Page 13 of The Fire Captain's Unexpected Baby
“And the exam?”
The minute we left the wedding, my nurse persona shifted back into place. Mr. Oakley has a hard time taking care of himself, but he trusts me to know what to do.
“No damage to his heart. It was a panic attack.”
“You’re positive?”
I look over the chart hanging on the door of Mr. Oakley’s room. All the cardiac tests came back within normal limits.
A panic attack wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. The old man hasn’t taken great care of himself since his wife died a few months ago. He doesn’t take his medication if no one reminds him. He lives alone and often stresses himself out over it.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do for a simple panic attack. He would never take anxiety medication, and I couldn’t see him going to therapy to learn to cope.
“Go see him. Put your mind at ease,” Lisa offers, before going back to the desk to check on the charts of her other patients.
I step into the chilly room with Aaron in tow. I barely notice that he’s still trailing behind me as I set to work making Mr. Oakley more comfortable.
“You gave me a scare tonight,” I scold him as I fluff his pillows and check his vitals. “When are you going to take your health seriously?”
He shrugs, but I notice that he clocks both Aaron and me in the room. “How else am I going to get the attention of the pretty nurses?”
I laugh, softening a bit. “There are easier ways to get me to spend time with you. You don’t have to have a heart attack.”
“Panic attack,” he corrects sheepishly. “But if I’d known you would accept my invitation for a date, I would have asked a long time ago. I had no idea you were dating at all.”
I catch the subtle look on his face, and I blush a bright red. How can I possibly explain that he caught Aaron and me at the end of a fake date, trying to keep an old “flame” from embarrassing me further at my best friend’s wedding?
It is the end, isn’t it?
No, there’s no way I’m going into that now.
“Yes, well, I?—”
“You should take advantage of your youth. You never know when love might disappear.” Mr. Oakley frowns at the mention of grief and loss. “But an old man would like to be kept in the loop. What is there to live for, if not gossip?”
“I can think of lots of things to live for,” I chide him gently.
“Find someone who takes care of you.” This comment is not aimed at me, but at Aaron. I’m still fussing over him, and he gives me a pointed look.
When I look up, Aaron is smiling, watching me flutter around the room, completely in my element.
“You’re going to be fine,” I promise Mr. Oakley, even though I know he already knows that. “The doctor is going to come see you soon. And you can go home tomorrow.”
“What difference does it make?”
“I’ll visit to make sure you take your medication as soon as you walk through the door. Lisa will tell me when you get discharged, and I’ll meet you at the house.”
“You know I never want to take those things,” he groans.
“That’s why I’ll bring Noah with me.”
A smile lights up his face, making him instantly look twenty years younger.
If he was bemoaning his misfortune when we arrived, now he looks positively thrilled at the idea of seeing Noah. The two share a bond that I can’t explain but love to watch.
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I squeeze his hand and look him right in the eye. “Noah and I will see you in the morning. Try to get some rest.”
