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Brooke
My first C-section at the new practice went without a hitch. Afterward, both the mother and healthy baby boy were recovering nicely. I spent the rest of my Friday in the office. Although it was convenient, and I could see more people at a faster pace, it definitely lacked the personal touch of home visits.
My Friday evening consisted of updating charts and finishing up in the office. My first on-call nights would be this upcoming week, and I couldn’t wait. Sure, getting woken up in the middle of the night wasn’t fun, but once the adrenaline hit, I did my best work at deliveries.
As I walked out to the reception desk, I spotted Ramona packing up for the day. Instead of her bubbly self, though, she appeared uncharacteristically somber.
“Everything okay, Ramona?” I didn’t know her well, but I’d yet to see her in a bad mood.
“Dr. Lucas called. We lost Myrna today. Doesn’t matter how long I’ve done this job, it’s always tough to lose patients.”
“Oh, no.” Not Myrna. She’d been sweet, and Lucas had been so devoted to finding out what could be causing her fatigue.
“I forgot you met her when you shadowed him one of the days he went to see her.”
“Yes, I did. Have you spoken with Dr. Brennan?”
She sighed. “Yes. He’s at her house right now meeting with the coroner.”
I felt torn. As a friend, I’d call to see how he was doing, knowing how hard this would hit him. But as a one-night stand, I wouldn’t do anything of the sort. Then again, as a colleague, I’d definitely call.
Dialing once I was in my car, I waited for him to pick up and frowned when it went to voicemail. Opting not to leave a message, I contemplated what to do next. I knew where Myrna lived. Should I just show up there and see if he needed any help?
Fifteen minutes later, I was in Myrna’s driveway pulling alongside Lucas’ SUV and plagued with second thoughts. What if he was talking to the family now? I didn’t want to intrude. What to do? The answer came when Lucas walked out the front door. His trademark grin was gone, replaced with a subdued expression.
Opening the car door, I stepped out. “Ramona told me the news. I tried calling and thought maybe I’d stop by instead. I’m really sorry.”
He walked closer, his eyes full of emotion. “I’m glad you’re here. I saw her Wednesday morning, and she seemed to know she was nearing the end.”
I accompanied him to the front door where the two Frenchies greeted us with a chorus of barks. Lucas crouched down to lift one, who immediately silenced.
Taking his cue, I picked up the other one, narrowly avoiding licks to the face. Scratching behind her ears, I soothed her with soft words. “Poor babies. They were her world.”
“Yes, they were. Ellen, her daughter, is on her way. Thought it might be her when you pulled in.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want company or not.”
He flashed a soft smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”
We took the dogs into the living room and sat down on the sofa to wait. “Any other family?”
“Yes, she had two sons besides the one daughter. The daughter had gone up to San Francisco for the day, but is on her way back. The sons live up in Washington and had just flown back after seeing her earlier this week. They’ll be here in the morning.”
“Will any of them take the dogs?”
“I’m assuming the daughter will.”
At the sound of the front door opening, we both stood up and set the dogs down. In walked a brunette who appeared to be in her sixties with a man by her side. Witnessing another’s grief was a humbling experience. It didn’t matter if you were a physician who’d seen it a dozen times or not. It was rough.
I stood back while Lucas shared soft words with the woman and her husband. Then he turned. “This is Dr. Brooke Morrison. Brooke, this is Myrna’s daughter, Ellen, and her husband, Steve.”
She nodded. “Thanks for being here. Mom always talked about the day she got to join Dad again. I picture them dancing together up in heaven.”
The thought brought a smile to Lucas’ face. “Me too.”
The pups had calmed down but were sniffing around our legs. Ellen sighed, not leaning down to pet them. “I don’t know what to do with these guys.”
“What do you mean?” Lucas asked.
