Pedes

Chapter One - Emergency

Collin

"Why are you still here, man?" Daniel asked me as I stepped into the darkened lobby of the pediatrics clinic.

"Dude, I own the place, I'm supposed to be here later than everyone else," I said with a snort.

"The real question," I said while leaning against the desk he was working at, "is why a nurse who has a beautiful girlfriend to go home to is still in this dump with a single old man."

"Collin, thirty is not old."

I dramatically clutched at my chest and gaped at him. "I'm thirty-three, Daniel! I can't believe you forgot how old I am! You were at my party and everything!"

"I should hope so," he said sarcastically without lifting his eyes from the electronic screen. "After all, I was the one who threw the damn thing."

"Well, you don't have to be an ass about it."

He rolled his eyes and ignored me.

"Seriously, though," I said as the smile wiped off my face, "why are you still here?"

Daniel sighed and pushed slightly away from the desk, his eyes dropping to his knees.

"I'm studying," he said.

"For what?" I asked incredulously. I had no idea he was taking classes still.

"A test tomorrow. I... I'm studying to be a nurse practitioner."

A wide smile quickly spread across my face. "Really? That's great!"

Daniel looked up at me with surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, man, that's awesome! I mean, it'll suck when you have to leave here, 'cause of course we'll all miss you, but still! I think it's great that you're trying to move up that ladder."

He smiled at me. "Thanks, Collin."

"No problem," I replied with a grin. "Just one thing..."

"What?"

"Go home. Sleep is most important when it comes to taking a test."

Daniel rolled his eyes at me again--I could've sworn he was more of a teenager than a young adult. "Well, of course it is. After all, Dr. Ramirez knows all."

"Don't sass me, boy. I'm still technically your boss."

"Oh, you know Maria would bring me back in a heartbeat."

Before I could come up with a witty response, the front doors burst open and banged against the side walls. I whirled around and faced a distraught woman and a scared man who held in his arms a bundle of flesh and blood.

"Dr. Holden, help!" She cried out with eyes wide with panic.

"Daniel, the gurney, stat!" I yelled as I rushed toward the couple.

"What happened?" I said as calmly as possible as I took a small girl from the man's arms. Her face was familiar to me, reminding me of someone I once knew.

"Our daughter--we were going to go get dinner and she--she just ran out into the road," the woman managed to get out, tears streaking down her face.

I nodded to the woman and just then Daniel was back with our only gurney. "How old is she?" I asked as I placed their daughter onto the mattress.

"Nine," the man said, fighting back tears himself. "Dear God, she's only nine."

I nodded again and pushed the girl down the hallway, not even attempting to make the parents stay put in the waiting area as I rushed her to our tiny emergency room.