She knew the procedure inside and out. Dr. Hayes was going to be right next to her guiding her through the whole surgery, every step of the way.
Maybe that was part of the problem. She knew that despite his allowing her to operate, he was only doing so out of necessity. He had never trusted her, and probably still didn’t. But she was his ticket into the OR.
Without her as an excuse, he would probably just be seeing patients and viewing X rays, which he clearly did not want to do for a number of reasons. Mainly that Houston did not yet want to face the future and his possible inability to operate.
Staying at home day and night would leave him nothing but time to think about the future in all its grim possibilities,ranging from a teaching job to the lowest of the low for a surgeon—being a professional malpractice expert. Here at the hospital, he could pretend he was simply recuperating, assisting in surgery until he could take his rightful place front and center in the OR.
So Josie was stuck with the unpalatable position of getting to do what she had wanted to for three months, but for all the wrong reasons. Houston might be letting her operate, but not because he wanted to, and she was going to have to do a bang-up job to prove to him she belonged in orthopedics.
And to herself.
Because a nagging little voice in the back of her mind pointed out ruthlessly that she didn’t actually belong in surgery, but she ignored it. There was no sense in having doubts this late in the game. She had a promise to keep and a boatload of student loans to repay.
Taking a deep breath, she entered the pre-op room where Ruby Frenske was waiting to be wheeled into surgery. Josie liked the setup at Acadia Inlet Hospital. Each patient was pre-oped in their own room, sitting up in a comfortable easy chair that was then rolled on wheels directly to the OR.
It made the patients feel less panicky than a gurney would, and Ruby was reclined back in her chair, holding her husband’s hand and looking fairly relaxed.
“Good morning, Mrs. Frenske.” Josie had met Ruby several weeks earlier when she had been to Dr. Hayes’s office for pre-op testing.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were Houston’s office hours, where he saw his patients pre and post surgery. Josie had only had the opportunity to pop in two or three times but had really enjoyed the chance to interact with the patients.
She recalled that Mrs. Frenske had been in a great deal of pain and had been using a walker, even though at seventy she was still relatively young to need that level of assistance.
“Good morning. Dr. Adkins.” Ruby’s voice was a bit slurred from the medication she had been given to relax her.
“Are you all set, ready to go?”
“Yes, as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Do you have any last-minute questions?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, okay then. I’m going to get scrubbed up. Dr. Hayes and I will see you down the hall in a minute or two. The nurse will bring you on down.” She squeezed Ruby’s arm in reassurance. “When this is all over, you’ll be much better off, trust me. When you’re walking on your own, you’ll be glad you had the surgery.”
Ruby nodded, her eyes a little unfocused. “I hope so.”
“How are you, Mr. Frenske?” Josie noticed that Ruby’s husband looked worried as he sat next to her, clutching his wife’s hand.
“I’ve been better,” he said gruffly. “Hey, who’s doing the surgery with you, Dr. Adkins? Ruby and I saw on the news that Dr. Hayes got attacked by a shark.”
Josie fought the urge to wince. Oh, that would just thrill Houston. “I can’t believe they put Dr. Hayes on the news.” “Oh, yeah. Every time someone gets bit by a shark they stick it on the news. The bigger the bite the longer the coverage. They showed Dr. Hayes’s picture and said his name and everything.” He pushed up his glasses and added, “Seventh bite this year.”
Ruby made a sound of contempt. “Fred keeps count. Dr. Adkins. I think it’s just gruesome. Is Dr. Hayes all right?” “He’s fine.” Josie spoke forcefully. “In fact, he’ll be sitting in on the surgery, assisting. You’re his patient after all, and he wants to keep a close eye on you.”
Or on Josie. Depending on how you looked at it.
She smiled at the Frenskes. “And if I don’t get going, we’ll never get this show on the road. See you in a few minutes.” Nervous about how Houston would treat her, Josie studied him carefully when she entered the OR.
But Houston was Dr. Hayes. He acted the way he always had in the OR, and no one would ever suspect they had spent a passionate night together. Which totally depressed her.
Of course she couldn’t expect him to discuss their relationship with two nurses, a surgical assistant, and an anesthesiologist in the room with them. Or their lack of a relationship.
Nor did he appear to be suffering any emotional distress about his injury and the relinquishing of his usual position as head surgeon. Josie was starting to think that if recovery could be based on willpower and sheer stubbornness, Houston would be one hundred percent in no time.
A high stool had been brought in for him to sit on immediately to Josie’s right, so when she came in, scrubbed and ready to go, he was already sitting there.
“Running late. Dr. Adkins?” he asked, his face expressionless.