“
Valerie checked Brandon’s temperature. “You know, I told that girl myself she’s nuts. You know what she said to me?”
I arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“She said, ‘Just because a man gives you the best sex of your life doesn’t mean you need to date his ass.’ Lawd, I just about died,” she snickered.
I snorted. Yup, that sounded like Kristen.
Well, at least I’d done something right.
Valerie chuckled to herself while she checked Brandon’s pulse. “He’s coming out tomorrow. I bet you’re all getting pretty excited.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “This has been a really tough few weeks.”
“He’s gonna do great.”
She changed out the bag on his IV drip. Then she pulled out a small light from her breast pocket, clicked it on, and opened his right eye. “You know, a lot of the nurses are gonna miss the steady stream of cute firemen coming through he—”
She paused.
She opened his other eye and shone the light into his pupil. She cleared her throat as she clicked the light off and slipped it back in her pocket. “We sure are going to miss you guys.” She picked up his chart.
She didn’t look at me. Her tone changed. Her body changed. I’d done that change myself on the scene of a call.
Something is wrong.
“What is it?”
She didn’t answer me.
I pulled out my cell phone and turned on the flashlight. I leaned over Brandon and opened his eye while Valerie watched me wordlessly.
My breath caught in my throat. “No. No! ”
I looked at the other eye, and my hands started to shake. I stumbled back from the bed and knocked into my chair, dropping my cell phone to the floor with a clatter.
Valerie looked at me, and we exchanged a moment of understanding.
His pupils were blown.
They were large black marbles in his eyes.
”
”