crowd of residents to where Katherine was. Leaning
forward, he whispered. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Just a
second,” she said distracted. “Do you see the size of that tumor?”
AJ
looked up and through his foggy exhausted eyes he saw the patient. He was in
his hospital bed, unconscious, probably sedated. The residents were all gawking
at him like he was some world wonder. The tumor was occupying the left side of
his chest. That explained why Katherine was there, but the other hundreds were
only there to stare. Thank God he was unconscious.
“It’s
about our living situation.” He whispered.
“I’ll
pay half the rent. I won’t get into your space. We’ll both chip in for the
groceries, but under no circumstances am I doing your laundry. I can’t even do
my own,” she muttered under her breath.
“What
about the other thing.” AJ hoped she understood what he meant. There was no way
he was rehashing their sex talk in the midst of a dozen nurses he had taken to
bed.
“Other
thing?” Katherine turned to face him. It took a few seconds but he could see
the realization in her eyes. “You mean the other
thing . We can do that if you want. I’m glad you finally agreed.”
“That’s
not—” AJ was silenced by the sea of eyes glaring at him. He stepped closer to
Katherine and leaned down, so that his lips were close to her ear. “That’s not
what I meant—”
“Doctor
Ross, Doctor Henry, I’m glad you both agreed to scrub in on this.” AJ heard
Lyle’s scornful voice.
“I
never agreed to scrub in on this surgery.” AJ pointed out.
“I do,
I agree.” Katherine chirped.
“Are
you saying Cardiology is not good enough for you?” Lyle snapped. “Do you think
the heart is not as important as the brain? Or Cardiology is not as cool as trauma?”
“I
didn’t say that.” AJ could feel the rage build up inside him. Lyle was putting
him on the spot, trying to make him look bad. Lyle was challenging him in his
own field, and AJ had no other choice but to accept. AJ didn’t have that many
hours in cardio, and it seemed like Lyle knew that. But he wasn’t going to
fail—he was a Ross after all. “Fine, I’ll scrub in.”
“Great!”
AJ
wished he could knock Lyle’s triumph smug clean off his face. But in order to
get to the snake, he would have to push past other doctors and nurses, and leap
over the patient’s bed. On a normal day, he would probably do it, but he was
exhausted. “I’m headed home.”
“Let me
grab my gear.”
“You
live together?” The redhead gasped.
AJ
stared at her, the whole time trying to remember her name. But when it didn’t
come to mind, he shrugged and walked away.
* * *
*
“I’m
exhausted!” Katherine groaned as she dropped into the sofa. She studied the
hard set of AJ’s face and knew what was brewing in his mind. She couldn’t blame
him. She had barged into his home; lied to her brothers that he was her
boyfriend, and now because of her, he probably can’t get laid. But I offered, she thought.
“You
can use the spare room. I’m just going to study the notes your boyfriend gave
us then go to sleep.”
“He’s
not my boyfriend.” She groaned.
“Lyle
and I never used to interact. But when I start talking to you, all of a sudden
he’s got something against me. He’s out to get me, and it’s because of you.” He
was snarling.
It was
somehow true. She should never have belittled Lyle and sung AJ’s praises. Now
he was stuck in a surgery he didn’t want. On the positive side, they were a few
hours from performing a life-saving surgery.
The
tumor had taken over the left side of his chest, feeding off the same artery
that supplied the heart’s blood. It was also in the patient’s chest cavity,
pressing against his ribs and lungs. And if that wasn’t enough, the skin tissue
which had been affected was massive. They would not only try to cut out the
unhealthy tissue but they would also be doing a skin transplant.
forward, he whispered. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Just a
second,” she said distracted. “Do you see the size of that tumor?”
AJ
looked up and through his foggy exhausted eyes he saw the patient. He was in
his hospital bed, unconscious, probably sedated. The residents were all gawking
at him like he was some world wonder. The tumor was occupying the left side of
his chest. That explained why Katherine was there, but the other hundreds were
only there to stare. Thank God he was unconscious.
“It’s
about our living situation.” He whispered.
“I’ll
pay half the rent. I won’t get into your space. We’ll both chip in for the
groceries, but under no circumstances am I doing your laundry. I can’t even do
my own,” she muttered under her breath.
“What
about the other thing.” AJ hoped she understood what he meant. There was no way
he was rehashing their sex talk in the midst of a dozen nurses he had taken to
bed.
“Other
thing?” Katherine turned to face him. It took a few seconds but he could see
the realization in her eyes. “You mean the other
thing . We can do that if you want. I’m glad you finally agreed.”
“That’s
not—” AJ was silenced by the sea of eyes glaring at him. He stepped closer to
Katherine and leaned down, so that his lips were close to her ear. “That’s not
what I meant—”
“Doctor
Ross, Doctor Henry, I’m glad you both agreed to scrub in on this.” AJ heard
Lyle’s scornful voice.
“I
never agreed to scrub in on this surgery.” AJ pointed out.
“I do,
I agree.” Katherine chirped.
“Are
you saying Cardiology is not good enough for you?” Lyle snapped. “Do you think
the heart is not as important as the brain? Or Cardiology is not as cool as trauma?”
“I
didn’t say that.” AJ could feel the rage build up inside him. Lyle was putting
him on the spot, trying to make him look bad. Lyle was challenging him in his
own field, and AJ had no other choice but to accept. AJ didn’t have that many
hours in cardio, and it seemed like Lyle knew that. But he wasn’t going to
fail—he was a Ross after all. “Fine, I’ll scrub in.”
“Great!”
AJ
wished he could knock Lyle’s triumph smug clean off his face. But in order to
get to the snake, he would have to push past other doctors and nurses, and leap
over the patient’s bed. On a normal day, he would probably do it, but he was
exhausted. “I’m headed home.”
“Let me
grab my gear.”
“You
live together?” The redhead gasped.
AJ
stared at her, the whole time trying to remember her name. But when it didn’t
come to mind, he shrugged and walked away.
* * *
*
“I’m
exhausted!” Katherine groaned as she dropped into the sofa. She studied the
hard set of AJ’s face and knew what was brewing in his mind. She couldn’t blame
him. She had barged into his home; lied to her brothers that he was her
boyfriend, and now because of her, he probably can’t get laid. But I offered, she thought.
“You
can use the spare room. I’m just going to study the notes your boyfriend gave
us then go to sleep.”
“He’s
not my boyfriend.” She groaned.
“Lyle
and I never used to interact. But when I start talking to you, all of a sudden
he’s got something against me. He’s out to get me, and it’s because of you.” He
was snarling.
It was
somehow true. She should never have belittled Lyle and sung AJ’s praises. Now
he was stuck in a surgery he didn’t want. On the positive side, they were a few
hours from performing a life-saving surgery.
The
tumor had taken over the left side of his chest, feeding off the same artery
that supplied the heart’s blood. It was also in the patient’s chest cavity,
pressing against his ribs and lungs. And if that wasn’t enough, the skin tissue
which had been affected was massive. They would not only try to cut out the
unhealthy tissue but they would also be doing a skin transplant.
Similar Books
