Center mass

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tall, Brown, tatted, sexy, and a devoted father. I think I'll need some new panties now.

-Sherry's secret thoughts

Sherry

"Ms. Birkin, you have Katerina Nivans on her way to see you from the playground. The teacher says she's having a hard time breathing," Mrs. Shoe, from the front office, called through my intercom.

I looked towards the speaker, even though she couldn't see me, and nodded my head as I said, "Thank you, Mrs. Shoe. I'll meet her."

I was the school nurse for Kilgore Elementary School.

In the three weeks I'd been here, I found that there were three main things that children came to the nurse for. One was a scrape or cut of some sort. Two was a stomach bug, and three was kids having trouble breathing.

The trouble breathing thing was the scariest.

I'd found that quite a few children at the school had asthma, which was a shocker for me.

So I knew quite a few of the regular children due to them coming before recess, or after, to get a puff on their inhaler.

Katerina Nivans was a new one for me.

"Mrs. Dane, would you mind pulling up Katerina Robert's record for me to see if she has any allergies or medications she can get if needed?" I asked Laura.

Laura Dane was a CNA, or a certified nursing assistant. She'd been a lifeline since I'd started here two months ago. Mrs. Redden, the school nurse I was replacing, was currently at lunch, although she was expected back any minute for me to take my own.

Later, when I took over fully, I'd be taking my school lunch during my spare time, because the school couldn't be without a nurse. But for now, until I finished interning with Mrs. Redden, I'd be able to leave if she was here.

Standing, I walked out of my office, through the room that held the exam tables, and into the hallway.

I was always surprised at the bright red walls with the black tiled floor.

Kilgore took their school colors very seriously.

Along the walls on the two furthest tiles, were painted red feet that showed the students where they were to walk as they went through the hallways.

It was always fun to see them walking single file, especially the ones that were rebels and made their own path.

I wasn't one to follow the path myself, and I always sympathized with those students.

My daughter, Rowen, was the same way.

I used to drive my parents crazy during my school age years, which was always fun to remember now. Back then, it hadn't been so funny.

I waved to Mrs. Shoe, who was making her way slowly down the hallway. She nodded before disappearing into the school's office.

Just before I turned the corner that would lead down the hallway that held the entrance to the playground, I heard the labored breathing of a small child.

I sped up, running, especially concerned now.

Surely they wouldn't have just let her walk alone, right? A child with respiratory distress?

But as I rounded the corner, I saw the girl on her knees, alone, with her hands planted on the tile in front of her.

Typical tripod position for a person in breathing distress.