New
PATHS
by GCS
Chapter Eight
Camille relaxed in her hospital bed thinking about the visit she had with Johnny a little earlier. She couldn't help but worry about the way he was breathing again when Dixie and Dr. Brackett had helped him from her room, and the fact that he had fallen on the stairs. He could have been seriously hurt. What if he had fallen down the stairs instead of just skinning his knee and palm? Shaking that thought from her head she smiled at the memory of his warm body next to hers. There was definitely a spark there between them. Her woman's intuition knew it.
Johnny Gage had some very endearing qualities. He exhibited such a tough fireman's exterior. Yes he was muscular and no doubt physically strong, but underneath all that he had tenderness, a caring compassion that most men never shared. Yes Fireman Gage definitely warranted more study.
Reaching over to the cup of water on the table beside her bed Cammie was reminded of the abdominal surgery she had undergone. Flinching at the pain she knew it was time for some pain medication. She hated taking any kind of medicine and would not openly admit that she needed something under ordinary circumstances, but this was the first time she'd had major surgery. She didn't think a little something would be too bad right now. Just about that time the floor nurse came into her room. "Good evening Miss Lawson."
Cammie smiled up at the young woman, "Hello, please call me Cammie."
"Okay Cammie. I'm just going to check a few things and then get you something to help you rest better." The nurse set about taking Cammie's vitals. Once she had finished getting the BP, pulse and respirations she slipped a thermometer into her mouth and made some notes in her chart. "Looks pretty good."
"Wmha mm bubp?" Cammie tried to speak around the thermometer.
"Excuse me?" The nurse looked up from the notes she was making in the chart. "Oh." She smiled at Cammie and reached for the obstruction.
"What's my BP?"
"Now Miss Lawson, um Cammie don't you worry yourself about things you don't need to know. Let us nurses and the doctors worry about the details."
"I am a nurse. I start here in the ER as soon as Dr. Brackett clears me to start work."
The younger nurse's head jerked up and she slowly smiled a knowing smile. "Oh no wonder our most eligible bachelor Johnny Gage is sneaking around the hospital to visit you. I thought you were one of his patients. He is so sweet to always check up on the people he rescues." She shook her head still smiling, "He tries to date every single woman here in the hospital. He sure is quick to find out you're a nurse. Don't you worry too much about Casanova though, he's basically harmless. He'll ask you a hundred times for a date, and when you finally give in he'll take you bowling or to dinner and a movie. He's not the big spender and definitely not as exciting as you would think a fireman would be. His idea of a dinner date is a burger at the local diner. Then just when you think things might get a little more serious he does something goofy and you break off the relationship. He has trouble with commitment. He bounces back though. Another new nurse and he is back on the prowl."
"We've already been out." Cammie told the nurse somewhat irritated at the comments about Johnny. "I find him very nice."
"Oh he is nice and gorgeous, but don't get your hopes up. As soon as he thinks you might be getting serious he'll do something really goofy and the next thing you know you're looking for a date for your next day off. Oh and he gets hurt more than any other fireman in the county. Before you know it you'll be waiting all dressed up ready to go out and he won't show. The next time you're at work you find out he's back in the hospital with something broken. Well he didn't mean to stand you up, but it's still the same. You get left all dolled up and have no where to go. Believe me dating Casanova is not as much fun as you might think after just one date." She replaced Cammie's chart on the end of the bed, "Now here are your meds. There is something here for pain and an antibiotic." The nurse injected the two into the IV port. "Can I get you anything else Cammie?"
"Oh no you've done enough. Thank you for warning me about…um…Casanova." Cammie said the name with distaste. "I look forward to testing your theory about him. So far I like what I see. He invited me to his ranch and we had a lovely picnic while watching the sun set. He has quite a beautiful ranch house. I think he is wonderful and honestly I think you must certainly be talking about someone other than the John Gage I know." She smiled brightly at the younger nurse who stood next to her bed with her mouth open staring in disbelief.
Dixie and Dr. Brackett stood by the door chuckling at the fact that Cammie had just gotten the best of the young nurse. "Ahem." Dixie cleared her throat successfully snapping the nurse out of her shock.
"Oh Dr. Brackett, Miss McCall I was just finishing up giving the patient her meds. I'll just…um….please excuse me." She slipped quickly from the room.
"I think you shocked your night nurse," Dixie said smiling at Cammie.
Dr. Brackett scratched his chin and asked, "How long do you think it will take for Rampart's gossip chain to get the word out about Johnny Gage dating our newest ER nurse?"
"Not long I hope." Cammie smiled back at him.
"Oh believe me the phone lines in this hospital are smoking under all the stress right now." The three new friends laughed together at that thought. Cammie yawned deeply. "Now Camille it is time you got some rest. We're about to head home for the night. Is there anything we can get for you before we go?"
"No Dixie. I'm all set." She yawned again.
"You've had a busy day Camille. You will be very sore for a few days, but I think under the circumstances you are a very lucky woman. I expect a full and speedy recovery. I think we'll be seeing you around our ER in around three weeks. That sound all right to you?" Dr. Brackett replaced the chart he had been reviewing on the end of the bed and looked up to see that Cammie had drifted off to sleep in the middle of his conversation. He smiled shaking his head. "Come on Dix our work here is done for the day."
"Yes it is and I expect we will have quite a job keeping tabs on our two favorite patients until one or both of them are released. We'll need all the rest we can get." They exited Cammie's room both knowing Dixie was right.
Johnny Gage had some very endearing qualities. He exhibited such a tough fireman's exterior. Yes he was muscular and no doubt physically strong, but underneath all that he had tenderness, a caring compassion that most men never shared. Yes Fireman Gage definitely warranted more study.
Reaching over to the cup of water on the table beside her bed Cammie was reminded of the abdominal surgery she had undergone. Flinching at the pain she knew it was time for some pain medication. She hated taking any kind of medicine and would not openly admit that she needed something under ordinary circumstances, but this was the first time she'd had major surgery. She didn't think a little something would be too bad right now. Just about that time the floor nurse came into her room. "Good evening Miss Lawson."
Cammie smiled up at the young woman, "Hello, please call me Cammie."
"Okay Cammie. I'm just going to check a few things and then get you something to help you rest better." The nurse set about taking Cammie's vitals. Once she had finished getting the BP, pulse and respirations she slipped a thermometer into her mouth and made some notes in her chart. "Looks pretty good."
"Wmha mm bubp?" Cammie tried to speak around the thermometer.
"Excuse me?" The nurse looked up from the notes she was making in the chart. "Oh." She smiled at Cammie and reached for the obstruction.
"What's my BP?"
"Now Miss Lawson, um Cammie don't you worry yourself about things you don't need to know. Let us nurses and the doctors worry about the details."
"I am a nurse. I start here in the ER as soon as Dr. Brackett clears me to start work."
The younger nurse's head jerked up and she slowly smiled a knowing smile. "Oh no wonder our most eligible bachelor Johnny Gage is sneaking around the hospital to visit you. I thought you were one of his patients. He is so sweet to always check up on the people he rescues." She shook her head still smiling, "He tries to date every single woman here in the hospital. He sure is quick to find out you're a nurse. Don't you worry too much about Casanova though, he's basically harmless. He'll ask you a hundred times for a date, and when you finally give in he'll take you bowling or to dinner and a movie. He's not the big spender and definitely not as exciting as you would think a fireman would be. His idea of a dinner date is a burger at the local diner. Then just when you think things might get a little more serious he does something goofy and you break off the relationship. He has trouble with commitment. He bounces back though. Another new nurse and he is back on the prowl."
"We've already been out." Cammie told the nurse somewhat irritated at the comments about Johnny. "I find him very nice."
"Oh he is nice and gorgeous, but don't get your hopes up. As soon as he thinks you might be getting serious he'll do something really goofy and the next thing you know you're looking for a date for your next day off. Oh and he gets hurt more than any other fireman in the county. Before you know it you'll be waiting all dressed up ready to go out and he won't show. The next time you're at work you find out he's back in the hospital with something broken. Well he didn't mean to stand you up, but it's still the same. You get left all dolled up and have no where to go. Believe me dating Casanova is not as much fun as you might think after just one date." She replaced Cammie's chart on the end of the bed, "Now here are your meds. There is something here for pain and an antibiotic." The nurse injected the two into the IV port. "Can I get you anything else Cammie?"
"Oh no you've done enough. Thank you for warning me about…um…Casanova." Cammie said the name with distaste. "I look forward to testing your theory about him. So far I like what I see. He invited me to his ranch and we had a lovely picnic while watching the sun set. He has quite a beautiful ranch house. I think he is wonderful and honestly I think you must certainly be talking about someone other than the John Gage I know." She smiled brightly at the younger nurse who stood next to her bed with her mouth open staring in disbelief.
Dixie and Dr. Brackett stood by the door chuckling at the fact that Cammie had just gotten the best of the young nurse. "Ahem." Dixie cleared her throat successfully snapping the nurse out of her shock.
"Oh Dr. Brackett, Miss McCall I was just finishing up giving the patient her meds. I'll just…um….please excuse me." She slipped quickly from the room.
"I think you shocked your night nurse," Dixie said smiling at Cammie.
Dr. Brackett scratched his chin and asked, "How long do you think it will take for Rampart's gossip chain to get the word out about Johnny Gage dating our newest ER nurse?"
"Not long I hope." Cammie smiled back at him.
"Oh believe me the phone lines in this hospital are smoking under all the stress right now." The three new friends laughed together at that thought. Cammie yawned deeply. "Now Camille it is time you got some rest. We're about to head home for the night. Is there anything we can get for you before we go?"
"No Dixie. I'm all set." She yawned again.
"You've had a busy day Camille. You will be very sore for a few days, but I think under the circumstances you are a very lucky woman. I expect a full and speedy recovery. I think we'll be seeing you around our ER in around three weeks. That sound all right to you?" Dr. Brackett replaced the chart he had been reviewing on the end of the bed and looked up to see that Cammie had drifted off to sleep in the middle of his conversation. He smiled shaking his head. "Come on Dix our work here is done for the day."
"Yes it is and I expect we will have quite a job keeping tabs on our two favorite patients until one or both of them are released. We'll need all the rest we can get." They exited Cammie's room both knowing Dixie was right.
