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Knowing he has this handled, I go to the next room and sanitize my hands again. “Hello, I’m Dr. Wallace.”
I continue my rounds, and once I have all my patients in various degrees getting out of the emergency room, the surgeon finally arrives with his resident.
We walk into the room, and Cooper has them all laughing, telling a story about Damon. “Oh, it looks like you’re ready.” He stands up and fist bumps Mason. “You’ve got this, and you’ll be up playing again in no time, don’t worry.” After he shakes their hands, he leaves the room.
“Shut up, you’re the doctor from Mercy dating Cooper Rice?” the surgeon asks me, his eyebrows raised.
“Yes.” Damn, how far has this gossip chain gone?
I leave the room and walk Cooper out to the intake area. “Thanks for that,” I say. “And for bringing me lunch.”
“Anytime. I love to help out when I can.” He leans in and gives me a chaste kiss. “See you tonight?”
I nod. “Yeah, but no sleepover. I was late today.”
A sly smile lands on his face, and I shake my head.
“After the season, we’re going on a long vacation.” He pulls me into him, going in for a kiss.
“I’m at work,” I whisper.
Just then I hear a code over at the intake desk about a stabbing victim being en route.
“I’m gonna be late to work out. See you tonight. Love you,” he whispers and releases me without kissing me.
“Coop.” I stop him. Rushing over, I give him a kiss on the cheek. “Love you.”
His smile is so big, I melt for a moment before heading in the back to get prepared for the stabbing victim.
Mason is already being wheeled out of the room to go up and get ready for surgery when I return. “Good luck,” I tell him.
His dad rushes over. “You made his day. Please tell Cooper thank you.”
“He was happy to do it, but I’ll tell him. I’ll try to stop by later, but you’re in excellent hands.”
It’s the one part of emergency medicine that I don’t always enjoy. The lack of follow-up. Not knowing how the patient does once you treat them and transfer their care elsewhere. Many times, I try to check in, but oftentimes the day gets away from me.
The code comes in again that the stabbing victim is four minutes out.
Dr. Murphy comes over to where the team and I are getting organized. “Me and Wallace are on this one,” he says, putting on his disposable gown. I put my own on, and we wait by the ambulance doors.
I can’t hold back now that it’s just the two of us standing here, the rest of the team a few feet behind. “If you have a problem with me, why don’t you just tell me?”
He glances at me and then back to the ambulance area. We can hear the sirens approaching.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Wallace.”
I turn to him. “The tattling about me not being on my game. I fell asleep once, and yes, today I was late, but I’m not the only one. And Cooper has always dropped in no more than other people’s family members. And we get sent a lot of food, I’m not sure why you think it’s disruptive to the staff.” My attempt to keep my anger at bay doesn’t work, it’s definitely there, and now we’re supposed to treat a case together.
“Listen, I know I give you shit, but it’s not my style to go tell Daddy. If I have a problem with you, I’ll tell you.” He turns back to the street again.
I hate this part, waiting to see what kind of case we have. How injured are they, and will we be able to help them? Even with the information from the paramedics, you need to be face-to-face to really see.
“It wasn’t you?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“It doesn’t disappoint me,” I say, though begrudgingly.
