Chapter 13
Grace sat on the waiting room couch, surrounded by all three of her sisters while she wore out the tile in front of them. She was so nervous she almost wished she could take another of those pills she’d taken before her procedure.
“Ben, you should sit down. It’s going to take a while,” said Olivia. “And your shoes are squeaking.”
He picked up a foot and examined the bottom of his tennis shoe, as if expecting to find some artificial noisemaker on its sole. He flopped into a chair and dropped his head in his hands.
“I can’t believe I made such a big fuss over a little biopsy. Right now, I’d be willing to have a hundred needles stuck in my body if I knew Brad would be okay.”
“Perspective,” said Olivia. “It’s all about perspective.”
Grace felt her chin tremble. “What if I never get to tell him I love him? What if he never wakes up?”
“The important thing is you’ve finally admitted you’re in love with him,” said Hannah.
Claire frowned at Grace. “Aren’t you the one who broke up with him for saying those words?”
“That’s different—I wasn’t dying at the time.”
“Stop being negative,” said Olivia. “He’s not going to die. And we’re all going to pray for him right now.”
The group fell into silence. Grace tried to pray, but it felt so desperate—more like begging.
Finally she spoke into the quiet. “I feel responsible. If I’d talked to him before the surgery, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Ben stood and began to pace again. “If you feel responsible, think how I feel. It was my story that made him think he needed to carry you out of the hospital.”
“Sit, Ben,” Olivia ordered. “Squeaky shoes, remember? It was a crazy set of circumstances, and it won’t do any good to mete out blame.”
Spencer trotted into the waiting room, obviously out of breath, with Emily close behind. “We got here as soon as we could. What’s going on?”
“Ohmygosh! We wouldn’t have even left if we’d known he was getting worse. I thought it was just a concussion.” Emily’s face was red from running.
“He was improving—in fact he seemed to be a lot better. But then his headache spiked and they found blood in his spinal tap.” Ben was tapping his feet and patting his hands on his legs in a random pattern.
“So what does that mean?” asked Spencer. “Like his skull cracked open or something?”
Olivia fielded the question. “Josh said they were worried it might be subarachnoid hemorrhage. Right, Grace? I had to look it up. But if I understand correctly, the danger is blood can build up pressure and damage the brain.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?” Emily asked Grace.
Only the reassurance of her sisters’ hands squeezing hers kept Grace from falling apart at the question.
Ben answered for her. “He’s going to be fine. He’s way too stubborn to die.”
No one refuted his claim. Grace prayed the humorless jest would prove true.
And then they waited. And waited. No one seemed to feel like talking.
“Hasn’t it been an hour?” asked Grace.
Every minute felt like an eternity. As the words left her mouth, the door opened and Josh came out. He was surrounded before he made it three feet. Grace tried to read his expression. He didn’t seem too upset, but then again, he didn’t look happy either. Her stomach was in knots.
He pulled off a scrub cap and rubbed his head. “So we didn’t find anything.”
Ben frowned, “That’s good news, isn’t it?”
“Well, it’s good we didn’t find an aneurism or a big bleed, but we still don’t know the source of the blood in the tap.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?” said Spencer.
“We can’t know until we do another spinal tap at the twelve hour mark. That’s the only way we can be absolutely positive whether the blood came from trauma from the lumbar puncture or another source. I don’t want to be too optimistic because we can’t explain his symptoms apart from a slow bleed somewhere. If we get another positive tap, we’ll probably do an MRI.”
“Can I talk to him?” Grace asked.
“I don’t know. We have to keep him from getting too excited.” Josh winked at her.
She felt her face flushing. “Josh, don’t tease me. I need to talk to him—he still doesn’t know.”
“He knows he didn’t sleep with Kara,” said Ben. “That conversation happened before his head started hurting.”
Grace saw Emily’s eyes bugging out at Ben’s words. “It’s a long story, Emily. We’ll tell you later.”
As Josh turned to go back into the surgical area, she put a hand on his arm. “Wait, Josh. He doesn’t know I love him yet. Everyone else knows, but I haven’t told him.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners and he chuckled. “Yes, you did. Well, it took some interpretation, but I’m pretty sure he figured it out, anyway.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Check your messages.” He grinned before he disappeared again.
She frowned as she pulled out her cell phone and opened the messages. Olivia and Emily peered over her shoulder.
“Open the messages to Brad,” Olivia ordered.
She complied and was astonished to see the nonsensical message she had sent to Brad, evidently while under the influence of her premedication.
“Ohmygosh!” cried Emily. “At the end of that message you told him you loved him.”
“No, she didn’t,” chuckled Olivia. “She said she lived him.”
Grace wished the floor would swallow her whole.
* * *
“Hi.”Brad spoke in a soft voice as he blinked his eyes open.
He’d appeared to be sleeping when she’d entered the room and slipped to his bedside on silent feet. She’d watched him breathing for a while and thought to leave and let him sleep. But his eyes opened and he reached out to take her hand, his grasp firmer than she expected for having been sedated.
“Hi back.” She felt heat radiating from her cheeks. Why was she suddenly feeling awkward? “How do you feel?”
“Great, since you’re here.” His forehead wrinkled and he closed his eyes for a moment, drawing a deep breath. “Grace, I’m sorry about Kara.”
“It’s okay. Ben already told me you didn’t sleep with her. And I’d already decided I didn’t care. You can ask Josh.”
“You didn’t care?” He grinned. “So does that mean you’re into open relationships?”
“No, it doesn’t. And you’re not funny.”
“But you’re smiling.”
“No, this is a grimace of distaste.”
The smile dropped off his face. “Seriously Grace, I’m sorry about her. I’m sorry I ever agreed to go to that stupid Yankees game with her.”
“Hey… Don’t insult the Yankees.”
He chuckled. “You’re right. Let me restate that. I’m sorry I was stupid enough to agree to go to a Yankees game with that stupid woman.”
“Much better.” She bobbed her head. “And I’m sorry I ever broke up with you.”
“And I’m sorry I told you I loved you.” His eyes twinkled. “Because it’s too soon to say that. Right?”
“That’s right.” She bit her lips as her cheeks reddened.
“So I won’t say it again. But Grace…” He caressed her hand with his thumb, causing tingles to race up her arm. He spoke in a voice so soft she had to lean in to hear him. “I live you, too.”
* * *
Brad had sent Ben,Grace, and the rest of the Marshall clan home, promising someone would call as soon as there was new information. Grace was still acting pretty awkward. He couldn’t tell if she was unsure about her feelings or simply concerned about his injury. That part of his memory was still a blank, but he’d been told the details of his actions leading up to the fall. It sounded like the script in a bad movie, and he couldn’t believe he’d been so reckless.
He was waiting for the pinch in his back, but that wasn’t what worried him. He knew too much. Josh was trying to keep up a cheery banter, but Brad could tell he was uptight, too.
“You don’t have to pretend,” Brad said. “I know it could be bad news.” He tried not to flinch as he felt the needle pierce his skin.
Josh was quiet as he drew the fluid out and handed it to the doctor at his side. When she had departed to the lab with the crucial tubes, he took off his gloves and sank into a chair next to him with a groan. It was one a.m. and the toll of the incredibly long and stressful day showed on his face.
“The fact you know it could be bad news is good news. At least we aren’t seeing any further deterioration in your cognitive abilities.”
“Any further deterioration?”
Josh chuckled. “Sorry. I should have said continuing evidence of deterioration. You were certainly not the brightest crayon in the box yesterday. But your stupidity started before you hit your head.”
Brad wanted to object, but he knew Josh was right. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m usually so sensible—Ben is the impulsive brother.”
“I think you two are more alike than you admit.”
“You’re probably right. Maybe that’s why he gets under my skin.”
“Your problem is you have an Achilles’ heel where Grace is concerned. Who was teasing me about acting crazy over Charlie?”
Brad smiled as he thought about Josh’s complete infatuation with Emily Best’s younger sister. “Yes, but Charlie changed your entire personality. It’s like you’re a different guy, now.”
He pressed his lips together until they whitened. “I wish you’d tell Grace to tell Charlie that.”
“She still won’t talk to you?”
“She still maintains we’re too different and I’m only infatuated with her because she’s a challenge.”
“Are you sure she’s wrong? No offense, but she’s probably the first girl who hasn’t fallen into your arms when she was given the opportunity.”
A scowl spread over his face. “If I can’t even convince you, how can I convince Charlie? I wish I could undo my past, but I can only change what I do from here on out.”
“I’ll admit so far the change has been fairly impressive. I just wonder if you’ll keep it up if Charlie keeps resisting you.”
His voice was bitter. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Josh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it that way. I’m really only worried you’ll get hurt if this keeps up.”
“It hurts already, but I’m committed. And you know if I commit, I stick with it to the end.”
Brad thought the end might be rather painful for Josh, but he kept that idea to himself. “So was it clear or cloudy?” he asked, referring to the appearance of the spinal fluid Josh had drawn.
“Actually, it was clear. I’ve been thinking... Could the headache escalation be solely a result of the spinal tap?”
“I don’t know—it was incredibly painful.”
“But it’s subsided now, and that’s consistent with a spinal tap headache.”
“True.” He considered the idea. This diagnosis had a much better prognosis than SAH.
“And to be honest, your cognitive function seems perfectly normal right now, except perhaps where Grace is concerned.” Josh winked at him.
“So go home and get some sleep. If the tap is positive, they can do an MRI without you.”
He frowned. “I think I should stay until we get the results.”
“Go home—you’re making me nervous.”
Josh stifled a yawn as he stood and stretched. “Okay, I think I’ll go. But I’m coming back if there’s a positive result on the lab.”
“Hey Josh… Thank you.” The lump in his throat felt gargantuan. “I owe you one.”
“I hope you never get a chance to pay me back in the ER. But I’ll let you buy me dinner if your brain doesn’t turn to jelly.”
Brad chuckled. “Thanks a lot.”
* * *
Brad wasawake at five a.m. when Olivia peeked in the door to his hospital room.
“Hey, we didn’t get a phone call,” she said when she saw his eyes were open. “So what does that mean? Are you still waiting for the results?”
Brad smiled. “No, it means the results were good—no xanthochromia in the samples.”
“And what does that mean? Is this something I need to know for school?”
“Not for your RN, but you might as well learn it for when you’re in med school. If the bleeding is from the brain instead of trauma from the lumbar puncture then the heme is degraded into bilirubin. And the bilirubin is detectable after twelve hours by spectrophotometry as xanthochromia, which is really just a big word for a yellow color in the cerebrospinal fluid. So… no xanthochromia means no subarachnoid hemorrhage.”
She repeated the words, as if she could store it away for a few years until she needed it on her medical boards. “What about the other symptoms? The headache and the confusion?”
“The initial confusion was from the concussion, and we think the headache came from exertion after the spinal tap.”
“This stuff is so awesome! I’m gonna do emergency medicine for sure.”
He chuckled. “You might change your mind during medical school.”
“So if you’re okay, when do you get to go home?”
“Well, this time I’m not leaving until Josh signs off on it. I think he might kill me if there’s a repeat of yesterday.”
“He’s at home?”
“Yes, I talked him into getting some sleep.”
“And Ben?”
He made a face. “I’m still mad at him, even though I absolved him yesterday when he tricked Kara Dickson into a confession.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, because I have a great idea how we can get back at him for his tall tales.”
“Really?” His eyes danced with glee. “If I need to do anything, I’m in. What’s the plan?”
“You see, he has this broken tooth, and I have this friend who’s a dentist…”
* * *
Ben wasglad he was already sitting down in the dental chair when the dentist walked into room—otherwise he might have fallen on the floor. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Long, straight sandy-blonde hair framed huge almond eyes—brown with caramel stars in the middle, and a dark brown perimeter. They were spectacular—he could swim in those eyes. She had smooth golden skin stretched over high cheekbones and a pert up-turned nose.
And then she smiled at him.
His heart fell into his stomach. Her plush lips spread to reveal perfect even white teeth. She was a dentist—of course she had beautiful teeth. What had he expected? Whatever he’d expected, it wasn’t this. Why hadn’t Olivia warned him about her? She’d said her friend was cute, not stunning. He didn’t want this girl to look inside his mouth. How well had he brushed his teeth that morning? Was his breath okay? Would she know he hadn’t been flossing?
She held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Dr. Williams. Shanna Williams.”
He stared at the long delicate fingers stretched toward him. How could fingers be so attractive?
“Eh-hem,” she cleared her throat.
“Oh, sorry.” He took her hand in his. Sparks. There were definitely sparks. Did she feel them? Her grip was firm. He liked a strong grasp—he hated girls who gave dead-fish handshakes.
“Uhmm…”
He realized she was trying to free her hand from his clenched fingers. “Oh, sorry again.” As her hand slipped from his, he felt a profound loss.
“So you’re Olivia’s friend, right? I’ve already seen the x-rays from your dentist in California. Let’s take a look and see if this chipped tooth can be restored with a bonded filling or if you’ll need a crown.” She began to lean the dental chair back.
“You know, it’s not that bad. Really, we don’t need to fix it today.”
“Are you nervous? You don’t need to be afraid—I’m really quite painless.”
“I’m not afraid, but I thought we might talk for a few minutes before we start.”
“Well, I don’t have a lot of extra time. Why don’t I check the tooth, and we can talk while the anesthetic is working?”
Before he could protest again she had a mirror in his mouth.
“Hmmm… I think it’s small enough a composite will do the job. I’ll need to get you numb so I can remove the restoration adjacent to the chip.”
Her eyes mesmerized him. He sank into their depths, noting shades of green he hadn’t noticed at a distance. He stared at the smooth skin on her face, noting the cute wrinkle that appeared between her eyebrows as she concentrated.
“There you go. Now we’ll just need to wait a few minutes for the anesthetic to take effect.”
“You already gave me a shot?”
She smiled and nodded, returning the chair to a sitting position. “Yep, I’m painless. So tell me about yourself, Ben. What do you like to do? Do you have hobbies?”
His mind went blank. “I like a lot of things. What do you like?”
“I love to read.”
“Me, too—I love to read.” The lie slipped from his mouth without thought. “What kind of books do you like?”
“Everything really. I like romance, mysteries, thrillers. My favorite is probably young adult fantasy and dystopia.”
“Me, too—I love fantasy and dystopia.”
“So what books have you read lately?”
He blinked, his heart racing. Why had he told her he liked to read? He hadn’t read any books. The last book he could remember reading was The Scarlet Letter as a senior in high school, and in truth, he’d only read the Cliff Notes. If she caught him in this lie, he was going to be wearing a scarlet letter.
“HarryPotter.” He’d seen all the movies, so maybe he could fake it.
“Have you read all the books?”
“Yep, read ‘em all.”
“Did you like the books better than the movies?”
She was a reader. To her, the correct answer would always favor the books. “The books were better, but I thought the movies were well done.”
“I loved the movies, but of course they couldn’t get everything in. Did you realize they left Peeves out of the movies?”
“Right, I noticed that.” Who or what was Peeves? He hoped she didn’t ask him.
“And Oregon? He was such a good character in the books. Didn’t you miss him in the movies?”
“That was the worst. I really missed that guy.” He felt his mouth beginning to droop. Maybe he was numb enough to distract her from talking about books he hadn’t read. “I think I’m numb now.”
She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Okay, I’ll call my assistant.”
In a matter of seconds his mouth was propped open in a manner that must be unattractive, and the assistant was holding his cheek back with the loud vacuum tube.
“You know, Ben.” Shanna pushed a cotton roll next to his tooth and started the loud whining drill inside his mouth. “There wasn’t a character called Oregon in HarryPotter.”
His eyes grew large as he struggled to talk against a mouth full of fingers and instruments and cotton. “There wasn’t?” came out as, “Aa-ya uh-eh?”
“Nope.”
He heard a male voice behind him. “Sorry, Dr. Williams. I’m afraid my brother has a habit of telling little fibs.”
Shanna said, “Ben, if you don’t stop squirming, I might accidentally cut your tongue off.”
Ben heard Olivia’s voice in the background. “I think cutting off his tongue might be a bit too severe for a bit of storytelling. But perhaps if he hasn’t learned his lesson, we might bring him back for that.”
He could feel his cheeks turning red. If he survived this procedure he was going to kill those two. Worst of all, he’d blown his chances with Shanna. He studied her face, inches away, frowning in concentration. For this girl, he might have been willing to take up reading. Or at least listening to audiobooks.
“I’ll read as many books as you want if you’ll go out with me,” came out as, “Ah ee eh eh-ee ook ah yoo ah eh yoo oe ou eh ee.”
She smiled behind her face mask. “I might be willing to go out with you, even if you don’t read any books. But you have to promise never to lie to me again.”
What could he say to a woman with a drill in his mouth? “I ah-iss.”
She chuckled as she put another scary-looking bit on her drill. “Okay, one date—just a trial.” She asked her assistant, “Can you rinse that for me?”
Brad said, “Wait a minute... Did my brother just make a date with you after lying about his reading history?”
“I can’t believe it,” Olivia said, walking into the operatory with a decided scowl and her hands on her hips. “Shanna, you were supposed to torture him, not go out with him.”
Shanna shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry. It’s hard to be mad at him. He’s just so cute with those sad green eyes and his mouth propped open, full of cotton.”
“Eel ake ah-uh aw ow ake.”
“No, it’s not necessary to take cotton on our date. I’m sure you’ll look fine without cotton in your mouth.” Shanna’s eyes crinkled in a smile.
Brad said, “But don’t worry—his mouth will be open the whole time. And he’ll probably have his foot in it.”
* * *
Kara wasn’tnervous about the meeting. Curious would be a better way to describe her feelings. Steven Gherring, chair of the board of directors at Mercy General, had called the night before to invite her to meet him at his office. The thought occurred to her he might have caught wind of her failed attempt to manipulate Brad, but she dismissed the idea. Gherring had mentioned a phone call he’d received recently from her father, so he was probably fulfilling an obligation.
Her dad had a lot of influence and a long reach—she’d been admitted to the residency because he’d ‘made a few phone calls’. Her grades and rank in medical school certainly hadn’t warranted her acceptance in the elite program. But unlike her lackadaisical attitude in medical school, she’d worked diligently during her residency at Mercy General. She was confident in her intellect and her record. She didn’t need Dr. Gates to satisfy her goals in life, but he would have been a very pleasant addition. Her mind replayed a clear image of the abdominal muscles she’d exposed the previous day. Yes, she would have enjoyed having Brad in her bed, possibly as a permanent partner. There were other eligible men, but it might be difficult to find someone with all the attributes Dr. Brad Gates had brought to the table.
As she exited the elevator and approached the receptionist, she put the unpleasant thought from her mind. She was in her element, interacting with one of her father’s cronies. These men were always easy to manipulate, eager to please her father and flattered by the attention she doled out. She only waited for a few moments before the imposing carved wooden doors opened and Steven Gherring emerged from his sanctuary, wearing a benevolent smile. Impeccably dressed and incredibly handsome, the tall, fit man was as appealing in person as he appeared in the magazines.
“Come in Dr. Dickson—we’ve been expecting you.”
She strolled across the marble floor in three-inch pumps to shake his outstretched hand. Her chosen shoes allowed her to look down on most men, but at six feet and three inches, Gherring still managed to maintain a height advantage. “We?” she asked, glancing curiously over his shoulder into his office. “Is someone else going to be at our meeting?”
He gestured for her to enter ahead of him. “Yes, Dr. Dickson. I’d like for you to meet my wife, Anne Best Gherring.”
Her smile only faltered for an instant. A wife would be a bothersome addition, eliminating the benefit she usually gained from flirtation. But she knew how to interact with socialites as well, having played the game for some thirty years. Her eyes took in the attractive, willowy woman with thick brown hair and laughing brown eyes.
“Mrs. Gherring, I’m thrilled to finally meet you. I’ve only seen your picture in the media before, and I must say you’re even more striking in person. I love that necklace! You must tell me where you got it.”
Anne chuckled. “It came from the Target in Ft. Worth. But it’s about ten years old, so I doubt you can still buy one.”
Kara’s intake of breath caused a coughing fit, which luckily disguised her outbreak of laughter. She remembered now Anne hadn’t been married to Gherring all that long. She hadn’t yet learned the rules of cultured behavior. She shot a sympathetic glance toward the billionaire, but was astounded at the adoring expression on his face as he regarded his wife.
One corner of his mouth lifted as he took in Kara’s quizzical countenance. “Anne was a unique answer to my fifty-year dilemma. The only way to be certain a woman didn’t love me for my fortune was to find one who isn’t attracted to money. And I must say I’ve learned a lot from her about what’s truly valuable in life.”
She pasted an isn’t-that-wonderful look on her face and hurried to change the subject to a more comfortable topic. “And so you’re a friend of my father?”
“As a matter of fact, we’re very old friends. I knew your father in law-school.” She allowed him to guide her to a seating area. She noticed Anne kicked off her shoes to tuck her feet underneath her.
“I hope you don’t mind me getting comfortable. I have to play the formal role all day, and I’m tired by the end of it.”
Kara could only wonder how this woman managed to function in high society with such an obvious lack of polish. She managed a stiff nod.
Gherring said, “So Dr. Dickson…”
“Please, call me Kara.”
His smile was unflappable. “So Kara, I spoke with your father this weekend. As you’re probably aware, he called upon me three and a half years ago when you were seeking entrance into the emergency medicine residency at Mercy General.”
“Yes, and let me say how grateful I am for the chance you gave me. I hope my record demonstrates I haven’t wasted this valuable opportunity.”
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “When he first contacted me, he expressed a grave concern he’d failed you. He was afraid you had grown up to be…” He gazed at the ceiling. “How did he say it? Oh yes, he thought you might have grown up to be a ‘spoiled, pretentious brat with no regard for the welfare of others.’”
Kara felt the blood rush to her face as he continued with a bland smile. “So since your time here is nearing an end, he was understandably concerned with the results of your time in the residency.”
He paused is if to give her an opportunity to respond, but for once, she seemed to have lost the ability to speak. “So naturally, he wanted me to keep an eye on you. And before we spoke this weekend, I reviewed your record. On paper, you appeared to have excelled in every area, but close examination left me with some questions as to your actual moral motivation.”
She felt the blood pounding in her face as she sputtered, “What do you mean? What close examination?”
“I spoke with your fellow residents and, of course, your attending, Dr. Branson.” He paused, giving no further explanation, allowing time for his words to sink into the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t expect a glowing reference from any of her fellow residents, whom she regarded with a certain amount of disdain. And Dr. Branson’s view of her would’ve been tarnished due to recent events.
As she opened her mouth to respond, he spoke again, his eyes wide and his face bright. “But then Dr. Branson shared your extraordinary news.”
She stared at him for a moment before realizing her mouth was hanging open. She closed her lips while considering every possible bit of information that might qualify as extraordinary news.
“Of course, I’m referring to your application to work for Physicians Across Borders—such a wonderful organization. And this clearly indicates to me and to your father you could still become the selfless, noble physician and humanitarian he knew you could be.”
Relief flowed through her veins like a drug. She relaxed as the tension left her body, exultant her bogus application to the philanthropic organization had been of benefit after all.
“Yes, it’s such a great opportunity. I certainly hope I’ll have a chance to work with them.”
“Where were you hoping to go?” asked Anne. “It sounds exciting. But I have to admit, it also sounds dangerous and exhausting.”
“I’d be happy with any place in Africa. I’m not afraid of rough conditions.”
“I’m certain we can arrange for that to happen,” said Gherring, with an enigmatic smile.
A spidery feeling crept up her spine. “Really? What do you mean?”
“Only that your father and I have both used our considerable influence to assure your acceptance to the program.”
“But… But I haven’t even completed the application yet.” The blood in her veins felt as if it had been circulated through a freezer.
“No worries. Dr. Branson gave me your application, and we’ve expedited the process. We cut through all the red tape and went right to the top.”
Her voice rose into shrill tones. “You had no right to do that! I hadn’t decided for certain I wanted to complete the application. It was none of your business!”
He shrugged. “You can take it up with your father if you like. He said something about a trust fund that would be dependent upon your completion of a term with them.”
Her mind churned. Surely she could talk her dad out of this insane idea. He wouldn’t want her to pursue a term with the organization if he understood the dangers involved.
Gherring’s smile disappeared as he leaned toward her. “I spoke with your father again last night. He was quite disturbed when he heard about your recent nefarious activities and attempted blackmail of Dr. Gates.”
“Attempted blackmail? You’ve got to be kidding!”
His blue eyes were icy. She shivered, wondering how she’d ever thought she might be able to manipulate this man. “My legal advisors tell me the charge might not stick, but it would likely ruin your career. Understandably, many hospitals are reluctant to hire physicians who might attempt to run a scam such as the one you attempted, Dr. Dickson.”
He stood and walked toward the door. “But make no mistake… If I hear you’ve changed your mind about serving with Physicians Across Borders, I won’t hesitate to bring formal charges against you with the board.”
He opened the heavy door and gestured toward the exit with his open hand. Kara glanced at Anne, hoping to find some support from the unsophisticated woman with the friendly face.
Anne smiled. “By the way, I just love your purse! You must tell me where you got it. Perhaps I can find a factory second somewhere.”