Free No Plans for Love by Ruth Ann Hixson Page A

went to give instructions to the EMT's. "Make sure you give her oxygen. She had quit breathing."
    Just before they loaded the gurney into the vehicle, Mark gave Sherry a tender kiss. "I'll be right behind you."
    Once they got to the highway, the ambulance hit the left lane with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Mark stayed right behind them hoping people thought his red truck was an emergency vehicle. The only cop car he saw was headed up the northbound lane with his siren wailing.
    After Mark gave the check-in clerk as much information as he could about Sherry and signed the papers for his own insurance, she told him, "Go to the waiting room. You will be called in the order of seriousness of condition."
    "What about Sherry? Can I see her?"
    "I have to go find her anyway to finish this  paperwork. I'll try to find out and let you know."
    Mark wasn't happy about that but there wasn't much he could do about it. He didn't sit down in the waiting room but paced back and forth in the corridor. His cell phone rang so he took it from its belt clip and flipped it open. "Yeah, Mom?"
    "I just want to know how Sherry is."
    "So do I. They won't let me see her and no one has told me anything."
    "What about you?"
    "I got the paperwork done. Now I'm waiting for them to call me. I'll let you know when I know. I can't have my cell phone on back there because it will interfere with their electronic equipment. I'll talk to you later." He closed his cell phone and put it back in its case.
    A nurse came out and called his name. Mark followed her back to a large room with gurneys inside curtained-off compartments. The nurse patted the cot. "Up here. First I'll take your blood pressure."
    "Right now it's probably pretty high. I've been trying to find out about my girl friend and nobody will tell me anything."
    She fastened the cuff around his arm. "The girl they brought in the ambulance?"
    "Yeah."
    "She's back getting a CT scan. We're pretty sure she has broken ribs. From what she told us she had a rough landing."
    "And I landed right on top of her. I saved her life and almost killed her doing it. I thought she was dead. That nurse saved her life. She works in here. Rose?"
    "A black woman?" She put a thermometer in his mouth.
    "Brown," Mark corrected when she took it away. "About the color of milk chocolate."
    "That's Rose Dale. She's a good nurse." The nurse began to cut away the bandage.
    "Rose Dale sounds like the name of a place."
    "Dale is her husband's last name. Carl Dale. Here, put this pad under your arm so you don't get blood on your jeans." 
    "I already have blood on my jeans."
    The doctor came over for a look. "That's a nasty case of road rash."
    "That arm is what kept Sherry's head from hitting the pavement. Is she going to be all right?"
    "Nothing life threatening. She's in a lot of pain. Are you in pain?"
    "Some but it's tolerable."
    "When was your last tetanus shot?"
    Mark thought about it. "Too long to remember."
    The doctor gave orders to the nurse. "Give him a tetanus shot. Clean that up and put a new non-stick bandage on it." He turned to Mark. "Clean it with peroxide every day and put on a clean dressing until it stops oozing. I'll give you prescriptions for pain pills and antibiotics. Any allergies?"
    "Penicillin. May I see Sherry?"
    "As soon as they bring her back from radiology." He went on to his next patient.
    They brought in a child screaming in pain just as Sherry was wheeled back to her compartment. Mark took advantage of the distraction to sneak over to see her. He leaned down to kiss her lips. "How are you doing?"
    "I hurt. Is it all right for you to be here?"
    He shrugged. "The doctor said I could see you when they brought you back. I figured with all the commotion nobody would notice."
    After a bit, the nurse came in carrying a sling. "I guessed I'd find you here."
    "What's that for?" Mark asked.
    "To support your arm and keep you from using it too much." She adjusted the sling to fit him. "Here are your