Up A Notch

“Don’t you get tired after two shifts with me?” he asked during their fourth week in this arrangement. “That’s a long workday!”

“It is, but keep in mind: there’s not a whole lot of work taking care of just you! You’re getting stronger every day, and all we’ve got you on now is the IV food during the day, sugar water at night, and saline all the time for hydration. And if you keep improving, we’ll take you off the saline and let you drink water from a cup… maybe even later this week.”

He smiled.

“My actual nursing time with you is probably under two hours over the course of the 16 I’m here. The rest is us keeping each other company, having sexy nurse and patient time, and hopefully working on the mental and emotional sides of healing.”

“Becky, do you have a moment, please?” Dr. Jameson asked as he leaned through the doorway of Room 8.

“Be right back” she said softly to Mr. Evans, squeezing his hand before exiting.

She knew something was up: he had that well-known Dr. Jameson furrowed brow of worry.

“We’re down to our last 4, as you know” he said. “It’s the start of a new fiscal year. We’ve no budget: they expected us to be closing up by now.”

Her eyes grew wide.

“Mainly thanks to your Mr. Evans doing so well, I’ve obtained enough to keep us going another month… but not all of us.”

Her lip started to tremble as she pointed to herself.

“No Becky, you’re fine—mostly, and I’ll explain straightaway. We simply can’t pay for three day, three evening, and two overnight nurses. Best I can do is two day, two evening, and no overnight.”

“But… they need coverage overnight!”

“Exactly. Except there’s no money. Let me explain what I’m thinking so far, then we’ll discuss it and any other options you can come up with. Like me and probably you, Melissa’s going down with the ship. Paulette seems willing as well. Everyone else would just as soon get it over with and leave sooner than later.

“Tentatively, Paulette is willing to cover two in the day, three in the evening. Melissa will take three overnight and one in the day. If you’re willing, you’re exclusively with Mr. Evans, but you have him 24/5 at least. I’m going to jigger the salaries so that each of you gets paid the same, divided equally, from the best I can arrange.”

“What about weekends?”

He sighed. “Haven’t figured that out yet. Mandy can cover 3 for two shifts—day and evening—but no more. Jenny’s considering weekend overnights, but there are family issues on her end and financial issues on mine.

“Legally, nobody can work 24 hours, and I’m not expecting you to literally do that. You and Mr. Evans seem to like each other, so if it’s OK with both of you, we can set up a second bed in his room for you. As far as I’m concerned, you can set your own schedule with him and his needs, though hopefully you’ll be available at least a few hours during day shift for meeting with me and whatever might come up where others may need help. As long as you’re there if he needs you, you and he can sleep for 12 hours for all I care. Whatever you and he are doing is working, and I’d really like at least one final success story out of Angel 20.”

His eyes grew watery. She knew he was thinking of his grandfather and his and his own legacy.

“What about food? Is the policy of not allowing outside-system food to be delivered here suspended?”

“Oh right! Yes, effective immediately—especially since the kitchen’s closing down.”

“How will the other patients eat?”

“They’re not… none of them.” He stared down at the old linoleum floor tiles, trying not to think of all they’d seen over the decades. “Also, if you can work out coverage with Paulette or Melissa, I’m fine if you take off now and then for something out, essential errands, and so forth. This is already getting uncomfortably close to slave labor!”

“Not only do I accept, if you’ll allow me a flexible 6 hours off during daylight hours on a weekend day, I’ll cover Mr. Evans 24/7… weekends too.”

“Thank you, Becky!” He hugged her tightly, dripping tears of relief on her shoulder.

Dean’s head snapped towards the door as Becky swished back into Room 8.

“Question for you.”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“You like me, right? I mean… beyond the boobs.”

“Oh, you have no idea how much!”

“Enough that if they roll another bed in here so I can sleep here with you and be your full-time nurse 2/47 that you’d be OK with that?”

“Yeah-ah! Great with it! What about you?”

“Well, I already agreed to it with Dr. Jameson, so obviously I don’t mind!” She grinned from ear to ear.

The three remaining nurses and Dr. Jameson acted as the orderlies their facility no longer had to move the now-disused fairly new bed from Room 18 into Room 8. None of the others said anything when Becky made clear that she wanted the beds as close to each other as possible, though each may or may not have thought something.