LITMIR.BIZ

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door. Darlene looked up and beckoned her in.

      “Hi,” Cindy said.

      “Take off your mask,” Darlene said. “Can’t understand a darn thing with that on. Everyone sounds like they’re talkin’ with marbles in their mouth. How’s your sister doing? Did you feed her yet?”

      “She’s still sleeping,” Cindy said.

      “You let her sleep past her twelve o’clock feeding? Uh-oh, Mom’s not going to like that. Gotta get her on a schedule. What kind of marine are you, anyway?”

      There was a sparkle in Darlene’s eyes, a gentle tease in her smile. Cindy smiled back. “Should I feed her?”

      “Well, since you already messed her up, you might as well let her wake up naturally. You first-time big sisters just can’t do a darn thing right.” The head nurse glanced at her watch, then turned back to her heavyset charge. “Lily, start wheelin’ the babies back into the nursery from their twelve o’clock feeding. Do rooms three-fifteen through three-thirty. I’ll do the rest. Be sure to check the chart and see who has rooming in. Don’t take the rooming-in babies back.”

      “I won’t,” Lily said solemnly.

      Darlene said, “But do check in and see if everything’s okay. Any questions?”

      Lily gave a nervous smile. “Not a one!”

      “Then either I’m doing something very right or something very wrong,” Darlene said. “And relax, Lily. Try to have some fun. As long as you’re doin’ some work.”

      “Thanks a lot, ma’am.” Lily laughed anxiously and turned to Cindy. “She’s a real slave driver.”

      “Is that nice, Nurse Booker?” Darlene pouted. “After all I’ve done for you?”

      “But a real nice slave driver,” Lily said. “Watch out for her when you’re a trainee.”

      “A trainee?” Cindy asked.

      “Darlene has big plans for you.”

      Cindy laughed but was confused.

      “Nurse Booker, kindly remove yourself and go do some work,” Darlene said.

      “Yes sir, ma’am.” Lily saluted, waved at Cindy, then left.

      Cindy waved back, watching a big rear fill out the backside of her uniform. Despite Lily’s girth and size, she looked young—early twenties, maybe. Probably a recent graduate of nursing school, and this was her first real job.

      “She seems really nice,” Cindy said to Darlene.

      “She’s going to be a darn good nurse,” Darlene said. “Know why? ’Cause she’s conscientious and caring. She worked herself up from nothing, ’cause her dream was to help people. Shows what you can do when the motivation is there. Have you ever thought of nursing as a career, Cindy? You seem pretty darn caring yourself.”

      Cindy felt heat in her cheeks. Seemed like Lily and Darlene had been doing some talking. “I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’m leaning toward criminal sciences.”

      Darlene made a face. “The nursing profession could use caring people. Think about it.” She straightened her spine and did a few arm circles. “You calling it quits tonight, you slacker?”

      Again Cindy smiled. “I thought I’d just wait until Hannah wakes up so I could feed her. Then I thought I’d go home. Maybe come back later in the morning. Is that okay?”

      “Okay by me, kid. Just don’t get in Marie’s way.”

      Cindy frowned. “Marie’s going to be on shift again?”

      “Doing the three-to-eleven, plus all night here with me—double duty. The other night charge nurse is taking the night off.” Darlene furrowed her brows. “Marie’s a good nurse, Cindy. Very dedicated and patient with the moms and the babies. She just doesn’t have a lot of leftover patience for anyone else, especially young kids like yourself who’re self-confident and able-bodied. You’re gonna have to learn to deal with all sorts of people in your life.”

      “I don’t say a word to her,” Cindy said. “I try to mind my own business. She just doesn’t like me hanging around Hannah.”

      “You know how to bake?” Darlene asked.

      “Yes.”

      “Tell you what, Cindy. When you come back, bring her some home-baked chocolate-chip cookies. Marie’ll appreciate the gesture. That’s all she wants. A little appreciation.”

      “Hey, if that’s all it takes, I’ll even wrap them up in a basket with ribbon.”

      Darlene said, “I gotta go fetch some babies, start doing my blood work.”

      Cindy drew her paper-covered foot across the ground. “Was my dad around here at all?”

      “’Bout an hour ago. I told him you were with Hannah and both of you were asleep.”

      “I should go let him know I’m alive.” She looked at the clock. “I think I could make it back and forth before Hannah wakes up.”

      “Probably,” Darlene said. “Hon, do me a favor. Before you go, check and make sure Angela or Chris is in the back room. Nursery C and D called them away ’bout an hour ago ’cause we’re so short-staffed. Budget cuts. Seems the whole nursing staff is a few old-timers and a bunch of temps who don’t know a darn thing. I told them they could float for a while, but sometimes when you get busy, people forget to look at the clock. Someone should be in the nursery at all times.”

      “And if they’re not?”

      “Wait for me, and I’ll call someone in.”

      “I can visit my father later. Do you want me to wait here until you’re done wheeling back the babies?”

      Darlene wrinkled her nose as she thought. “If you wouldn’t mind, that would be convenient. All these budget cuts … make you wonder if hospitals are really for patients anymore.” She clucked her tongue and handed Cindy her beeper. “Just push the red button if you think you got an emergency. I’ll be right on the floor.”

      “No problem,” Cindy said. “Do you want me to check in on the other babies?”

      “Only if you want to visit,” Darlene said. “Thanks for your help, Cindy. And think about nursing, missy. You’re a natural.”

      Cindy’s eyes went to the ceiling. “Uh, I’ll be with Hannah. See if she’s awake and ready to eat.”

      As Cindy started to leave, Darlene called out her name. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

      “What?” Cindy asked.

      Darlene pointed to her face mask.

      “Sorry.” Cindy slipped the mask over her mouth and nose and tied the strings. “Better?”

      Darlene frowned, then broke into a big grin. “You either said ‘better’ or ‘butter.’ Yes, it is better—or, no we don’t have any butter.”

      Bottle in hand, Cindy heard the knock and looked around. Darlene and Lily were still out fetching the babies. Cindy looked down at the bundle in her arms. Hannah had closed her eyes, a small line of drool creasing a perfect chin. She needed to be burped, and Cindy wanted to do it before her sister was deep asleep. But someone kept hammering away at the nursery door. The noise was no doubt disturbing the other babies. Carefully, Cindy lay Hannah in her layette and went to the front part of the nursery. Through the glass windows, she saw her father. His face was ravaged with exhaustion, his eyes lolling in their sockets. Quickly, she opened the door.

      “Are you all right?” She started toward him, then moved back. “I can’t hug you, ’cause I’m all suited up.”

      “S’right.” Decker was having trouble focusing. “I

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