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Somehow, without meaning to, he'd fallen in love with Dr. Jillian Davis.
* * *
Jillian overslept on Thursday morning.Unusual for her, as she happened to be a naturally early riser. Blame it on the fact that she hadn't been on a date in too many years to count.
The idea of having an entire evening alone with Alec made her nervous. It occurred to her that dating a single father came with big responsibilities. She didn't want to hurt Alec or Shannon. What if things didn't work out between them? She couldn't bear the thought of making the little girl who had already lost so much, cry.
Okay, maybe she was over analyzing this. It was dinner. A simple date. Not a marriage proposal.
She quickly showered and blow dried her hair, wishing she didn’t have to tie it back from her face while at work. As if Alec hadn't already seen her at her worst, she thought ruefully. She hurried to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before heading to the hospital, when she noticed she’d missed a call. The number on her phone screen indicated the call had come from Trinity Medical Center.
She hesitated, debating the need to return the call. She was headed to the hospital anyway, whoever called could talk to her in person. Yet the call could be related to her role as the interim medical director. Stuffing a breakfast bar into her purse, she headed for the door, while calling the number back.
When the woman on the other end of the line announced she was from the neurology clinic, her body tensed. “Is this Jillian Davis?”
“Yes.” Her voice came out in a hoarse croak, so she repeated herself. “Yes. This is Jillian Davis.”
“My name is Barbara Evans, I’m a temp from the neurology clinic. I'm calling to let you know the results of your evoked potential tests were negative.”
“Negative?” Jillian looked down at her hand wondering why she'd dropped the forceps the other day. Or why she was having numbness and tingling in her fingers. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“But then what’s causing my symptoms?” Jillian was thrilled to know she probably didn't have multiple sclerosis, but that didn't mean there wasn't something else wrong with her.
“Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know about that. I will ask Dr. Juran to give you a call, okay? You can discuss your next steps with him.”
“Yes. Thank you.” She lowered her phone then lifted her gaze heavenward. God had been watching out for her, that was for sure. The negative result was good news. Certainly, something to celebrate.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she dialed Alec's number, determined to share the good news.
But he didn't pick up. She decided to leave a voicemail anyway. “Hey, it's Jillian. I just found out the results of my evoked potential testing is negative. Something to celebrate tonight. Can't wait to see you later, bye.”
Feeling slightly foolish, she disconnected from the call. Maybe Alec wouldn't really understand the implications of her negative results, but that was okay. Having someone you cared enough about to share good news with was all that mattered.
Jillian drove to the emergency department for her early morning shift, already thinking about the evening to come.
* * *
As soon asshe arrived at work, Jillian realized her good mood was a bit premature. The atmosphere in the emergency department was tense. Not a single staff member was smiling. The easy camaraderie and light banter had vanished. Susan, the nurse taking care of one of her patients, looked particularly bad, her face pale and her sunken eyes surrounded by dark circles.
They were too busy with patients, so she didn't get a chance to talk to Susan until things quieted down, toward the end of their shift.
When she spied Susan sitting alone at one end of the nurse’s station, she quickly crossed over. “Susan?” She hoped the nurse wasn't coming down with the flu or some other virus. “Are you feeling alright?”
Susan lifted her shoulder, but didn't meet her gaze, pretending to be engrossed in the chart open on the computer screen in front of her. “Fine.”
Susan didn't look fine. She looked stressed. Or upset, as if she hadn't slept in a week. “Is something bothering you? I'm here if you want to talk.”
“No.” Susan was uncharacteristically abrupt, her closed expression didn't invite further discussion. Susan typed a brief note on the computer, then logged off. She jumped from her seat and walked away, her back stiff.
Surprised, Jillian watched her go.
“I heard the cops have been questioning her because her son plays for the Barclay Park football team.” The knowing smirk on Wayne Netter's face made her want to slap him.
Yet the news still shocked her. Susan? The source of the narcotic thefts? No, she couldn't believe it.
As much as she would have liked to ignore Wayne, she needed to update him on the activities of the patients in their team. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of Alec, standing off in a corner of the emergency department. She was a little surprised to see him. She assumed he'd come and pick her up from her house, not from work. It made her smile to think he was as anxious as she was for their date. Yet, he didn't look impatient, quite the opposite. He leaned against the wall as if he had all the time in the world.
