Читать книгу Hot Docs On Call: Surgeon's Seduction - Carol Marinelli - Страница 14

SAM HAD BEEN off Mindy’s rotation for two weeks and he found he missed it, but she had to give a fair shake to other residents applying for the fellowship. His first week back on the peds round he happened upon Dr. Snow, who was currently on rotation with Mindy, and all she was doing was whining about how nasty and how hard it was.

How the patients whined and complained constantly.

As if kids didn’t whine?

Sam laughed to himself as he thought of that. When he’d worked his full week with Mindy he’d learned so much. She’d kept her distance since she’d accidentally called him Sam after Ms. Bayberry’s surgery, but that was fine by him.

He didn’t want rumors starting.

It was bad enough having a famous mother, one who had slept with the current chief of surgery, albeit twenty years ago. He’d told Enzo about it when they’d got to know each other, but he was the only other person who knew, besides Dr. Chang, who knew his mother as well from medical school. And Sam didn’t have to worry about anyone accusing him of favoritism when it came to his mother and Dr. Amelia Chang.

It was no secret that his mother and Dr. Chang did not see eye to eye. Sam had actually been concerned when he’d first been accepted into the surgical residency program. He’d known that he’d always wanted to be a pediatric surgeon. He loved working with kids, but when he’d heard the head of Pediatrics was his mother’s “nemesis” of sorts, he had been worried that he wouldn’t have a shot in heck of getting into the program, but he’d applied anyway.

And had been accepted.

Dr. Chang had known exactly who he was. She had told him as much on the first day he’d become a resident and had started clocking hours on the peds floor.

He’d been charting when she’d come up beside him.

“You have your mother’s eyes.”

“Pardon me?”

She stared at him, those thoughtful obsidian eyes boring right through him. “You have your father’s soul. Let’s hope you have your mother’s talent. If you do, you’ll be brilliant.”

That was all she’d said. She would request him at odd intervals and always with the most delicate situations or the toughest cases.

Dr. Chang would observe him.

It’s why he and Enzo had become more than just competition in their first year of residency. They’d moved beyond the macho chest-thrusting and territory-marking in the game of surgery and had become friends, because Sam had been there when Enzo’s niece Maya had been born.

Dr. Chang had put Maya, a fragile preemie with a low expectation to survive, in his charge. And Maya had thrived because Sam had known that a way to help regulate a heartbeat was to place the baby against a bare chest. It was called kangaroo care. Maya hadn’t been able to feed and Enzo’s sister had been unable at that point to provide skin to skin contact, so during a long shift at night Sam had sat down in a rocking chair in the NICU and had done just that for little Maya. Wrapping her up against his chest, upright and prone, cradled on the inside of his scrubs, a blanket over them while he’d charted, very poorly.

Enzo had caught him, pausing slightly in the doorway of the NICU. He hadn’t teased him, hadn’t said anything. A look had been all that was needed to understand what was happening.

It was because of that he’d had a permanent spot at Enzo’s family home for dinner and when he hadn’t shown up, plates of food had been sent to him.

Sam chuckled and leaned over his chart. He missed Enzo. Missed seeing him in the halls of West Manhattan Saints. He missed the food. Darn him for falling in love with Kimberlyn and them moving away.

It had gotten him through some lonely patches when he’d first moved to New York. His mother didn’t have much to do with him and the rest of his close family was in Scotland. His dad, his brothers and stepmother, as well as various aunts, uncles, cousins and one venerable grandmother.

Even though he’d been born in New York and had spent some time on this side of the pond, he was alone. When he’d been with his mother, he’d been alone. She had always been working and he’d spent a lot of his childhood, when he’d been with her, in the hallways of the hospital or in the observation room while she’d been in surgery.

He glanced up from his charting and saw Mindy in the NICU, bending over a tiny micro-preemie in an incubator. Mindy was in her scrubs and updating the neonatologist so it appeared that the baby had just been born.

She’s alone.

Mindy had said she’d grown up on the west coast, a native to California. Though she hadn’t moved an ocean away from her family, she’d moved clear across the country to start a new life. It must’ve been something drastic that had chased her away. To isolate herself.

He didn’t know about isolating oneself on purpose, but he did get loneliness. Even living in a house full of other surgeons. Tessa had moved out and was starting a family, Kimberlyn and Enzo were together and gone, even Holly had moved on with Dr. Alexander and she had family around. Sure, there was the new roommate, Rebecca, but he didn’t really know her yet and wasn’t sure he wanted to. She was too chatty.

He had no one. Just like Mindy didn’t have anyone and he felt sorry for her. She deserved better and though he shouldn’t approach her, he should just keep his distance from her, he closed his chart and headed toward the NICU.

Mindy was standing next to the incubator, staring down at the small preemie inside, but he could tell by her expression that she really wasn’t watching the preemie. She had a far-off expression on her face.

“Boy or girl?” Sam asked, as he came up beside her and peered down at the bundle, hooked up to wires but alive.

“Boy,” Mindy said offhandedly. She set down the chart she was holding. “I delivered him about an hour ago after I repaired his CPAM.”

“Congenital pulmonary airway malformation?”

“Yes. I usually try to keep the fetus inside after I do the repair, but Mom had the beginning stages of pre-eclampsia. With the extra stressors of surgery, I delivered the baby.”

“Wish I could have seen that procedure in action.”

Mindy cocked any eyebrow. “I thought that maternal-fetal medicine wasn’t your intended specialty, that your main focus was pediatrics?”

“It is, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate complex surgeries. Especially when those complex surgeries involve children. Perhaps I judged maternal-fetal medicine too harshly.”

“Really now?” she asked, obviously humored.

Sam leaned over and gazed at the lad through the glass. “Poor mite.”

“Yes, it was unfortunate, but now that it’s repaired he has a shot of growing up normally. Of surviving. Twenty or thirty years ago he wouldn’t have survived his birth.”

“Is this where you’re going to start spouting off at me about how my chosen specialty is for dinosaurs?” Sam teased. “That there will be no need for pediatric surgeons or neonatologists?”

Mindy laughed. “I’m sorry, Dr. Napier. As I said, I was quite annoyed to see you as a resident.”

“I know. I know. Trust me, I felt the same.”

“You were annoyed I was an attending?”

Sam nodded. “Of course. A woman I’d had an amazing night with was now off-limits.”

Mindy snorted. “Like you had every intention of calling me again.” She walked out of the NICU and Sam trailed after her.

“You don’t know that,” Sam protested. Though she was right. At the time he hadn’t had any intention of calling her again, but spending a week with her on her service had made him think differently about her. He’d seen her in a new light. If it wasn’t a bad idea, if he had more time to commit to a relationship instead of being tied to the hospital, he would pursue a woman like Mindy Walker.

“We didn’t exchange numbers,” Mindy said.

“Ah, but I know where you live. I could’ve found out if I chose too.”

Mindy chuckled. “That sounds mighty stalkerish, Dr. Napier. Mighty stalkerish indeed.”

Sam groaned. “Oh, come on. It’s not stalkerish at all.” He leaned over the charge desk as she pulled a chart from behind the counter. “How is the new resident on your service going?”

“That’s not any of your business,” Mindy said, not looking at him.

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“No, you’re not. You’re competitive, you shark.” It wasn’t said in an accusatory tone, there was a twinkle to her eyes.

“I swear, it’s not competitive in nature. Just curious. I heard some… complaints.”

Mindy’s mouth dropped open. “Complaints? What do you mean, complaints? From who?”

Sam grinned. “I can’t say, unless I want to get attacked by a pod of sharks. Do sharks come in pods, I wonder?”

Mindy frowned and then playfully pushed. “Jerk!”

“What was that for?”

“What complaints?” Mindy demanded. “As your superior, I demand you tell me.”

Sam cocked an eyebrow. “As my superior, you demand I tell you? I don’t think so.” He turned to leave but she grabbed his arm.

“Come on, tell me. This is my first job in a teaching hospital and I want to make sure that I’m imparting my wisdom on the residents well.”

“You’re doing a fine job. Really, the complaints were that you were a bit demanding and a workhorse.”

Mindy smiled then, but then cleared her throat. “Is that all?”

“It pleases you to know you’re being tough.”

“It does. I want them to be afraid of me and my service.”

“You want to be like the Godzilla of the OB/GYN floor?” Sam asked.

“If you can survive my toughness then you can make it in my field.”

“Ah, but there’s a problem. The residents currently rotating on your service aren’t OB/GYN residents. You have a whole smackerel of them who are chomping at the bit to work with you. You’re working with residents who are eyeing a pediatric fellowship with Dr. Chang. So it might be lost on them.”

Mindy smiled smugly. “That may be, Dr. Napier, but I deal with kids when they’re still developing. I have to be hard on all residents who have any kind of inkling of wanting to work with children. They’re a precious commodity. If you can’t stand the heat…”

“Get out of the oven?”

Mindy laughed. “Kitchen, Dr. Napier.”

“So, I have to ask, did Dr. Snow do well in the procedure?”

“I wouldn’t know. She never did make it to surgery.”

Sam was confused. “I can’t see her missing something like that. She’d as soon as skin me than let me have a shot at any specialized procedure. Of all the sharks, she’s the nastiest.”

“You think highly of her,” Mindy teased, and then she sighed. “Actually, I didn’t let her into my OR and she’s effectively off my service.”

Now he was intrigued. “And you’re not going to elaborate any further.”

“It’s not prudent. You are her competition.”

Sam didn’t say anything further as Mindy finished her charting and set the binder back in its place. The only thing that would have kept Dr. Snow out of surgery was if she’d done something really bad to anger her attending. In their first days, Dr. Snow had been a bit pompous, but she was a talented surgeon and Sam couldn’t help but wonder what Dr. Snow had done. Well, whatever it was, it wasn’t his business to know.

Mindy was right. Dr. Snow was his competition and he didn’t want to have any unfair advantages.

“That’s foolish, Samuel! Take whatever advantages you can get. Given the chance, another surgeon will stab you in the back to take your spot.”

His mother’s cutthroat attitude had never sat well with him.

It was his father’s gentle soul which always seemed to win out. His mother’s downfall was that sometimes she acted before she thought and Sam was a bit more methodical. He didn’t gossip; he didn’t jump into the fray unless it was during a medical emergency.

“I’m going to go grab a coffee. I still have a few more hours left on my shift. I’ll see you around.” Mindy moved around to the other side of the charge desk and headed down the hall.

“Dr. Walker… Mindy, wait.”

Mindy spun around, stunned, but she didn’t chastise him for using her first name.

“Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me? I’m on call, but I thought you might like some company.”

What are you doing?

He didn’t know. He never acted this spontaneously, but he couldn’t help himself. All he knew was he was probably setting himself up for something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

Mindy stood there for a few moments, absolutely dumbfounded. It felt like she was standing there for hours, but of course that was foolish.

She was surprised that Sam had asked her to have coffee with him.

Say no. You can’t trust him. He’s just using you.

“Sure.” She couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

What’re you doing? She didn’t know at that moment. She was actually surprised at herself, but she was lonely. She knew hardly anyone in New York. There was no harm in getting a cup of coffee.

Sam smiled the grin that melted her heart. Darn him.

“Good. I have to get my post-op notes off to Dr. Chang. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in thirty minutes?”

“No, not the cafeteria.” If she was going to go through with this then she was going to do it outside the hospital.

“Where, then? I’m on call and I can’t go far.”

“There’s a coffee shop next to the hospital. You’ll be close enough to run back if you get called in.”

“Okay.” Sam picked up his notes. “I’ll see you there in half an hour.”

“Sure,” she said nervously, and then quickly walked away before she did something ridiculous like blush.

This was not going according to plan. Her plan had been to swear off Sam, even though she knew that was going to be a hard thing to do. There were so many things about him that she liked and admired. She also had a hard time forgetting about the way he kissed, even though that had been nearly a month ago.

Sam was also the only person she’d really connected with in New York. She’d spoken to other attendings, her patients, nurses, but there wasn’t a connection. Mindy had been so busy she hadn’t had the time to form any friendships or to get to know anyone. And she had a hard time opening up.

Perhaps she was blocking them out because she was scared of trusting people. Especially after what had happened in California.

She’d been deceived and she’d had no idea. Instead she’d lived in this oblivious little bubble, thinking that her marriage was okay, that her best friend wasn’t betraying her. All the things she’d told Owen made her stomach knot. She’d been such a fool.

After it had all gone down it had been the pitying looks she’d been unable to handle. The “Poor Mindy”s. She hadn’t liked being pitied. When she’d been an intern she’d struggled that first year and had been pitied. She’d been the underdog and scared of her own shadow.

When Dr. Guild had taken her under her wing Mindy had blossomed. That shy girl who had dominated her life had disappeared and all of those who had dubbed her the runt of the surgical litter had been left behind as she’d become a surgical star.

It was hard for Mindy to make friends. She just didn’t want to open herself up to any more hurt.

With Sam it was totally different. She was just at ease around him. She liked to talk to him and she kept forgetting that she shouldn’t be so relaxed around him, because Sam was off-limits and because she refused to open her heart again. It just wasn’t worth it.

She found herself in the coffee shop next to the hospital, still in a bit of daze, with a latte in her hand. One of those limited edition spiced ones.

Mindy took a seat in the corner, waiting with anticipation for Sam to come. Though part of her hoped he wouldn’t. It would be easier if he didn’t show and she was hoping that he would be called to something.

The chime over the door tingled and Sam walked in. He didn’t see her at first, so she watched as every female in the coffee shop turned their appreciative gaze on him and she had to admit she couldn’t blame them. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark reddish hair, ridiculously gorgeous features and eyes that had no business being on a man who wasn’t going to be an actor or a model.

Mindy could almost see him in a kilt with a big giant sword. What do the Highlanders call their big giant swords?

Why the heck are you thinking about big giant swords at this moment?

Mindy shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She needed to get some more sleep. He ordered a small coffee and headed over to her. All eyes followed the handsome doctor as he slid into the booth across from her.

Sam frowned. “What?”

“What?” Mindy asked, confused.

“You’re staring at me like I have horns growing out of my head or something.”

“Sorry, I was just watching all your admirers give me the look of death.”

Sam glanced over his shoulder and a few female patrons who were still looking in their direction looked away quickly.

Sam chuckled and smiled with smug satisfaction. “Oh, that. I’m used to that.”

Mindy snorted. “I’m sure you are. What’re you drinking?”

“Black coffee with a shot of espresso. Dr. Chang paged me just as I was leaving. There’s a surgery in about thirty minutes.”

“Oh?”

Sam nodded. “Not pleasant, I’m afraid, but it needs to be done and once it’s done the child will be better off for it.”

Mindy was just about to ask what surgery when she got a page herself. She frowned when she saw it was from the OB/GYN department.

It was in regard to Ms. Bayberry. She was over the crucial twenty-five weeks, but the babies needed longer in utero.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked, as they both stood up together.

“It’s Ms. Bayberry.” Mindy slipped her phone back into her pocket.

“Is she in labor?” He was concerned. She could tell. Mindy knew he still checked on Linda. It was sweet.

It wasn’t just sweet, it was the mark of a caring surgeon. One who was looking beyond being just a surgical god and being an actual good doctor. Even if Sam didn’t want to admit it. To admit something like that, to admit to caring while in competition with other interns could be a sign of weakness. She should know. Mindy had felt that bite, that sting against her jugular when she cared too deeply, but once she’d realized it didn’t matter she no longer cared.

She was going to be the physician she wanted to be and that was all that mattered. Sam was just starting a surgical career. He’d learn it soon enough, but then again maybe he already had and if he did it was commendable. Being a surgical resident was tough. It was supposed to be tough and it was a phase in her life she was glad was over.

“No, she’s not in labor.” Mindy finished the rest of her latte and crumpled the cup, tossing it into the garbage. “The neonatologist called me. There’s something on the ultrasound she wants me to take a look at.”

Sam frowned. “Can I come?”

“Don’t you have a surgery with Dr. Chang?”

“Not for thirty minutes. If she needs me before then, she can page me. I would really like to be there when you look over the ultrasound.”

Mindy grinned. “Changing your mind about maternal-fetal medicine?”

“No.” Sam downed the rest of his coffee. “I still want to be a pediatric surgeon, but perhaps after completing my fellowship with Dr. Chang I’ll be looking to add maternal-fetal medicine to my résumé. Really specialize.”

Mindy cocked an eyebrow. “Wow. You have mighty big aspirations and you’re cocky. What makes you think you have a shot at that pediatric fellowship?”

Sam shrugged as they walked out of the coffee house together. “Because I want it and because I’m going to earn it all on my own merit. You said so yourself, I’m a fine surgeon.”

“Hmm. That remains to be seen. I haven’t actually seen you in any complicated procedure yet.”

“That’s true. The week I was on your rotation all I did was observe and calm down a set of twins during a splenectomy.”

“Maybe I’ll have to observe your surgery later with Dr. Chang.”

“Or, if there is something that has to be done surgically to Ms. Bayberry’s twins, I can be on the case.”

“You’re pushy,” Mindy teased.

“It’s only natural. I was the first doctor on her case and she likes me. We have a rapport.”

“That’s true. I’ll think about it.”

“It makes the most sense since you’ve banished Dr. Snow from your service.”

Mindy shook her head and they headed to meet Dr. Hall, the neonatologist, in an exam room. When they got there Dr. Hall was frowning as she leaned over the ultrasound image on the computer. She barely glanced over her shoulder to acknowledge them as they walked into the room.

“What seems to be the trouble?” Mindy asked, as she took a seat next to Dr. Hall. Sam stood behind her, leaning over so he could look at the screen as well. She was very aware that he was so close. The heat of his body permeated her scrubs, causing her blood to sing.

“Take a look. It was missed in the ultrasound done by her regular OB/GYN, but now that she’s almost thirty weeks you can see it clearly as the twins are in a different position.”

Mindy’s heart skipped a beat when she saw one of the most rare pregnancy conditions.

“Is that the same amniotic sac?” Sam asked, his breath on her neck.

Mindy moved close to the computer, more to get away from Sam being so close to her. “Yes, it’s a mono-amniotic pregnancy.”

“Why was this missed earlier, Dr. Walker?” Sam asked.

“It’s sometimes hard to see, depending on where the babies lie.” Mindy clicked on a file and brought up an earlier ultrasound, zooming in. “See this line. It looks like it was a membrane dividing the fetuses, but it clearly is not. As they’ve moved and grown, you can clearly see that no membrane divides the amniotic sac.”

“And you can see here, the cords are starting to tangle,” Dr. Hall remarked.

Mindy pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s not good.”

“No, the babies are at risk of cutting off their blood supply now. Is that correct, Dr. Walker?” Sam asked.

“Yes.” Mindy stood. “Ms. Bayberry is thirty weeks tomorrow. We’ll have to keep a close eye on her. Let’s try to get her to thirty weeks and then we’ll deliver the babies.”

Dr. Hall nodded. “I’ll prep my neonatology staff.”

Mindy turned to Sam. “Can you inform Dr. Chang for me, Dr. Napier? I would like her present at the surgery.”

“Of course, Dr. Walker.” Sam left the room to track down Dr. Chang before she got prepped for surgery.

Dr. Hall left the exam room to prep her team and now Mindy was faced with breaking the news to Ms. Bayberry. As if the poor woman hadn’t been under enough stress. Now Mindy had to break the news to her that her twins’ lives were in danger. At least when she’d had the splenectomy they’d given Ms. Bayberry a shot of corticosteroids to help strengthen the babies’ lungs. She’d be given another shot tonight.

Any little bit helped.

At least the babies were almost thirty weeks.

At least their cords weren’t tangling at twenty weeks, when there would be nothing they could do to save them.

Being thirty weeks along, at least the babies had a chance.

And Mindy was going to make sure they got the chance they deserved.