CHAPTER SIX
Back in Nashville, the work week dragged, and by Wednesday night Meg was drained. Why is time moving so slowly this week? She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and checked it for a missed call or text. No calls, no texts, nothing. I promised myself I wouldn’t be upset or disappointed, but I can’t help it. He’s been back in town since Monday morning. Ugh…I don’t know why I thought he’d call.
“How come you keep checking your phone?” asked one of the other nurses at the station where they both stood.
Meg gasped, and she felt her cheeks flush as she looked up from the screen of her cell phone. “Umm…just checking to see if I missed a call.”
“Must be an important call, then.” Mercy was short and stout with glowing mahogany skin. She chuckled, and added, “In all the years we’ve worked together, I never once saw you check your phone while you’re on duty, but you’ve done it all day yesterday and today.”
“Sorry.” Meg slipped her phone inside her pocket. “I’ll get back to work.”
Mercy used her girth to block Meg’s exit from behind the nurse’s station. “So, who is he?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Who is he? It’s got to be a man, honey, that has you checking your phone every five minutes. And you’re blushing, too.”
Meg sighed. “Just a guy I met over the weekend. He took my number, and I was hoping he’d call, but he hasn’t.”
“Men…they never call when they say they’re going to.”
“I know. I just hoped he’d be different.”
The telephone at the nurse’s station interrupted their conversation, and Mercy reached to answer it. “Uh huh, yeah…here she is,” she said, handing the phone to Meg. “We’ve got a situation on our hands.”
“Yes,” Meg said as she put the phone to her ear. “Yes, but I haven’t finished the training yet. Are you sure?” After a moment, she said, “Okay, yeah, I’ll be right there.” As she hung up the phone, she explained to Mercy, “The LifeFlight team is short a nurse tonight, and they need me to go with them. There’s been a bad motorcycle wreck. We’re bringing the patient in.”
“But, wait…”
“No time to talk, Mercy. I’ve got to get up to the roof,” Meg said, as she sprinted down the hallway.
Within minutes, she was strapping herself into a seat on the helicopter and watching the rooftop helipad disappear beneath her. The helicopter shook as it made a wide turn, and her stomach dropped. Don’t get sick, don’t get sick, she repeated to herself as she tried to focus. Remember your training and you’ll be okay.
Moments later, the helicopter landed on a rural road with a bounce. Meg became hyper-alert as the adrenaline kicked in. She followed one of the paramedics out of the helicopter onto the ground, running towards the crash site and the body lying in the roadway.
The LifeFlight team was greeted by a police officer. “He’s been in and out of consciousness, but we haven’t moved him.”
“Let’s get his neck stabilized on the board,” one of the paramedics shouted. “Hurry.”
As the patient’s helmet was removed, Meg caught a glimpse of his face and gasped. “No, it can’t be…”
“What?” When she didn’t answer, the police officer repeated, “What is it?”
Meg ignored his question, and instead focused entirely on the patient. “Sky? Sky? Can you hear me?”
Sky’s eyelids fluttered open, and there was a hint of recognition on his face. “Meg…my angel,” he uttered.
The police officer asked, “Who is he? How do you know him?”
“We don’t have time for this,” the paramedic barked. “We’ve got to get him to the hospital. Meet us there.”
Meg ran towards the waiting helicopter, but turned and shouted over her shoulder at the police officers. “It’s Sky Johnson.”
As the helicopter lifted off the ground, Meg monitored Sky’s vital signs. “Hang on, Sky. Stay with me. We’re flying you to the trauma unit at Vanderbilt. It’ll be just a couple of minutes.”
The paramedics on board watched Meg soothe the patient. One of them whispered, “Is that really Sky Johnson?”
“Yes,” Meg replied.
“Meg,” Sky groaned. “Meg, my angel,” he repeated before drifting out of consciousness.
“How does he know your name?”
“It’s a long story.” She returned her attention to Sky, making sure the oxygen mask was in place over his face. “I’m here, Sky, and I’m going to take care of you.” Don’t promise him that he’ll be okay. We have no idea the extent of his injuries yet. “Hang on. We’re almost there. Hang on, Sky.”
Four hours later, Sky’s stretcher was wheeled past the nurse’s station, and into a private room at the end of the hall. Meg watched her former fiancé exit the room, and asked, “How is he, Craig?”
“He’s pretty banged up. He’s got a concussion, but he’s regained consciousness. He also has some fractured ribs, which are going to cause him pain, but he’s going to be fine.”
Meg’s body immediately relaxed. “Thank God.”
“Yeah, just another idiot redneck singer thinking he’s invincible on his motorcycle.”
“He’s not an idiot,” Meg snapped. “You don’t even know him…”
Craig interrupted her. “Oh my God, you’re the one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He kept muttering what sounded like ‘Meg’ while we were working on him. He was talking about you, right? How do you know him?”
Before she could answer, Mercy joined them, and interjected, “His father and some friends are in the family waiting area. One of you has to go talk to them.”
Meg was incredulous. “His father?”
“He apparently flew in from Dallas on a private jet as soon as he heard about the accident,” Mercy explained.
“Craig, you go talk to them. I don’t think I can,” Meg said. “Besides, you’re his doctor and have all the test results.”
Meg watched Craig walk down the hall, before shifting her attention towards the door of Sky’s hospital room. I’m glad you’re going to be okay, but I’m still angry and hurt that you said you’d call me but didn’t.
“Aren’t you going to go in and check on him? He’s your patient, and he’s conscious now.”
“No, Mercy, I’m not. I’ll trade patients with you. Don’t you have someone you’d rather not deal with?”
Mercy crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve been acting strange since last weekend. Checking your phone all the time, and now refusing to care for a patient whose life you helped save. What’s up with you?”
Meg took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “He said he’d call, but he never did.”
“Who?”
“Sky Johnson. The guy I met last weekend is Sky Johnson, our newest patient. I might have helped save his life, but that doesn’t mean I’m not pissed off that he didn’t call when he said he would.”
Mercy’s mouth hung open. “Sky Johnson, the country music star?”
“One and the same.”
“Lordy, girl, no wonder you kept checking your phone. He’s not my type, but now I get it.”
“Get what?”
Meg’s head turned in the direction of Craig. “Nothing. Did you talk to his father?”
“Yes, and he and the friends are in with him now.” Craig leaned over the counter at the nurse’s station and, lowering his voice, asked, “How do you know him?”
“None of your business.”
“C’mon, Meg, tell me.”
“I said, it’s none of your business.”
“Why can’t we be friends? How long are you going to punish me for breaking up with you?”
The sound of a throat clearing drew their attention. “Excuse me, but which of you is Meg?”
Meg looked up at the imposing male figure with the deep Texas accent, and recognized an older version of Sky. “I am. I’m Meg.”
He extended his hand. “I’m Trey Johnson. Sky’s father.”
So you’re the reason Sky is so screwed up. Meg shook his rough, weather-beaten hand. “Your son is going to be okay, Mr. Johnson. It’s going to take a while for him to heal, and he’s going to be in some pain, but he should make a full recovery.”
“That’s good to hear. And please call me Trey.”
“Will do.” Meg began to shuffle papers in an attempt to look busy. I don’t want to talk to you. Go away. Leave me alone so I can forget I ever met your son.
“Why don’t you go in and see him? He’s been asking for you.”
“I’m not his nurse, but I’ll try to find out who is and send her in.”
Trey wrinkled his brows. “Dr. Conklin said you were his nurse.”
“Well, Dr. Conklin was wrong,” Meg said, shooting daggers with her eyes at Craig.
Trey stared at Meg for a beat, before asking, “Who’s your supervisor?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said,” Trey repeated in a slow, thick drawl. “Who’s your supervisor?”
Meg rolled her eyes. “Mercy is the supervising nurse on the floor today.”
Twenty minutes later, Mercy exited the family waiting room and strode towards the nurse’s station. “Girl, get your rear into Sky Johnson’s room stat.”
Meg was indignant. “No.”
“This isn’t the time to play games,” Mercy hissed in a half-whisper. “Trey Johnson just told the hospital big-wigs that he would donate a million dollars to the trauma unit, but only if you’re assigned as his son’s nurse.”
Meg’s jaw dropped. “A million dollars?”
“Apparently, Trey is William Skyler Johnson the third…of the Johnson Oil Company.”
Meg’s head spun at the revelation. No wonder he wanted Sky to go into the family business. It all makes sense now. “But what if I won’t do it?”
“I don’t think I have to tell you that your job is on the line if you refuse the assignment.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“No, I’m not. Sky has been asking for you, and you won’t see him. Trey’s willing to do whatever it takes for his son.”
Meg rolled her eyes. “Well, Trey’s an asshole, but I can’t lose my job.” She stood up, looped her stethoscope around her neck, and smoothed her wrinkled white scrubs. “Guess I have no choice.”
She took her time walking down the hall, but stopped short of Sky’s private room. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and was about to enter when she heard the sound of a throat clearing behind her. Turning around, she was surprised to see Jack Bishop and his girlfriend, Becky, flanking Trey.
“I see you changed your mind,” Trey said in a low, measured voice.
“You can be very persuasive,” Meg countered.
“Thank you for saving his life,” Jack interjected.
“And in more ways than one,” Becky agreed. “You’re all he’s talked about since he met you.”
Meg’s heart fluttered. “What are you talking about?”
Jack and Becky exchanged glances. “He tried to call you from the bus after we left Tampa, but he had the wrong number,” Jack said. “He must have entered it in his phone wrong.”
“I told him he needed glasses after he had trouble reading the teleprompter at the last couple of awards shows,” Becky said.
Meg’s expression softened. He was in a rush to make bus call when I gave him my number, she remembered. I never considered that he might have mis-entered it in his phone.
Becky added, “He’s been looking for you since we got back to Nashville on Monday morning.”
“He’s been looking for me? What are you talking about?”
“Your home phone number isn’t listed, so he waited outside the hospital during shift changes, hoping to see you. He was on his way home from here when the accident happened.”
Meg began to involuntarily shake, and she crossed her arms in front of her to hide her shock. “Oh, my God. I had no idea.” She turned towards the open door to Sky’s room, but Jack grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“You know, I don’t know what it is about you,” Jack said. “You’re the only one, other than Becky and me, and maybe one or two others, that he’s ever been able to talk to.”
Meg closed her eyes and nodded slowly. “I know. He told me.”
“We’re going to give you some time alone with him,” Trey said. “Take good care of my son.” He gestured towards Jack and Becky, “Come on, let’s leave the two of them alone for a little while.”
Meg watched as Trey, Jack and Becky retreated to the family waiting room, before taking a deep breath. Calm down. Stop shaking. Take charge. Be a nurse, first, she reminded herself as she made her way into the room and past the privacy curtain.
She gasped at the sight of her patient hooked up to the machines monitoring his vital signs. He looks so vulnerable in that bed. And I didn’t notice before how badly bruised he was because it was dark out. No wonder he’s asleep – between the concussion, the bruises and fractured ribs, the pain must be excruciating. She checked his intravenous lines, and was about to leave the room when he stirred.
“Meg?”
“Hey,” she whispered. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now that my angel is here.” He coughed, and grimaced in pain. “Shit, that hurts.”
“Fractured ribs are painful.” She searched his eyes, before asking, “How much do you remember?”
“I remember coming to the hospital to look for you, then riding home and hitting a pothole. The rest is a little fuzzy, but I think I remember that you were there, somehow. I thought I was dying and that you were my guardian angel.”
Meg attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. “Jack and Becky told me you tried to call me, but had the wrong number entered in your phone.”
“That’s true.”
She reached for his cell phone on the bedside table. “What’s your security code?”
After Sky gave her the code, Meg punched in her correct phone number. “No more excuses for not calling me now,” she chided, as she put his phone down. She took the stethoscope from around her neck and inserted the earpieces into her ears. “I’ve got to listen to your chest. Take a deep breath.”
He squirmed. “That’s cold.”
“Got to be done. There’s a pneumonia risk with fractured ribs. Breathe.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Breathe again.”
“I’d like it better if you weren’t so impersonal.”
“Just doing my job.” She removed the stethoscope and placed it back around her neck. “I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow,” she said, as she turned and began to walk out of the room.
Disappointment registered on Sky’s face. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“Home. I worked a twelve hour shift, and then some. I’m exhausted.”
“I was hoping you’d stay with me tonight,” he said with a mischievous grin while patting the mattress.
Meg laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible. I need to get some sleep, and so do you. I’ll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll send Mercy in. She’ll make sure you get your rest.”