“You know for the past couple of days all you could talk about was this chick, what was her name?” Trace asked Justin.
“Ava.” Justin replied as he stirred the Chicken Noodle Soup in the pot on his stove.
“Yeah that’s it, Ava. Anyway, what’s so special about this girl? This is the most I’ve heard you talk about anyone of the gender other than your mom or Olivia.”
“She’s a really cool girl that I could see myself being friends with. That’s all.” Justin replied as he turned the knob on the stove off, and began to pour the contents into a Dora the Explorer bowl.
“Right.” Trace replied.
Justin looked over at Trace, “Seriously, there’s nothing there other than me wanting to be friends with her. She’s not really my type anyway.” Justin said as he placed the pot in the sink.
“What’s wrong with her?”
Justin laughed, “What?”
“What’s wrong with her? Does she have a crooked tooth or something?”
Justin laughed more, “No, she doesn’t.”
“Is she not pretty?”
“She’s pretty.”
“Then why don’t you ask her out on a date or something?”
Justin laughed at his question, “No. I told you I wasn’t ready to get back into that yet. I tried it, I gave it a go, and it didn’t work. Besides with Ava I just want a friendship. I need more friends in my life other than you.” Justin said as he threw a dishrag at Trace. It landed in his face, and fell to his lap.
“So you mean there’s no attraction to this chick at all?”
Justin smiled at the fact that his questions were beginning to get more and more absurd, “No, there isn’t.”
Trace shook his head, “There’s got to be something wrong with her.”
Justin laughed, “There’s nothing wrong with her Trace.” He said placing the bowl of soup on a tray along with some crackers, a spoon, and some apple juice. “Besides I don’t have time to stand here and argue over this. I have a sick child to attend to. So forgive me if I don’t show you to the door.” Justin said as he smiled and gathered the tray in his hands.
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave. I know when I’m not wanted you don’t have to spell it out to me. Besides I got some things I have to do anyway.” Trace said as he fished his keys out of his pocket and twirled them around on his finger catching them with the palm of his hand.
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Justin asked.
“Bank on it. Where else would I be?”
Justin laughed as he followed Trace into the foyer to go up the stairs, “Bye man.”
“Bye. Kiss the munchkin for me.” Trace said as he opened the door and walked out closing the door behind him.
Justin reached the top of the stairs, and pushed open the door of his daughter’s room when he reached the third one on the right.
“Hey baby. You hungry?” He asked as he walked further into the room.
She sat up slowly with her Teddy Bear under one arm, “I try.”
“Does your tummy hurt?” Justin asked as he sat on the edge of her bed placing the tray over her legs.
“Little.” She said grabbing the small glass of juice and took a drink.
Justin reached over and felt her cheeks and forehead and immediately regretted it. They were hot to the touch. He hated to see what kind of temperature she had.
Olivia started to cough as she sat the juice back on the tray. He didn’t like the sound of her cough…and he hated to think that maybe she was beginning to get pneumonia from Zoey.
“You eat your soup and I’m going to go get some medicine for you ok?”
Olivia shook her head, and picked up the spoon for her soup weakly. “Tay.”
Justin smiled sympathetically at his daughter and leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, “You’ll feel better in no time, I promise.” He said as he stood up and walked out of her room to go get the medicine. He had decided that if her fever didn’t go down in hour after he gave her the medicine, she had to go to this hospital.
But knowing that someone he knew was there, he didn’t feel nervous or anxious taking her.
“Ready to go home Ava?” asked Evelyn. She was one of Ava’s nurse friends; she was kind of like the mother hen to all of them there considering she was the oldest.
Ava sighed and smiled, “More than you know.” Ava said as she stood and placed a chart on the rack for the Doctor’s to go over.
“How’d your granddaughter’s graduation go?” Ava asked. For the past two weeks that was all that Evelyn could talk about. Which was understandable considering that she was her only grandchild.
“Oh it was wonderful. She gave such a beautiful speech. I felt so proud seeing her up on that stage with those yellow ribbons around her neck.”
Ava smiled listening to her go on about her granddaughter. She graduated at the top of her class, and was valedictorian.
“I imagine you were.” Ava said reminiscing about her own graduation. She never realized how much she actually missed high school. But she definitely didn’t want to go back.
Ava was pulled out of thoughts when she head someone approach the desk, “Ava?”
Hearing her name she looked up and was surprised yet again to see Justin. But felt bad when she saw an obviously sick Olivia in his arms. “Hello Justin. What can I do for you?”
“Olivia has had a bit of a temperature all night and I can’t seem to get it to go down. I wasn’t sure how serious this all was, and I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t something serious. She’s also had a real bad stomach ache, and she’s got a little cough that I’m worried about too.”
Ava smiled and stood from her seat. She grabbed a chart with paperwork for Justin to fill out and walked around the desk. “We’ll check her out for you. Just follow me.” Ava said as she motioned for Justin to follow her down the hall to an exam room.
She looked up at Olivia who was currently resting her head on her fathers shoulder sucking her thumb. The Olivia she saw when Zoey was here was not the little girl in her father’s arms. She instantly felt horrible for the little girl.
Ava offered her a comforting smile, “Hi Olivia. Do you remember me?” Ava asked as they stopped in front of an exam room. Ava let father and daughter go in first. Justin sat down on the exam table, and situated Olivia in his lap.
“You remember Miss Ava don’t you? She was Zoey’s nurse when we came to visit her last week.”
Olivia slowly shook her head, and pulled her thumb out of her mouth, “I color you picture.”
Ava smiled, “Yes you did. I still have it too. It’s hanging up in my locker.” She grabbed a thermometer and placed a protective piece of plastic over the part that goes in the mouth, and sat on a sliding stool in front of Justin and Olivia.
“Do you mind if I check your temperature?” Ava asked.
Olivia shook her head no and put her thumb in her mouth. Justin spoke up, “Livvie you need to let Miss Ava check your temperature. It’s going to help you get better.”
Olivia looked as if she were thinking it over, and then slowly shook her head yes.
Ava smiled, “Ok, can you open you’re mouth for me?”
Olivia did as she was told and Ava smiled, “Ok I’m gonna stick this under your tongue ok? But you’ve got to keep your mouth closed for me alright?”
Olivia shook her head as Ava stuck the thermometer under her tongue and Ava closed her mouth.
“You’re such a good girl.” Ava said softly patting her knee.
“Ok Dad I’ve got some paperwork that I need you to fill out for me. It’s just her name and all that jazz. It’s also how you want to take care of the payment. You can do that when you get a moment.” Ava said smiling at him.
“Alright,” Justin said as he looked down at Olivia, “Livvie do you think you can sit right here with Miss Ava so Daddy can fill out some stuff for you?”
Olivia shook her head yes, as Justin moved her off his lap and in her own spot on the exam table.
“Just go to the nurse’s station, and if you have any questions ask for a lady named Evelyn. She’s really nice and she can help you.” Ava said as she handed him the paperwork.
“Ok. I’m just going to be right out her ok, baby?” Justin said to Olivia.
Olivia shook her head yes acknowledging that she heard her father.
“We’ll be alright won’t we Olivia?” Ava asked turning back to Olivia who was currently smiling and shaking her head.
Justin laughed, “Ok. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as Justin walked out the door the thermometer beeped, “Ok let’s see what this thing says. Can you open your mouth for me?” Olivia opened her mouth, and Ava pulled the thermometer out, “Good girl.” Ava looked down at the digital reading and saw that her temperature was 101. It was a pretty high temp, but it was nothing to serious. It was just something that needed to be monitored constantly.
“You do have a pretty high temp there, Kiddo. So you’re tummy’s been hurting also?”
Olivia shook her head, “I shrew up shree times.” She said holding up three fingers.
Ava smiled, “And your throat’s been hurting too?”
Olivia shook her head again, “A little.”
“Ok. Well we’ll just have to get you some medicine to bring that fever down, and to help your tummy won’t we?”
Olivia smiled and shook her head yes, “I no have poomonia?”
Ava laughed at her pronunciation of pneumonia, “No sweetie you don’t.”
“Daddy said I might got it from Zoey.”
“I think you’re Dad was worrying a little too much.” Ava said as she stood and picked the little girl. Ava placed her on her hip and walked over to one of the counters. “I got some sticker’s here do you want one?”
Olivia shook her head yes, “Pease.”
Ava laughed, “Ok I’ve got Dora, Blues Clues, Sponge Bob, and Barbie. Which one do you want.”
“Dora.”
“Ok Dora it is.” Ava said as she pulled the sticker box closer to her with her free hand, and pulled the sticker off. “Where do you want it?”
“Right dare.” Olivia said as she pointed to her chest.
“Ok. There ya go.” Ava said as she placed the sticker on the little girl’s chest. “Ok now when we go out here you’ve got to show Miss Evelyn your sticker.”
“Why?” Olivia asked as they walked toward the door.
“Because if you show her she’ll give you a sucker for being a good girl.” Ava said as they walked into the hallway.
“I good girl?”
“Yes you were a very good girl.” Ava said as they walked back toward the nurse’s station.
“Dank you.” Olivia said as she wrapped her arms around Ava’s neck and gave her a hug.
Ava smiled, “You’re welcome sweetie.” Ava said as she hugged back.
When they approached the counter Ava sat her on top, “Miss Evelyn? I’ve got a girl here who needs to speak with you.”
Evelyn smiled and walked over to Ava and the little girl, “Well hello there. Who are you?” Evelyn asked.
Olivia smiled at her, “I Olivia.”
“Hello Olivia. I’m Evelyn.”
Olivia smiled again, “I a good girl.” She said pointing to the sticker that was occupying her chest.
“You were? Well I guess you want a sucker then don’t you?”
Olivia shook her head yes excitedly.
Evelyn reached under the desk and pulled out a bucket of lollipops, “Which one do you want?”
Olivia pressed her finger up to her mouth as if to think, and then pointed at a red sucker, “Dat one.”
“Alright,” said Evelyn as she reached into the box and pulled out a red sucker, “here ya go.”
Olivia smiled and gave the sucker to Ava, “Open?” She asked sweetly.
Ava took the sucker and pulled the plastic off for her, “There ya go.” She said as she handed it back to her.
Olivia put the sucker in her mouth, and her eyes brightened when she saw her father walk out of the restroom, “Daddy! Yook what I got!” She said holding the sucker out.
Justin smiled, “I see that. Were you a good girl?”
“Uh-huh. See?” she said pointing to the sticker making Ava and Evelyn laugh.
Justin laughed as well, “I see that. I guess that’s how you got a sucker, huh?”
Olivia smiled and shook her head as she placed the sucker back in her mouth.
He then turned to Ava, “How is she?”
“Well it’s not pneumonia for sure.” Ava said as she smiled.
Justin laughed, “I guess she told you that huh?”
“Yep. It’s just a little touch of the stomach flu, and some sinus drainage. Her temp was 101, but its not something super serious. You’ve just got to monitor it until you get it to go down. Have you been giving her any medicine for it?”
“I gave her some Children’s Motrin an hour before we came here.”
“Ok just keep giving her that regularly. Make sure you keep giving her fluids regularly as well. We don’t want her getting dehydrated.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
“Not a problem. You know if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were stalking me.” Ava said jokingly.
Justin laughed, “Well I do have to admit I did make something out of nothing to come up here and see you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You seem like a really nice person, and I need all the friends I can get.”
“Well thanks. So do you.”
“So can I officially say you’re my friend now?” Justin asked with a smile as he gathered Olivia in his arms. She was still licking away on her sucker.
Ava laughed, “Sure.”
“Don’t friends normally have each other’s numbers?”
Ava smiled and grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote down her number, “If you call my house phone I apologize in advance for anything my friend Kaci says.” She said smiling as she handed Justin the slip of paper.
“Alright I’ll call you sometime.” Justin said as he adjusted Olivia on his hip.
“Sounds great.” Ava said as she placed her hands in the pockets of her scrub top. “Remember to monitor her temp and keep giving her plenty of fluids. At least until it goes down.”
“Alright. Thanks a lot.”
“No problem. Bye Olivia.” Ava said poking her gently in the side.
“Can you tell Miss Ava bye.”
“Bye Miss Ava!” she exclaimed. It’s amazing what a sucker can cure for a child.
“Did you tell her and Miss Evelyn thank you for the sucker?” Justin asked.
“Shank you.” She said with red sticky smile.
Ava and Evelyn laughed, “You’re welcome sweetie.”
Justin smiled at them both, “Bye.” He said as he began to walk toward the elevators.
“Bye.” Ava said as she walked back behind the nurse’s desk.
She looked up from the nurse’s chart to find Evelyn looking at her, “What?” she said with a smile.
“I think he likes you.”
Ava laughed, “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? He made it a point to get your number.”
“He wants to be friends, and so do I.”
“Well, that’s nice. I remember all the hoopla surrounding him after his wife passed away. It’s good to see him starting to move on.”
Ava shook her head, “Yes, but he’s still grieving her pretty fierce. The first time we met it was at that bar inside Tony’s. He had just got off a blind date his friend Trace had set him up on, and he decided that night he just wasn’t ready. I honestly felt bad for the guy.”
“That’s something a lot of people never get over.”
“You’re right. And it takes time. Anyway, I got some patients to see about, and then I get to go home!” Ava said excitedly.
“Well at least one of us is getting out of here.” Evelyn said smiling.
“You’ll be out of here soon enough. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Ava asked.
“Bright and early.”
“Alright see you then.” Ava said as she began to see about her patients.
It always felt good to make a new friend.
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