“Why wouldn't he?” I answered.
“His condition didn't seem severe enough,” she said. “It's a break and doesn't need your expertise.”
“Better safe than sorry,” I said, turning and walking down to Lila to hand her the paperwork.
“But how is a poor kid like him even going to pay for this visit?” she pressed.
I turned and looked her in the eye. “Plain and simple, he doesn't.”
“Does he have insurance?” she pestered me.
I shrugged her off, not wanting to get into the logistics of it all. I didn't want her to think I was bragging about myself. But she kept peppering me with questions.
“Listen, Dr. Brooks,” I said, in an attempt to shut her up. “I make good money doing what I do, so if I can take a pro-bono case now and again, I do it. It's that simple.”
“So his visit, the x-rays – everything was free?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
“That's what I just said, wasn't it?”
She looked stunned, as if she couldn't comprehend the idea that I had a heart. I knew we'd gotten off to a bad start earlier, and maybe I was wrong in the way I'd talked to her, but I wasn’t so different from Morgan. I got into this field to help others too; kids like Michael who'd been marginalized or pushed to the fringes because they couldn't afford help.
As Mike walked out in his crutches, he smiled at me.
“Thanks, doc,” he said.
“Wait, Michael, I need to ask a favor of you before you leave,” I said.
The kid stopped and turned toward me with a look of earnestness on his face.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Promise me that even though basketball pays for your schooling, you won't let it suck you in,” I said. “Go to medical school if that's what you really want to do . You'll make a fine doctor, son.”
“Thanks, doc,” he said. “And I will. It's my dream.”
Michael grinned from ear-to-ear as he walked out. I turned and looked at Morgan, and she looked stunned. “Believe it or not, Dr. Brooks, I do have a heart.”
CHAPTER SIX- MORGAN
The first few weeks working with Dr. Pierce went by fairly quickly. Overall, it wasn't as bad after that terrible first day. Dr. Pierce kept his sexist remarks to himself, and I witnessed just how amazing he was in his field firsthand. Hell, I even started to admire the man a bit. Friday night rolled around, and he was closing up shop a bit early after a long week that contained several long, complicated surgeries in addition to his office hours. Lila and the nurses had already left for the day so it was just him and me locking up.
“What are your plans tonight, Morgan?” he asked me.
“Uh, nothing, really,” I said. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to take you out to celebrate the end of this hellish week,” he said. “You deserve it for surviving it and putting up with me.”
I seriously contemplated for a moment, but it just felt wrong to go out with my boss. When I hesitated, Gavin could apparently read my face because he quickly countered.
“It's not a date, nothing like that, I swear,” he said, holding his hands up. “Just celebrating the end of the week and the four successful surgeries we had. It's not something I care to do often.”
He smiled at me, and there was a softness to his face I hadn't seen before. I knew I should get to know my boss a bit better, to maybe learn more about him and perhaps even network with him. My career depended upon it. But the idea of going out for drinks with Gavin Pierce made me nervous. I knew his reputation and it worried me.
In the end however, I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to pick his brain. I was very serious about my career and having a big gun like Gavin in my corner could only help me down the road.
“Okay,” I said. “Sounds like a plan.”
Gavin drove us in his brand spanking new BMW. He was right when he'd said he made a lot of money doing what he did, so I guess I could understand why he'd offer up a little pro-bono work to the likes of Michael Greene. Still, it seemed so out of character for him to actually be that kind and compassionate. I found that it was yet, something else I wanted to pick his brain about.