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Lucas
I’d been ready to pull over and ravage Brooke. Yep, in the front seat of my car, in the middle of a busy street on a Friday afternoon on the way to a patient’s house. And mine hadn’t been the cooler head prevailing. Nope. Hers had.
I stepped on the gas pedal, irritated I’d been willing to break the most fundamental rule of a one-night stand. Never make it two. Inhaling, I tried to clear my head and deescalate the erection pressing against my leg making my trousers uncomfortable. But her scent flooded my senses.
“When you’re visiting patients, you should keep your perfume at a minimum.” My tone was harsher than intended, but she only chuckled.
“I work with pregnant women who are especially sensitive to smell, so yes, I’m aware. Which is why I seldom wear perfume or scented lotion.”
Which meant it was her natural scent messing with my system. Terrific.
Two days. We had two days of working in close proximity, and then we’d each have our own schedule where I’d hardly see her. Aside from never wanting anything more than casual, I also never mixed business with pleasure. Nope. Didn’t need that complication in the one place I found my greatest joy.
“I have a number of pregnant women who are eager to meet you today, but our first appointment is with one of my regulars. I hope you don’t mind, but she’s been feeling under the weather, and I needed to squeeze her in.”
“I don’t mind at all. Might be nice to watch you in action before I need to be ‘on.’ What’s her story?”
“Myrna Hutchins is ninety-two years old and was widowed ten years ago. Her chart can be found on the iPad.”
She scrolled through the record, raising her brow as she went along.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just saw the notes include her dogs’ names.”
This is what most other doctors didn’t understand. I enjoyed the personal touch. Prided myself on remembering her beloved dogs’ names and the fact she enjoyed baking, crocheting, and traveling to Napa with her daughter and granddaughter. This type of personal connection wasn’t for everyone, but for me, it was a privilege to be invited into a patient’s home and into their lives.
It made me defensive when others called me Doc Hollywood, implying my personal touch somehow made me less of a physician. Funny how Phil grumbled about the house calls, yet reveled every time I brought in an A-list star or a professional sports player. He loved the high-profile portfolio.
We pulled into the drive of Myrna’s stately home in the Hollywood Hills twelve minutes later. Although I was aware Brooke was probably judging my actions, I didn’t hesitate to accept the hug the older woman gave me at the front door or to squat down and greet Cocoa and Dove, her two French Bulldogs. “Myrna, this is Dr. Morrison. She’s the new obstetrician filling in for Dr. Fitzpatrick over the next few months, and she’s shadowing me today to learn the ropes.”
“How lovely. Hope you don’t mind the dogs. They get excited to have visitors.”
Much to my surprise, Brooke crouched down and enthusiastically greeted both wrinkly balls of energy. “I love dogs, especially these adorable pups.”
The older woman beamed at the compliment regarding her babies. “Thank you. Come in, come in.”
Myrna lived in a gorgeous mansion with an impressive view of Los Angeles. The furniture was a mixture of modern and pieces spanning over decades. There wasn’t a bare wall in sight with art hanging on every vertical surface.
Brooke watched silently as I took Myrna’s vitals at her kitchen table and tested her blood sugar with a prick of her finger. In the office all of these tasks would be done by a nurse before I ever entered the room, but I didn’t mind taking the time to do them myself. If I was doing a great deal of bloodwork, I would bring a lab technician in, but taking a nurse along on a daily basis had never seemed necessary. I could manage the prep work.
“You mentioned on the phone you’ve been feeling fatigued? How have you been eating?”
“I’ve been eating well. I appreciate you connecting me with the dietician. She spoke with my chef who has tweaked my meals appropriately to keep my sugar in check.”
“I’m happy to hear it.” My connections around the area enabled my patients to get assistance in all aspects of their life. My goal was to provide complete care.
“I’ve been extra tired as of late. My daughter worries, so I called you. But truth be told, I’ve lived a good life, and I believe my body is simply preparing to take the long rest.”
I swallowed hard. Losing patients went with the job, and Myrna was in her nineties. Even though she’d lived a long life, it didn’t make it easy to think of her gone from this world. “We’ll run your bloodwork and see if there’s a problem with your iron or any other deficiency.” I went on to perform an exam to ensure there wasn’t an obvious cause for concern.
“I’ve had some vivid dreams about meeting Edward up in heaven. He greets me with a bouquet of orchids, my favorite, and kisses me softly before leading me through the gates.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
She sighed, a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. “It is. I’m not afraid to die, you know.”
“I know you’re not, but you could have years yet.”
“Perhaps.” She turned to Brooke. “Do you know how I knew he was the one, my dear?”
“How?” Brooke asked, invested in the conversation.
“When we were dating and went to the movies, I told him my favorite flavor of Dots were the orange ones. He’d always save them for me. Wasn’t until years later I overheard him say to my daughter the orange were his favorite too. Find someone who thinks of your happiness as more important than their own, and you’ve found a keeper.”
Brooke patted her hand. “Sound advice.”
