Page 67 of Paging Dr. Breakup
“Talk later. Scan now,” Dr. Tipton scolded gently.
Her concerned, tight expression belied the soft tone of voice. She was worried.
Calvin winced. “I make a terrible patient.”
“You’re not wrong.” The doctor tapped her foot. “Let’s get this taken care of. Then if you’re nice, I’ll let you read your own radiology images.” After the nurses wheeled him away to the scanner, she turned to Deirdre and studied her for several seconds. With a sigh, she said, “Technically, I can’t tell you anything as you’re not family.”
“I won’t ask. Don’t worry.”
“He talked to you, which is good. Also, he said he wants you in the room. So later, when you’re in the room with him per his request, if you happened to overhear me discussing his condition and my findings, then so be it.”
“Thanks, Dr. Tipton.”
She gave Deirdre a quick hug. “You can call me Lee, you know.”
“Yes, but not in a professional setting.”
She patted Deirdre on the upper arm. “You know, you don’t always have to be on the clock or setting a good example. Sometimes it’s okay for people to know you’re human.”
Deirdre rocked back on her heels. All of the work she did day in and day out to make this hospital chug along, to train and employ excellent nurses and other staff, to maintain safety and professionalism—it really had dug into her entire psyche.
Dedication to the job had become another form of armor. Protective, yes, but it also insulated Deirdre from everyone around her. Professionalism had kept her from dealing with the more painful parts of her life. There wasn’t much else to say but, “Point taken. Thank you.” Deirdre wandered to the back of the ED work area. She sat down hard and thought even harder about so many parts of her life.
Twenty minutes later, the automatic doors to radiology opened, and staff wheeled Calvin back to his room. He beckoned for Deirdre to join them, and she eased in after them and pulled up a chair at the bedside. He reached out and she laced her fingers with his.
After the leads had been reattached and another set of vitals reassured everyone, Deirdre asked him, “What happened?”
It seemed like his eyes took a few seconds to focus on her. He squinted, like the dim light was still too bright. “I don’t completely remember,” he mumbled, speech and mouth movements sluggish. “Last thing I remember was Randy pulling up. He wanted to talk about access to the property.” His eyes popped open. “Two other people got out of that car. Thenblammo, lights out. This”—he waved his hand weakly—“could have happened to one of my parents.”
Deirdre’s blood iced. Randy did this? He was more determined than she had expected. Now, he brought friends and had hurt Calvin. Who else would he harm to get what he wanted?
She sent Mav a text to keep his eyes open and check the lodge and the dog team. Then she sent a vague and HIPAA-compliant text to Steve Wright so he could have the people in the Koyukon village stay extra vigilant. He promised to give the other property owners and the mayor a heads-up as well.
“I know this is not how you planned to spend the evening,” Calvin said.
Despite the situation, her face warmed. “There are worse ways to spend it.”
“Thank you for being here.”
“Your parents will arrive tomorrow midday. They’re worried about you. Hope you don’t mind but I’ve been sending them updates.”
“Of course.” He turned his head and groaned.
“You okay?”
“Dizzy every time I move my head. It takes a few seconds for my brain to process what I’m seeing or hearing. It’s like walking through mud, mentally.” His half-pained chuckle made her heart flop. “Now I have more sympathy for patients with head injuries.”
“Not that you needed any. You’re pretty compassionate.”
“Says who?”
“Says your initial Press-Ganey patient satisfaction scores.”
His face, still half ruddy from the cold exposure, creased in an uneven smile. “Are you ever not on the clock as an administrator?”
“Hmph.” She let go of his hand and held up a finger. “Hang on while I answer this text from your mother.” She paused, typed, and said out loud, “They’re all settled in for the evening at the hotel in Fairbanks.”
“Good.” He blinked and winced. “Say, can you dim the lights some more? It’s really bright.”
