Sneak Peak: Serenity to Accept

Here’s the rest of Chapter 1 (something that wasn’t in the back of Courage to Change 🙂 )

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Jason watched the two nurses leave the cafeteria. His gaze had been drawn to the tall, dark haired woman since she entered. He smiled slightly and wondered if the fact that being called a “hottie” made him wince meant he was too old or just a word snob. Probably a little of both. Still, it was nice to have an attractive woman find you appealing. Laughing at himself, he collected his trash and headed out of the cafeteria. The shorter nurse was right. He did have a strict policy about dating, though it was more that he was only going to date women he met at church. He didn’t actually care if they worked at the hospital. That explanation had seemed less complicated when she’d cornered him. Remembering her sloppy attempt to pick him up made him shudder. Captain Obvious could give her lessons in subtlety.

Back in the ER, he checked in with the desk to collect his next patient’s chart. It was a slow day, but that just meant the waiting room wasn’t stacked twenty deep. His pulse quickened in anticipation. Stitching up a gash or checking for a concussion might not seem glamorous, but it gave him an immediate sense of accomplishment. It was, in his estimation, the trenches. He loved the variety of cases and he could go home at the end of the day and know he’d made a difference in someone’s life.
He tapped on the door to an exam room and went in, offering a quick smile. “Good afternoon, I’m Doctor Garcia.”

***

The dim lights and quiet beeping of machines soothed Karin as she returned to the NICU. She waved to Gwen, the nurse manager, as she passed by the nurse’s station on her way to check on her babies. Her three current charges were located on the far side of the room. Here and there, curtains were drawn to give visiting parents some privacy.

She checked the chart at the foot of her first baby’s isolette and marked the time. The brightly colored quilt that covered the protective cocoon had been made by this baby’s mom. Karin fingered the plush fabric as she carefully slid it aside to gain access to her patient. His deep blue eyes were open and she smiled at him as she gently and deftly arranged a clean diaper under his bottom.
“Hi there, Drew.” Karin crooned as she made quick work of his diaper change and set about checking his vitals. “You’re doing so well, sweetie.” She eyed the readouts and made a few notations before tucking him back into his bed with a tender stroke to his cheek. “I’ll bet the doctor lets you go home soon.” She winked. “I’ll be back soon.” She rearranged the quilt before moving on to the next precious child.

As she worked, Dr. Garcia kept creeping into her thoughts. Even though the cafeteria had been bustling, it hadn’t looked to her like he noticed the noise. How was he able to concentrate on his prayer with so much chaos going on around him? Maybe that ability to focus made him a good ER doctor. Karin couldn’t imagine taking so much time to pray in a public place. Wasn’t prayer supposed to be a private conversation between you and God? Phil would probably like him, though. He was always commenting that God and science weren’t irreconcilable opposites. It seemed likely Dr. Garcia would agree. Phil would love knowing that something as simple as a meal time prayer had her thinking about God, even tangentially. With a mental snort, she forced her mind back to her work. It was nearly time for parents to start coming in, and she wanted to be sure everything was just right.