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Brooks nods immediately, looking relieved. “Yes. Absolutely.” But there’s a faint buzzing sound and he pulls out his phone and looks at the screen, eyebrows creasing and serious doctor frown suddenly back in place. “I need to go down to the hospital, I’m not sure how long it will take.”
“It’s okay.” I force a smile, reaching out to give his arm a little squeeze. “I’ll see you later. If you’re not back in time we can work on my parallel parking another night.”
He leaves quickly, presumably to deal with whatever emergency came in that needs his attention, but I sit on the table for a long time. I feel numb and confused, thrown off balance by yet another shift in my suddenly upended life.
Chapter Five
Brooks
It ends up being a compound fracture, and by the time we get into surgery, the break stabilized and then the patient settled in recovery, it’s nearly ten at night. I’m sure my portion of whatever Delta made for dinner is wrapped up in the fridge, and she’s in bed. I won’t see her when I get home.
It’s a disquieting feeling, knowing there is someone you care about missing you at the very moment you’re drilling rods into a patient’s leg, and I have a sudden sympathy for all my colleagues with families at home. It feels terrible enough just missing dinner and driving lessons with Delta, if we had kids-
I freeze, my hands frozen beneath the stream of water to the scrub sink.
She’s not my wife or my girlfriend or even my lover. She’s the patient and friend who is trusting me to help her escape a tough situation. It’s deplorable that I feel the way I do about her, I refuse to let myself imagine a real future between us.
Even as I think it though, an image of Delta bubbles into my imagination, her face full and happy, her belly swollen and round with a child.Mychild.
Christ.
“Dr. Harrison?”
I jump, water splashing, and I realize I’ve been standing there with my hands under the faucet for far too long, lost in thoughts of an impossible future.
“Sorry, Hannah.” I smile apologetically at the startled scrub nurse to my right. “Everything alright?”
She looks nervous. “There’s someone waiting for you in the main hospital waiting room. Um. It’s River Jacobs? The snowboarder?”
I sigh, grabbing some paper towels and patting my hands dry.
I’d anticipated this. Lake had warned me that River was livid about Delta’s disappearance and the press release announcing her retirement a few weeks ago. He’d been questioning her teammates and brothers, convinced one of them was hiding her.
Sooner or later, I figured he would turn to external candidates.
“Thanks.” I tell her blandly. “I’ll speak to him on my way out.”
River is seated in the corner of the deserted waiting room, arms crossed over his team coat, lips turned down in a scowl. He spots me almost the moment I walk into the room and stands, tracking my approach through narrowed eyes.
“Dr. Harrison.” He holds out a hand which I reluctantly take for a brief shake.
“River.” It’s a subtle jab, not calling himMr. Jacobsin return, one that definitely isn’t missed by Delta’s father judging by the vein pounding in his forehead.
He doesn’t bother with small talk. “I’m assuming you know where my daughter is?”
Up close, I can see he looks older than the last time I saw him on the day of Delta’s accident. I cross my arms and smile tightly.“I’m sure you can understand why I can’t answer that either way. Doctor patient confidentiality.”
River nods, as if he was expecting this to be my response. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulls out a folded piece of paper and holds it out for me to take.
Unfolding it, I see the familiar logo of my practice above the automated email we send out to patients after an appointment, thanking them and offering post-visit instructions for whatever they were treated for. My blood runs cold. “You hacked her email?
River ignores me. “Let’s dispense with the pretense,Doctor.” His voice drips with derision. “Please inform my daughter to call me. Immediately. Or I’ll be calling the medical board with my concerns about your relationship with a young woman who was your patient since she wasseventeen.”
“Nothing’s happened between Delta and myself.” Almost the truth. Nothinghashappened, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it to.
River’s lip curls. “I knew about her little crush. I thought it was harmless, but it wasn’t unreciprocated, was it?” Leans forward, his voice drops so I have to strain my hearing to catch his words. “Tell her.”
****
