Page 5 of Protective Love

I know what Mafia men are like.

I wasted years of my life with one.

Breaking out of my thoughts, I read through the notes on his chart and then flip the paper over to see when he was last checked on and what needs to be done before I can move on to the only other patient they've assigned me to.

Seeing that his daily checks haven't been done yet, I put his chart back and then walk over to his bedside and pull down the blanket that's tucked around him.

I pull the stethoscope from around my neck and put the earpieces in my ears. I untie one of the straps from the hospital gown at the top of his shoulder and pull the material down until his chest is revealed to me.

My eyes drop to the faint bruises scattered across his skin and the thick bandage wrapped around his body, and my teeth sink into my bottom lip to keep my emotions at bay so that I can focus on my job and not get lost inside my head.

"This might be a little cold," I say, lowering the chest piece onto his skin.

When I realise I just said that to a comatose patient who most likely has no idea what's going on, I can't help but giggle at myself as I move the stethoscope around his chest, listening to his heart and lungs.

"Jesus, Rory. You're losing your mind."

Once I conclude that his breathing is fine, I wrap the stethoscope back around my neck and then move his gown pack into place, covering his chest before pulling out my penlight and gently lifting his eyelid, shining the light at his eyes whilst checking his pupillary responses.

"Is there any change?"

A shriek escapes me, and I jump away from the bed, swivelling towards the doorway of the hospital room to find a blonde woman staring at me in shock.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" she rushes out, walking over to me with her hands stretched out in front of her.

"It's fine," I tell her, holding my hand against my chest as I try to calm my racing heart. "I must've been wrapped up in my head because I didn't hear the door open."

She smiles softly and stops at the bottom of the bed, her eyes drifting away from me and to the man laid in the bed beside me.

She stares at him with sadness in her eyes and I notice her hands twiddling together in front of her.

"I'll only be a few more minutes and then I'll be out of your hair," I say, feeling like I'm intruding.

She nods and moves over to the chair beside the bed, placing her handbag on the floor and resting her hands in her lap as she stares at Jaylen with concern.

I wonder who she is to him.

A relative? Possibly a girlfriend?

It's not of your business, Aurora.

Shaking my head, I grab his chart again, writing down my notes and then I carefully walk around the bed and check his IV.

"You're the new nurse, right?"

I turn to face her, nodding my head as I see her blue eyes curiously scanning my face.

"My mum called to tell me you'd been assigned as his new nurse," she states, smiling at me again. "I'm Sophia, Jaylen's cousin."

Okay, so she's a relative… Interesting.

"I'm Rory," I tell her.

My fingers awkwardly fiddle with the line in my hands as I glance back and forth between her and IV bag.

"Rayna's going on maternity leave this week, so other nurses have been appointed to care for her patients whilst she's gone. I've been given the responsibility of looking after Jaylen, but as I said to your mother, if it's an issue, I'm sure something else could be sorted out for him."

She shakes her head and chuckles softly.