4. Jack
4
JACK
T he board room was hot—suffocatingly so. I'd already loosened my tie and sipped water from the water cooler, but I knew the heat wasn't from the thermostat being set too high. I was stressed beyond belief. The surgery I had performed prior to my patient's death had been recorded, as all surgeries here were, and the board insisted that we sit and review the recording as I walked them through it step by step. All but one of them were also licensed physicians, though only two still actively practiced medicine.
"And tell us what is happening here.” The board chairman used his laser pointer to indicate what he'd like me to explain, and I sighed as I watched myself on the recording suturing the patient's chest cavity.
"The procedure was over, and in this part, I'm suturing the chest closed again. We checked the chest cavity for any internal bleeding and instruments. The retractor was taken out by the nurse, and I applied the triple layer technique after wiring the sternum and used subcutaneous, continuous stitching." It was the same method I'd used for my entire practice and I could do it with my eyes closed, but it wasn't the problem or the reason the patient later died.
"And what medications was the patient given?" Dr. Fisher paused the recording and looked at me, and the rest of the board members turned too. Nothing was immune from their scrutiny, and for good reason. They might very well be liable if the patient's family and their lawyer found cause to sue them and not just me.
"We gave cefazolin prophylactically, continued use of morphine for pain management, heparin to prevent clots, propofol to continue sedation once anesthesia was removed, and dobutamine when the patient's heart showed signs of weakness." All of this was standard. They all knew it.
"I'm going to level with you, Jack." Dr. Fisher broke protocol using my first name instead of my title, but we went way back. Nick and I played golf on the weekends when the weather was nice. He was more of a friend than a boss, though he held that role as board chairman. "I don't see any evidence to substantiate the family's claims of malpractice. Can you think of any reason a sudden cardiac arrest would happen in this post-surgical environment?" He leaned forward over the board room table and folded his hands together.
I shook my head and sincerely tried to rack my brain, but there was no logical reason. The autopsy would reveal more, but the state medical examiner was taking her good time with that.
"I can't think of any reason. We followed standard procedure to a T. The patient's heart was weak following the procedure, but the dobutamine controlled that easily. When I followed up later that afternoon, he was recovering well. His vitals were stable, and they had removed his breathing tube, though he was still lightly sedated due to the amount of pain he was in." I had checked all of his incisions and bandages myself. There had been no sign of infection. It baffled me more than anyone.
As a cardiothoracic surgeon, I'd repaired so many hearts and the vessels in them that I could do it in my sleep. I'd never had a patient drop dead following a surgery, though I did have a few die on the table. But they all knew the risks and I was cleared of any wrongdoing in each case. This time, I hoped, would be no different.
"Well, we will write up our full statements and submit them to the prosecutor along with this recording." Nick sat back and sighed. "I'm sorry this is all happening. We'll figure out how to get you out of this."
I didn't see how they'd make much of a difference when it came to the lawsuit, but I knew he'd try. I stood and nodded at him and asked, "Can I go now? I have to connect with my team." He dismissed me with a wave of the hand, and I was out the door, though the stress sweating followed me wherever I went.
Malpractice insurance was through the roof anyway, but once a doctor had a lawsuit, the premiums skyrocketed. I was looking at giving half my salary to the insurance agency if found at fault for the patient's death, and that was just the start of it. I had no clue if I'd even be able to remain employed here after this or how hard Nick would fight to keep me. The other board members' silence didn't bode well for me.
By the time I got to my office, the team was already out on rounds. The board meeting had taken too long, which meant I'd have to chase them down one by one and follow up individually. As if I didn't have enough stress as it was. But I let myself into my office to sit for a moment and think. To my surprise, Ashley was seated at my desk with her feet propped up, reading one of my medical journals.
"Oh, hey, Jack.” Her use of my first name instead of my title had become a regular thing since that night on Calvin's yacht, except when we were around colleagues.
"Dr. Sutton, what are you doing here? Don't you have rounds?" I shut the door behind me, and rather than evicting her from my chair, I sat across from her and rubbed my forehead. Unless she had some sort of news for me, I'd rather have been alone.
"Done already. I've only got two patients to follow up with right now. I can handle more, you know." She sat up and tucked her feet under the desk then laid the journal down. "What's going on?"
"I didn't give you a full load for a reason." I scowled, but I didn't mean to insinuate that it was directed at her. "Have you picked up on anything?" Reviewing the recording of the surgery only had me more confident that something was going on with my team. They were the only ones with access to the patient's files and records, other than a few nurses. But I got along well with them. They didn't seem to have anything against me.
"Nothing so far… Though I did pick up on the way you check me out when you think I'm not looking." Ashley's smirk was playful, but I was too frustrated with my situation to even think of flirting with her.
Being under the gun only highlighted my career to the board. Ashley was incredibly sexy and very tempting, but it was a temptation I had to steer clear of. One wrong move and I'd be terminated. They didn't need to go to bat for a doctor under a malpractice suit who didn't even follow hospital policy. It was a no-brainer, so I tried to ignore the way she batted her eyelashes and leaned forward to give me a better view down her cream silk blouse.
I rubbed my whole face this time, sighing deeply. Something had to break in my favor. Adding Ashley to my team to sniff out which of my interns had done this was supposed to produce results, not add a complication of an awkward professional relationship. I just had to cave in and follow her on that boat that night. Now it was messy, and not just because we'd had sex. It was because I liked that sex and because every time I saw her, I wanted it again. And then she told Dr. Gooding we were married, which only tangled up my thoughts even more.
"What's bothering you, Jack?" Ashley stood and walked around my desk, coming to stand behind me. Her hands rested on my shoulders and began working at the tension in my muscles. It felt amazing, but I knew she shouldn't be doing that—here or anywhere else. Especially after the promise I made to Calvin.
I tapped her hand and stood, and she stepped back as I turned and leaned on my desk. "I'm fine. I just need you to focus more. Get to know the team, put some pressure on them. Go fishing, if you know what I mean."
"I'd like to start here, Jack. You know, get to know you more." She leaned on the chair I had just vacated and smirked at me. "There's so much to learn… Like, what is the best way to turn you on so you'll make my toes curl again?"
Her flirting was so bold it made me a little flustered. I had to bite back a retort about bending her over my desk because it was highly unprofessional and came with a load of guilt over what we'd already done and lied about.
"Ashley, please." I was flattered by the fact that she wanted me badly enough to risk her job here, but I was too conflicted. I wanted her, but the consequences could be disastrous.
"Ah, there you go begging. You don't have to beg. Just pull it out and I'll suck you off. That will help you relax a little." When she walked around the chair and rested her hand on my chest, I cracked.
"If you're not careful, I'm going to take you up on that. Maybe I'll have you on your knees right here." The comment came out before I could stop it, and I knew better too. Shame washed over me as she rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine and at the same time, she grabbed my crotch, giving my dick a good squeeze. I kissed her back. I shouldn't have but I did, and for a brief second, all the stress in my world left.
When she pulled away, she took my breath. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Her hand left my crotch and she smiled at me. "Now tell me what's really bothering you, Jack. Get it off your chest."
I let her lean against me and put an arm around her. It was a comfortable feeling, almost familiar like we really were a happy couple, married and in tune with each other. The sensation of her chest pressed against my ribs aroused me too, but now wasn't the time or place, and we had a lot of talking to do if that was ever going to happen again. Telling Dr. Gooding we were married just to get him off her back was bad enough.
I sighed and explained. "The hospital board doesn't think the patient's family's claims are substantiated, but the suit is going to go forward anyway. They've dropped their suit against the hospital, but not me, so I'm bearing the brunt of it now. It's not good."
"God, I'm sorry, Jack. You're right. That's not good." Ashley grimaced and pulled away with a defeated posture. "I'm going to work harder. I'm sorry I don't have anything yet. I've been a bit distracted by this really hot guy and…” She bit her lip and smiled, and I knew I was the "hot guy" who was distracting her.
"Hot guy, huh? You realize I'm almost fifteen years older than you?" It'd been a long time since someone had referred to me as "hot".
"Age is just a number." She winked and let her hand slide down my forearm to my wrist. "You still have it, tiger."
I growled low from my chest and she snickered. "So, should I lock the door? We can help you relax a little before you have to do your own rounds."
My dick was straining against my slacks, and I almost told her yes, but my phone started to ring, cutting us off.
"I have to take this," I told her, and she pouted her bottom lip out. I felt like I'd been saved by the bell. Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed it or didn't want her, but I knew the guilt already consuming me would kill me if I did that. I didn’t need that on top of all the stress I was under.
I picked up the receiver from the cradle and held it to my ear as she backed away and smirked at me. "Raincheck, then.”
"Dr. Stewart here.” I eyed her as she slipped out, and I was unable to gently let her down. After that searing kiss, I didn't want to let her down. I wanted her to get me up, every day and every night. I never imagined she'd come home from college the same little minx who had tried to seduce me days after telling my ex I wanted a divorce. I thought she'd have found someone else to obsess over.
But I would be lying if I said I wasn't flattered by it. Ashley Sutton was fantastically sexy and a little on the wild side, and maybe I was a little addicted to the way she made me feel young again. Maybe that addiction was just strong enough to make this old man fall hard.