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“I think so.”
“Listen, Rafael. The cardiologists at Mercy aren’t the greatest. I’m calling Dr. Herb Mason at Bay Health Center.
“The Dr. Mason we met five months ago? The one you told me about...”
“He’s the best pediatric cardiac surgeon.”
“Wow, you know him?” Leo asked. “I’ve heard of him.”
“I trained with him while in nursing school.”
Not paying attention to Rafael’s scowl and protest, she called Dr. Mason, reminded him of who she was, and was delighted to hear him say, “Come directly to Bay Health Center. We’ll be ready for you in an hour.”
“Let’s go. We can’t let this baby die.” She glared at Rafael, stood with Annabelle in her arms, and disconnected the cannula from the IV bag, letting the men handle the bag, bassinet, and IV pole.
“Arianna, you’ll have to put her back in the crib when we get into the copter,” Rafael said.
“Okay.” The baby slept comfortably against her chest, her breathing more regular than when they’d first met her. Orders were orders, and Arianna obeyed without discussion. Before boarding the copter, she placed Annabelle into the bassinet, let Leo and Rafael lift it into the copter, and allowed Leo to secure it in place. Arianna connected the cannula to the IV bag.
“Ready?” the pilot asked before takeoff.
“All ready,” she answered. “To the Bay Health Center, please, Rafael.”
“Okay,” he groaned.
Less than an hour later, they landed on the helipad at the Bay Health Center and carried out the bassinet. “It’s started raining,” she called, feeling the first drops. Leo grabbed the bassinet and ran to the building door while she held it open for him. “Thank God, we made it in time.”
In the hallway, a nurse met them. “Is this Annabelle Bolt, the baby for Dr. Mason?”
“Yes, she’s Annabelle,” Arianna said.
“They’re waiting for her in surgery. I’ll take her. Dr. Mason asked that you go to his office on the fifth floor. His father is there.” The nurse tapped on the elevator button.
Startled, Arianna exclaimed, “His father?” So it was Dr. Cody Mason doing the surgery, not his father Herb Mason. Would he ask her topayfor the favor as he had in the past? “Are there insurance papers to sign?”
“No. Dr. Mason said he’d handled that. He’ll explain.” The elevator arrived, and they all stepped in, Arianna, Rafael, and Leo exiting on the fifth, while the nurse continued downstairs to the OR rooms.
Arianna paused in front of Dr. Mason’s office and knocked on the door left ajar, calling. “Dr. Mason, it’s Arianna Garcia.”
“Arianna, my dear, come in.”
She winked at Rafael and mouthed, “You, too.”
“Of course.” He responded in the same way.
“I’ll be in the cafeteria. Call when we need to go.” Leo sprinted away, and she stepped into her first mentor’s office.
Dr. Mason came toward them and hugged her. “So good to see you in my office after so many years.”
She stepped back. “Dr. Mason, this is Captain Lopez. He flew the copter that brought us here with the little patient.” Herb shook hands with Rafael and indicated the two chairs across from his desk.
“So you’re still working as a flight nurse?”
“Yes, I enjoy it a lot.”
He considered her for a moment and shook his head, frowning. “What a waste of your talent, Arianna. You could do so much more. I was grooming you to become the best cardiac surgery nurse.”
She shrugged. “I like what I’m doing.”
