‘What’s the protocol for IV aminophylline here?’ Juan asked, after having another listen to Jason’s chest.
‘We don’t give it here,’ Cate said, because it was a drug that required constant monitoring. ‘It’s only given on ICU.’
‘This has just become ICU,’ Juan said. ‘I’m not leaving him.’
Cate looked over at Harry.
‘Fine.’ Harry nodded and rolled his eyes. ‘In Juan we trust.’ Which actually made Lisa laugh.
‘How long are you on till?’ Lisa asked Juan.
‘All day,’ Juan said. ‘Don’t worry, when Jason is transferred I will go with him.’ He didn’t need to ask Harry’s permission. Yes, it left them a doctor down, which would have to be sorted, but that was simply how it must be and no one argued. You could feel some of the tension leave not just Jason’s parents but Jason himself. Clearly black boots and long black hair and an unshaven doctor didn’t worry Jason a bit.
‘Well,’ Harry said, ‘I’ll leave you in Juan’s capable hands and I’ll come back in soon and see how Jason is doing.’ He looked at Cate. ‘I’m just going to get the twins some breakfast and then take them over to childcare.’
‘I’ve already given them breakfast,’ Cate said, and Harry gave a grateful nod. ‘They’re just watching cartoons in the staffroom.’
‘Thanks so much for coming in, Doctor.’ Jason’s father stood and shook Harry’s hand. ‘It meant a lot.’
‘Not a problem,’ Harry said.
It was, though, a huge problem, and Juan commented on it after they had set up the aminophylline infusion and were waiting for the paramedics to transfer Jason. Juan had double-checked that he had everything and Cate had done the same until, happy they were well equipped, they moved to have a quick coffee at the nurses’ station, watching Jason from a slight distance. They had no idea when they might get another chance to take a quick break because they would both go on the transfer with Jason and then rush back to work at Bayside—unless there were any emergencies on the journey.
‘Harry got here at five a.m. to see Jason,’ Juan commented.
‘I know.’
‘Did he bring the twins in with him then?’
Cate gave a small worried nod.
‘And does he do that sort of thing a lot?’
‘Harry’s wife died last year,’ Cate said, by way of explanation.
‘I know that,’ Juan said. ‘I asked if he did this sort of thing a lot.’
‘He hasn’t for a while.’ Cate sighed because it was clearly starting all over again and on Monday she’d be the one dealing with it.
‘He needs to get a nanny or someone he can count on.’
‘He had a nanny,’ Cate said. ‘She just left.’ She glanced at Juan, but he didn’t return her look as he was watching Jason. But she did see him smile when she revealed a little more. ‘They tend to fall in love with him.’ She watched as Juan’s smile spread further as he responded.
‘Then he needs to stop sleeping with them.’
‘Stop it!’ Cate blushed, but trust Juan to get to the heart of it. Harry was a widower and a very good-looking, well-heeled one at that. There were plenty of women only too happy to bring over a casserole as Harry had once said with a wink and a tired roll of his eyes—he’d thought they were just being nice at first. No doubt he was having the same trouble with his babysitters. The thing was, it wasn’t the Harry she knew. ‘He adored Jill.’
‘Of course he did,’ Juan said. ‘Sex and love are two very different things. I hear he was wild in his student days.’
‘Please!’ Cate said. She didn’t even want to think about Harry and his sex life, but then she confided in Juan a little of what was troubling her. ‘I’ve been told that once I’m Nurse Unit Manger I’m to address him bringing the twins in. Christine just ignores it, and Lillian says it’s been going on for too long.’
‘It needs to be addressed,’ Juan said, and he glanced over just long enough to see the flare of worry in her eyes. That much he could do for her. ‘I will speak with him about it.’
‘And say what?’
‘Bro talk,’ Juan teased. ‘You are not allowed to know.’
‘But you barely know him.’
‘Even better,’ Juan said. ‘Aside from everything, it’s not fair on the little ones to be dragged in here all time.’
Had she thought about it, she would have expected him to take Harry’s side, to say that it was no problem. Juan really was the most curious mix—the last thing she had expected was for him to actually be prepared to address the issue with the boss.
She’d love to be a fly on that wall!
JUAN DRAINED HIS mug and as they headed back, the paramedics arrived.
‘So we’re not competent enough for you, Juan?’ Louise, half of the team that would be transferring Jason, teased as she walked into Resus with the stretcher.
‘Jason has a very special airway, don’t you, Jason?’ Juan said.
Jason had, in fact, picked up considerably but he was on strong drugs that meant he needed very careful monitoring. All joking aside, it was good to have Matthew and Louise as the paramedics—they were an excellent team and Juan went through all the history and the equipment with them and told Louise the medications Jason was on.
‘I want to get there quickly,’ Juan said, ‘with as little upset to him as possible.’
‘Do you want one of his parents to come?’ Louise checked, but Juan shook his head.
‘I’ve already told them no. We’re going to play chase.’
‘Sorry?’ Louise frowned but Juan just smiled.
There really wasn’t room for either of Jason’s parents to come in the ambulance, especially as there was the potential for an emergency on the way. Even with the anti-emetic he had been given, Juan was worried that Jason might vomit and that could prove urgent in itself with his poor breathing and difficult airway.
Fortunately, though, Jason was so taken with Juan and so delighted to have escaped the helicopter that he didn’t protest in the least and neither did his parents. They headed off as soon as the paramedics arrived in the hope of beating the ambulance to the hospital. There was a good chance they might, as Juan took his time making sure everything was ready for the transfer, and ensured that Jason was as stable as he could be.
‘Come on, then,’ Juan said a good twenty minutes after Louise and Matthew had arrived. ‘We’ve given your parents a good start, shall we see if we can catch them up? We might have to put the sirens on if we’re going to have a chance.’
He winked to Louise, who smiled because she understood the game.
It was so much better with him than without, Cate thought as they sped with sirens and lights blazing to the city, trying to beat Jason’s parents! The stars really had aligned for Jason today and they pulled up at the children’s hospital without incident. Just knowing that Juan could deal with whatever presented had made a difficult transfer so much more straightforward. Juan was more than highly skilled—clearly his career had, at one time,