There was a Welcome Back, Nurse Izzie banner draped over the ER intake desk. There were dozens of signatures on it. It made her want to cry. Izzie stopped there first and just read the names. There was Rafe’s, big and bold and very center.
Nikkie Jean’s was near his, her I’s dotted with stars. No tame hearts for Nikkie Jean.
Annie’s was there, the biggest name visible. Jillian’s nearly illegible scrawl was next to her husband’s. Lacy—who had the characteristic horrible surgeon’s handwriting. Someone—she suspected Nikkie Jean since it was in the same pink ink as her name—had drawn a cartoon heart around Fin and Virat.
Cage had drawn an alien playing a guitar next to his. He was such a big kid sometimes.
Wanda, Cherise, Vince, Dominique, Amy, Courtney, Gwyn, Felicity, Allen, Layla—all names she recognized.
Some names she didn’t.
Wanda saw her first and rounded the desk. She pulled Izzie into a hug. “Baby girl, we have missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” She hadn’t been alone even a single day until this past week. She’d been in the hospital three weeks, and someone—usually multiple someones—would visit her several times a day. When she’d come home, there had been an actual schedule put in place by Nikkie Jean to ensure she wasn’t ever left alone.
Not that anyone could ever be alone fully at Nikkie Jean and Caine’s. Caine’s uncle Henry had taken it on himself to hover over her that first week. Pen was absolutely hilarious once one got to know her. She’d made a fine babysitter for Izzie when Nikkie Jean and Caine couldn’t be there.
“You are to take it easy. I’ve stacked the schedule, with Rafe’s permission, so that if you are too tired, you are to rest.”
“I don’t want any fussing, Wanda. I need...” She blew out a big breath. “Hell, I need things to go back to as normal as possible. I’m going insane sitting around at home.”
She felt like the entire world had tilted on its side with the pull of a trigger.
Because of Wallace Henedy.
“Three hours on your feet. Then you are working the switchboard here at intake. I’ll take patients. No arguing. You have to build your strength back. And you need to eat. You must have lost twenty pounds.”
Izzie knew better than to argue. Wanda had that warrior mother look in her eyes that Izzie had seen before. She’d been the same way when Jillian and Lacy had both been so badly injured. And Annie, after the storm.
“I’m good, Wanda. I even made lasagna yesterday. I froze it in portions to bring for lunch. I’m good.”
“You’d better be.” Wanda’s voice hitched. “It wasn’t the same without you here. That bastard. Deserves whatever he gets. I hope they fry him for what he almost did.”
Those were sentiments she heard over and over as the day went on.
As well as the question of why? No one could believe that she didn’t know what had made Wallace Henedy try to kill her that day.
By the time the end of the day rolled around, she was ready to scream. And that was before Annie called.