Page 9 of A Very Grumpy Doctor

With a resigned sigh, I open her chart, copy the phone number into my contacts, then immediately close the file again.

No lingering.No snooping.Just one phone call.

An hour later, I lock up the clinic and head for my car.I can’t wait any longer.Before I’m even behind the wheel, I pull up her number and hit dial.

The phone rings and rings.I think it’s about to go to voicemail when she picks up.

“Hello?”she croaks.

“Alexi?”

“Yes?Sorry, who is this?”

“Dr.Mercer.”Keep it professional.

I’m so confused.She sounds even worse today, but she should be a few doses into the medicine and on the mend already.

“Oh, Dr.Mercer,” she says, her voice listless.

I frown harder.“How are you feeling?”

“Great,” she lies.

I shake my head as I climb into my car and start it up, waiting for the phone call to connect to my speakers before I drive out of the lot.

“Have you eaten today?”

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“M&M’s and saltines.”

I groan.

“What did you eat?”she counters.

I pause.“I skipped lunch.Back-to-back patients.”

“A-ha!You don’t get to lecture me on my food choices when you didn’t even eat,” she sasses.

“Noted.”

“Is that it?Is that why you called?I’m fine, so you can cross me off your call list,” she says, then ruins it with a coughing fit.

“You sound terrible.”My mind races to figure out why she isn’t getting better.Maybe I missed something.Yes, that’s it.I need to see her.Examine her again.

I slam my foot on the gas, changing direction and heading toward her place.

“Is that your medical diagnosis?”she asks dryly.

I bite back a grin.She may be sick, but she hasn’t lost her fire.“Are you having any symptoms from the medicine?”

“Nope.”

I pull into her driveway, relieved to see her car parked.Although that doesn’t mean much.She was walking last night, after all.

Climbing out of the car, I grab my medical bag and stride up the path.