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It took a few hours for him to review the work she and Sandra had done. But as Lanie slipped the folders into her bag, he had a sense of accomplishment.
“Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” She checked her watch. “I better go. Visiting hours are almost over.”
After a brief hug, she promised to file the pleadings he’d signed with the court the next day, then she was gone. He rested his head against his pillow and stared out the window. As much as he hated to admit it, Lanie was right. The situation wasn’t sustainable, but he couldn’t allow them to hire someone without his input.
He would have to make the most of the two weeks he was there then continue his recovery at home. It was as simple as that.
Chapter Eight
Rose stared at Dr. Myers with growing annoyance. For the second time in a week, he’d asked her to work a double shift. Despite knowing it was a possibility, she’d hoped to get out of it.
“But I have plans tonight,” she protested. She couldn’t believe his gall. He knew her fiancé was recovering after a stint in the hospital. Why can’t he find someone else?
“I’m sorry, but Lisa’s daughter is still sick, and Rebecca is out of town.” He shrugged apologetically.
Steven wasn’t the only one who needed to hire extra help. The hospital had been hemorrhaging staff for ages, and they struggled to replace the nurses who left.
“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Dr. Myers continued.
Rose raised an eyebrow. “And how do you plan to do that?”
“You’re being considered for head nurse,” he said, leaning against the wall. “I can put in several good words for you.”
While she appreciated the sentiment, she doubted it would help her in the long run. Dr. Myers had a lot of clout, but he wasn’t even on the hiring board. The members might listen to his recommendations, but they didn’t mean anything, especially when Rebecca and Lisa both had seniority.
Rather than say any of that aloud, she forced a smile and thanked him before returning to start her rounds… again. She texted Lanie that she wouldn’t be able to see Steven before visiting hours ended after all. Maybe it was for the best. Every time she saw him, he and Lanie were discussing some new concern at his office. Rose hated seeing his stress mounting. But she kept quiet to avoid an argument, and quite frankly, she was tired of biting her tongue.
Mr. Patrones was her first stop, and she braced herself for his glum demeanor. She supposed she should be grateful Steven wasn’t more like him. But Mr. Patrones had several years on Steven, and his health had been poor even before his heart attack.
Pasting a smile on her face, she knocked then opened the door. “Good afternoon, Mr. Patrones. How are we doing?”
“The same as I was the last time you were here.” He blinked at her. “Shouldn’t you be off duty?”
“I’m working a double,” she said, keeping her voice cheery. Glancing over his chart, she was surprised by Dr. Myers’s note at the bottom. Discharge tomorrow. “Good news! You’re getting sprung tomorrow!”
His eyebrows pulled together. “So soon?”
I thought he couldn’t wait to get out of here. “Aw, Mr. Patrones, I’m glad to hear you’re going to miss me, but you’ve made so much progress. You should celebrate.”
“With what?” he demanded, his tone acerbic. “I can’t have red meat or alcohol, and I’m not much of a cake person.”
Rose took a deep breath and released it slowly, counting down from ten. Only that man could make something wonderful like being released from the hospital seem like a chore.
“I’m sure your friends will be happy to see you.”
He stared at her, his face expressionless. “I don’t have any friends.”
Can’t imagine why. No, that was unfair. She didn’t know anything about him other than what she’d learned from his medical record and the little he told her. If his heart attack hadn’t happened in public, he wouldn’t have survived it. When she thought of him returning to the condo where he lived alone, her heart went out to him. She wondered what had happened in his life to cause him to be so utterly alone.
“Now you have a chance to make some,” she said, though she didn’t know why she was bothering to pretend to be upbeat. Mr. Patrones’s defeatist attitude drained the life from her whenever she was in the room with him.
He snorted but said nothing else. After she finished marking down his vitals on his chart, Rose attempted one last smile and hurried from the room.
She took a minute to reorganize her thoughts before moving on to the next patient. As much as she dreaded dealing with Mr. Patrones’s depressing comments, she shouldn’t judge him. After all, were it not for Steven, his family, and the few friends she’d made since moving to Cedar Haven, her life might not be that much different. Even with all of those people in her life, she struggled sometimes to open up and to let people help her. Her parents had raised her to be self-sufficient and to take care of those around her, which was why being a nurse came so naturally. But she wondered sometimes if she was too independent.
The end of her shift neared, and Rose couldn’t wait. She dragged herself through her rounds once more. Most of her patients were sleeping, which did nothing to help her pass the time.
