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Chapter Eight
Wesley
Ihad officially stepped over the line with Charlotte. That touch to her face had been too much, and when I glanced up and found a nurse watching us, I realized exactly how it looked. It was too intimate, too personal. To an outsider, it would look like a lover’s caress, not what a doctor would give to a parent to help them overcome their fears.
Charlotte messed with my head, and all I knew was that when I was around her, I wanted to wrap myself around her and take the sorrow from her eyes. I wanted to make it easier for her, take her burden from her shoulders, and carry it myself. That wasn’t my job. She wasn’t mine to want to help, and I needed to remind myself of that.
A few hours later, I was in the lounge in the emergency department when Jersey popped her head in. “There you are.”
“Hey,” I tossed the medical journal I was reading onto the table, “did you need something?”
“I wanted to let you know that Marisol seems to be doing pretty good. She was awake for a while and able to answer more questions.”
“That’s good. I’m really glad to hear that, Jersey.”
She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, “What do you think about Charlotte?”
Oh, yeah, I wasn’t going to answer that question because what I did think about Charlotte was unprofessional. I had spent way too much time today thinking about her and telling myself not to do just that.
“She seems like a very nice person,” I replied.
She gave me a duh look, “I know she’s nice, but what did you think of her?”
I laughed a little uncomfortably as I stood. “Jersey, I’m not sure how to answer that question. I don’t know your friend very well, and to think of her any other way than as a parent to one of my patients would be unethical.”
“Save it.” She replied with a laugh as she came closer. “I saw you two talking in the hallway. A doctor doesn’t touch a parent the way you did. If I caught Bruce doing that, I’d be all over him to find out what was going on. You like her.”
“I don’t know her, Jersey, and even if I did, I still couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Maybe not right now,” She grinned at me as she turned around and spoke over her shoulder, “But who knows what will happen in a few months.”
* * *
It had been almost four months since I had last seen Charlotte or Marisol. After crossing that invisible line, I had made sure to keep my distance. It wasn’t until after I knew Marisol was discharged that I even looked up her medical record to check and see how she was doing.
She had been recovering well, but she did have some memory and motor issues to overcome. I knew that in time, she would conquer those. After knowing that, I attempted to put them out of my mind and wished them well.
The thing about it was, they were never really that far from it. I found myself searching for Charlotte, quite often while on my run in the park. I’d never seen them, and I wasn’t surprised. I figured Charlotte had her hands full with caring for Marisol, and she might not want to revisit that park. Going back to the scene of the accident might be traumatic for them both.
I was walking down the hall of the hospital when I came around a corner and found myself almost face to face with the woman who haunted my mind when nothing else was filling it. My gaze took in the gentle features of her face, and the smile that came to her eyes as she recognized me. It made all that hard work to forget her instantly vanish.
“Doctor Young, it’s good to see you again.”
“Hello, Charlotte. How is Marisol doing?”
Her smile grew brighter, “She’s doing really well. We still have a few things to overcome, but she’s gotten so much better. She’s almost back to her old self.”
“I’m really glad to hear that.” I glanced past her, “Is she here for a check-up?”
She shook her head, “No, I had a job interview.”
I startled slightly, “You did. Doing what?”
“Medical records and transcription. I finally got my certificate and passed my exam.”
“That’s great, how did the interview go?” Was there a chance that I would be able to get to know her more if she worked here?
“I think it went well. I should hear something by the end of the week.”
