Page 33 of Jade

“It is?” Ryan stopped in his tracks, confused.

Baze chuckled. “Well, it’s coincidental at least. I’m in the lobby right now, meeting with the new medical team I’ve just hired.”

Ryan blinked. “You hired a medical team?”

“Well, a physician and his assistant. I figured, we’ve already had a major medical emergency on-site. There’s bound to be more.”

“Right. That’s smart.” Ryan resumed walking and reached the entrance of Utopia.

“We’re in the lobby. Same table where you and I first met. Why don’t you come join us? Maybe they can take a look at Jade.”

“I don’t want to be a bother. I’m sure I can handle it.”

He could almost hear Baze frowning through the phone line. “Well, why don’t you come meet us anyway? Just to be on the safe side.”

Ryan didn’t want to offend his boss, and he figured it couldn’t hurt. “All right. Be there in a second.” He ended the call and strode through the main doors, directly into the lobby. Baze was seated at the table across from an older man with salt and pepper hair and plastic-rimmed glasses, and a younger woman with a high red ponytail.

Baze waved him over and introduced him as he approached. “Doctor, Nancy, this is Pastor Ryan, our in-house clergy. He runs a beautiful Sunday service as well as being on hand for all of our spiritual and matrimonial needs. Pastor Ryan, this is Doctor Duke and his assistant Nancy Nurse.”

At Ryan’s befuddled expression, Baze chortled. “That’s actually her last name,” he explained with a wry smile.

The redhead tossed her hands out to her sides and shrugged. “I figured with a name like that, I might as well go into the field. Now, even if I end up getting married someday, I’m keeping it, but I go by Nurse Nancy with patients.” She spoke with an East Coast accent that made Ryan think they’d hailed from New York or somewhere near there.

“It’s certainly going to be easy to remember.” Ryan extended his hand, greeting first Doctor Duke and then Nurse Nancy. “Welcome to Utopia.”

“Thank you. Baze was just telling us your Little one was sick. What are her symptoms?”

“I’m not sure, aside from a fever and a sore throat and weakness. I was trying to get out without waking her this morning. I didn’t, but I just gave her some Tylenol and put her back to bed.”

“Sleep is always a good choice. How high was her fever?”

Ryan froze, feeling like the worst Daddy in the world. “I don’t know. I don’t have a thermometer.”

“I have one in my bag. We can go on up and find out.”

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all.” The doctor stood and then paused, furrowing his brow. “I have to warn you though. The only thermometer I have is a rectal one. Nobody likes it, but the Babies and Littler ones expect it. They might whine and cry, but they know it’s their only option. A Middle though, she probably won’t appreciate that much.”

Ryan started to wave off the older man’s concerns, then thought about a doctor he’d just met sticking a rectal thermometer in Jade’s bottom, and realized the man made a fair point. “You know what? I’ll just run back to the pharmacy and grab an under the tongue one. Let me just leave these bags here, and I’ll be right back.”

He scurried away before anyone could argue and returned ten minutes later with a brand-new thermometer in hand.

“Sorry about the trouble,” Doctor Duke said.

“It’s no problem. I should have gotten one in the first place. I’m a little out of my element here.”

“Understood. I guess it’s lucky I came when I did. Now, let’s have a look.”

Jade

“Jade sweetie, I need you to wake up so I can take your temperature.”

She heard her Daddy’s voice and his words, but she had no idea if it was real or not. She’d been delirious all morning and had trouble even making it to the bathroom to pee. She’d ended up crawling on her hands and knees because it was too much trouble to be upright.

“Jade.” Someone shook her shoulder and she fluttered her eyes.

“So hot. So cold,” she muttered. “Just wanna sleep.”