Nick�s POV
I sat across from Jessica and smiled. She was eating a tuna wrap from the cafeteria. I couldn�t help but notice how beautiful she was. Yeah she didn�t look like she did on TV or on her CD covers�her body was tiny, her eyes had black circles around them and her skin had lightened 10 shades it seemed; but that�s the effect of every person who comes into a hospital with as severe an eating disorder as hers. I didn�t care about her physical appearance�her heart was beautiful and warming, that was enough for me. I kept telling myself though; �don�t get involved�she�s a patient.� �Don�t think this way about her�you know the rules when it comes to patients.� Every time I had those thoughts though I shook them away and forced them to leave my mind. When she finished her meal I took her garbage and threw it out. I came back to the table and reached my hands out.
�Want to go for a walk around the hospital�?� I asked her as she wrapped her arms around me for support.
�Am I allowed too�?� I looked at her.
�Who�s going to stop you�? I�m your doctor�� She giggled.
�You�re right�� We walked out of the cafeteria and yes, I got some looks from some doctor�s but I ignored it and walked with Jessica around the entire lower level of the hospital. She started to get very tired and weak so we headed back to her room. When we got back to her room to both our surprise her mother and father and sister were sitting in there speaking to my boss. Mrs. Simpson looked like she was crying and Mr. Simpson was consoling her. Jessica�s sister was just sitting there watching them. When we walked in all eyes turned to us and Mr. & Mrs. Simpson ran over to Jessica.
�Oh Jessica�we were so worried. None of the doctor�s knew where you went to.�
�I�m fine�Nick was kind enough to take me down to the cafeteria for dinner�then he took me for a walk.� Mr. Simpson looked at me and the look he gave frightened me. He turned to my boss again and started speaking.
�Dr. Robins I would appreciate it if Dr. Lachey were taken off my daughter�s care and put into the care of another doctor.� My heart dropped�how could he do that? We went to dinner in the cafeteria.
�Mr. Simpson I understand you�re being upset with Dr. Lachey but I assure you what happened isn�t that of the ordinary. Many doctors have taken their patients to the cafeteria or walks around the hospital to help the patient. Besides that, Dr. Lachey is one of the top doctor�s in our district.� Mr. Simpson�s voice was louder.
�I don�t care; he has mistreated my daughter and I want him taken off of her case now!� I looked at Jessica who was standing by her mother but looking sicker and sicker each second.
�Daddy please�� She didn�t finish her words before falling in her mother�s arms. Her mother screamed and Mr. Simpson rushed to her side. He turned to her sister a second later and walked over to her.
�Ashlee�come with me�� He led her out the door and I was at Jessica�s side immediately.
�She�s not breathing�� I said aloud and my boss immediately called for more doctors. Mr. Simpson came back in minutes later and Mrs. Simpson came out.
�I told you to get away from my daughter�!� He pulled me back and Dr. Robins yelled at him.
�Get this man out of here�!�
�That�s my daughter�!�
�Mr. Simpson, your daughter NEEDS Dr. Lachey�s help right now so I suggest you back off or I will have security do it for you�!� I continued working on Jessica and more doctors came flooding into the room. Once she was stable we moved her to the ICU for precautions and she slept the rest of the night. I didn�t get a moment to stay with her because her family came back in and I was ordered to leave. Once I left that room I was given orders to remove myself from Jessica�s case. Dr. Robins had tried to convince her family to let me stay on it but it hadn�t worked. I walked along the hallway thinking about Jessica and what was going to happen to her. I went home that night and got minimal sleep. I kept tossing and turning thinking about�well about her. I couldn�t help but not think of her�I was worried. I got to work early the next day and immediately went over to Dr. Robins.
�She�s awake�� He told me and I drew a sigh of relief. He started to walk away but turned around. �She was asking for you this morning�� I stopped�she was asking for me? �Her parent�s were there�and not too happy.� He walked over to me. �Just out of curiosity Dr. Lachey�� I looked at him. �What is your relationship with Mrs. Lewis?�
�Nothing�she�s a patient�a friend I�ve made over the year. She came into those meetings I held for the family�s that lost someone from cancer. She lost her husband�the Lewis patient.� I stopped for a moment. �We�re just friends�� Dr. Robins didn�t say anything for a while.
�Well I�ll keep you posted on how she�s doing�� I smiled and patted his shoulder.
�Thanks�� I turned and went back to work with my new patient. Dr. Robins kept me posted on Jessica everyday. 2 weeks later Dr. Robins informed me Jessica was released and had gone home.
�Can I see her file�?� I asked him on our way to lunch downstairs one day.
�Nick you know I can�t��
�I need her address�I just want to see her.� He stopped and looked at me.
�Just a friend huh�?� And he grinned at me handing over her file.
�Thanks buddy�� We went down to lunch and when we were done I went up to my �on call� room and looked through her file. I reviewed her charts and was shocked to know they let her home when she weighed in at only 103 pounds. I knew she was 87 pounds going into the hospital but 103 was still dangerously low for her height. I also managed to get what I�d look at her charts for in the first place�her address. I wrote it down quickly and stuck the paper in my pocket. I returned the chart to Dr. Robins and made plans to go by her home after my shift was up. I drove to her place and walked up to her door but after knocking for 5 minutes nobody answered. I left and headed home telling myself I�d try again tomorrow. For the next 3 weeks I tried and tried but after getting nothing, convinced myself she was either avoiding me or moved. It wasn�t until a few mornings after my last attempt of knocking on her door that I received my reason of why she wasn�t answering. I saw her and her mother walking down the corridor of the hospital. I smiled at her and she smiled right back. I wanted to follow her but I couldn�t. The new attendant Michael Rays was taking her case now�is the hospital crazy? He�d only been here a week and he wasn�t even a doctor yet. She looked so tiny when she walked by me. As soon as I saw her leave I went over to Michael and asked about her.
�She�s not your patient�I can�t tell you.�
�Just tell me how much she weighed��
�Dr. Lachey�� I stopped him.
�Michael who is the doctor here�?� He sighed.
�94 pounds�� I froze.
�You�re kidding me�� He shook his head.
�She weighed 103 when she left here�� He shrugged his shoulders.
�Her mother and she told me she�s eating.� And he walked away�
�Wait�� He turned around�
�Where�s she staying�?�
�She was with her parents and now she�s going back to her home�listen I gotta go�� I didn�t let him finish I just left. I went over to find Dr. Robins.
�Listen�my shift is up in 20 minutes�can you just cover me till then?�
�Why�?�
�The Lewis girl�Jessica�I�m concerned about her.�
�Nick�c�mon, we went over this��
�Please�� He sighed.
�Fine��
�Thanks�I promise, I owe you�!� I walked off and drove to Jessica�s house praying she�d be there this time. I knocked a couple times and was relieved to see her open the door. She smiled but was shocked to see me and I smiled back.
�Dr. Lachey�I mean Nick��
�Hey�is this�is this a bad time�?� She shook her head.
�No, no�come in�� I walked in. Her house was beautiful� �What brings you by�?�
�I just�well�� I was quiet for a long time and then I looked up at her. �Truth�?� She laughed.
�Yeah, that�s usually better�� I laughed too. I stood nervous with my hands in my pockets of my scrubs.
�I uh�I missed you�� I looked at her and held my breath.
�Missed me�?� I nodded.
�Yeah�and I was worried�you know about you�?� She smiled.
�Awe�I missed you too�I�m sorry about my dad, he�s just really protective�� I shook my head.
�I understand�he wanted what was best��
�Well he obviously didn�t know what was best�� I was confused.
�Excuse me�?� She smiled and leaned forward catching me by complete surprise she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. I pulled back to catch my breath.
�Wow�� She laughed.
�I�m sorry��
�No, no�it�s�I�it was nice.� We laughed. �Listen�can I take you out to lunch or something�?�
�I�d like that a lot�� I smiled.
�Great�tomorrow�at like 11:45 I can pick you up��
�Perfect�� She leaned over and kissed me lightly. �I�ll see you tomorrow Dr.� I grinned.
�Night��
�Night�� I walked off happy. The next day I drove over and brought flowers, I hope she likes pink roses. I walked up to the door and knocked. Instead of seeing Jessica though it was Mr. Simpson. I held my breath.
�What in the world are you doing here�?�
�Umm��
�Daddy�Nick is taking me out�� Jessica peaked through behind her dad. She looked beautiful�tiny but beautiful.
�Over my dead body�young lady I thought your mother and I made this clear�� She started to speak but Mr. Simpson butted in again. �You�ll have to leave now.� I looked at her upset and reached over to hand her the roses I bought her. She smiled at me sadly and I turned around. I went home and watch TV thinking about Jessica. I made one mistake when she was in the hospital and it wasn�t even a mistake but I�m getting in trouble here�it didn�t make sense. For the next 3 � weeks I stayed clear of Jessica�s path and anyone in her family until I saw her mother at the store. I almost walked into her she had her younger daughter, Ashlee with her.
�Dr. Lachey�� She spoke to me as I walked by.
�Mrs. Simpson�� She didn�t look well. �Is everything okay�?�
�Everything is perfect.�
�Mama�don�t lie�tell him about Jessie�� I immediately grew concerned. Mrs. Simpson turned to Ashlee and gave her a look.
�Ashlee be quiet�� I looked at Ashlee.
�What�s wrong with Jessica�?�
�Nothing�she�s perfectly fine��
�Mama�� She hit Ashlee�s arm.
�Ashlee go get me the eggs�NOW!� I watched her walk off with her head down. I looked at Mrs. Simpson. �She�s fine�now excuse me�� I nodded and walked down the aisle heading straight for where the eggs were.
�Ashlee�tell me�what�s wrong with your sister�?� I looked at her.
�She doesn�t eat again�she wont�she says it�s because she�s not allowed to see you. She always says �If I can�t see Nick, I won�t eat.� That�s what she always tells mama and daddy. I�m scared Dr. Lachey�� I looked at Ashlee; she was so young and frightened for her sister. I hugged her.
�Don�t worry�I�m going to take care of your sister�I promise��
�Thank you��
�You�re welcome�� I hugged her again but then saw Mrs. Simpson and quickly said goodbye before going down the closest aisle. I quickly bought my groceries and headed home. I put everything away and sped to Jessica�s house. I knocked and nobody answered. Her car was in the driveway so I turned the handle on the door and luckily it was open. I walked inside and called out for her.
�Jessica�Jessica�� I looked downstairs and then headed upstairs. I went into her bedroom and heard someone in the bathroom. I ran in there and saw Jessica on the floor by the toilet. She looked terrible. Her hair was a mess and plastered to her face. All the color had completely drained in her and she was whiter than a ghost. I ran over to her; sweat dripped down her face and she had tears pouring out of her eyes. �Oh Jessica�� I whispered and she looked up at me.
�Nick�� She just barely managed to squeak out. I bent down and held her in my arms. She pulled away and threw up again�blood.
�Jessica�we have to get you to the hospital�� She shook her head.
�No, no�� She cried and collapsed in my arms. I held her and kissed her head.
�C�mon Jess��
�It hurts�to�breathe�� She whispered and then her body fell into mine like a dead weight. I felt for her pulse which had slowed down and then for her breathing�it stopped. I picked her up and laid her on the bed. I quickly grabbed the phone and called 911. While I waited for the ambulance I stayed with Jessica and tried giving mouth to mouth�anything to help her and when none of it worked I laid my head across her chest and closed my eyes; a few tears escaping my eyelids.
End of chapter 4.