Deliver Me (4 page)

“What do we have?”

Monica didn’t raise her head. “Thirty-two weeks with preeclampsia. I’m
performing an emergency C-section.”

“Who the hell are you?”

This time she did look up, the hostility in the voice surprising her. “I’m—”

The man dressed in green scrubs didn’t give her a chance to finish.
Instead, to Monica’s growing astonishment, he pushed her out of the way. She
stood still for a moment, suspended in shocked outrage.

He—whoever
he
was—barked out orders the nurses followed with unfailing precision.
Monica couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration at how quickly the doctor
had taken control of the situation. She tore the blood stained gown from her
shoulders and turned so the nurse could drape another over her, but when she
took a step forward, with the intention of assisting, the doctor shouted, “Stay
back!”

Just who did he think he was talking to?

Monica watched as the masked doctor quickly, but gently pulled the bluish
infant from the mother’s belly. He applied two clamps to the umbilical cord and
snipped.

The baby was so small. The tiny ones always pulled at her heart.

A nurse took the infant and placed him in a plastic incubator that had
been wheeled down from maternity.

“Get her to the OR,” the obnoxious doctor barked. He whirled around,
facing Monica. His deep chocolate-colored eyes were blazing. “Are you out of
your mind? What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“I was—”

He cut her off. “Do you think we allow nurses to perform surgical
procedures?”

“Nurse?”

“Clean out your locker and get the hell out of this hospital. I’ll make
sure you never work at another medical facility in the entire country.”

Monica tore the mask from her face, preparing for full combat. Her
adversary took a visible step back.

“Dr. Holmes,” Patty said, “Meet Dr. Monica Gardner, the new attending in
emergency medicine. Dr. Gardner, this is Dr. Elijah Holmes, OB attending.”

He stood there staring at her. After a long moment, he stretched out his
hand. “Dr. Gardner.”

Monica refused to take it. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest
and stared him down. “Exactly where do you get off coming into this emergency
room with that kind of attitude?”

“Excuse me?”

“Asking me what do I think I’m doing? Telling me to clean out my locker?”

“I thought you were a nurse.”

“I’ve only been here one day, and even I know the nurses at Methodist
Memorial wouldn’t put a patient’s life in jeopardy in that way.”

“I saw someone in nurses’ scrubs performing a Cesarean. What was I
supposed to think?”

“I would assume, as a doctor, you’d have enough common sense not to
automatically conclude that it was a nurse performing the procedure.”

“How could I—”

The doors burst open, interrupting his comeback.

“We need this room. We have a MI in full arrest.”

Monica forgot about the pigheaded doctor with gorgeous brown eyes and
focused her attention on her next emergency.

Dr. Holmes would hear from her later.

***

Monica gripped the paper gown at her neck and tore it from her body. She
shucked the latex gloves from her hands and deposited them, along with the
gown, in the disposal bin outside curtain three.

There had been an influx of patients in the last two hours, so many that
she’d hardly had the chance to catch a breath before another injury rolled
through the doors. Sensing the fury had calmed, Monica ran to the
bathroom—something else she hadn’t had time to do in the previous two
hours.

When she emerged from the women’s restroom, she discovered Dr. Slessinger
standing at one of the wall x-ray units reviewing a film with a resident Monica
had met earlier in the day.

“Dr. Gardner,” he called out to her. He said something to the young
doctor, who nodded, then Slessinger switched off the light on the x-ray machine
and started toward her. “I’m happy I ran into you.”

Just when she thought she could have a few minutes to herself. Monica
suppressed a sigh and pasted on a smile.

“How has your day gone so far?” the doctor asked. He had a cheerfulness
about him she found endearing.

“It’s been busy, but I can handle it,” Monica answered.

“I knew you would jump in with both feet.” He patted her on the shoulder.
“You’re going to fit right in.”

A warm glow settled over her. Praise was always a welcomed boost to her
spirits, especially after a particularly long day.
 
And even more so after being unfairly
chewed out by Dr. Holmes earlier this morning. Honest mistake or not, Monica
was still smarting from his high-handed reprimand.

Working in the same hospital, she knew she’d have to see him
occasionally, but she hoped their encounters were few and far between.

Yeah, right
!
 
The little voice inside her head
taunted.

“Do you have any objections, Dr. Gardner?”

What? Oh, great. Thinking about that heartthrob in scrubs, she’d
completely missed whatever it was Dr. Slessinger had been talking about.

Great way to make an
impression, Monica
.

“I’m sorry, my mind was on a young boy I saw this morning with Cystic
Fibrosis.”

Liar
.
 
Your mind was on a young doctor with
gorgeous eyes.

“I wondered if you would be interested in sitting on our charity board.
Dr. Millgram was an active member.”

“What would it entail?” Monica asked, already warming to the idea.
Anything that kept her from sitting in her apartment pining away for Patrick.

“Over the years, the board has focused on raising money for our outreach
programs. Because of our location, we have a unique opportunity to provide
services to many who wouldn’t be able to afford it,” Slessinger explained.

That was a nice way of saying, although Methodist Memorial was a
world-class facility, the neighborhood around it left much to be desired.
Monica simply nodded.

“These days those programs are needed more than ever.”

“They definitely are,” Monica agreed.

A slew of nurses and paramedics wheeled a gurney down the hall, but
before she could excuse herself to attend to the trauma, the other physician on
call came from behind curtain one.

“I’ve got it, Dr. Gardner,” Dr. Ray Carvel said as he followed closely
behind the gurney.

“I didn’t realize Dr. Carvel was here today,” Dr. Slessinger said.

“He’s on call,” Monica replied. “He came in a few hours ago when things
got a little sticky. I think he just enjoys being here.”

“There are few as dedicated as he is. And speaking of dedication, Dr.
Millgram gave new meaning to the word.
 
He devoted countless hours to making Methodist Memorial’s Charity Board
the best of the area hospitals. I don’t want to pressure you,” he was quick to
explain. “But it would be a tremendous help if you can spare a few hours a
month. Are you up for this?” he asked, his eyes full of hope.

Could she really turn him down?

“I’d be happy to.” What else did she have to do in this city where she
knew absolutely no one? “It sounds like a great program.”

Dr. Slessinger’s face brightened. “Oh, it is. Best in the city.”

“Why don’t we schedule a time when we can discuss exactly what I would be
doing,” Monica suggested.

“I’ll go you one better. The monthly meeting is tomorrow. I’ll email you
an invite.” He pointed to her. “You’re going to be an excellent addition to the
team, Dr. Gardner.”

Monica smiled to herself. There was that warm glow again.

Eli passed up his normal stop and instead, got off on the seventh floor,
which housed the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The preemie he’d delivered in
the ER this morning was in excellent condition. He shouldn’t have any
complications from his eventful birth.

Unfortunately, Eli realized
his
complications from this morning’s run-in were just beginning. He had not made
the best impression on the hospital’s newest employee.

He’d experienced a temporary case of brain paralysis when she’d pulled
the mask from her face. It had taken Eli less than a second to realize the “nurse”
performing the C-Section was the beauty from the elevator.

Eli had found himself thinking about that face more than once this week.
Of course, he had no idea he would ever see her again. He’d pegged her as a
random goddess put in his line of vision for a few minutes so he’d have someone
to fantasize about in the shower.

But, he’d been wrong. Tremendously, unbelievably,
painfully
wrong.

She was fantasy-worthy, all right, but his running into her was not a
random coincidence. In fact, they would have a multitude of chances to cross
paths.

God, help him.

He had an appointment in twenty minutes, but first, Eli needed to see
Otis. If anyone knew the scoop, it was Otis. Eli opted for the stairs back to
OB. He found the janitor pushing a broom in the employee lounge.

“What’s up, Doctor H?” Otis asked, the fluorescent overhead lights
reflecting off his gold tooth.

Eli poured a cup of coffee from the carafe marked DECAF and got straight
to the point. “Otis, you hear anything about the new doctor in the ER?”

The janitor’s mouth cracked in a wide grin. “She’s a nice looking one,
ain’t she?”

Extraordinary hazel eyes, a head of luscious, silk hair, and a fit,
nicely shaped body definitely constituted nice looking in his book. Not to
mention the confidence in which she carried herself. There was something
undeniably sexy about a self-assured woman. But Eli refused to take the bait
Otis dangled in front of him. He was sure it was none other than Otis who
started half the rumors in this hospital. If he even hinted at what he really
thought of Monica Gardner’s looks, the rumor mill would have them getting
married by the end of the day. Lord knows, if Eli had had as many engagements
as he’d heard about over the years, he’d have spent the majority of his
paychecks on diamond rings.

“Actually, I mistook her for a nurse this morning and it didn’t go over
too well. I didn’t realize they were getting a replacement for Millgram so
soon.”

Otis rested his hand on the top of the broomstick and leaned forward.

Jackpot! Eli knew all the old man needed was a little prompting.

“The name is Monica Gardner. From what I hear, she’s from St. Louie. Came
down and talked to the big boss last week and he hired her on the spot. She got
herself a place in the Quarter. I don’t know which street, but I hear it’s not
too far from the river.”

How did Otis always know so much?

Eli refused to question it further, as long as Otis provided what he
wanted to know, he wouldn’t think about how the janitor filled up his
bottomless well of information.

“So, you gonna ask her out?”

Eli sent him a shrewd look. “You know me better than that.”

It was common knowledge that Elijah Holmes did not date doctors. The
reason behind it was no one’s business, just as long as they knew the rule.

“Dr. H, you need to start giving some of the female docs here a chance. I
bet you get some action if you do.”

“I get enough action from the nurses.” Eli made a production of looking
at his watch and pretended surprise at the time. “I need to get to my office. I’ve
got an appointment in a few minutes.” He grabbed a pear from the fruit basket
someone had left on the table as he headed out of the lounge.

“I’ll keep my ears open and let you know if I hear anything else about
our new doc.”

Eli gave Otis a nod then shouldered his way out the door.

The Daniels were waiting outside his office when Elijah turned the
corner. He’d been dreading this appointment all day. Since Katrina, he’d
inherited a number of patients from doctors who had yet—or had no
plans—to return to the city.

In all his years of practicing medicine, he had never encountered a case
like Amanda and Jeffrey Daniels’. Eli still wasn’t convinced they were really
married. The way the couple interacted, you’d think they were two
strangers—strangers who didn’t necessarily like the person either had
just met. To add to the bizarreness, Amanda Daniels was being treated for
Bipolar disorder, but refused to inform her husband of her condition. Eli felt
it was morally wrong to keep such an important fact from her spouse, but
patient confidentially forced him to observe Amanda’s wishes.

He shook Jeffrey Daniels proffered hand, and smiled at the man’s wife as
he held the door open for her.