A Doctor's Reunion, page 4
He frowned. Kristin’s statement was hardly flattering. But there wasn’t time to say anything more as their pagers went off. They wiped down the gurney with bleach, then stored it back in the chopper.
But as Nate flew them to their next destination, her words echoed over and over in his mind.
After breaking up with Lana, he’d felt lighthearted and free. It had taken him longer than it should have to realize Lana was too much like his mother and sister.
He knew now he’d prefer being with someone more casual, more down to earth.
Someone exactly like Kristin Page.
Chapter Four
Of course, Holt would be attracted to a beautiful woman like Dr. Lana Reasby. She was attractive, smart, and soon to be an attending physician, just like Holt. What was puzzling was that the relationship hadn’t lasted.
High maintenance? Like his sister, Heidi? She would have thought Holt would be used to that. Whatever. It wasn’t any of her business. Holt wasn’t her type. Okay—no doctor was her type, despite the weird awareness she felt every time he was near.
Her problem, not his.
All she needed to do was to survive the next three months and he’d be out of her life, forever.
They had several back-to-back calls that kept them busy. She was grateful for the chance to focus on patient care rather than being forced to endure idle chitchat.
And she really, really didn’t want to talk about Heidi.
“Wow, is it always this crazy?” Holt wiped sweat from his brow. “Those helmets get hot.”
“When the snow flies, you’ll be grateful.” She couldn’t help but smile. “But to answer your question, no, it isn’t always like this.”
Their pagers went off again, and she groaned. “Only an hour before the end of our shift, doesn’t that just figure?”
“At least the hospital isn’t far.”
“True. Let’s go.” Kristin had just restocked their supplies, which had been dwindling as the shift went on. She threw the bag over her shoulder and headed out to the helipad.
“Hopefully the last call for our shift,” Nate said dryly. “I’ll need to refuel after this transport.”
Kristin nodded and hiked herself up into the chopper. Holt joined her, and Nate went through the preflight checkoff before lifting the bird into the sky.
She listened as Holt received an update from St. Jerome’s Hospital located ten miles west of Milwaukee. “Barbie Martin is a twenty-year-old female with severe malnourishment due to anorexia. Her vitals are relatively stable, but her electrolytes still need to be corrected. She’s losing consciousness, but so far we haven’t needed to intubate her.”
“Okay, thanks for the update.” Holt clicked off the mic, his expression grim. “I hope she makes it.”
“She will.” She infused confidence in her tone. It was difficult to comprehend starving yourself, yet at the same time, remembering the names she’d been called in high school, she could see how it might happen. Kids were cruel, and it wasn’t until she’d reached college that she’d learned even the most popular kids were now green freshmen, just like the rest of them. Their former popularity didn’t carry over to college.
She cast a sideways glance at Holt, wondering if he knew how Heidi had treated her nine years ago. When they’d been in elementary school, they’d been friends. But that all changed when Heidi became one of the high school cheerleaders. By senior year, a tight group of cheerleaders followed Heidi around when she wasn’t dating the high school quarterback. What was his name? Taylor? Tyler?
Nate banked to the left, his voice pulling her from her reverie. “ETA three minutes.”
She finished documenting a few notes on her clipboard, then set it aside. She really needed to stop rehashing the past. As soon as Nate landed the chopper, this time on a surface landing pad, she and Holt jumped out.
They found the four-bed ICU on the second floor of the small hospital. As they entered the unit, she immediately noticed two parents hugging each other as they gazed down at their young daughter.
Barbie Martin didn’t look twenty, she looked much older. She was gaunt, her skin pasty and thin, without much elasticity. Her blond hair was stringy and limp, her breathing labored. Kristin swallowed hard, acknowledging this was the worst case of anorexia she’d ever seen. And even more disturbing? They could try to fix the physical impact of what this girl was going through, but until Barbie received the mental health services she needed, this would remain a constant battle.
The doctor on duty approached Holt. Kristin listened as she connected Barbie to their portable equipment. “Her blood pressure has been hanging in the ninety over forty range. Her pulse remains tachy at one twenty. Respirations are twenty-four, and she’s hypothermic at ninety-six degrees.”
“We can use a blanket warmer during the transfer,” she told Holt. “That should help.”
“Is my baby going to be all right?” Barbie’s mother asked, wringing her hands. “You won’t let her die, will you?”
“We’re going to get her safely transported to Trinity Medical Center.” Kristin did her best to sound reassuring. “It’s a short flight, won’t take us long at all.”
“Can I come with her?” The woman’s swollen bloodshot eyes were pleading.
“I’m sorry, there isn’t enough room inside the helicopter.” She gently covered the woman’s hand with hers. “I promise we’ll take good care of your daughter.”
Barbie’s mother’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded and turned away, burying her face against her husband’s chest. The couple looked helpless, and Kristin wished there was more she could do for them.
But getting Barbie physically stable was only a small part of the battle. She hoped, for their sake and their daughter’s, they’d consider going into an intense counseling program.
Once she had the equipment ready to go, they moved Barbie onto the Lifeline gurney. Their heated blanket was in the helicopter, so they packed layers of blankets around her for the short trip outside.
Even though it didn’t take long, Barbie was shivering by the time they lifted her gurney up and into the back of the helicopter. Kristin worked to get the heated blanket connected as quickly as possible. At barely ninety pounds, their patient couldn’t afford to waste energy shivering.
When that was finished, she placed the headphones on Barbie’s head. “Barbie, can you hear me?”
Her eyes remained closed, but Barbie nodded. Satisfied for the moment, she began charting vital signs.
“Kristin, I think we should change her fluids to Ringer’s lactate solution. It might help correct her electrolytes.”
“Okay.” She pulled out a liter bag from their supplies and hung it on the IV pump. Fluids were clipping along at 150 cc’s per hour through an IV in her subclavian vein, which should help keep her stable during the flight.
Out of nowhere, Barbie abruptly reached up and pulled out her central line. Bloody fluid spurted around the interior of the chopper as Kristin tried to shut off the pump. Holt put pressure on her chest where the catheter had been.
Barbie’s eyes were wild. “I don’t want IVs or feedings! I don’t want anything! Leave me alone!”
“Restrain her arms,” Holt said. Kristin was able to capture both of Barbie’s thin wrists. “We need to replace that central line.”
“Nooo . . .”
Kristin caught Holt’s gaze. “Should we do that against her wishes?”
Holt’s mouth thinned, then he nodded. “Yes, I think we should. I don’t think she’s in her right mind at the moment.” Within seconds, Barbie’s blood pressure began to drop. Her eyes fluttered closed. On the monitor, she began to have irregular heartbeats.
“Restrain her arms so she can’t hit us.” Holt’s expression was grim. “I need to get this central line placed ASAP.”
Kristin did as instructed. When he placed the catheter in the other side of Barbie’s chest, she didn’t flinch.
Her gut squeezed painfully.
They were losing her.
Beads of sweat rolled down her face. Kristin had the IV ready to go the minute Holt had it in place. She vaguely heard Nate saying something about their ETA being five minutes, but she ignored him.
Once the fluids were connected, she glanced at Holt. “Meds for her heart?”
“A bolus of amiodarone.” As she reached for the medication, she heard him cue the mic. “Paramedic base, this is Lifeline requesting a hot unload.”
“Ten-four, Lifeline.”
Barbie began to struggle weakly against the restraints. “No. I told you no.”
Kristin leaned down, capturing Barbie’s gaze. “Barbie, do you want to die?”
“No.”
“Okay, then you need those fluids to keep running. Without them, you’ll die, understand? You will die.”
Barbie closed her eyes and turned away. Kristin was relieved she’d stopped fighting, but she was still inwardly reeling from the close call.
Nate landed the chopper, and she waited for Holt to jump out first. She pushed the gurney toward him from inside, then came around to join him. They were met by a team of doctors and nurses from the emergency department. There was no way to be heard above the sound of the chopper, so they had to wait until they were inside the building to let the team know what had happened.
“Her blood pressure is still only eighty-four over thirty-six,” Kristin reported. “Her pulse is also irregular and remains in the one twenties.”
“Do you think she’s decisional?” the ED attending asked Holt.
Holt hesitated. “I don’t. I think her pulling out the IV was a symptom of her disease process. She clearly stated she didn’t want to die, yet she also said she didn’t want any fluids or feedings. You may need an ethics consult on this one, as she’s twenty years old and normally should be able to make her own decisions.”
The attending nodded. “Yeah, good idea. Thanks.”
She and Holt accompanied Barbie to the ED’s trauma bay. After they moved her off the gurney, she quickly disconnected the equipment and piled it on top.
Holt stopped near a box of bleach wipes and helped her clean the blood and fluids from the gurney, pumps, and monitors. They’d have to clean the interior of the chopper, too. “That was a close call.”
“Too close,” she agreed. “Not the best way to end the day.”
“I don’t suppose I could interest you in stopping for a bite to eat after work.” Holt’s tone was casual, but his gaze was intense. “We didn’t get much of a break today.”
The idea of going out with Holt was so startling, she tripped over her own feet, managing to catch herself before she face-planted on the floor. “Oh, uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were seeing someone.”
“I’m not.” The denial popped out before she could catch herself. “But I don’t date doctors I work with.”
“I see.” He nodded, even though she saw skepticism in his gaze. “Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me after my three-month rotation here is over?”
“Oh, uh, well, I don’t know . . .” She couldn’t seem to pull her scattered thoughts together. Why on earth was he pursuing her? The last thing she wanted to do was date another resident.
Greg Zeman had been bad enough.
“Think about it, okay?” Holt tossed her a quick grin, and she found herself nodding.
“I will.” Wait a minute, no she wouldn’t. Dating Holt wasn’t ever going to happen. Not now. Not in three months.
Not ever.
She wondered if flying with Dr. Frost—er—Yost, would be easier than fighting her attraction for Holt.
How in the world was she going to last the entire three months of working with him?
She had no idea.
Holt couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so quickly and thoroughly shot down.
He tried to shake it off. After all, hadn’t he been enjoying his freedom after breaking up with Lana? It had been four months, and there was no reason to rush into another relationship.
But working alongside Kristin made him realize how important it was to have someone you trusted at your side. Someone you could depend on for support.
Someone you enjoyed spending time with.
When they returned to the Lifeline hangar and cleaned the chopper with bleach wipes, the night shift crew was waiting for them. Not Ivan and Paulette this time, but flight nurse Kate Weber and another resident by the name of Matthew Abbott.
“Hey, Holt. How’s it going?” Matt asked.
“Busy.” He dropped into the chair, feeling as deplete as if he’d spent the entire twelve hours running a marathon. “The last transfer was touch and go.”
After he’d described their last patient, Matt and Kate both winced. “That’s a tough one.”
“Yeah.” He glanced at Kristin. “At least I had a great partner.”
Kristin blushed. “Anyone else would have done the same thing. Listen, I need to get home. Do you need anything else from me, Kate?”
“I think we’re good.” Kate waved a hand. “Go, I know it was a long day.”
Holt jumped up from his seat. “I’ll walk you out.”
This time Kristin didn’t argue, maybe because she knew it was a wasted effort. Granted, the Lifeline hangar was located in a decent part of town, but he wasn’t about to let a woman walk in the dark alone.
“It’s because of Heidi, isn’t it?”
“What?” Kristin paused with her hand resting on the door of her car.
“I should have stood up for you that day. I’m so sorry I didn’t. I wish I could go back and change things.”
“I don’t want to go back.” Kristin opened the driver’s side door. “And that’s not why I said no. It’s just—I’m not interested in dating a doctor. I’ve seen more relationships between doctors and nurses fail than succeed.” She looked away, shrugged, and tossed her purse into the passenger seat. “It’s nothing personal.”
“I see.” It sure felt personal, but he appreciated her honesty. “Okay, forget I mentioned it. Have a good weekend.”
“You, too.” Kristin slid behind the wheel. He stood aside, watching as she drove off, before heading over to his bright blue pickup.
He lived in the new Crossroads apartment building, located not far from the hangar. He tried to remember if he had a frozen pizza left in the freezer for dinner. He was starving and had hoped to avoid eating alone.
His phone rang as he popped the last pizza in the oven. When he picked up his phone, he winced when he saw Lana’s number. “Hello?”
“Holt, it’s Lana. What’s going on at Lifeline?”
He scowled, hoping the pizza would cook fast. “What do you mean?”
“I just got off the phone with Paulette, she’s been placed on probation. And she claims it’s your fault!” Lana’s voice grew louder as she talked. “What are you doing? Sabotaging my friends to make yourself look better?”
“Hold on, I had nothing to do with Paulette being placed on probation.” Although he was secretly glad Jared had taken action. “Residents don’t fly with each other, we fly with nurses and paramedics.”
“I heard the paramedic she was assigned to was horrible. He was nasty and didn’t have a clue about what he should be doing.”
“That’s not true. Paulette isn’t giving you the full story, Lana, and frankly I don’t see any reason for us to discuss it. I have to go.”
“Wait! Come on, Holt. You must have some pull there. Can’t you put in a good word for Paulette? It’s not her fault she got airsick.”
“There’s nothing I can do. I haven’t worked with Paulette, so I can’t give her a recommendation. Goodbye.” He quickly disconnected before she could say anything more.
It was interactions like this that made him thankful he’d broken things off when he had. Being alone was better than spending time with Lana.
After eating his pizza, he dropped into bed and slept. The following morning, he ate breakfast and prioritized his chores. Grocery shopping and laundry were both high on the list.
His apartment included a washer and dryer, which he liked. No more hunting for quarters to plug into a machine. When that chore was done, he decided to hit the grocery store.
As he headed through the lobby on his way out to his truck, he stopped abruptly when he saw Kristin standing off to the side, talking to the manager.
“Kristin! Are you looking to move in here?”
“Holt.” She looked flustered at seeing him. “Um, this is just one of the units I’m checking out.”
“This is a great place, nice and quiet. You’d love it.” He tried not to overdo his enthusiasm, although he couldn’t deny the flash of longing that hit hard.
Seeing Kristin even on a casual friendly basis after his Lifeline rotation was finished would be easier if they both lived in the same building.
“We offer many amenities,” the manager said, sensing a potential rental in the making. “There’s a great room that can be rented out for parties, and each apartment has its own laundry facilities.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for showing me the available units.” Kristin edged toward the door. “I’ll be in touch.”
Holt stared after her as she hurried away. It occurred to him that he may have been better off if they hadn’t run into each other. She might have signed a rental agreement to move in if she hadn’t known about his living here.
Unfortunately, it was too late now. She’d never move here.
All because of him.
Chapter Five
Kristin kicked herself for overreacting at finding Holt striding through the lobby of the apartment building she’d toured first thing that morning. She really needed to get a grip on her emotions. Okay, yes, he was a nice guy and easy to work with. But she absolutely did not want to date him.
And maybe if she told herself that a hundred times a day, she’d begin to believe it.
She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She’d liked the apartment in his building better than any of the others she’d looked at. And it was available immediately. But now she was in a conundrum. If she moved in, would Holt assume she’d done it to be closer to him? And even if he didn’t think that, how would it be to watch him dating other women?
