Sunday Snippet: Camden General

Whew. What a day. But I had a great week. I'm getting ready to start a very exciting new project and moving along on another one. I also got to spend three days with one of my friends at a gorgeous Airbnb not far from where I live.

Actually stayed pretty much caught up on my regular viewing schedule—watching ahead a little definitely helped.

Started a new Classic Who arc and kind of enjoyed the storyline. Looking forward to seeing what happens this week.

Watched another episode of Most Terrifying Places in America. This one had Devil's Playground as the title and it kind of fit based on the anecdotes.

Caught the second episode of Moon Knight and enjoyed it. I like the series so far and look forward to another episode.

Enjoyed another episode of Harrow. I have two episodes left and I'm pretty interested in seeing how they play out. I loved the mention of the two big bads from the earlier seasons. I'm glad someone finally kind of connected those dots.

Watched another episode of Blue Heelers and things took a turn I didn't expect, which is always fun. Looking forward to the next episode.

Completed another MasterClass with Roxane Gay. She focused on research this time and, again, I got some good ideas from her lesson.

Caught another episode of The Babysitter's Club. I like the new girls and I love how much growth Christy showed. Actually, all the girls showed some growth and it's terrific to see.

Enjoyed two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. Oddly, they were very Angelica-centric which I didn't remember.

Watched an episode of Chicago Med and enjoyed it, even if it ended up being a little soap-operaish. I did like the way the storylines played out.

Finished up the opening epsiodes of Batman: the Animated Series. Looking forward to really diving back into this series.

Started season three of Driven, a Passionflix original series. Terrific premiere episode. I'm excited to see where things go from this point.

Also caught another episode of The Snoopy Show. This one had a great mix of the characters and each vignette had great humor.

That's pretty much it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Camden General, a novella where a shared loss brings two of the emergency department together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jayden and Whit, two of Camden General's best emergency department staff, come together after losing a patient. Trying to navigate the fallout becomes even more difficult when their one-time hookup turns into a very personal relationship.

And a snippety peek…

Jayden glanced at the clock. "Time of death 2217." Her gut twisted when she said the words.

She'd give the new guy credit. He never gave up. First night on and they lose their patient—his first one in his new role. Her heart broke a little. She hated hit and runs. Two hours of nonstop work—plugging up one injury only to find two more.

She removed her gloves and waited until Wendy and Whit met her gaze. "Tough loss, but you two did a stellar job trying to save her." The staff at Camden couldn't be better.

Wendy nodded and went back to disconnecting the monitor. Whit lifted his chin and turned to start cleaning up the debris from their efforts. Neither nurse spoke, which Jayden appreciated. She had to get her head on straight.

Her shoulders slumped. Now the hard part. Telling the family. She'd been in that position once when a kind-faced doctor delivered the news that her mom didn't make it.

Exiting the trauma bay, she went to Millie. "Is her family here?" Millie gave a nod and indicated her husband and parents were in the waiting area.

Jayden took a steadying breath and went out to greet the trio. She led them to a private consulting area to deliver the news and give them some time.

She sat across from the husband. "I'm very sorry. We did everything we could to save your wife." She looked toward the parents. "And your daughter."

The solemn doctor sat in the chair next to Jayden. "I'm sorry. We couldn't save your mom." He glanced at her head. "Are you doing okay?" His fingers touched the bandage where a different doctor had put stitches in along her hairline.

Jayden gave a nod, tears dripping down her cheeks. "My head hurts and I have to wait for my grandma. Daddy's not home right now." Her fingers plucked at her pants, a small tear from when her leg caught on the door showing her knee.

Doctor Barns took her hand. "Let's see if there's anything in the lounge. You could probably use something to drink and maybe even a little something to eat. If you're feeling up to it." He led her down the long hallway and into a room with chairs and tables and nurses bussing about.

And he stayed with her until her grandmother arrived. Something Jayden would never forget.

She spent time answering questions from Mary's husband and her parents then gave them some space and time to collect themselves before they left.

When Jayden left the room, she flagged Millie down. "I'd like to take a few minutes. Do you need me for anything?" She had to get herself together and work through her childhood memories.

Millie waved Jayden off. "We're good, Dr. Betts. I'll page you if we need you."

Jayden could've hugged Millie in that moment. Instead, she found an empty assessment room and closed the door before sinking down on a stool close to the wall. Leaning her head back, she let the tears fall.

I love writing relationships that start on a weird note. Jayden and Whit truly fit that mold.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin