She glanced at his hand, then his face. “Yes?”
“You know if there’s anything bothering you, I’m here for you, right? I mean, if you want to talk or if there’s anything you need…”
She went very still for a moment, then made a face, looking more like herself than she had all evening. “Thanks, Ron. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight. Just tired, I guess. Really, everything’s fine. But thanks for the concern.”
He searched her face, relieved to see that the smile was back in her eyes now. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. Really. Just tired.”
He chuckled. “Show me a medical student who isn’t tired.”
The smile in her eyes traveled to her lips, which tilted infectiously. “So true.”
His fingers tightened spasmodically on her shoulder. He loosened them quickly, turning the gesture into a friendly little pat. “Still, if there’s anything you need, you’ve got my number.”
“Thanks, Ron.” After a momentary hesitation, she smiled again and slid into her car. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” He stepped back quickly, narrowly missing having her car door slammed on his fingers. “See ya,” he murmured, watching her drive away.
Ron was passing an open hospital room door the next afternoon when a voice stopped him. “Hey. Dr. Gibson.”
Frowning in confusion, he paused and looked around, wondering if he’d misheard.
“Psst. Dr. Gibson.”
Following the sound of the woman’s voice, he stepped curiously into the open doorway. Wrapped in a thin white blanket, Georgia McMillan sat in a recliner near the windows, facing the hallway so she could watch people go by outside her room. An IV stand sat at one side of her chair, two bags dripping into the tubes inserted in her thin arm. On the other side of the chair, an oxygen tank pumped air into the tubes in her nose.
Her breathing rasped in the quiet room, but her smile was impish when she saw that she had his attention. “How’s it going, cutie?”
He grinned. “Fine, thank you, Ms. McMillan. And you?”
“Still hanging in.”
“Is there something I can do for you?”
She crooked a bony finger at him, inviting him into the room. Thinking of the list of tasks his resident had given him to complete within the next hour, he entered. She was probably just a little lonely. As far as he had observed, Ms. McMillan had no family. She wasn’t one of the three patients he’d been assigned—she was Haley’s responsibility—but since he saw her every morning on team rounds, she wasn’t a complete stranger to him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her.
She waved off the question impatiently. “Same as always. Must be better, though, they’re letting me out of here tomorrow.”
“That’s good to hear.” She would be back, he knew, and probably soon. It was obvious even to a third-year student that her health was deteriorating.
“How’s your life outside of work?” she asked, her gaze locked on his face. “You got a girlfriend?”
He chuckled. “No, ma’am, not at the moment. I don’t have time for one.”
“Nonsense. There’s always time for a personal life. Don’t let your job consume you.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“What about that other pretty medical student? Haley? She’s not seeing anyone, either. I asked her.”
“What about her, Ms. McMillan?”
“Why don’t you ask her out? I really like her.”
“Well, yes, so do I, but Haley and I are just friends.”