That’s better. This place is still a hospital, after all, one of the best hospitals in the country, in fact. And I still am the boss. I’m not going to let anything change either of those things.
I glance at my watch. Okay, I have a surgery at eleven and some work to do at the Lab at two. I wonder what time Tom’s getting back. The sooner I talk to him, the better.
~
“I told you to keep your hands off her.” Tom’s leather chair squeaks as he sits back and points a finger at me. “And you told me you would.”
I grab a stress ball from his desk and wrap my fingers around it.
“Where are my crab chips? Did you get me any?”
He doesn’t answer, and the narrowed look he gives me lets me know I’m not going to escape the subject. Fine.
“She lost her first patient,” I inform him. “She was devastated, and since you weren’t around to comfort her, I did.”
Tom shakes his head. “And you couldn’t do that without sticking your dick in her.”
“Hey.” I straighten up. “You can’t talk to me like that. We’re not kids fooling around. I’m your boss.”
“I’m not a kid fooling around. I’m not sure about you.”
I frown. “I’m not fooling around with Ellis.”
“Dr. Carver saw the two of you naked in a shower stall,” he points out.
I shrug. “So we were taking a shower together.”
Again, he narrows his eyes at me. Right. None of that bullshit.
“Like I said, she was upset,” I tell Tom.
He taps his fingers on his desk. “And that was the only reason you slept with her? Again?”
I don’t answer. I don’t really know why I had sex with her again even though I already knew she was an intern, even though I told myself and her that it would never happen again. All I know is that I’ve been feeling bad ever since Ellis walked away from our argument, that I’ve been regretting some of the things I said. And when I heard that Dr. Keller lost a patient, the first thing that entered my mind was that Ellis was on his service and that she was probably distraught, which she was.
She was practically curled up in a fetal position in the corner of the shower stall, bawling. How could I leave her alone then? I just had to put my arms around her, and the moment I did, I felt her pain. I understand how she felt. I can still remember the first time I lost a patient. Every doctor does. Nothing hurts quite like it. I wanted to take all of her pain away, or at least help ease some of it. I could feel her falling apart, shattering in my arms, and I just wanted to put her back together. How could I not? I’m a doctor. It’s my job to put people back together. My body reacted on its own, and when Ellis responded, desire sparked through my veins. One thing led to another. There was no turning back.
“Are you saying you’re not going to do it again?” Tom asks me.
I’d like to say I won’t, but damn it, I want to have sex with Ellis again. And again. And again. She’s like a drug I can’t get out of my system.
“No,” I answer. “I can’t guarantee that.”
“Are you serious about her, then? Are you finally serious about a woman? Because if you are, then I’ll – ”
“I don’t know, man.” I throw the stress ball back into the pile. “But I’ll tell you what I do know. It’s none of your business.”
Tom frowns. “That’s – ”
“What is your problem, huh?” I stand up. “Do you like Ellis? Do you want to sleep with her, too?”
“No.” He slams his palms on his desk as he gets on his feet as well. “I’m simply saying she’s rare. She has compassion, good instincts, the ability to think on her feet, the willingness to sacrifice herself for others – things that can’t be taught.”
“So you do like her.”
“I like thinking she’ll be a great doctor one day and that she’ll keep working at this hospital,” Tom says. “Both of which I think might not happen if you keep screwing her.”
“Wow.” My eyebrows arch as I put my hands on my hips. “I didn’t know you thought so badly of me.”
He sighs. “Rainier…”
I put my hands up. “You know what? I’ve heard enough.”
“You know I’m just trying to help both of you, Rainier, as the Chief of this hospital and as your friend.”
“Well, as your boss, I’m telling you to back off,” I tell him.
Tom purses his lips. I turn around and walk to the door.
“You’re Ellis’s boss, too, you know,” he says behind me. “You have to look after her, because unlike you, she can’t tell people to shut up and back off. You may be untouchable, but she’s not. She’s the one who’ll be paying for this.”