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“I know you aren’t about to apologize,” Dr. Weston snaps, staring me down.
“I—”
“If you EVER speak to Poppy that way again, I’ll have you fired!”
Oh.I wasn’t expecting that.
“She’s a dedicated, extremely knowledgeable pharmacist, and St. Luke’s is lucky to have her. I hope your behavior won’t cause her to look elsewhere.” Dr. Weston’s eyes connect with mine, and I almost quiver. This is the closest I’ll ever be to seeing a mere mortal reenact a scene from one of my romance novels. It’s as if a book boyfriend has jumped from the pages and come to life.
He takes a step closer to Dr. Silver, his stance exuding power. Dropping the volume of his voice, he continues, “And it’s my understanding that this hospital has a recruitment and retention problem. If this is what our hard-working nurses and techs have to deal with, there’s no wonder.”
I’m star-struck watching this unfold. I quickly check myself to make sure my mouth is closed. I’m not sure drooling would go over well right now. No wonder this man is considered St. Luke’s royalty. His compassion goes far beyond his patients.
Dr. Weston’s head tilts upward as if he’s noticed something down the hall. “Peck. Are you waiting on something from the pharmacy?”
“Yes. Thank goodness.”
“Poppy was nice enough to walk it up here to you,” Dr. Weston adds. Is he trying to ensure I’m not, once again, attacked by one of his colleagues?
“Thank you. I was surprised we didn’t have it in the department. I looked online, and it’s not on national backorder.”
“No, sir. This patient has a severe allergy to Versed. That’s why the nurse couldn’t pull the medication. It’s a stopgap to prevent an adverse outcome. When Dr. Silver explained the urgent need for a sedative, I looked for a safe alternative. I’ll need to amend the order in the chart and have you or Dr. Silver sign it, but I’m hoping this will work.” I extend the sedative to Dr. Peck.
“This will do just fine. Thank you for looking out for me, Poppy. I must’ve been too rushed to get back to my office and hadn’t noticed the allergy.”
I can see Dr. Weston glaring down at Dr. Silver out of the corner of my eye. I wouldn’t have expected my day to turn around so spectacularly in a million years. “It happens. That’s a pretty rare allergy, in my opinion. But that’s why the stopgap is in place.”
Dr. Peck gives a cordial wave before swiftly walking back in the direction in which he came, and I peer up to find Dr. Weston and Dr. Silver staring each other down like a scene fromWest Side Story. I’d love to stick around and see how this ends, but I think it’s best if I head back to the pharmacy and let these two handle this without me.
* * *
Broadie
“Hey, Nick. It’s been ages since I’ve seen you. You’d think we’d see each other in the OR more, but lately I keep bumping into your wife here and in the ER.” Construction on the physicians’ lounge has forced me to reconnect with people in the cafeteria. And surprisingly, these conversations energize me, making my work more productive, not less.
“You’re right. I think it’s just the way the OR schedule is posted. It’s certainly not because Kat and I have been on some luxury vacation.” Nick reaches for the container of cream for his coffee.
“Funny you should say that. After hearing so many people mention travel, I realize I’m long overdue for a trip. If I can get my schedule worked out, I might need to give it a little more consideration.”
“Word on the street is you might need to schedule that soon.”
“Why? Is my number up, and no one told me?” I chuckle.
“In a way, maybe. I thought I’d heard you were a shoo-in for medical director.”
Shaking my head, I grab a paper coffee cup and start to fill it with dark roast. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.”
Nick laughs.
“My schedule is so bad I can barely keep up from one day to the next. Why would I add more? You should do it, Nick. You’re still young.”
“I’m not that much younger than you.” He takes a sip of his coffee and winces. “We have an infant at home and are completing the process to foster kids. That’smypriority.”
His statement cuts through me like a knife. I don’t know a lot about Nick Barnes beyond what I’ve experienced through the hospital. We don’t hang out in social circles. Hell, I don’t really hang out with anyone but my boys at the club anymore. Yet he seems to have a much healthier grasp on what’s important than I ever have.
I need to make some fundamental changes. Maybe itisa midlife crisis that has me feeling this constant unease. I’m not getting any younger. I don’t want to look back on my life with regret.
“That’s great. Don’t let work take you away from that.”
