My Only - Alex & Jamie (The Crossroads Series: Book 3) Page 2

  Okay, so that’s what he was. A trauma patient. That was a new one. He had never been a patient. He had always been the rescuer, not the rescued.

  He didn’t like it. Not one bit. He wanted to know what kind of condition he was in so he could assess what they needed to do. As a firefighter and an ex-Navy SEAL, he was trained in dealing with trauma cases.

  He just needed to know what his injuries were. He tried once again to lift his head.

  “Alex, lie down. I will restrain you if you don’t stay still,” Garret threatened.

  Alex was just about to tell Garret he could kiss his ass when he started to feel the floating sensation again. He quickly realized, even if only in the far recesses of his consciousness, that this time the airy sensations spreading through him had less to do with exhaustion and more to do with the pain medication that they had obviously pumped him full of.

  In that moment, he didn't care. Whatever the reason for the weightless feeling, he appreciated it. It definitely took the edge off.

  Garret shook his head as he looked down at him. “Nice smile, Sloan. Looks like the good stuff's kickin’ in. You can relax, but do NOT close your eyes.”

  “Okie dokie,” Alex heard himself say in a sing-song tone of voice, easily able to get the words out, although to his own ears his voice sounded like he was a hundred miles away.

  Garret started asking him questions. Questions about his brothers, his job, his friends. Alex knew exactly what he was doing. Garret was trying to make sure that he stayed responsive. That meant he probably had some sort of trauma to his head, otherwise they would probably prefer that he was asleep.

  Alex answered his questions. He had no idea if he was making sense, but he knew it didn't matter. Even in his drug-addled state, he knew that wasn’t the point of the exercise. He just needed to stay awake, no matter the cost.

  Chapter Two

  As Jamie made her way to the nurse’s station, she noticed that it had turned into Grand Central Station on the 4th floor. It was a bit of a shock to see it like that. For the last few days, things had been relatively quiet, especially if she compared the activity level to what she was used to at Grace Memorial, back in Chicago.

  Now however, it seemed that she could barely move down the hall. Most of the people, who appeared to be doing little more than simply loitering, were nurses or various other hospital workers.

  Jamie noticed one additional common denominator among them - they were all female.

  She hadn’t really formed any conclusion as to what that little factoid meant, if anything, before she made it to the nurse’s station to speak with Vickey. As soon as she reached the desk, Vickey spotted her and immediately broke off her conversation with a nurse that looked like she had been crying. She pulled Jamie into her office.

  As soon as the door shut, Vickey turned to Jamie with a very serious expression on her normally jovial face. She said gravely, “Okay, Sweet Pea. I know that you’ve only been here for a few days and you’re new to town, but that is part of the reason why I chose you for this.”

  “Chose me for what?” Jamie asked, having no idea what she was talking about.

  “For our VIP patient,” Vickey replied. She paused as if she expected Jamie to have some sort of a response to this information.

  Jamie just nodded her head, encouraging Vickey to continue. She was following along, but…just barely.

  “So, listen. I know that this is kind of like throwing you into the lion’s den, but I’m gonna need you to be strong. Make sure people,” Vickey lifted her eyebrows and tilted her head meaningfully toward the staff gathered outside her closed door, “stay out of his room. Except family, of course. He has a concussion, so you’ll need to wake him up frequently. Here’s his chart.”

  Jamie took the chart and looked down to see if she recognized the name. She didn’t. She opened it and saw that the patient had several cracked ribs, third degree burns on his back, and a shattered wrist on his left side.

  Poor guy, she thought.

  Vickey continued, “You are not to leave his room unattended under any circumstances. If you need anything, then call me. I’m your back-up. I will relieve you for breaks and Thelma will be in to relieve you after your shift today.”

  Jamie wanted to clarify exactly what her new responsibilities would entail. “So, if I understand correctly, you want me to stay in the patient’s room and not leave under any circumstances, unless I have been relieved by either yourself or Thelma. In addition to waking him periodically, monitoring his vitals, and administering medication, I also need to make sure that only family members and necessary staff are allowed access to the patient.”

  “You’re bright as a button, I knew you would catch on quick. And I know you will be up for the job. In your letters of reference, there were multiple mentions of how professional you were, no matter what the circumstance,” Vickey lowered her voice to a whisper, “even when dealing with celebrities.”

  “So...” Jamie looked down at the chart again to make sure she got the name right, “Alex Sloan is a celebrity?”

  Vickey burst out laughing, “Oh, Lordy! He is around here! I just figured you knew all about the Sloan Boys since Hazel is your aunt.”

  “Um, she is, on my dad’s side, but we only recently connected,” Jamie said by way of explanation.

  She knew she was going to need to decide how much of her personal life she was willing to divulge, and then stick religiously to telling only that portion. There was no other way to control the flow of information, because in a small town, everybody asked questions about your life. She really wasn’t prepared for it initially, but decided that if she was going to live here, she had better acclimate herself to it...and fast!

  “Well, no time to fill you in now, but suffice it to say he is a local celebrity...” Vickey grinned sardonically as she motioned with her head again out toward the corridor, “...especially with the ladies.”

  Jamie scanned the chart again. No allergies to medication or food. No prior surgeries. In family history, Jamie saw a few things that caught her attention. It looked like there were heart issues on his father’s side, and his mother was deceased.

  “Come on, Sweet Pea, you’ll have plenty of time to memorize that tonight while you're babysitting our boy. We need to get you in there so you can stake your claim.” Vickey started toward the door.

  “Stake my claim?” Jamie asked.

  “Trust me.” Vickey opened the door before glancing back over her shoulder, “You’ll see.”

  --- ~ ---

  Holy Toledo! Jamie had never seen so many good-looking people in one place before. It looked like she had just walked into the pages of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog.

  She and Vickey were barely able to squeeze in through the door, and several people had to shuffle around for the door to open wide enough to allow them in.

  “Okay, everyone, this is Jamie! She is the best of the best, and she will not leave Alex’s side tonight. You can rest assured that she will make sure he has absolutely everything he needs,” Vickey stated loudly to the room at large. Then she turned to Jamie, “You are never going to remember everyone’s name, but I'll do quick intros, just for the hell of it.”

  Jamie had always prided herself in the fact that she never let anyone see her sweat. No matter how nervous, uncomfortable, stressed, or scared a situation made her; Jamie always remained calm and steady. Nerves of steel, baby!

  She had learned that particular skill at a very young age. It was a lesson taught to her by her visits to the emergency room, which were frequent because she had suffered from acute asthma attacks.

  If the respiratory therapists or nurses thought that she was upset (which, HELLO...she couldn’t breathe, OF COURSE she was upset!) then they would not give her the nebulizer treatment until she, “calmed down.” So, no matter how scared she was - even if she felt like she was going to die - she would calmly sit and try to answer their questions, patiently waiting for them to give her the medication she needed to stay alive. GOOD TIMES!

  Now, she put those hard-earned skills to use. She stood facing the crowd of (very good-looking) people, all of whom seemed extremely upset about the patient who was lying, unconscious, in the bed a few feet away. The patient that, incidentally, she hadn't even managed to lay eyes on yet due to said crowd of (gorgeous) people, who were now all eagerly looking in her direction. Because his life would shortly be left in her hands. But no pressure!

  She felt, more than at almost any other time in her adult life, that the “nerves of steel” ability she had always been so proud of was about to be put to the test. Vickey had not exaggerated when she had said that she was throwing Jamie into the lion's den.

  Jamie did her best just to slow her pulse and focus on one thing at a time. Right now, the task at hand was listening to Vickey's introductions.

  “So, this is Mike and Grace Hunter. Mike is the fire captain and Grace is an R.N who works on the second floor. Alex is a fireman, he works for Mike.”

  “Hi,” Jamie awkwardly waved. They smiled warmly in acknowledgment.

  “Next to them is their daughter Sophie with her husband Bobby. Bobby is Alex’s youngest brother.”

  “Hi,” Jamie repeated to the striking young couple.

  “Then we have Jason, Alex’s middle brother, and his wife, Katie.”

  “Hi,” Jamie directed this repeat of the greeting to the beautiful couple Vickey had just indicated.

  Katie smiled encouragingly as she motioned around the room. “I know we’re a lot to take in, but don’t worry - you’ll get to know who everybody is in no time.”

  The statement had what Jamie assumed was the desired effect, putting her immediately at ease. She smiled gratefully and said, “Thanks.”

  “Moving
on,” Vickey sighed, apparently not pleased with the momentary interruption. “We have another of Alex’s brothers. This is Riley, and his wife, Chelle. Chelle works in labor and delivery, and – as you can see – is about to become a patient herself when she has her own little bundle in about a month.”

  “Rachelle Thomas?” Jamie asked, recognizing the pretty brunette from nursing school.

  “Rachelle Sloan now,” her husband clarified, smiling down at his wife.

  Chelle beamed up at him and then turned to Jamie, still glowing with the happiness that had suffused her face at her husband's proud words. “But, yes, you're right. Thomas was my maiden name.” Jamie could tell that Chelle was trying to do a mental Google search of the places she and Jamie's paths might have crossed.

  “You were just leaving the nursing program when I started at UIC. I remember at orientation, you spoke to our class about what the program would be like, and gave us tips for the best way to navigate through it successfully. That speech helped me so many times. I still have the notes. You were amazing,” Jamie explained.

  Riley leaned down and kissed his wife on the forehead, proudly stating, “That’s my Chelle.”

  Chelle smiled at Jamie, “I’m so glad it helped. It’s great to see you again. UIC has a great program.”

  “It does,” Jamie agreed.

  Vickey cleared her throat, clearly all business. “Then we have Bob Sloan, Alex’s dad. And over here is Bob's brother Pete, and Pete's wife, Sandy.”

  “Hello,” Jamie greeted them.

  “Sitting against the far wall are Pete and Sandy’s daughters: Haley, Becca, Krista, and Jessie.”

  “Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi.” Jamie smiled as she greeted the stunning foursome.

  “And last, but certainly not least, we have The Colonel, who is Mike’s dad.”

  The older gentleman stood from the chair and made his way over to Jamie, “Now, you, young lady. You can just call me Grandpa J. And you let me know if anyone gets out of line and needs a bop on the head.” He said in a very serious tone to her as he pantomimed a thumping motion with the ring he wore on his left hand.

  Jamie instantly loved him. “I will, sir,” she smiled.

  He pointed at her, “Grandpa J.”

  She smiled again, “I will, Grandpa J.”

  He returned to his seat as Vickey continued her announcements to the room, “Okay, folks, here's the deal. I have special visiting badges for each of you. No one will be admitted into Alex’s room without one of these,” she said as she passed them around. “We’re maintaining tight security to try and keep the girls, as well-meaning as they may be, at bay. Also, you are each allowed to bring in guests of your choosing, but you must arrive with them and stay with them during your visit.”

  Vickey turned to Jamie, “That way, when girls try and come in and say that one of these lovely people 'said they could visit Alex' you’ll be able to tell them that they need to have whoever 'said' that escort them.”

  Jamie nodded, but internally she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that this wasn’t even a ‘real’ famous person. She just couldn’t come to terms with it. It was too surreal!

  “Alright, now that introductions are over, you can get to work. He should be resting comfortably for the next hour or so, but make sure he doesn’t sleep past then.”

  Jamie nodded and set the alarm on her watch. Considering this was her only patient she thought it wasn’t really necessary, but she didn’t want to take any chances. That wasn't the kind of person she was, and it certainly wasn't the kind of nurse she was! Nope, whether she was dealing with patients or sticking to The Plan, Jamie left nothing to chance.

  Vickey nodded approvingly and said, with a small pat on Jamie's shoulder, “Well, I’ll leave you to it, then. Dr. Corbin should be in soon to speak to you folks, as well.”

  With that, Vickey was out the door, and Jamie was on her own.

  As soon as the door clicked shut behind Vickey, the volume in the room grew tenfold, as everyone seemed to take Vickey's exit as a cue to start talking to one another at once. Jamie took advantage of their distraction and made her way to the corner of the room to start studying Alex’s chart. She still hadn’t had a chance to get a look at the VIP patient himself, but that would happen soon enough. After all, the clock was literally ticking.

  Chapter Three

  The alarm on Jamie’s watch beeped and she was glad that she had taken the extra precaution of setting it. She had been so wrapped up in reading the patient’s chart that she hadn’t even noticed that the hour had flown by. Alex Sloan’s history was fascinating. Between his mother’s illness, his four brothers, his time in the service, and his father’s ailing health – wow. She concluded that this man must have quite the life story! Making things even more intriguing, he was only twenty-six - just two years older than her.

  The crowd parted as Jamie made her way toward the bed. She smiled at Alex's family and friends as she passed them. She had inadvertently eavesdropped a bit over course of the last hour (hey, they were in a small confined space) and...well, to say that these people were colorful and amusing was the understatement of the century! After listening to them, she knew two things to be absolutely true: these people loved each other and moreover they would do absolutely anything for one another.

  She had never had that kind of support system in her life. As a kid, it had always been her and her mom...well, along with whatever boyfriend her mom happened to have at the time. She had never had a group of people that she could depend on. In fact, the one certainty that had never changed in her life, no matter the circumstances, was that Jamie could depend on one person and one person only…Jamie.

  The couple she thought she remembered being Jason and Katie were standing beside Alex’s bed, and they were the last barrier that stood between her and the patient. They moved out of her way, and Jamie saw Alex Sloan for the first time. She stood, momentarily paralyzed, completely breathless at what she saw. She was unable to move, unable to think.

  He was…beautiful.

  He was lying perfectly still, and his eyes were closed. She stared (she couldn't help it), drinking in his long dark lashes, laying against his perfectly sculpted cheek. She let her eyes travel down, then, along his strong jawline that was peppered with stubble.

  His skin was probably a bit pale due to circumstance, but was still a lovely olive tone. His lips...God, she didn’t even know where to begin with his lips. They were full, strong...perfect. His chestnut-brown hair looked so lush and inviting that she had to check the desire to run her fingers through it. And, even though he had a cast on one arm and an awful hospital gown on, she could see that he had a broad strong chest. He had shoulders that looked made for someone to lean on.

  Her knees went weak.

  Her watch beeped once again, and it served to snap her out of her massive lust-induced trance. She forced herself to move into action, checking his vital signs almost on auto-pilot. She was so embarrassed by her reaction to him that she didn’t dare glance around the room at her captive audience. She knew they must think she was ridiculous. What is worse, they wouldn’t be wrong, not to put too fine a point on it, because right now she was being ridiculous.

  Never had she experienced a physical reaction to someone's mere appearance, no matter how heavenly. And she most definitely had never been rendered speechless, motionless, thoughtless at the simple sight of another human being – again, no matter how heavenly!

  After checking some of his vitals, she knew it was time to wake him up. She spoke loudly, “Okay, Alex, time to wake up.”

  He didn’t move, so she spoke again, a little louder this time, “Alex, can you open your eyes for me?”

  He stirred and opened his eyes. The moment they locked with hers, she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. They were gorgeous, a light emerald shade in the center, rimmed with a darker hue of green. Whoa, nelly! She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

  Work, she reminded herself, she had to work. She got her mini flashlight out of her pocket and leaned over him to check his pupils.

  “Hi,” he said, smiling at her as she examined his eyes.