there.”
“I…I did, but I was worried. It was taking so long. I was coming to check.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t want to see you.”
“Did you tell him—?”
“Miss, you promised to leave after I asked.”
“But—”
“Listen,” he put an arm around my shoulder, leading me away from the door. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but I do know that things can get pretty heated when boys and girls get into an argument. I’m sure things will work out. He’s going through a lot right now, so just give him some time, alright?”
I sighed. “Alright.” Arguing with the doctor would do no good. I could feel his resolve—he wasn’t letting me into that room.
He walked me to the elevator, then pressed the button. “In the meantime, if you need to talk, let me give you my card.” He pulled a card from the breast pocket of his white coat and held it out.
Why would I want to talk with him? “Are you a shrink?” I took the card and held it up, without having read it.
“No. A cardiothoracic surgeon, actually. I’m with Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m here for the week, as proctor for a pioneering robotic surgical technique,” he said, in answer to my unasked question. “Sacred Heart is taking part in my trials. One of the surgeons I’m working with mentioned that he had consulted on Mrs. Baxter’s case last night, and when he told me this morning that she’s had a miraculous recovery, I just had to come down and see it for myself.”
My heart sped up, and it was all I could do to keep my breathing in check.
It’s him! The one who called Alex.
“Oh?” I said, working to keep my voice from faltering. “She’s doing well, then?”
He smiled. “Well, you’re not family, so I can’t give you any specific information about her condition. But I think you know how she’s doing.”
I frowned in false confusion, hoping to hide my fear. “I do?”
There was a long, awkward pause, while he held his smile frozen in place. His gaze was penetrating. At last he spoke. “Of course. She was moved from ICU to a private room. That’s a good sign, don’t you think?”
I let out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding. “Yes. Yes, thought so, too. I just wish I could talk to Alex, so I could find out how she’s really doing.”
“I’m sure he’ll contact you soon enough. Now you get going, before it gets dark. It’s not a good idea for a young woman to be walking around in a parking garage at night, even if there is security.”
I was so relieved to get away from the doctor, that I didn’t even recognize until the elevator reached the ground floor that I’d felt something strange when talking with Dr. Kline.
He was…pleased.
Chapter 7
I’d debated all weekend whether or not I should tell my parents about Dr. Kline. On the one hand, nothing had changed, except that I’d met the man asking questions. On the other hand, Dr. Kline had mentioned Mrs. Baxter’s “miraculous recovery”, which meant I’d garnered more attention from him than I’d first feared.
But Mrs. Baxter was nowhere near recovered. The fact that she was out of ICU and had limited visitation allowed spoke volumes. And then there was the worry that I’d felt coming from Alex, through the hospital room door. No, Mrs. Baxter was barely beginning her recovery. Dr. Kline must have just been fishing for information with any friend or family member who came by.
In the end, I decided not to tell them. Yet . If Alex came around, everything would be fine. Dr. Kline would go back to Connecticut soon, and things would go back to normal.
At least, that was what I hoped.
I sat on my bed Monday morning, staring at the history book in my lap, but I couldn’t focus on the words. I couldn’t think of anything but Alex. I’d tried to call him for three days, but every
“I…I did, but I was worried. It was taking so long. I was coming to check.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t want to see you.”
“Did you tell him—?”
“Miss, you promised to leave after I asked.”
“But—”
“Listen,” he put an arm around my shoulder, leading me away from the door. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but I do know that things can get pretty heated when boys and girls get into an argument. I’m sure things will work out. He’s going through a lot right now, so just give him some time, alright?”
I sighed. “Alright.” Arguing with the doctor would do no good. I could feel his resolve—he wasn’t letting me into that room.
He walked me to the elevator, then pressed the button. “In the meantime, if you need to talk, let me give you my card.” He pulled a card from the breast pocket of his white coat and held it out.
Why would I want to talk with him? “Are you a shrink?” I took the card and held it up, without having read it.
“No. A cardiothoracic surgeon, actually. I’m with Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m here for the week, as proctor for a pioneering robotic surgical technique,” he said, in answer to my unasked question. “Sacred Heart is taking part in my trials. One of the surgeons I’m working with mentioned that he had consulted on Mrs. Baxter’s case last night, and when he told me this morning that she’s had a miraculous recovery, I just had to come down and see it for myself.”
My heart sped up, and it was all I could do to keep my breathing in check.
It’s him! The one who called Alex.
“Oh?” I said, working to keep my voice from faltering. “She’s doing well, then?”
He smiled. “Well, you’re not family, so I can’t give you any specific information about her condition. But I think you know how she’s doing.”
I frowned in false confusion, hoping to hide my fear. “I do?”
There was a long, awkward pause, while he held his smile frozen in place. His gaze was penetrating. At last he spoke. “Of course. She was moved from ICU to a private room. That’s a good sign, don’t you think?”
I let out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding. “Yes. Yes, thought so, too. I just wish I could talk to Alex, so I could find out how she’s really doing.”
“I’m sure he’ll contact you soon enough. Now you get going, before it gets dark. It’s not a good idea for a young woman to be walking around in a parking garage at night, even if there is security.”
I was so relieved to get away from the doctor, that I didn’t even recognize until the elevator reached the ground floor that I’d felt something strange when talking with Dr. Kline.
He was…pleased.
Chapter 7
I’d debated all weekend whether or not I should tell my parents about Dr. Kline. On the one hand, nothing had changed, except that I’d met the man asking questions. On the other hand, Dr. Kline had mentioned Mrs. Baxter’s “miraculous recovery”, which meant I’d garnered more attention from him than I’d first feared.
But Mrs. Baxter was nowhere near recovered. The fact that she was out of ICU and had limited visitation allowed spoke volumes. And then there was the worry that I’d felt coming from Alex, through the hospital room door. No, Mrs. Baxter was barely beginning her recovery. Dr. Kline must have just been fishing for information with any friend or family member who came by.
In the end, I decided not to tell them. Yet . If Alex came around, everything would be fine. Dr. Kline would go back to Connecticut soon, and things would go back to normal.
At least, that was what I hoped.
I sat on my bed Monday morning, staring at the history book in my lap, but I couldn’t focus on the words. I couldn’t think of anything but Alex. I’d tried to call him for three days, but every
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