Page 28 of Remedy: Love In Scrubs
Dr. Arrogant:All clear on the O.R. floor. Three surgeries down, two to go. You were right about staying put.
Me:I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?
Dr. Arrogant:Are you serious right now? You can literally just reread my text.
Me:I’m just saying… I may need to call you and hear your voice reiterating your text. My eyes may be playing tricks on me.
Dr. Arrogant:What the young kids say… Bye girl!
I laughed out loud and drew attention to a few of the people walking the halls. Aries had me so out of sorts, but it was what I needed—especially this morning.
Shaking my head, I laughed again, still caught off guard by how easily Aries could shift my mood. I tucked my phone back in my purse and headed toward my office, feeling lighter despite the chaos of the morning. I wasn't going to let Morton Chivy or his underhanded tactics ruin my day.
When I reached my office, Leslie was already at her desk, typing furiously.
"How bad is it?" I asked, pausing at her desk.
"Your inbox is flooded with press inquiries, the hospital administrator called three times, there's a stack of new cases on your desk that need immediate attention, Chivy's already making the rounds on local news." She didn't look up from her computer. "Oh, and your father called. He saw you on the news."
"Of course, he did," I replied, ignoring the former information. “I don’t have time for him right now. I’m sure he’ll continue to blow up my line until I answer. We need to tackle so much right now.”
“Tell me about it,” Leslie replied.
My immediate focus would be to respond to Chivy's complaint, which was every bit as ridiculous as I'd anticipated. He was trying to connect Aries' hip replacement to Simpson's ruptured gallbladder through some convoluted theory about "systemic inflammation" caused by "surgical negligence."
I was about to demolish this muthafucka!
By the time I sat down and logged into my computer, Leslie brought in a cup of coffee for me, and I dove into drafting my response. The motion to dismiss practically wrote itself—Chivy's arguments were so flimsy that I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
Three hours later, I had a twenty-page motion that would hopefully make this case disappear faster than Chivy's credibility. I was just putting the finishing touches on it when my phone rang.
"Skylar Wise."
"Ms. Wise, this is Morton Chivy. I think we should discuss a settlement."
I nearly choked on my coffee. The balls on this man. "Mr. Chivy, you just filed your complaint this morning. What makes you think I'm interested in settling anything?"
"Well, given the media attention this case is receiving, I thought your client might prefer to handle this quietly. I'm prepared to accept a reasonable offer."
"Let me be crystal clear about something. We will not be settling. See you in court… if you make it past my motion to dismiss. Good day.”
Dr: Arrogant:Can I leave the O.R. floor yet?
Me:I’m surprised you’re asking for permission.
The text from Aries, after wanting to jump through the phone and smack Chivy, was very much welcomed. The fact that he was asking for permission for something had me turned on like all get out. The fact that he was such a controlled man, but seemed to freely release control to me did not go unnoticed.
Dr. Arrogant:I don't know, Counselor. You seemed pretty firm about me staying put. I wouldn't want to upset you.
I bit my lip, trying to ignore the way my body responded to his deference. What was it about this man's willingness to yield to me that drove me wild? I'd spent most of my adult life fighting to be taken seriously, to have my authority respected—especially by men like Aries who were used to being in charge. And now that I had it, the power was intoxicating.
Me:All surgeries complete?
Dr. Arrogant:Just finished the last one. All successful, in case you were wondering.
Me:You can leave the O.R. floor. But use the service elevator and come to my office. I don’t want you to get caught by any lingering press.
Dr. Arrogant:Yes, ma'am. I have to wrap up some post op notes, and then I’ll be right there. Tell me, though… do I get to go home with you too?
