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Bastard is out of her, I thought. Nothing was as sweet as the victory of conquering a disease that threatened to destroy a beautiful life.
A sense of accomplishment settled over the room as Mickie and I closed the incisions, meticulously stitching and suturing with practiced hands. We had navigated the complexities of this procedure together, and the result was a successful total hysterectomy that held the promise of a healthier future for Ashley Mitchell.
After we had finished, Ashley was left to the staff, who would follow her to the recovery room. I nodded at Mickie while pulling off my surgical cap, knowing that we still had the family waiting in the waiting room to hear how the surgery went.
“Great work in there, Doctor,” I acknowledged. “I’m beginning to wonder if you’re lying to us when you say this is your first year of residency.”
Her eyes twinkled in humor. “I assure you that I’m not lying. It’s a natural talent,” she chuckled as she discarded her gloves and mask in the trash before walking out of the room with me.
I grinned. “That’s a damn fact. I’m highly impressed. We’ve yet to perform a surgery where we come into complications when you might be forced into a high-pressure situation, but something tells me you’d do just fine when that time comes.”
“Well, I do perform well under pressure,” she said with an arch of her eyebrow.
“I’d expect nothing less of an Olympian,” I teased. “That’s about as high-pressure as it gets.”
I couldn’t get enough of these interactions and wanted more so badly I could almost taste it.
“Except for the pressure we’re about to face,” she said as we walked down the corridor toward the private waiting room where Ashley’s family and friends were gathered. “Is it true that Dr. Mitchell’s brother pretty much owns Saint John’s?”
I chuckled at her sudden nervousness. “Kind of. Jim is the CEO of the company that bankrolls this place and is chairman of the hospital board. It’s all fun and games until James Mitchell stops by for a visit.”
“Or you’re doing surgery on his sister-in-law,” she added.
“Precisely,” I said as we reached the waiting room. “Now, let’s share the good news.”
I opened the door to the waiting room, and we stepped inside. There must’ve been ten to twelve people in the room, and all of them looked up at us expectantly, collectively holding their breath as they waited for me to speak.
Jake stood from his seat, holding his and Ashley’s little girl in his arms, while his son and clone, John, stared darkly and somberly at me from where he sat across the room on a beautiful black-haired woman’s lap.
“I can’t tell whose expression is more frightening, John’s or Jim’s?” I chuckled and walked toward Jake, who reached out to shake my extended hand. “Everything went perfectly. She did very well. All her vitals are excellent, and we were able to remove all cancerous cells. She’s in recovery, and you know the drill on that. When she wakes up, your beautiful wife will be well on her way to recovery, Doctor Mitchell.”
Jake let out a sound that was a mixture of a sob and a sigh of relief as his posture instantly changed. It looked like someone had lifted a fifty-pound weight from his shoulders. The feeling of relief from Ashley’s family and friends was palpable. The tension was instantly dissipated, and everyone could breathe again.
Ashley’s father, I presumed, wrapped his arms around Jake as the man began to sob, and an older Latina woman took his daughter from Jake’s arms as he returned the man’s joyful embrace.
The only thing sweeter than saving a life was watching these moments of pure love and joy from their family.
“Thank you, Carmen,” Jake said to the woman who held his daughter as he wiped his eyes. “And thank you, John.”
He pulled me into a bear hug for nearly ten seconds before pulling away. His tears of happiness and relief glistened on his cheeks as his brother, Jim, approached and wrapped his arm around Jake’s shoulders.
“Thanks, Doc,” Jim added, looking happier than I’d ever seen.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am for you all,” I said. “Now, we’ll leave you to prepare for visitation. You can all rest easy now.”
Mickie and I walked out, leaving the family to celebrate their answered prayers together.
I glanced over at Mickie and grinned when I noticed her glassy eyes. “I’m telling you, girl. We could use another gifted doctor on our oncology team.”
She looked at me and offered me an adorable smile that damn near took my breath away. “Do you see the wreck I am right now?” she chuckled. “I can barely give the family good news without tearing up. Can you imagine me giving them the unthinkable news?”
“You were trained in how to deal with emotions, I’m sure,” I said, not backing down. “You must remove yourself from all emotions in situations like those, or you won’t survive in any part of the medical field.”
“How do you do it?” she questioned.
“You just witnessed that,” I answered. “Jake’s a great friend, but I have another surgery to focus on in a couple of hours. I can’t be in there crying with the family right now.”
“A doctor I worked with while interning said he always thought of the entire family holding in a fart or something silly like that to remove himself from emotions when delivering bad news.”
