Wildflower Hearts

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

“ I ’m late. I’m so late.” Lyla stuffed her belongings into her bag and scrambled out of the car, slamming the door without a second look. She barely reached the elevator before it closed, and she broke out into a run the second it opened on her floor. She slid up to the nurse’s station counter, shooting the head nurse an apologetic smile, and pushed her blonde hair back from her eyes.

Melissa’s attention remained directed at her paperwork. “You’re late.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She tossed her bag under her arm. “What do you have for me?”

Melissa handed her a stack of metal clipboards. “Those should keep you busy for a while.” She tapped the counter with her pen without looking. “The top patient is a priority one: male, twenty-five years of age, two gunshot wounds, and fractured ribs.”

She flipped open the file. “Noah Kingsley. Does he have any family waiting?”

“Yeah, his brothers, two adult females, and two kids.”

“Anyone talk to them?”

“Dr. Moore told them it was a sit-and-wait game, so that’s what they’ve been doing.”

“How long have they been here?”

Melissa glanced at her watch. “I’d say almost nine hours total.”

Lyla shut the folder. “I’m going to throw my stuff into my locker and get started on my runs.” She tapped the counter and began walking away, the clipboards tucked firmly under her arm.

“Make sure you clock in first. You’re late.”

“I know!”

She rewashed her hands and caught her reflection in the mirror. At least she didn’t look like she felt. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her face was light with makeup. Green eyes stared back critically, looking over her full lips and small nose. She wiggled it in distaste, moving away from the sink. She never did like how she looked.

She placed the used paper towel into the trashcan and readied the name tag on her blue hospital scrubs. She nodded in greeting, passing other workers in the hall, smiling occasionally while she slid the folders into each door slot. She saw the large group huddled in the hallway near her last stop, two kids passed out in the hard plastic seats. One man spotted her as she approached, and two others immediately followed him. The first guy was handsome, built with mahogany brown hair brushed back and dark eyes to match. He wore tan boots, dark jeans, and a white shirt under a half-zipped leather jacket. The other two were tall with dark features, one wearing a hat while the other stood before her with a shaved head.

Lyla slid the folder into the slot.

“Can you give us an update? No one will tell us anything.”

“I know as much as you do at this point, sir. He’s in stable condition and resting, which I suggest you doing yourself sometime.”

“We’re not leaving him here alone.”

“He’s not alone, I assure you, but at least get coffee or something to eat. There’s a cafeteria on the fourth floor beside the gift shop.” She turned to the door.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to check on him.”

The man with the shaved head stepped up. “Can we come in?”

“I’m afraid not. I-”

“That’s bullshit,” the first man spoke again. “We’re his family.”

“Mr. Kingsley-”

“We’re all Mr. Kingsley. We’re his brothers.”

“Please be patient, and let me do my job. I need to make sure your brother is comfortable. If there are no complications, I’ll see if you can visit him. I will try to do that as soon as possible. I am here to help you. Do you understand?”

He stepped back, running both of his hands through his hair. His brothers nodded.

“I’ll try to be as quick as possible. In the meantime, visiting the cafeteria or getting some water might be in your best interest. The fountain is located down the hall past the elevators.” She gave them a soft smile and stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind her.

Noah Kingsley looked younger than twenty-six years old. Lying on the hospital bed, tubes going in and out of his fragile body, he was handsome with brown hair and soft features. He looked so innocent that she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for everything he suffered. She did when it came to patients, even when she didn’t know anything about them, sometimes not even their names. Lyla scolded herself. The man was older than her by a mere two years. He had undoubtedly seen more things than she could imagine. Noah might look innocent, but from the looks of his family, he was anything but that.

Moving closer, she checked the machines for his vitals. His heartbeat was strong, the beeping of the machine steady. She gently lowered his wrist to his side. She exited the room, head down as she shut the door, but the sounds of a heated conversation made her look up. She caught sight of Dr. Moore as he talked to the group.

“I understand that you’re upset, but-”

“You don’t know shit. That’s my brother in there, my family, and you won’t tell me what is happening. Stop feeding me medical bullshit, and tell it to me straight!”

“Mr. Kingsley-”

“My name is Elias. Address me by my name. Don’t treat me as if I’m just another paying face.”

“If you can’t control the volume of your voice, Mr. Kingsley, I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Dr. Moore?” She watched the older man turn toward her. She could have sworn a mixed look of relief and annoyance flashed across his gray-haired features. “The patient is in steady condition. I don’t see where letting his family see him or sit in his room for a while could hurt.”

He let out a disgruntled sigh. “I have another operation to attend to now. Would you be so kind as to explain the necessary precautions, Nurse Hamilton?”

“Of course, Doctor.” She waited until he was gone before she focused on Elias. “Sorry about that. We’re understaffed due to the winter season, and it can be a bit stressful.”

“That doesn’t excuse him from being an asshole.”

“Sometimes it’s best to turn the other cheek, so they say.”

“Some of us believe that turning the other cheek only gets you slapped harder.”

“Are you all family?”

“That’s Billy and Mark. The clinger there is Mark’s wife, Debra.”

She watched in amusement as the woman threw Elias a look of annoyance.

“And this is Billy’s wife, Shannon, and their two kids.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Can we see Noah now?”

“Yes, but he’s in a drugged-induced coma. He lost a lot of blood, and the operation went long. You were lucky the ambulance reached him when they did, especially in this weather.”

“What else is wrong with him? The doc said something about rehabilitation.”

“Mr. Kingsley has fractured ribs and a broken tibia in his right leg. Dr. Moore placed metal pins and adjusted the lining of the bone. He’ll have to go through months of physical therapy to regain the use of his leg.”

Elias swore under his breath, running his hands through his hair, and she watched him close his eyes.

“From here on out, your brother will need around-the-clock care. He won’t be able to do many normal things for a while. I can imagine he won’t be in the best mood when he wakes up. The medication and staff tend to make even the best quite irritable.” She tried to flash a comforting smile. “All that said, your brother is doing well. His vitals are strong and steady. That’s an excellent sign.”

“How much longer will he have to stay here? We want him home.”

“I can’t tell you an exact date, but in this situation, you’re lucky if he’s discharged within a month. That doesn’t include outpatient therapy. He’ll have to return every week for that.” When they nodded, she stepped toward the door. “Come inside. It’s okay for the kids to see him as well.”

They thanked her as they walked by, their expressions serious but full of hope.

Elias was the last to enter. He stopped directly beside her, his gaze landing on Noah in the hospital bed. “Thank you for being straight with us.”

“I’m doing my job, Mr. Kingsley.”

“Call me Elias.” For the first time, he smiled, and it was an expression of honest gratitude. “I appreciate the honesty.”

She returned the smile. “You’re welcome, Elias. If you need anything, there’s a call button by the bed and a nurse at the station down the hall. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask for me,” she tapped her name tag, “and I’ll come as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

With a nod, she shut the door and walked off to check on her other patients.