Chapter 22 #2
“Nope. Everyone else worth having is full or doesn’t take on new teaching, and despite your good looks and incredible talent after the week of hell you put Grace through, I doubt any other resident will be willing to switch. Plus, now you’re down a resident.”
Well, fuck me.
“Do you know the steps for a laparoscopic salpingectomy?”
He squares his shoulders. “Not fully, but I can learn them in an hour.”
“You do that because we scrub in in two. And Dylan, if you ever try to pull the stunt you just did with me again, you won’t see the inside of an OR for the rest of your residency.”
“Understood, sir.”
I give him a curt nod and with that, I turn on my heel and march down the hall. Grace’s adviser is little more than a pencil pusher at this point, having quit seeing patients two years ago. But pictures of all the babies Charlie Higgins delivered over the years line her office walls.
She’s a legend.
And she’ll eat me for breakfast without skipping a beat if I don’t handle this the correct way.
I reach her door and with a knock, open it up, unwilling to wait to be invited in.
Grace’s eyes go comically wide when she spots me, before straightening her spine to face Charlie again, effectively dismissing me.
Charlie stares at me as if she was expecting me, her gray hair tied neatly back, and a no-bullshit expression firmly affixed on her round face.
“Ah, Dr. Fritz. The man of the hour. Please, come in and sit down.” She waves for me to enter before returning her hand to her desk.
“That won’t be necessary. Grace, if you’re finished here, we have surgery to prep for.”
Grace blinks at me. “But. Um. I was actually in the process of switching attendings. You know, since we don’t seem to have the best working relationship.”
I nearly roll my eyes.
Moving my attention to Charlie, I say, “Grace will continue as my resident since I am her best option for learning. Especially now that Janet Johnson will be on medical restriction for a minimum of four weeks. No other attending will be able to provide her with the education I can. I’m sure she agrees with me on that. ”
“And what about your harsh treatment of her this past week?” Charlie cuts me off and touché.
“I’ve already discussed that with Dr. Hammond and made the proper apologies.
” I hold in my grin as I meet Grace’s eyes and watch as color stains her cheeks.
“She and I are in mutual agreement that patient care and her education are our priorities and there will be no further problems.” I smile at Grace.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add to that? ”
She sits up straighter, not pleased with me at all. “It seems you’ve said everything there is to say.”
“Perfect.” I clap my hands together, still hovering in the doorway. “Then if we’re all in agreement, we can get moving.”
“Grace?” Charlie questions without skipping a beat.
“Is this an acceptable arrangement for you? I want to ensure you’re comfortable working so closely with Dr. Fritz.
You clearly came to my office this morning with specific concerns.
I agree that as of right now, Dr. Fritz is your best option for learning, but if you feel Dr. Fritz has not provided a positive learning environment, we will make the necessary arrangements to transfer you to someone else. ”
“No. It’s fine. I want to continue to learn from Dr. Fritz.”
“If you change your mind at any point, please come back and talk to me. My door is always open.”
Grace rises to her feet, her hands intertwined in front of her, the ring I gave her still on. “Thank you. I understand.”
Charlie glares at me. “Dr. Fritz. A word before you leave?”
Grace exits the room and I enter, not bothering to sit down after I shut the door.
Before she can start, I launch with, “Dr. Hammond and I have entered into a romantic relationship. I will be discussing this with Dr. Westerfield, Dr. Smart, and Dr. Rohrs, as I am no longer able to evaluate her work without a conflict of interest. Dr. Hammond has asked that we keep our relationship a secret and separate from the walls of the hospital as she does not want it to reflect negatively on her work. I have agreed to this as I am unwilling to risk her current or future career. But in order for my position as her supervisor to remain ethical, I will be transferring that aspect of her residency to my supervisor, Dr. Westerfield.”
Charlie analyzes me for a very long, hard few minutes of silence.
Not much makes my skin itch, but this woman has a way.
Finally, she bobs her head, purses her lips off to the side and then glares.
“Alright. This conversation will remain between us as long as you keep up your end of the bargain. If I catch on that you’re playing favorites, I will speak with your supervisor and alert the residency committee. ”
“Absolutely. My fourth years are not complaining at all with the demanding workload I’m giving them.
Most are running things on their own, with very little oversight on my part.
My other primary third-year resident broke her wrist yesterday and as of this morning, all of my first and second-year residents will now report to Dr. Hammond. ”
Charlie gives me a satisfied stare and I turn around to leave, knowing Grace is waiting for me just outside the door.
Knowing she’s a little pissed at me. A point she proves when we get into the hall and she grabs hold of my scrub top, dragging me along the hall until we reach an empty patient room.
She shuts the door and paces across to the far window before turning back and storming toward me, getting right up in my face.
I wrap my arms around her waist, hauling her against my chest as I lean against the closed door.
This, this right here. Having her in my arms willingly, even when she’s pissed, is the best feeling in the world.
I’d fight dragons barehanded for this shot with her.
“What are you doing?” she challenges, her palms pressing into my chest though she’s not trying to escape me. “You had no right to barge in on my private meeting with my adviser. What did she say to you after I left?”
“That I better not show favorites and I better keep up my end of the bargain.”
Not even close to a lie.
“Carter, you’re playing with fire. We don’t even know how long this thing between us will—”
I cut her off with a kiss because I know what she’s about to say and I don’t want to hear it.
She might not be ready for us to go prime time, but I am.
And it’s like I told Charlie, I won’t risk her career.
Or mine, for that matter, but I’m more worried about her.
She’s a resident. It’s her reputation on the line if this thing isn’t done on the up and up from the start.
And this is the start.
I can be patient and I can prove to her I’m a man worthy of her, but that doesn’t come without taking risks and that’s precisely what I did this morning with Charlie. Even if Grace doesn’t know I told Charlie yet.
“I want to take you to a concert next week,” I hum against her lips, taking a play from Dylan because I think the kid was on to something.
She shakes her head, confused at my total change of topic. “A concert?”
“Wild Minds is playing at Gillette. I got us tickets. Floor seats.” I didn’t, but I will have by the end of the day so it’s as good as done.
Kaplan quasi knows Jasper Diamond because Wild Minds played a charity event that Kaplan headed through the Abbot Foundation for children on the autism spectrum, so I wonder if I can even arrange a meet and greet.
I know Grace loves him.
“You got us tickets to Wild Minds? When? It’s been sold out for months.”
I shrug. I don’t care if it’s sold out—I’ll get them.
“It’s too much, Carter. You’ve already gotten me so much.”
“No. It’s not too much.” I run my fingers through her hair, stare into her pretty eyes. “I want to take you.”
“How did you know I like Wild Minds?”
A grin splices my lips as I nibble on her bottom one. “Other than you mentioning them the night we went out to the club-restaurant thing? You’re always rocking out to music during your in-between time. I hear it when you sing along, Grace. I listen.”
“You mean you watch me.”
My nose brushes against hers, my tongue swiping out, licking her lips. “I watch you. I’ve watched you for a year.”
“Because you’re my attending?”
“Not because I’m your attending.”
I study her reaction, hoping she’ll ask the next inevitable question. Knowing it’s too soon to tell her I’m hopelessly in love with her. Only she doesn’t get the chance to say anything. My pager goes off, alerting us that our patient is in pre-op and waiting for us.
It’s just as well.
She’s not ready to face the truth yet. Even if I am. But it’s only a matter of time until I convince her.