Page 38 of Dr. Brandt

“The fuck are you doing in this OR, man?” I heard Jake Mitchell say. He was most likely hunting down my ass for a favor. “Hey, I need a favor.”

A smile spread across my face, wondering if I should’ve changed careers and become a mind reader.

“Shocker,” I said, looking up from the swivel chair where I sat alone in this room. “What do you need?”

Jake looked around the room and then back to me. “Everything okay? Seriously, what are you doing in here?”

“It’s where I come to think sometimes. It’s quiet,” I said. “And yes, I’m fine. Just going over some things in my head about an emergency surgery today. I lost a young one, and I’m just determining what more could’ve been done and what could’ve been done differently. You know the drill.”

“I know that drill all too well.” He crossed the room and pulled himself onto the OR table, sitting across from me. “It’s good to get that shit out of your head. You know, sometimes it can also be good for your sanity to bounce some of it off a brilliant doctor like me,” he teased. “Tell me, how the fuck did you lose a patient in surgery? I thought you were going to meet with the success story kid and your kid. I didn’t know you had surgery.”

“Long story, but I was on standby for Novant’s surgical case today. The patient’s odds weren’t great, to begin with, but they were even worse not going in.”

“Hardest cases, man,” he said, “How’s Novant handling it?”

“Not sure. I bounced out of there after the surgery. I was hoping I could get ahold of Jessa and see how it went with her and her boy today.”

“Your boy,” Jake teased, obviously still attached to my big ideas about winning back my ex and being more than a biological father to my son. “Or has that changed?”

“Nothing’s changed,” I said. “I guess I’m just a bit more focused on the kid right now than my selfish desires.”

“That’s a good thing, but something tells me that will pass once you get past your loss from today,” he said.

“It could,” I smiled, “which is never a bad thing. I’d give anything to have another chance with this woman; not too sure I’m deserving of it, though.”

“It’s the humble mindset that will get you the girl, that’s for fucking sure,” he said. “Why don’t you bring her and the kid to Monterey with all of us this weekend?”

“I’m not in the mood to load them up into a private jet with a bunch of strange billionaire besties to go whale watching and shit. Besides, I’m not in the mood to have her fiancé join the festivities.”

“Then don’t invite his ass,” Jake said with a laugh. “And, for the record, I’m not strange. The others, well, you’re not wrong about them.”

“Jake,” I tried to lower my voice, hoping to end this conversation politely, “I’m sure you remember that Billionaires’ Club bullshit you idiots were labeled with before you settled down and got married?”

“How could I forget? The highlight of my youth,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“Let’s just say that Jessa has always been the toughest on my spoiled ass, so proposing we join the rich kids previously known as the Billionaires’ Club on their private jet will mean I will never hear the end of it.” Jake laughed. “What the hell are you hunting me down for anyway? What do you need?”

“I have a patient who I recently performed open-heart surgery on,” he said. “Anyway, the dude’s a pilot, and he gives flying lessons and shit. So, I was rounding up the boys to see if you all wanted to join in and get some lessons.”

“Huh? Dude, you know I have my pilot’s license,” I laughed. “And why the fuck are you trying to round up the gang for flying lessons? You suddenly run out of money and need to go in for a group discount?”

He grinned. “If I wanted the discount, I’d have you teach my ass how to fly,” he said. “It’s just to change things up a little, you know. Hey, it could help with that fatherly bond you’ve been yearning for?”

“Jake, I know we haven’t talked much since I drunkenly proclaimed that I would win back the girl and become the father of the year, but there’s too much going for him medically to fuck around with shit like that.”

“Don’t say I didn’t try,” he said.

I couldn’t help but wonder why Jake came searching for me. He could’ve texted me if he wanted to ask me to take some adult Chuck E. Cheese adventure in flying, but he didn’t. And none of us ever had time to go hunting each other down at this hospital, so what the fuck was going on?

“That’s not why you’re here. Why are you in pediatrics, man?”

“No reason, really. I had to sign off on some charts after being on call. I wondered where your stupid ass was, and when someone mentioned you were in a dark, empty operating room, I thought it best to check on you. And I was right. You look like shit. I’m glad that some color and life is returning to your handsome, boyish face, though,” he said, sliding off the table. “Think about going up to Monterey. I think it might be a neat trip for your boy, at least. You know what it’s like, being in a strange town with no friends, facing a life-changing surgery?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what that’s like,” I answered.

“My point exactly. Bring the kid and your girl, even the fiancé, and let us judge if you’re a good candidate to take on fatherhood as you suggest.”

“I’ll let you know.” I just wanted out of this conversation. “Jess and her son met with Lisa this morning, and I need to see how that worked out.”

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