Time to walk away. “Go save some lives.” Amusement rang out in her voice and I tossed a wave over my shoulder, suddenly feeling a little bit better about my future working relationship with Zola.
Whatever it may be.
Zola
Post-operative rounds were the easiest part of the day, where I got to check in on patients, chat a little and mostly give them good news. These rounds were my favorite part of the day, especially after some time away from the medical center.
“How are we feeling today, Mr. Kilbride?”
The sixty-two year old man smiled from his hospital bed and waved me in. “I’m great, Dr. Ross. Feeling better than I have in a few years thanks to Dr. Wright. Is he around?”
“Not yet. He had a late surgery and will be around later today, so you can heap all the praise you want on him then. Any trouble breathing?”
“Not until a pretty girl waltzed into my room wearing a big smile.”
“Wow, did you get an extra dose of charm with that surgery, Mr. Kilbride?”
“I don’t know, am I charming you into having dinner with an old man?”
“Sorry, I’ve got dinner plans with the world’s most adorable twins. But I’m free for lunch.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Sure. It’s pasta day in the cafeteria, think you can make it down there?”
“Will you let me escort you like a gentleman?”
“Only if you accept help from a doctor who happens to be a woman.”
He shrugged and let out a muffled laugh. “Leaning on a pretty girl without risk of offending? Count me in. Noon thirty?”
“See you then.” I checked the nurse’s notes, made a few of my own about his coloring and disposition and moved on to the next patient.
My smile didn’t falter all day, not even when I thought about my conversation with Drew. I had a feeling he hadn’t come to apologize of his own volition and that was confirmed when later that day, Suzie asked if things were good with us now. I didn’t mind. Jackson’s Ridge was a small town, but hospitals were their own special kind of small town where gossip and drama traveled faster than germs. It didn’t surprise me that word of my tumultuous relationship with Drew had reached the administrator while she was at home, but it did kind of amuse me that Suzie made him apologize.
I’d accepted his apology because I had no choice. I absolutely wanted things to be less tense and adversarial between us, but I didn’t believe it was possible. There was no normal between us, thanks to that incredibly hot night we spent together. He didn’t know how to be normal and he, clearly, had no interest in picking up where we left of, which left us bickering like enemies forced to work together.
Because that’s what we are.
By the time the lunch hour rolled around, I had reconciled myself that things would remain awkward and stilted with Drew, but I would do my best not to antagonize him. No matter how rude he was, how gruff or condescending, I would smile and politely explain to him why he was wrong, when he was. Or I would just do as he asked when he was right. Which was often, because the man was brilliant, and that was the reason I was here in Jackson’s Ridge.
Lunch with Mr. Kilbride was as fun as I knew it would be, and it gave me the perfect chance to check on his progress. Despite his age and weight, he was recovering nicely, energetic enough to share stories with me of his time overseas and his time as an adventure guide. He reminded me a lot of Granddaddy and I made a mental note to introduce them.
“Thanks for indulging an old man, Dr. Ross.”
“Thanks for sharing your stories with me. You never fail to entertain, Mr. Kilbride, and I’m happy to see you have enough energy to return to storytelling.”
“I’ll be back at the community center in no time, don’tcha think?”
“Keep doing what you’re doing and you will be.” I watched as he shuffled back to the bed, before I made my way back to the small office that I shared with another fellow. The day wasn’t over yet, I still had some research to do into different surgical techniques for Sadie’s upcoming operation, and then I could go home, put my feet up and eat whatever delicious meal Granddaddy prepared.
My thoughts were on Sadie and her surgery, taking stock of my fellowship progress and the twins when I should have been watching where I was going. “Oh, sorry.” I looked up at the warm, hard brick wall I slammed into with an apologetic smile, only to find it was a body I knew well. Intimately well.
“Got something on your mind?” His lips twitched with amusement that I shouldn’t have found so appealing, but I did. I really did.