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I wanted to punch his fucking doctor in the throat.
“Nurse Hunter?”
“Yes?” I asked as I turned my gaze towards the doctor.
“How does all of that sound?”
“Do I really have a choice?” I asked.
“You’re his nurse,” the doctor said. “You have input.”
“I don’t,” I said plainly. “Whatever Mr. Lowell chooses to do, I’ll help him as best as I can.”
“I hope you realize how wonderful of a nurse Miss Hunter is,” the doctor said. “I’ll get you set up with the O.R. If you sit here, I can have a date and time for you within the next fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks, Doctor,” Hayden said. “We’ll be here.”
I sighed as the door to the office closed. I felt Hayden’s hand come down onto mine, but I ripped myself away. I didn’t want to look at him. Or speak to him. Or even think about him.
“That comment was uncalled for,” he said.
“You bet your sweet ass it was,” I said flatly.
“Grace-”
“This could kill you, Hayden.”
I whipped my watery gaze to look at him and I could see he was taken aback by it.
“This surgery has a fifty-fifty shot of killing you right there in that O.R., and the only thing you can see is walking with full mobility. Do you have any idea how many things our bodies actually do with full hip mobility?”
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”
“You’re damn right I am. Thirty positions. There are only thirty positions the average male body is capable of that requires full hip mobility.”
“Well, I don’t have an average body.”
“You sure as hell have an average mind.”
“Need I remind you that you’re still under my employ?” he asked.
“And need I remind you that your doctor just told you that unless you give me full and complete control, you won’t even come out of this. Assuming you get off that table. You could risk your life and go through all of this and still be stuck in that chair, Hayden!”
“What would you have me do!? Huh? Stay in this damn thing for the rest of my life? Settle for second-best when there’s the promise of the best?”
“Why are you willing to risk your life for this? Why is this so important to you?” I asked. “Because I’ve been unable to walk, and the only thing it kept me from doing was-”
“My image is everything, Grace. And I don’t expect you to understand that. This wheelchair? It’s a sign of weakness. A sign my company can’t bear to have. If I come into work and attempt to run my company when I’m staring at the crotches of every fucking client that comes walking through my door, they’ll unseat me in a heartbeat to save their own reputation.”
“You own the damn thing, Hayden! Change the rules!”
“It isn’t that simple!”
I drew in a deep breath as I sat back deeply into my seat.
“This isn’t that serious, Grace. And not walking isn’t an option for me. If there’s a chance I could resume my life as normal, then I’m taking it. And I know you understand that.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from agreeing with him. Because the truth was, I did.
