him. “I’ll call in and speak to the resident, and Dr. Steinberg will come in immediately if anything comes up. I think she’ll be fine. I’m sorry, I have to be with my children. I’ll be back tomorrow, as soon as I can.” Bill was furious as he pushed past her, and without a word, she got into the elevator with Ben, and looked like she was going to collapse. Jessie knew it had been a mistake to come in. Although she had wanted to see Lily, Jessie wasn’t up to it, or to dealing with Lily’s father’s implications that she hadn’t done a good job and didn’t know what she was doing.
“You should have told him,” Ben said through clenched teeth. It had taken all his restraint not to grab the guy and tell him what he thought of him. He acted like he could control the world, and he couldn’t. He had been incredibly rude and hard on Jessie, but all she wanted to do now was go home to her kids and comfort them. She wanted to lie on her bed and cry for the husband she loved so much and would never see again. Ben drove her home, and she thanked him when she got out of the car. He watched her walk into the house, and cried all the way home himself. He couldn’t believe Tim was gone, and he couldn’t even imagine how hard Jessie’s life was going to be now without him, and how empty. All she ever did was work and spend time with her husband and kids. They hadn’t had time for a social life in years, and rarely saw friends, just each other. Tim had been her best friend. Ben’s heart ached for her and her kids. It was a terrible time for all of them.
Bill Thomas was still steaming when he walked back into the ICU. He had convinced himself that Jessie was incompetent, and now she was being negligent too, not planning to visit Lily again that night. It was the least she could have done, as far as he was concerned. He noticed the nurses talking in hushed whispers with a serious expression as he passed the desk.
“Is Lily okay?” He was worried that something had happened and they were talking about her.
“She’s fine,” one of the nurses reassured him, and she could see how angry he was. He had already told them that he would see to it that his daughter would walk again. “We were just talking about Dr. Matthews,” one of the nurses explained, and seemed upset.
“What about her?” he said unhappily. “She’s not even coming back to see Lily tonight. She says she has to be with her children,” he said with contempt. “Maybe she should decide if she’s a mother or a doctor. Being a neurosurgeon isn’t a part-time job.”
The nurse was shocked by what he said, and it was obvious he didn’t know what had happened, and she thought he should. “Dr. Matthews’s husband was killed in an accident last night. A car accident. He was an anesthesiologist here, and a very dear man. It happened when she was operating on Lily. She only found out this morning when she left. Her youngest son was injured too.” Bill looked startled by what she said, and then embarrassed. He had no idea how to respond.
“I’m sorry … I didn’t know …” He remembered what he had said to her. He believed it, but he recognized that his timing had been awful. “I’m very sorry,” he said again, and went back to see his daughter. He was haunted by what the nurse had said and remembered how he had felt the night Lily’s mother died. And competent or not, which remained to be seen, his heart went out to Jessie. And as he looked down at Lily, sleeping peacefully in her hospital bed, for the first time he forgot about whether or not she would walk again and was just grateful she was alive.
Chapter 6
As promised, Jessie came back to check on Lily in the morning, after having breakfast with her kids. She couldn’t eat, but they picked at the cereal she put on the table. She hadn’t slept all night, and she looked it, when she arrived in Lily’s room in her white coat, looking pale with dark circles under her eyes. She
“You should have told him,” Ben said through clenched teeth. It had taken all his restraint not to grab the guy and tell him what he thought of him. He acted like he could control the world, and he couldn’t. He had been incredibly rude and hard on Jessie, but all she wanted to do now was go home to her kids and comfort them. She wanted to lie on her bed and cry for the husband she loved so much and would never see again. Ben drove her home, and she thanked him when she got out of the car. He watched her walk into the house, and cried all the way home himself. He couldn’t believe Tim was gone, and he couldn’t even imagine how hard Jessie’s life was going to be now without him, and how empty. All she ever did was work and spend time with her husband and kids. They hadn’t had time for a social life in years, and rarely saw friends, just each other. Tim had been her best friend. Ben’s heart ached for her and her kids. It was a terrible time for all of them.
Bill Thomas was still steaming when he walked back into the ICU. He had convinced himself that Jessie was incompetent, and now she was being negligent too, not planning to visit Lily again that night. It was the least she could have done, as far as he was concerned. He noticed the nurses talking in hushed whispers with a serious expression as he passed the desk.
“Is Lily okay?” He was worried that something had happened and they were talking about her.
“She’s fine,” one of the nurses reassured him, and she could see how angry he was. He had already told them that he would see to it that his daughter would walk again. “We were just talking about Dr. Matthews,” one of the nurses explained, and seemed upset.
“What about her?” he said unhappily. “She’s not even coming back to see Lily tonight. She says she has to be with her children,” he said with contempt. “Maybe she should decide if she’s a mother or a doctor. Being a neurosurgeon isn’t a part-time job.”
The nurse was shocked by what he said, and it was obvious he didn’t know what had happened, and she thought he should. “Dr. Matthews’s husband was killed in an accident last night. A car accident. He was an anesthesiologist here, and a very dear man. It happened when she was operating on Lily. She only found out this morning when she left. Her youngest son was injured too.” Bill looked startled by what she said, and then embarrassed. He had no idea how to respond.
“I’m sorry … I didn’t know …” He remembered what he had said to her. He believed it, but he recognized that his timing had been awful. “I’m very sorry,” he said again, and went back to see his daughter. He was haunted by what the nurse had said and remembered how he had felt the night Lily’s mother died. And competent or not, which remained to be seen, his heart went out to Jessie. And as he looked down at Lily, sleeping peacefully in her hospital bed, for the first time he forgot about whether or not she would walk again and was just grateful she was alive.
Chapter 6
As promised, Jessie came back to check on Lily in the morning, after having breakfast with her kids. She couldn’t eat, but they picked at the cereal she put on the table. She hadn’t slept all night, and she looked it, when she arrived in Lily’s room in her white coat, looking pale with dark circles under her eyes. She
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