Expecting the Doctor's Baby Read Free

know for sure.”
    Yeah, he did. But this wasn’t a hill he planned to die on. “What’s your point?”
    â€œThe E.R. waiting room was full of people. Very public. Do you think that discussion would have been better conducted in private?”
    Was she kidding? He’d just put a tube down a two-year-old’s throat and hooked him up to a ventilator to breathe for him. Then he stood by while they checked electrical activity in his brain to see whether or not he’d be a vegetable for the rest of his life. In this case he wouldn’t be, no thanks to the brother. Did he think? Hell, no. He’d reacted.
    â€œI was updating the family on the patient’s condition.”
    Her right eyebrow rose. “Is it possible that you were venting frustration? Perhaps less diplomatic than you could have been? Might you have been better off waiting for the police? And the boy’s mother?”
    Again with the questions designed to make him see the light. She might catch on quick, but she was still new at the game. He’d been doing it a lot longer.
    â€œSo, did you have a good time in the E.R.?” he asked.
    â€œI tried to stay out of the way,” she hedged. “I didn’t want to be noticeable.”
    â€œThen you failed miserably. You’re pretty hard to miss, Sam.”
    â€œYou’re saying I didn’t blend?”
    â€œNot even a little. The nurses were talking.”
    â€œReally?”
    Her way of asking what they said. “On a scale of one to ten, they said you’re a fifteen.”
    Actually, that was his scale, his assessment. His secret.
    â€œThank you.”
    He shrugged. “Just stating the obvious.”
    â€œNo. You’re changing the subject.”
    â€œTrying.” He leaned back in his chair. “Nothing succeeds like the truth. And it worked for a minute there.”
    She referred to her notes. “Back on task—”
    â€œSpeaking of that. What are you doing for dinner tonight?”
    When she met his gaze, her expression was wry. “I was planning to eat.”
    â€œBy yourself?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWould you like company?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œVery.” She shuffled the papers. “Now, as I was saying. After the trauma—”
    She was kind of a pit bull. A pretty one. He was telling the truth about that scale thing. But apparently she wasn’t going to let him distract her. “What about it?”
    â€œFirst it should be acknowledged that there was a positive outcome.”
    â€œYeah. The kid’s alive, no thanks to his brother.” Every time he thought about what could have happened he wanted to put his fist through a wall. That kid was a baby and should never have had to go through something like that. No matter how young when it occurred, trauma changed a person. He should know. Trauma was his middle name, and not just because it was his job.
    â€œLife is about as positive as it gets,” he said.
    â€œAnd it’s thanks to you.”
    â€œAnd a lot of other people,” he said.
    â€œAbsolutely. Thank you for bringing that up. Saving lives is a cooperative effort.”
    He’d given her the segue and she ran with it. Really smart girl. This was where she gave him the pitch for harmony equals effectiveness in a group situation. He had news for her.
    â€œHave you ever been in a life-and-death situation, Sam?”
    â€œEveryone struggles with issues—”
    â€œDon’t give me that touchy/feely crap. I’m talking about bleeding out, last breath, heart’s got one beat left kind of trauma. Have you ever seen that?”
    â€œNo.” She shifted in her chair.
    â€œThen don’t tell me that ‘please and thank you’ get the job done. It’s messy in the trenches. You study, go through the training until gut instinct takes over and reaction is automatic. After that you keep your head up and