Page 6 of Rounds (Love In Scrubs)

W hen I woke up, I immediately looked over at my dad to see he was playing on his phone. I blew out an exasperated breath, and said, “Good morning. How you feeling?”

“Good morning. I’m feeling okay. I slept too much last night. I’ve been awake since four this morning.”

I looked at the time to see it was six. His breathing sounded pretty decent to say his lung had collapsed.

The collapse was mild, but I was about to worry myself to death, trying to stay awake to watch him.

I finally fell asleep about two o’clock this morning.

He was still in ICU, but since I was a doctor, I was afforded privileges normal people didn’t get, like sleeping in here.

I would probably move him back to a regular room tomorrow morning if he continued to do well today.

Maybe God is proving me wrong after all.

I went to the sink and brushed my teeth.

I’d gone down to my vehicle last night and gotten my overnight bag from it.

I didn’t bother to take it out of the car from the other night.

Here on the fourth floor, there was a room where I could sleep a little more comfortably, but I wanted to be close to my father.

I wasn’t ready to let go, so anything I could do to keep that from happening was what I would do.

I hated that I was so in my head last night that I didn’t get Delaney’s phone number.

My mind was driving me insane, wondering if she was asleep or if her spirit was as restless as mine.

She was obviously going through something in her relationship.

Surely my reputation didn’t put her at ease around me, but I could definitely take her mind off her troubles.

Shit, I knew being with her would take my mind off mine as well.

Now, I would have to wait until Monday because the lab was closed on the weekends.

While some of the phlebotomists worked the floors on the weekends, I’d never seen her.

Most of them came through the emergency room, and that was where I was every weekend.

There was no way I would have not seen her fine ass by now.

She was a thick and curvy, sexy stick of dynamite.

Her shoulder-length dark brown and burgundy tresses had caught my attention while I was imagining sliding my fingers through them.

They looked so soft. As short as she was, I could see the top of her head easily.

Delaney was stacked in all the right places.

She had breasts for days that I could imagine sliding my dick between.

Her lips . . . Jesus. They looked like soft, thick pillows.

The woman was gorgeous, and there wasn’t a moment in her presence that I wasn’t imagining her thick ass thighs wrapped around me.

However, I noticed all that shit after witnessing the care she took with my patient.

I was exposed to her heart first. That was probably why I couldn’t get her off my mind.

I had to know if we were physically compatible.

When I left the sink, I told my dad I would be right back.

I had to go to the nurses’ station to order x-rays, blood work, and other tests for my dad.

I knew that I would be checking on other patients since I was here.

The nurses were all shocked to see me, being that shift change had happened right at the time I woke up.

They were preparing to make their rounds.

As I put in orders, my business phone began ringing.

Someone had probably been admitted or needed direction on what to do about a certain illness.

“Doctor Israel,” I answered.

“Hello, Doctor Israel. You have a patient being admitted at St. Ambrose. Lucian Wilkes. He had symptoms of a heart attack. He has a cardiologist, but he requested to see you.”

“Okay. Thanks, Mary.”

I ended the call, knowing Mr. Wilkes was wanting to give me a hard time. That man never did what I told him to do. He refused to eat right or exercise. He drank sodas every day. The man was a thorn in my flesh, medically. Socially, he was a nice man. However, being nice wouldn’t save his life.

Once I was done putting in orders for my dad, I went back to his room.

He was still playing on his phone. “Dad, you’ll be getting a few tests done.

Blood work and x-rays. As far as food, for breakfast, no heavy carbs.

You can have eggs, turkey bacon, and I’ll allow a small cup of grits.

For lunch, I’ll warm your soup from last night. ”

“Okay.”

“I have a patient that’s being admitted this morning, so I’m gonna head down and check on him.”

“Okay.”

He never looked up at me. Whatever was on his phone had him extremely occupied.

I slowly shook my head and made my way to the elevators to head down to the E.R.

I hadn’t brushed my hair. My waves wouldn’t be as defined, but whatever.

I was tired as hell. I just wanted to sleep.

Hopefully, I could get a few hours here and there throughout the day.

After getting on the elevator and making the descent to the first floor, I stepped out to see it bustling with activity.

That was nothing new. I was supposed to be here at one today and work until one a.m., then be here at ten tomorrow morning and work until ten tomorrow night.

At some point, I was going to have to take a day off.

I just prayed it was simply to get rest and not because something had happened to force me to take off.

When I rounded the corner to head to the area of the E.R.

Mr. Wilkes was most likely in, my eyes met Delaney’s.

What was she doing here? She looked as tired as I did.

Her hair was pulled up into a bun with a couple of curly pieces hanging in the front and a couple of pieces hanging in the back.

Her lips were glossed, but I could clearly see the bags under her eyes.

I smiled slightly and made my way to her.

I immediately pulled my phone from my pocket. Without asking, I slid it in her hand and said, “Good morning. Call yourself.”

“Good . . . morning,” she said as she hesitated. She glanced at my phone then back at me. “I don’t know?—”

“Delaney, I thought about you all night. You can’t tell me I didn’t at least cross your mind. Whatever you got going on ain’t got shit to do with me.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly, and she placed the call. I saw her phone light up through her scrubs before she ended it. At least I knew she didn’t call just a random number. She handed my phone back to me. “Don’t make me block you before we can even communicate.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed her computer past me. Damn. I guess she wasn’t in the greatest mood this morning. I turned to watch her, then went to the desk to see which room Mr. Wilkes was in. Before I could find out, I heard, “I’m right behind you, Doc.”

I turned around to see Mr. Wilkes in a bed, his curtain half open.

Before I could even past the curtain, he said, “I don’t wanna hear your shit.

I know what you said for me to do. No, I haven’t been doing it.

That’s why I’m here. I’m hardheaded and don’t listen.

I need to break habits of bad eating, habits I’ve had my entire life.

For sixty years, I’ve been eating whatever I wanted, doing whatever I wanted, disregarding your orders. ”

My eyebrows lifted, then I frowned. “So what you wanted me to come down here for if you already know what I’m gonna say?” I asked with a smirk on my lips.

He took a deep breath, then looked up at me as I approached his bedside.

Grabbing my hand, he said, “Although it may be too late, I’m going to do better.

I’m not ready to die. My wife, kids, and grandkids need me.

My oldest granddaughter is pregnant. I’m gonna be a great grandfather. I gotta be around to experience that.”

I squeezed his hand, grateful that he had this epiphany. I hate that it took him possibly having a heart attack to come to this realization, but a lifestyle change could surely prolong his time here.

“I’m glad to hear it, Mister Wilkes. This journey won’t be easy, and you won’t be perfect, but as long as you’re trying your best, it will help.

It’s not too late. However, if you continue traveling the road you’re on, the years you have left will start quickly decreasing.

Whatever you need to help you on this journey, I’m here to help, even if it’s just a swift kick in the behind. I got’chu.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. You would probably take joy in that shit too. I’ve been a fool for years under your care. Your instruction didn’t fall on deaf ears. I heard everything you’ve been saying. I’m finally ready to adhere to your words.”

I nodded. “Okay. Well, let me check your chart and see if anything has been ordered yet. Have they done anything?”

“Besides asking a bunch of questions, they did an EKG and a chest X-ray. Someone is supposed to be coming to get blood.”

“I’m that someone. Hi, Mister Wilkes. I’m Delaney.”

I turned to see her standing there with a big smile on her face. Backing away from Mister Wilkes, I said, “Okay. I’ll still go look at your charts to see what all they plan to do already, and I’ll check on you later.”

“Okay. Thank you, Doctor Israel, for being patient with me.”

I nodded and got out of the way, since the room was so small. I heard Mr. Wilkes in there already cutting up. “You get one stick, Dalonna. After that, you gon’ have to get somebody else to do it.”

I chuckled as I heard her say, “First of all, I’m the best. All I need is one stick. Secondly, my name is De laney . Now, when I get this on the first stick, you gon’ have to give me my props just as loudly as you tried to call me an amateur.”

He laughed. “You feisty! Okay. We gon’ see, De laney .”

I leaned against the wall as I continued to listen to their interaction. They were quiet for a moment, then Delaney said loudly, “Put some respeck on my name!”