was having one of the unusual, rare days in the ER. We were steady but not slammed. I actually drank my coffee while it was still reasonably warm instead of ice-cold, and I was keeping up with charting. I glanced at the clock. Two hours to go, and I was off for three days. I was looking forward to the time away.
I headed to the nursing station and glanced at the board. Only three new cases since I’d slipped into the lounge. And only one with my color highlighted, indicating a child.
“Non-urgent,” Gail said, sidling up beside me. “Little girl fell in the park, her wrist is sore, but the biggest problem is a huge splinter that got lodged in her hand. I can help if needed. Exam room three.”
“Panicked?” I asked. I hated walking into rooms with panicked parents. They often caused the child more distress than needed.
“No. Mother and child both calm. Cute pair, actually.”
“I’m sure the man in their lives thinks so. Not in the market for a ready-made family, Gail,” I declared dryly.
A flash of riotous curls went through my head, and I shook it to clear my thoughts. That wasn’t ever going to happen. I had been back to the park every day and hadn’t found my little hugger or her mother. That ship had sailed, although I still held on to Stitch.
I headed to exam room three and walked in, stopping short when I saw the “cute pair” waiting for me.
Samantha sat on the exam bed, holding Chloe. Chloe’s hand was wrapped in a towel, and she clutched it to her chest. There were traces of blood on the cloth. Her red-rimmed eyes met mine and widened. Samantha looked as shocked as I felt. It was Chloe’s greeting that brought me back to the moment.
“Dr. Ian! Hi!”
I strode forward, pulling up the stool and sitting in front of them. I grinned at her. “Hello, Chloe.” I glanced up. “Hello, Samantha.”
She paused, then spoke. “Dr. Taylor, I didn’t realize you worked here.”
“Guilty as charged.” I focused on Chloe. “Now, Pumpkin, I hear you’ve been removing wood from the park and hiding it under your skin while doing acrobatics.” I tsked teasingly. “Dangerous stuff.”
She shook her head, her curls bobbing. “I was running. I fell.”
I held out my hand. “May I see?”
Without hesitation, she let me take her hand, and I examined it, then looked up at Samantha. “Well, like mother, like daughter. The wrist is sprained. I need to get that hunk of wood out of her hand, though, and I might have to add a stitch. It’s deep.”
Chloe’s chin began to tremble. “Will it hurt?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Promise. I’m really good.”
Gail walked in. “Dr. Taylor is the best. And he always has a treat for you after if you’re good.”
Chloe’s eyes grew round. “A treat?”
I nodded. “The cafeteria here has the best milkshakes ever. If you’re brave, I’ll get you one.”
I could feel Gail gape behind me. Normally, the treat consisted of a little toy we kept in a wooden chest. It was always fun to watch the child pick out something, forgetting for a moment what procedure had just occurred. But Chloe deserved a real treat.
“Okay,” she agreed, although her voice was shaky. “Can Mommy stay?”
“Of course,” I soothed. “She can hold you while I do my job. It won’t take long, and you’ll feel much better once that nasty piece of wood is gone.”
Samantha was watching us closely, a small frown on her face.
“When was her last tetanus shot?” I asked.
“A year ago.”
“Okay, good. I think I’ll send her home with some pills. I’ll clean it well, but I want to make sure there isn’t any infection. Is she allergic to anything?”
“No.” Her eyes grew misty. “It happened so fast.”
Without thinking, I reached out and squeezed her shoulder in comfort. Her hair was down today, the same riotous curls as Chloe’s tumbling past her shoulders. The coils felt soft under my fingers.
“Kids and scrapes happen all the time. It’s part of growing up. I’m glad you brought her here instead of trying to dig that out yourself.” I’d seen that happen too often, with disastrous consequences.
She nodded, not saying anything. I noticed her gaze drifted to my hand, and I wondered if she was looking for a ring, the way I had the other day. I knew I had to address the unspoken question between us. I just had to figure out how.
“Gail will get everything ready and she’ll help