Chapter 57
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Leena
Not sure what time Julian got in last night, all I remember is at one point I woke up curled into his side with his arms wrapped tightly around me. I nuzzled my cheek against his chest and placed a kiss over his heart as he whispered, “Go back to sleep. I love you, pretty girl.”
I can tell Julian is worn out. When the alarm went off, he didn’t protest when I urged him to sleep in a little longer.
I made our coffee and quietly went about getting ready before rousing him from bed.
He literally rolls to the side of the bed, sitting for a few moments before finger-combing his hair away from his face and scratching his beard.
Only then does he pull on the clothes discarded on the floor by his side of the bed.
In the kitchen, I hand him a to-go cup of black coffee made the way he enjoys it—brewed with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Despite driving separately, Julian always walks me inside. At first I resisted, but the parking lot is usually pretty deserted when we arrive, so I’ve given in and enjoy all the extra minutes we can spend together.
Quietly walking toward the entrance together, he’s the one yawning today. Grabbing his forearm, I tell him, “Just send me a text about your cases, then lay down in the lounge. Get a little extra sleep.”
Glancing around, he kisses my forehead and nods. “Thanks, baby. I love you.”
His sleep-roughened voice makes me melt. “I love you, too.”
I’m secretly happy Julian’s first case is delayed for a contaminated set.
When I run into Sarina taking the set to the dirty dumbwaiter, I casually inform her I’m heading in the direction of the physicians’ lounge, so I offer to give him the heads up in person instead of her calling or texting him the update.
I find him laid out on one of the sofas, feet hanging over the edge, softly snoring. Surprisingly, no one else is in the lounge. Being daring, I kneel next to him and stroke my index finger down his nose, stifling my giggle as it twitches and he turns his face away.
“Baby,” I say, gently squeezing his shoulder.
Eyes blinking open, he sleepily looks at me. I could get lost in his stormy blue-gray eyes. His dark ring of lashes only makes them more intense, especially this close up.
I stroke my fingers over one brow. “Your case is delayed. One of your sets was contaminated, and we are waiting for Sterile Processing to send up one of the sets from last night that is almost out of the autoclave.”
Scratching the scruff on his neck, he yawns. “Alright, how long?”
“Probably forty-five minutes,” I answer.
“Okay, thanks pretty girl.”
“You know I’d kiss you right now, but someone would probably walk in at the exact same time.”
“Probably.”
Standing, I smirk at him. He doesn’t know it, but today will be the last time we have to hide our relationship. “See you later, d
Doctor.”
I push through the door with a laugh at his groan.
A nurse called out from our swing shift, so as I rearranged break and lunch assignments, I decided I would give Sarina her lunch. Sometimes I miss being in a room, and being able to watch Julian work is a huge plus.
The patient is asleep when Julian enters. He stops in his tracks when I look up from beside the fracture table, but my wink has him quickly moving.
Coming up along the other side of the bed across from me and Charlie, ready and waiting to position the patient, he says, “Ladies, let’s get this case knocked out. It should be my last one before Reid takes over.”
We make quick work of positioning and securing the patient’s leg. “I can see why you two worked so well together.”
As if we’ve rehearsed our response, Charlie and I say at the same time, “Like old times!” We break out in a fit of laughter.
“Wow,” Julian deadpans.
“They were always like this,” Sean, the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist—CRNA—says.
Julian looks over at him, “Oh, really?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds like they must have kept things lively.”
“A regular good ol’ time,” Charlie hollers from the Sterilium dispenser, rubbing her hands together.
A little while later, time out has been completed and incision made. I’m sitting down at the C.O.W.—computer on wheels—to begin charting when Sarina returns from lunch.
In the middle of charting a few things I’ve done, I’m giving her a quick report when Julian’s phone dings.
Without looking up, he calls across the room, “Can you check that? We’re waiting to get an E.T.A. on a patient being transferred to us.”
Sarina, closer to the back counter, reaches for his phone.
Her startled “Oh!” makes me look at her.
“What . . .” I trail off at her wide eyes bouncing from Julian to me and back.
“Was it the transfer center?” Julian asks.
“Umm . . . no. It was personal,” she stutters out.
I look up, my eyes meeting Julian’s as he glances over his shoulder. He looks as confused by her reaction as I am.
Frowning, he steps back from the operative field and turns to us. Looking around the room, I see Charlie, Sean, and the radiology tech are all watching.
“What did it say?”
Looking at me then away again, she says, “You should read it later.”
“No. Sarina, read it.” His sharp voice and hard stare further scrambling my mind.
“Dr. Jacobs—”
Holding his hand up to cut her off, he says again, “Sarina. Read it.”
With a visible swallow, she picks his phone up again.
Touching the screen to wake it, she reads the message out loud, “From Alisha Manning, Physician Recruiter. ‘You were amazing last night. I’m sorry you had such a long day and had to rush home. Maybe next time I can convince you to stay. Dot. Dot. Dot.’”
Sarina looks up at me, pityingly. My throat feels tight, and my mind can’t parse out what I’ve just heard.
Next, many things happen at once.
Julian snaps, “Wait, what?” at the same time Charlie spins to me in alarm. “What the fuck?” She knocks the mayo stand in her haste, toppling the drill to the floor.
The harsh clatter breaks the stillness of the room and me from my stupor. “I’ll—I’ll get a new drill,” I murmur as I rush from the room.