Page 1 of Wildflower Hearts
Chapter One
“I’m late. I’m so late.” Lyla stuffed her belongings into her bag and scrambled out of the car, slamming the door without a second look. She barely reached the elevator before it closed, and she broke out into a run the second it opened on her floor. She slid up to the nurse’s station counter, shooting the head nurse an apologetic smile, and pushed her blonde hair back from her eyes.
Melissa’s attention remained directed at her paperwork. “You’re late.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” She tossed her bag under her arm. “What do you have for me?”
Melissa handed her a stack of metal clipboards. “Those should keep you busy for a while.” She tapped the counter with her pen without looking. “The top patient is a priority one: male, twenty-five years of age, two gunshot wounds, and fractured ribs.”
She flipped open the file. “Noah Kingsley. Does he have any family waiting?”
“Yeah, his brothers, two adult females, and two kids.”
“Anyone talk to them?”
“Dr. Moore told them it was a sit-and-wait game, so that’s what they’ve been doing.”
“How long have they been here?”
Melissa glanced at her watch. “I’d say almost nine hours total.”
Lyla shut the folder. “I’m going to throw my stuff into my locker and get started on my runs.” She tapped the counter and began walking away, the clipboards tucked firmly under her arm.
“Make sure you clock in first. You’re late.”
“I know!”
She rewashed her hands and caught her reflection in the mirror. At least she didn’t look like she felt. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her face was light with makeup. Green eyes stared back critically, looking over her fulllips and small nose. She wiggled it in distaste, moving away from the sink. She never did like how she looked.
She placed the used paper towel into the trashcan and readied the name tag on her blue hospital scrubs. She nodded in greeting, passing other workers in the hall, smiling occasionally while she slid the folders into each door slot. She saw the large group huddled in the hallway near her last stop, two kids passed out in the hard plastic seats. One man spotted her as she approached, and two others immediately followed him. The first guy was handsome, built with mahogany brown hair brushed back and dark eyes to match. He wore tan boots, dark jeans, and a white shirt under a half-zipped leather jacket. The other two were tall with dark features, one wearing a hat while the other stood before her with a shaved head.
Lyla slid the folder into the slot.
“Can you give us an update? No one will tell us anything.”
“I know as much as you do at this point, sir. He’s in stable condition and resting, which I suggest you doing yourself sometime.”
“We’re not leaving him here alone.”
“He’s not alone, I assure you, but at least get coffee or something to eat. There’s a cafeteria on the fourth floor beside the gift shop.” She turned to the door.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to check on him.”
The man with the shaved head stepped up. “Can we come in?”
“I’m afraid not. I-”
“That’s bullshit,” the first man spoke again. “We’re his family.”
“Mr. Kingsley-”
“We’re all Mr. Kingsley. We’re his brothers.”
“Please be patient, and let me do my job. I need to make sure your brother is comfortable. If there are no complications, I’llsee if you can visit him. I will try to do that as soon as possible. I am here to help you. Do you understand?”
He stepped back, running both of his hands through his hair. His brothers nodded.
