Page 44 of Hearts on the Table
It didn’t matter that something in my gut told me I could trust her. That feeling had let me down before, as had Katie. It was a vicious reminder of just why I didn’tdothis anymore. Any of it.
Chapter 16
Sam
“Guess I’m going to tell Carmichael the bad news.” Cooper sighed, banging his fist lightly against an OSHA flyer hanging on the wall. They were everywhere on the executive level. He looked like he wanted to rip it down. “You want to come with? You can soften the blow, at least.”
“Can’t. I have the…thing.”
Lainey had been avoiding me. I wasn’t sure why, but ever since Jas’s scare a few days ago, I’d only seen her once for rounds. That wasn’t uncommon, but I missed how she’d recently found random excuses to seek me out. I knew she was busy, and I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, except her texts had dried up, too.
Something had spooked her. I figured spending the afternoon with a woman who’d stolen her almost-fiancé was probably enough to do the trick, even if she hadn’t seemed too weirded out when I’d made it down there. Whatever it was, I felt like she was running scared. I wasn’t sure yet if it would be better to let her work it out on her own or push the issue by cornering her in a broom closet.
Every time I pulled out my phone to start a text, I remembered I was sort of her boss. Then I remembered her “no dating co-workers” policy. The last time she’d been serious with someone, it had crashed and burned so badly she’d self-isolated for years. Inevitably, I re-pocketed my phone.
“God. Good fucking luck. I can’t be in that room for one more minute.”
I glanced back down the hall at the conference room where a handful of the physician executives were still milling around, waiting for the next meeting. “It’s not their fault.”
Cooper snorted, jabbing the button for the elevator. “They’re just rolling over and taking it. What’s the point of a quality board if they’re just going to steamroll everyone?”
“Isn’t that exactly the point of a board?”
“Not in my OR.” Cooper jabbed again. “Too risky.That woman will die without that surgery. Mark my fuckin’ words.”
Mrs. Harkness would likely die from her condition since the board had decided the LVAD was “too risky” for Cooper to undertake, not to mention the procedure was still considered fairly experimental. Implanting a mechanical pump into the patients left ventricle was not an everyday event. The board was only interested in nearly guaranteed successes.
In other words, they’d rather shove Mrs. Harkness out the doors with an apology than have her perish on our watch, even if the LVAD was her only hope.
It was a blow for everyone, including Cooper and Lainey, who’d been preparing for the surgery for weeks, but also for the rest of the department. This wasn’t the first time in the last few months the board had voted down a procedure, but they’d never gone against their golden boy Cooper’s recommendations. Now? No one was safe.
The elevator doors opened.
“Dr. Cooper. Dr. Reese. Great to see you again.” Nathan McDaniels stepped out. I hated him and his stupid face on a good day, but today…? Fuck him.
Still, I had responsibilities to uphold. Promises to keep. I offered my hand. “Dr. McDaniels.”
I didn’t have it in me to ask about the commute or lie and tell him it was good to see him again. Not after that clusterfuck of a meeting. The only salvageable thing that had come out of it was the green light on my ablation. That, at least, might make up for Lainey losing out on yet another surgery.
“I’m glad to be here. Can’t wait to learn more about your organization. My wife raves about it already. She mentioned seeing you down there recently.”
I jerked a nod to Cooper, who slumped, brooding in the elevator, and led McDaniels back down the hall to the conference room I’d just vacated.
“Just wrapped up another meeting. Let me see if everyone’s ready.” I nodded to the meeting room door, waving McDaniels into a plastic chair situated along the hallway wall.
“Oh. I was under the impression the first round interviews were just one-on-one.”
“We work by committee.” That, at least, the board hadn’t been able to dictate. Thank God for the HR department.
“Take your time. I know I’m a little early.” He eased into the chair, straightening his tie. I had to fight a sneer.Stupid face.
???
“You were supposed to go home hours ago.”
“Stop. Touching. Me,” Lainey gritted, slapping my hand away from where it hovered an inch from her back. I didn’t bother to correct her. My day had started with that meeting from hell, continued with her ex, who insisted on a tour of the floor, and ended with two patients coding. Exhaustion dragged through every cell of my body. I wanted nothing more than to go home and fall asleep in my shower. Lainey had different plans.
I'd found her after I overheard LeeAnn, the nurse in charge of the floor tonight, warning the interns to stay away from Carmichael. “She’s on a tear,” she’d said.
