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This message should reassure her that he hadn’t forgotten them and would see them tonight.
Finished eating, he rushed to the NICU and assessed his tiny patient. The baby’s vitals were good. He’d survived the first two critical hours and was valiantly struggling to live.
Tyler met with the nurse in charge and the doctor on call for the night, apprised them of the case, and left his instructions, insisting they call him if an emergency arose.
Free from hospital obligations, he changed into his street clothes and left the on-call room where he’d hardly slept the past three days. Lighthearted, he sprinted down the stairs and along the corridor to the lobby.
“Tyler, I never thought I would find you here.”
The familiar voice exploded in his ears like a grenade. Ignoring the orderly standing next to her, Beverly rolled her wheelchair toward him.
Tyler had carefully avoided the sixth floor all week. Cursing his bad luck, he stared at her. “What are you doing here?”
“My ankle is much better. The rehab doctor has discharged me. Unfortunately, Anthony is on call tonight and can’t drive me home.”
“Anthony?” She was on a first-name basis with Dr. Carlysle?
“Yes, your friend from the ER. It must be my guardian angel sending you at the right moment. Can you take me home?”
Where the hell washisguardian angel? It must be some mean devil playing a lousy trick on him.
“Why don’t you call your brother?”
“Jeff is stuck on the highway somewhere in New Jersey. And Mom is home alone with bronchitis. I can’t have her coming out in this freezing temperature. Half an hour ago, I called a taxi. They said it would take a long time to reach the hospital.”
“Damn, I can’t drive all the way to your house. It’s forty-five minutes in good weather. We’d be on the road all night. Ask them to keep you for the night.”
“You know it’s not possible. Dr. Amr has already discharged me.”
“Now? At night? In this weather? I’ll have a talk with the Chief of Rehab.”
She shrugged. “No need. Dr. Amr signed the discharge around two. The snow had stopped at that time.”
“Two o’clock? Then, why are you still here?”
“I was waiting for Anthony to have a break and drive me. Unfortunately, the ambulances haven’t stopped bringing in patients. He told me it was either a taxi or risk spending the night on a chair in a waiting room or the cafeteria.”
Tyler huffed. Count on Beverly to cause trouble.
“So, you’re a dedicated doctor only when it suits you,” she cried, her hands on her hips.
Exasperated, he shook his head. “Listen, I’ve hardly slept in three days. I don’t trust myself to drive that distance in these conditions. Don’t you understand? I’m tired. I could have an accident.”
“Fine. Don’t drive me home. Take me to your apartment instead. It’s only ten minutes away.”
His jaw sagged. She never gave up.
“I can’t. I’ve already returned my keys.”
“I still have mine. The rent’s paid until the end of the month, and it’s furnished.” She threw her hands in the air and shouted. “Are you going to let me rot here all night, Dr. Kent?”
While the thought of strangling her appealed, the apartment was an acceptable solution. He would drop her there and go home to Sienna.
Beverly didn’t give him time to ponder the solution. She turned to the orderly.
“You can go. Dr. Kent will take care of me. He’s been my doctor for more than a year.”
The man gave them a weird look and helped her stand.
