave me is any sign. I’ll let Amy know where you are.”
“Wake me up. I don’t care if it’s five minutes or fifty. I’ll be here to help,” I replied, exiting the station. Joyce didn’t have to do this for me. I was grateful she did.
It took me five minutes to unhook the pump and store the milk for Alandria in the small fridge in the lounge. I didn’t bother cleaning the pump right now. I could do so later. Sleep was the priority. There was one room on the floor we purposely tried not to fill. The space was our sanctuary during a long shift or for those who pulled doubles. We also used the room when something horrible happened, and we lost a patient.
I had only utilized the room for a shower and to rest so far. But I knew some of the other nurses hadn’t had that same luxury. They occupied the space to mourn.
I shook my head, trying to not think of their pain and loss. If I did, it would drag me in and keep my mind running on agonizing tangents instead of grabbing some shut-eye.
Before I kicked off my shoes, I set the alarm on my watch, then crawl into the hospital bed and sighed. Dragging the blanket over my head, I closed my eyes.
Sleep pulled me under almost immediately, reminding me of just how tired I was. However, like always, I dreamed of Jackson and what could’ve been. At least, in my dreams, I could be happy.
“Wave.” I was shaken. “Come on, Waverly, I need you to wake up.”
I jerked into a sitting position, sucking in a breath while trying to catch my bearings and slow my heart. “Joyce?” I looked around. “Fuck, did I oversleep?” I glanced out the window and silently cursed how dark it already was.
“No,” she said, though her tone was clipped and stress-filled. “You have about five more minutes.”
Only two reasons she’d wake me up. One of the patients, either the mom or baby, was in trouble or there’d been an emergency and it was all-hands-on-deck. One look at Joyce’s face told me what I needed to know.
Sliding off the bed, I stepped into my shoes and asked, “How long?”
“Helicopter is about to land now.”
We rarely got life flights with a mother and baby. Most of the time, it was a transfer from a smaller hospital to our trauma center and NICU. But it happened. Tonight, it was a pregnant woman. From where I stood, I could see the spotlight of the helicopter creeping closer. The heavy chop of the blades vibrated through me as the inbound life flight grew bigger until they disappeared, landing on the rooftop helipad.
Joyce updated me as we hurried along the corridor. “Car accident. Two vehicles involved. Head-on. Mom is thirty-seven weeks.” I wrote everything down as Joyce continued to explain what was happening. “According to the EMTs and the life flight nurse, mom has coded three times. All they’re doing is continuing to offer support to save the baby, who still has a heartbeat. DOA on the mother was announced moments before I came to wake you.”
I couldn’t think of the mother right then. We had to make sure the baby survived. They were precious cargo.
“Dr. Hahn is meeting the bird. They’re going right to the OR or they could even do a crash C-Section, as we speak.” My stomach dropped. A crash C-Section.
“Father?”
“There was only one victim in the car,” Joyce stated.
Technically two, if we counted the baby. But I knew until the baby was born and could be treated, mom and baby were one.
Even though my thoughts were on the two new patients about to be treated at the hospital, Joyce and I needed to check on Lucy and Jackie. Since all the nurses had been sent to help Dr. Hahn, Joyce and I were left to care for our remaining patients.
“How are the remaining mothers at this time?” My thoughts kept going to clock, knowing time was of the essence to save the baby on the helipad.
“Jackie’s labor has stalled again,” Joyce said, stopping in front of her door. “It’s time to try something else.”
We pushed into her room, and Jackie’s eyes were filled with resignation and frustration. “Why does this keep happening?”
I sat on the edge of the bed. “He’s happy in there. It’s warm and safe. I wouldn’t want to leave either.” I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. “Joyce is going to check and see if you’ve had any progress, and we’ll go from there.”
She nodded as a single tear tracked down her cheek.
“Well?” Jackie glanced at Joyce, who’d removed her gloves after completing the exam.
“There is some movement. Not much. You’re dilated to 4 cm.” I’d learned from watching Joyce and the other nurses being truthful and honest was always the best policy when dealing with patients. Joyce would pull no punches.