Wonders Never Cease by Tim Downs Read Free Book Online

Who’re you?”
    â€œI’m a nurse.”
    â€œOh. Thought you might be a doctor.”
    â€œYeah, me too. We ask visitors not to use the patients’ restrooms, Mr. Biederman—it increases the risk of infection.”
    â€œSorry. You know what they say: You only rent coffee.”
    â€œSo I’ve heard. Are you family?”
    â€œI’m her agent. I own ten percent of her—just enough to get me visitation rights and an ulcer.”
    â€œHer agent?” Kemp looked at the chart again. “ Olivia Hayden —I thought that name sounded familiar. Is this the Liv Hayden?”
    â€œHow many are there? I made the name up myself.”
    â€œSon of a gun—Liv Hayden, in the flesh.” He glanced at Biederman. “Is she married?”
    â€œFrom time to time. Why?”
    â€œJust curious.”
    â€œForget it, kiddo, she’s way out of your league. Besides, she’s buried four husbands already.”
    â€œThey all died?”
    â€œWho said died? She just buried them. So you’re a nurse?”
    â€œI think we’ve covered that.”
    â€œHow many patients you got? Because I want Olivia to have your full attention.”
    â€œThis is an ICU, Mr. Biederman. At UCLA it’s usually two patients per nurse, but for high-visibility patients like your client it’s one-to-one. I’ve been assigned to Ms. Hayden, and I’ll be her night nurse until she leaves the hospital.”
    â€œThe doctor tells me they’ll keep her in a coma.”
    â€œThat’s what her chart says.”
    â€œSo if she’s in a coma, what is it you do?”
    â€œI check her vital signs. I turn her over every two hours to keep her from getting bedsores. I empty her catheter and adjust her IV fluids. I chart her BIS readings.”
    â€œThat’s it? Cushy job.”
    â€œOnly I don’t get ten percent.”
    â€œBelieve me, ten percent is not what it used to be.”
    Kemp sneered. “I’ll take ten percent of Liv Hayden any day. The woman must be worth millions.”
    â€œWorth millions, sure. She just doesn’t make millions—not anymore.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œThis is Hollywood, kid. By the time she was thirty she was already making top dollar, but producers get tired of paying top dollar. There’s always some up-and-comer who’ll do the role for half. Besides, the public wants to see new faces, younger faces—younger bodies.”
    Kemp looked down at the bed. “Hers still looks good to me.”
    â€œThe camera doesn’t lie—neither does the box office. Producers and directors, that’s another story.”
    Kemp took a look at his watch.
    â€œI get the hint,” Biederman said. “I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow. You take real good care of her now, you hear? And if she needs anything at all, you call me.” He took out a business card and handed it to Kemp.
    Kemp dropped the card into his pocket. “Don’t worry. She’s in good hands.”
    When Biederman left, Kemp turned back to the bed again. “So you’re Liv Hayden,” he said. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Hayden. My name is Kemp—Kemp McAvoy. I’ll be your night nurse while you’re with us here at UCLA, so we’ll be getting to know each other quite well. By the time you leave, I suspect we’ll be very good friends.”
    He took her pulse and blood pressure and recorded them in her chart.
    â€œYour agent was just here,” he said. “Mr. Biederman—a nice enough fellow, though I’d think you’d get tired of finding his hand in your purse all the time. He says he owns ten percent of you—though I have a hard time believing that any man owns a piece of a woman like you.”
    He gave her a wink and checked her BIS reading; the digital display read 61.
    â€œThis? Oh, this is what we call a BIS monitor—that stands for