The M.D. Next Door

Madison spoke teasingly to lighten their mom’s suddenly grave expression. “Okay, Mom. Tell us all about church and lunch today. I know you’ve come home with lots of juicy gossip and you know how I love a good gossip session. Meagan never dishes about anyone—including herself,” she added pointedly.

Meagan suspected Madison was a little put out that she hadn’t heard any more details about last night’s date. But while they occasionally talked about their romantic adventures—what few there had been for either of them in the past busy years—she wasn’t quite ready to talk about Seth.

Which was only another reason for Meagan to worry that this thing with Seth—whatever it was—was more significant than she wanted to admit to her sister. Maybe even to herself.

Chapter Eight

“You look so well rested! That time off was good for you.”

It was at least the fifth time that day Meagan had heard those words, making her wonder just how tired she had looked prior to her emergency surgery. She smiled briefly at the speaker, one of the partners in the surgical practice, as they gathered in a conference room for the first of the two Monday afternoon meetings she was scheduled to attend. “Thanks, Lee. I’m feeling great. Glad to be back at work.”

“How are you doing? Holding up okay?”

“Of course. Hitting on all cylinders.” She wouldn’t have admitted otherwise, of course. She had her pride, after all. And Lee was one of those guys who was inclined to think men were slightly better suited to surgery than women, unless it was gynecological surgery.

“Glad to hear it. Let me know if you need anything, you hear?”

“Absolutely. Thanks.”

She wouldn’t be asking for help, of course. She really was getting along fine. Maybe a little more tired than she normally would be at this point in the day, but she could ignore that. She suspected she would sleep well that night, tired and satisfied that she’d accomplished something worthwhile again.

It was nice to be back among her colleagues. Her partners, her secretary, the nurses and techs. The weary residents and nervous medical students. The bustling hospital staff. It was good to see patients, to offer advice and reassurance, hope where possible and comfort when hope was slim. Her fingers were already itching to hold a scalpel again, to scrub up for battle in the operating room.

She’d known when she selected to go into surgery as opposed to some other specialty that her hours would be long, almost never less than fifty hours a week and usually a bit more. But she still believed she’d made the right choice. She loved her work, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It felt so good to be back.

She ran into Stephen Easton a couple of times during the day. Though they were more acquaintances than true friends, he welcomed her back warmly and told her he was glad she had recovered so well. She thanked him politely without mentioning the gossip about him she’d now heard from several sources. It seemed that all their associates were as shocked and surprised as Meagan had been about Stephen’s split with Danielle.

She had intended to be back home early that evening but one thing led to another, one meeting to the next. She had dinner with two of her partners, then spent a couple hours in her office catching up on files and notes and making a loose schedule for the rest of the week. Beginning at six-thirty the next morning, she had patients to see, surgeries to perform, residents to teach…in other words, her work life was resuming right where it had left off.

So why did she feel as though something had changed?

Dark was settling over her street when she drove toward her house that evening. Lights burned in the windows of her neighbors’ homes. Glancing toward Seth’s house as she braked for her driveway, she saw the lights on there, too. She wondered how Jacqui’s first day on the job had worked out. Had she been on time to pick up Alice at school, and had they bonded over snacks afterward? Had Jacqui made a good dinner for Seth and Alice?

She pictured father and daughter chatting about their day over the shared meal. What were they doing now? Watching a television program together, perhaps? Or was Alice bent over homework while Seth worked on a brief or a report or whatever attorneys did at home after hours? Maybe they were outside playing with Waldo or sitting in the kitchen indulging in a sweet before Alice’s bedtime.

Her own house was dark when she walked into the kitchen. Very quiet. She flipped on the overhead lights, reminding herself to reset timers so there would be a few lights burning when she returned home tomorrow night. She didn’t mind living alone, she assured herself, but she’d never liked coming home to a completely dark and empty house.

Pushing aside a mental image of a father and daughter laughing together over cookies or ice cream, she opened the fridge and drew out a small, single-serve container of fat-free yogurt. Maybe the strange feeling of hollowness inside her signaled nothing more than hunger. She couldn’t imagine what else it could be, considering how satisfied she was with the life she had chosen.

Seth called Wednesday evening. It was the first time she’d heard from him since Sunday, when he’d called for a few minutes to let her know Alice was home safely from her grandparents and to wish her luck with her first day back at work.

It was past nine, and she’d been home only twenty minutes or so. She was tired, but in a good way, feeling as though she’d accomplished a great deal that day.

“How’s it going?” Seth asked after they’d exchanged greetings. “Back in the swing of things yet?”

“Definitely.” She kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet beneath her on the couch. Hearing his voice in her ear reminded her of the last time she’d been with him on this very couch, which made her heart trip a bit. She tried to concentrate on the conversation. “Three surgeries today, all very successful, in addition to rounds, patient visits, a couple of consults, and a quick dinner with my brother in the hospital cafeteria.”

“Sounds like a busy day.”

“No more than usual.”

“I waited until I saw your lights on before calling. Do you usually get home so late?”

“Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Just depends on my schedule.”

“What time do you leave in the mornings?”

“I’m usually at the hospital by six-thirty.”