Chapter Five
THE WORD “EXPLOSIVE” echoed ominously in Julie’s mind, reverberating like a haunting melody that would not fade. Why would anyone harbor such a sinister desire to blow up her car? Or worse, to cause her harm while she was sitting inside it? A sudden chill crept down her spine, its icy fingers grasping at her heart as she struggled with the horrifying realization of how narrowly she had escaped a brush with death.
Numb at the thought, Julie allowed Pup to lead her away from her car. Once outside the garage, he pulled out his cell phone and called someone—she assumed it was 911. As he spoke, he typed on his keyboard faster than anyone she had ever seen. Meanwhile, Casey lay beside him, playing with a toy he had given her after the bomb discovery.
Julie rubbed her hands up and down her crossed arms. Questions kept running through her mind. Was it a fluke that it was her car? Did someone want to blow something up, and it worked since her car was parked alone at the edge of the lot? Or—she straightened.
That must have been it.
Doubting herself, she couldn’t imagine Dr. Garcia sabotaging her car over a malpractice suit stemming from his negligence. No, that suit would move forward without her as a witness and remain intact. They understood the practice would struggle once he had to compensate the victim’s family, and they had agreed to remain steadfast during the media frenzy and patient loss he would face.
“Doc,” Pup said, pulling her from her thoughts, “is there anyone who’d want to hurt you?”
Julie shook her head, her voice trembling as she replied, “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Well, you’d better think long and hard because the police chief will want to know the answer.”
While hospital security chatted with Pup, Julie observed the controlled chaos around her. The bomb squad, what appeared to be the entire police force, and several men dressed in black who resembled mercenaries, had arrived. The controlled nature of the chaos settled within her. It felt like being calm, controlled, and precise in the operating room.
She couldn’t sit back and let others take care of this for her. She needed to grasp the reasons and the people involved. When she turned to the police chief and Pup, she saw a shocking sight.
Mr. White stepped out of the hospital, dressed in all black like the other men who had arrived and stood to the side.
This was under her control, so she grasped and tugged the thread. She stalked over to Mr. White, narrowing her eyes. “You should be in a hospital bed. I don’t want the stitches I painstakingly sewed to rip open because you needed to come out here looking all badass with your buddies.”
He grinned at her. “You think I look badass?”
Julie huffed. “Is that really what you took from what I said?” She dug deep to maintain the calm that this man was quickly undermining. “Look, you don’t have to stay here. If you want to leave the hospital, I can’t stop you. But my medical advice is to stay tonight so we can make sure no blood clots have formed.”
“Keep in mind, I fired you.” Mr. White arched a brow.
Julie rolled her eyes. “I know that was a joke because of what I said about dating patients, so you can stop the ruse.”
Mr. White shook his head. “I can’t do that, Doc.” He placed his hand over his heart. “You’ve captured my heart. I need an answer to my question. I know it’s early, but we can make it work.”
Julie muttered, “Of all the egotism and stubbornness, I get stuck with this one.” She looked him in the eye. “No, I won’t marry you. Does that end this nonsense?”
His smile radiated warmth into her chilled veins, melting away the icy tendrils of fear and bringing a comforting glow to her heart. She reminded herself that she couldn’t fantasize about this man—she just couldn’t. He was a patient, and she wasn’t interested. I’m not.
“For now,” Mr. White said. In all seriousness, he continued. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Shrugging, Julie considered why she felt the urge to share everything with this man. Instead, she went to speak with the police chief, leaving Mr. White and his friends behind.
“Hi, Dr. Banks,” Chief Wise said. “I’d say it’s wonderful to see you again, but these circumstances make it quite challenging.”
She nodded. “Hi, Chief. What’s happening?”
He glanced over her shoulder and nodded. Then, Julie felt a presence behind her. She turned to see a wall of black. The men with Mr. White had shielded her back as if anticipating an attack. Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned back to the chief.
“The bomb squad will take care of the bomb. Let’s head inside and talk.”
“Sure,” she said, walking beside the chief, “but I’m unsure how I can help. I don’t know anyone who would want to blow me up.”
They entered the hospital and went to the security office on the first floor. Inside, the chief sighed, sat down, and took off his hat. “Have a seat, Dr. Banks.”
The wall of black remained outside the door, except for Mr. White, Pup, and Casey. They stood to the side, leaning against a wall, while Casey continued to play with her chew toy. Its squeaking was the only sound in the room.
“Please, call me Julie,” she said, sitting across from him at a round table.
“Julie, you can call me Ron. Now, young lady, tell me about anyone who might want to hurt you.”
Julie shrugged once more, scanning the room full of men. “I have no idea.”
“Okay,” the chief said, “tell me about your patients. Are any of them upset with you because of your work, or have any passed away while under your care?”
Instinctively, Julie shook her head and thought. “Of course I’ve lost patients. Some gunshot victims arrive too late or have sustained lethal wounds, making even my expertise unable to save them. But that’s only three. It’s been years since the last death occurred.”
“Okay,” the chief reiterated, “I’ll need their names and any consequences that came from it. Is anyone threatening you? Are they considering suing?”
“I’ll have my assistant gather the names and information for you. As for threatening, no.” In the first part, she remembered that she didn’t actually have an assistant. She relied on Dr. Garcia’s assistant because she hadn’t taken the time to replace her own after losing the last one to absenteeism. The two assistants were twins, and it felt wrong to replace one while the other remained behind.
“How is your practice going? Any lawsuits or threats?”
Julie cleared her throat and glanced at Casey and the puppy’s joy. She wanted to smile but needed to stay stoic during this questioning session. She informed him about Dr. Garcia’s lawsuit and how they had included the practice in the suit.
“Hmm. What are you testifying about in this case?” Chief Wise noted the family’s name.
The Newmans lost their son when he was struck during a gang shootout. The child had been sitting on his front porch when the bullets hit his small body.
“As for court—nothing. I attended the surgery, but Dr. Garcia led the procedure.” She didn’t mention that she believed Dr. Garcia might have skipped a step that contributed to the boy’s death. She would reserve that for court. Moreover, it reflected how she would have performed the surgery—her opinion was not necessary since her method is just one part of a broader approach.
“Well, they might think you’re taking Dr. Garcia’s side. Have there been any updates from the family?”
Julie couldn’t imagine the lovely family trying to kill her simply because she might side with her partner in their lawsuit. That seemed a bit extreme.
“How’s your partner? Any problems with him?”
There are many, but Julie wasn’t going to discuss all of them right now. “The usual stuff.”
Chief Wise tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. “Just the usual stuff. Keep in mind, I’m not a doctor.”
Julie felt as though she was betraying confidences by discussing her issues with Dr. Garcia. “Well, some surgeons have a god complex, and Dr. Garcia is one of them.”
“You don’t have one?” Chief Wise raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “A god complex?”
Julie shook her head with a sincere expression and replied, “No. I’m only human.”
With his pen poised above his notebook, light reflecting off its surface, the chief leaned forward, his curiosity evident. “Okay, tell me about these usual problems.”
“The ongoing lawsuit has caused considerable tension in our relationship. However, it hasn’t reached a point where he would genuinely contemplate ending my life.”
Ignoring the conversation's last few words, the chief maintained a commanding presence and asked, “What else?”
“He wants to bring in another partner, but I’m still considering my options,” she replied, her voice steady despite the tension.
“Why not?” His brow furrowed with curiosity.
“Because it’s a surgeon just like him. I don’t need more hardheaded men trying to navigate the tumultuous waters of our work together,” she explained, her tone tinged with frustration. She glanced at Mr. White, memories of her hushed words about his unwavering stubbornness flickering through her mind like a candle’s flame.
“It must be incredibly challenging for a woman to navigate a male-dominated field,” Chief Wise remarked.
Julie felt the weight of those words settle on her shoulders, a familiar burden she carried daily. She replied with a slight nod and a resigned expression. “It is.”
“I hear you’re likely the next pick for chief of surgery. Are other surgeons eyeing the position, maybe feeling envious that you appear to be a shoo-in for this esteemed role?”
She wondered how the chief had already encountered that gossip, especially since she had only learned about it earlier. “The only person I knew considering entering the fray was….” Her mind raced with the implications of the competition ahead.
The chief narrowed his eyes. “Let me take a wild guess: Dr. Garcia, your clinical partner. Are there any other issues I should be aware of with Dr. Garcia—maybe office politics?”
Julie nodded and discussed the minor things that regularly happen with her partner. Nothing serious, but considering everything, including her potential selection as chief of surgery, it became clear that this had to be it. There was an undeniable sense of finality in the air as if all the events had culminated in this very moment. Everything pointed to this conclusion, leaving no room for doubt.
Chief Wise scanned the dimly lit room, his sharp gaze drifting over Julie’s shoulder. “Doc?” he called, his voice steady and authoritative.
Julie glanced up, prepared to reply, but was interrupted by Mr. White’s voice cutting through the tension. “Yeah, Chief. We’ve got it.”
With deliberate movements, the chief stood, his stature commanding attention. “All right, Julie. Please stay away from Dr. Garcia until I sort out a few things. Doc and his team are going to help protect you, just in case Dr. Garcia, or whoever dared to plant a bomb on your car, makes another move.”
“What do you mean they’re going to protect me?” Julie asked, her heart racing and eyes wide with concern and disbelief, as if she had just been told that the earth was flat.
“It means,” Mr. White replied, a hint of mischief dancing in his grin as if he were letting her in on a thrilling secret, “screw your doctor-patient rules. We’re about to be more friendly than you ever expected.”
Julie gulped, feeling the weight of his words pressing down on her like a heavy blanket. Two thoughts swirled in her mind, each more troubling than the last. First, they believed she needed protection. Maybe, just maybe, protection was justified since the discovery of the bomb. Second, this arrangement would draw her closer to Mr. White than she had ever wanted. He unsettled her with his smug demeanor, yet a curious desire to understand him better tugged at her conscience, battling against her strict code of ethics.
Taking a deep breath, she stood from her chair, gripping the table's edge as if it could anchor her in this turbulent moment. “Is there another way?” she implored the chief, her voice unwavering despite the storm within.
“No. I don’t have the manpower for protective custody, but these men do. Trust them. Doc will make sure you’re taken care of,” he said, his tone allowing no argument, yet the finality in his voice only heightened her unease.
Him taking care of her was what worried her the most.