“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll page you. I need to run, I have a consult before rounds and I’m late.”
“Cool, catch you later,” I called after her as she sprinted out the door.
I stripped off, grabbing some clean scrubs from the cupboard and put them on. Tying my hair up as I walked out, I headed back toward where I knew there would be residents and their interns waiting for me to take them through the cases they’d be overseeing today.
“Okay, rounds are starting. Everyone here?” I looked around at the small group. They seemed to all be there, but I wasn’t one hundred per cent sure. Oh well, too bad for anyone that was late.
I pushed open the door to the first patient of the day. Justin Watson, also known as Ace, a promising young baseball player who was currently rostered in the Yankees Triple A team. He’d been running bases at practice, taken a bad turn, and his Achilles had torn spectacularly. Beautifully, almost. I’d operated on him yesterday and it had gone very well. He’d be back running in a few months.
“Hi, Ace.”
He shuffled up his bed, sitting up straighter, his foot protected in a surgery boot. “Hey, Doctor M.”
“How’re you doing this morning?”
“Good.” His cocky grin gave me no doubt he had women following him around wherever he went. “How’s my favorite doctor?”
I let out a chuckle. “All good here, too. Excited about going home this afternoon?”
“Yeah, but it also means I won’t get to see your face every day, so I’m conflicted.”
The interns laughed as I rolled my eyes. This kid was going to break hearts one day, if he wasn’t already.
“Ace, you know, if I could have you following me around boosting my ego all day, I would. But I can’t.”
“Eh, I’m sure we can work something out, Doc.” He winked.
He got me with that one and I laughed loudly, my head dropping with a shake, pushing away any thoughts of Felix that were threatening to creep in again.
“Okay, who’s presenting?”
Bailey Jones, a talented second year resident, stepped forward. “Justin Watson, aged twenty, ruptured Achilles tendon. We were able to repair the tendon with minimal invasion using…”
There was a knock at the door, and we all turned to see Hunter standing there.
“Apologies for interrupting. Doctor Marks, could I borrow you for a moment?”
“Sure, excuse me, Ace. Jones, please carry on.”
I followed Hunter into the hallway. “What’s up?”
“Felix Cleverly is asking for you.”
That flip-flopping thing my stomach had been doing all week started up again, all thoughts hurtling back into my brain.
“What do you mean, he’s asking for me?”
“He’s in my treatment room. I’ve just done his ten day post-op check-up.”
My brow furrowed. “And is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s good. He’s healing nicely and he’s going to be starting proper PT this week, all of which I thought you’d know as his best friend.” His head tilted pointedly.
My shoulders dropped in relief, as well as guilt, for not knowing something I should have. “Oh, well, can you tell him I’m on rounds?”
He seized my arm, pulling me away from the corridor thoroughfare.
“Ouch, your fingers are pointy.”
