Page 12 of Healing Her

Not in any way the picture of a healthy woman. Ashley’s own heart constricted to see someone she’d adored for so long in a state of clear suffering. “Ms. Rivera. It’s such an honor to meet you.”

“If you’re the doctor who can fix my heart and get me those sexy bathing attendants, then I am also honored to meet you,” Maria replied, with another of those smiles that made the whole world go weak in the knees. She brushed her long, dark hair back over her shoulder before folding her hands into her lap. “So. Is it surgery, then?”

“I’ll need to review your records thoroughly, but I would say there’s a reasonable probability of it, yes,” Ashley advised gently. “What surgery it will be, I can’t say just yet.”

Maria let out a dramatic sigh and winked before falling back against her deep stack of pillows. “Dios mío. Well, then, you’re definitely going to have to do something about those bathing attendants.”

“I’ll do my best.” Ashley caught Chief Sundstrom nodding towards the door. “Perhaps I’ll come back to you later this afternoon, Ms. Rivera.”

“I’ll look forward to that.” Maria nodded graciously, then picked up a book that had been lying face down on her lap, as they exited the hospital room.

The Chief clicked the door shut and ushered Ashley away in silence, waiting until they were in the elevator, alone, to speak. “It’s inherited dilated cardiomyopathy,” he began, his eyes fixed on hers. “Just about end-stage, as you can see.”

Ashley felt her eyes widen with shock. “An enlarged heart? Didn’t she notice earlier? How could she let it go this long?”

“You’ve met enough actors in your time here, you know how work-driven they can be. And frankly, according to her records, Maria Rivera has been a model cardiac patient for years.” He spread his hands wide and shrugged. “She has almost religiously followed a low-salt, lean protein, vegetable heavy diet for a long time. Light, but consistent exercise. She says she’s particularly fond of tai chi and long walks.”

“And medication?” Ashley couldn’t shake off her distress. She felt the actress should have taken much more aggressive action, much earlier. There were added complexities in heart surgeries over fifty, and heart surgery was already complicated. A transplant or even device implantation should have been done long ago, in her opinion.

“The typical regime of beta blockers and diuretics to start. About three years ago she was put on an ARB, last year on Digoxin. And some blood thinners.” Chief Sundstrom looked at her closely. “You know nobody can force a patient to get surgery if they don’t want it. Ms. Rivera has been very dedicated to her career. I think you know a little something about that.”

It wasn’t like the Chief to get personal with her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “Maybe.” Then she remembered a tidbit from their conversation before entering the hospital room. “Wait, what was that about my surgical team you said before? I could pick most but not all?”

At that, the Chief’s face grew stern, and a pit opened up in Ashley’s stomach. She felt like a nine-year-old being called on the carpet for making a ruckus in class. Not that she ever had. She held her breath as he spoke. “Doctor Proctor, we still have to decide on what kind of surgery is going to happen here, but you will be keeping Doctor Colton involved and updated.”

Oh, no. “Sir?—”

“That’s not a point that’s up for discussion,” he said, his voice as set as his face. “Any surgery can go wrong, so whether we implant a device or have to do a transplant, Doctor Colton must be involved in an educational aspect. And besides that, she’s a world-renowned general surgeon with a great amount of experience in the cardiothoracic realm.” The elevator doors slid open on the surgery floor, and he stepped out. “Last of all, she was specifically requested by the patient. Seems they know eachother. So there’s that.” With a brisk nod, he turned and walked off, leaving Ashley standing open-mouthed in the elevator door.

She spotted Jen Colton peering out of her office, face wary. As soon as they made eye contact, she whisked back in and the door slammed shut. Swallowing, Ashley hustled off the elevator and made a beeline for the office she shared with a pediatric surgeon, who was thankfully not in this week. She tossed her Hermés bag down with an uncharacteristic carelessness and slumped into her chair, cradling her face in her hands.

There was no way, clearly, that she was going to be allowed to get out of working with Jen Colton. The very thought filled her with fury, lust, and despair. This was such an important case, and the Chief clearly knew the two of them didn’t get along. How was this going to ever, ever work?

10

“Darling, you haven’t changed a bit.” Maria’s throaty laugh was still robust, despite her obviously declining health. It gave Jen hope. “I hate how gracefully you’ve taken to aging. You look years younger than me even with that shining silver hair.”

“Iamyears younger than you,” Jen replied puckishly, laughing as her old high school friend swatted at her leg.

“Two years are hardly a blip on the clock! You look under fifty.” Maria tossed her hair—the gleaming chestnut of which Jen knew was expertly maintained by Los Angeles’ best private hairdresser. But even Philippe Casals had been unable to fully hold back the ravages of Maria’s advancing cardiac condition. Jen could see the hair was thinning, and brittle at the ends.

“I don’t, Maria, but it’s lovely for you to say so. And we’ll take years off your own clock once we get your heart condition sorted out.” Jen scooted closer to her friend on the hospital bed so that she could take her hand, carefully avoiding the IV butterfly stuck into the soft, smooth skin. “You’ll feel better than you have in years.”

“I’d like that.” Maria smiled and settled back into her pillows. “They still haven’t come up to tell me what surgery it will be.” She sighed. “I don’t like the idea of either option. Either some foreign plastic and metal thing stuck to my heart, or I get someone else’s heart entirely.” Pulling her hand free from Jen’s, she patted her heart, face pensive. “All of my best work came from my heart. Will my work be the same if someone else’s heart beats in my chest?”

“Of course it will.” Jen recaptured her friend’s hand and gave it a soft little kiss before letting go. “The heart is a machine, a wonderful and glorious organic machine, but a machine, nonetheless. The work came from your beautiful soul, my friend.”

Maria’s chuckle was fond. “Thank you, Jen. You always did have a knack for making me feel better.” Her eyes darkened with sympathy. “Now, can I make you feel better? You seem tired,querida. And I bet you aren’t seeing anyone.”

Jen pushed back a flash of memory, the taste of peppermint coffee and the feel of Ashley’s nimble fingers at the waistband of her panties. “I just got here, Maria. I haven’t had time to do anything but work. I’m overhauling the entire transplant program here. Presentations, fundraising, getting to know my colleagues…”

“You could get to know a special colleague, no?” Maria’s eyes gleamed. “You like doctors, are there no doctors here that have caught your eye?” She laughed as Jen blushed. “Oh, tell me, tell me everything.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Jen said firmly, drawing herself to sit up straight. “But since you’re the biggest nosy-pants I know, I did find a bar here that I like to go to.”

“You must take me once I’m all fixed up.” Maria clapped her hands. “You know I love to watch you work.”

“Are yousureyou only like men?” Jen joked, tilting her head. “You love going to lesbian bars more than I do!”

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