When we get to Dani’s room on the antenatal floor, she has company—Garrett’s cousin’s wife, Kerry, who is a midwife.
She lights up when she sees me. “Have you talked to Garrett yet?”
Confused, I shake my head. “No. Why?”
She mimes zipping her lips. “His story to tell.” Then she gives Dr. Schmidt a friendly smile. “Dani says she was in good hands earlier.”
He glances my way, his expression amused. “She really was. Dr. Minelli, why don’t you explain your thought process? And then we’ll discuss next steps.”
I step forward and slide right through all the relevant details. I go over why I think Dani’s an exception to the standard protocol, and what the risks and potential benefits might be. Kerry asks pointed questions, because as a midwife her model of care is based on more comprehensive informed choice, a step beyond the informed consent standard in medicine. By the time I see a patient, there’s usually one clear path, and we take it as efficiently as possible to get the safest, best outcomes possible.
But on this quiet Christmas Day, as snow pelts at the window, with a patient who is like a big sister to me, who is a medical professional herself, it’s special to be able to not just give the highlights and my evidence-based medical opinion about the obvious path to take.
Dani and Kerry ask pointed questions about the procedure, and they talk out what a lower-intervention path might be.
I know this isn’t what it would be like to practicemedicine here all the time. There’s nothing routine about this moment.
But when we finally decide that yes, we’ll go ahead tomorrow with an examination and a probable cerclage, for exceptional reasons, I’m filled with a curious lightness.
Chapter 27
Garrett
I text Rory when I get to the hospital, but she doesn’t reply immediately, so I pay for parking and head inside.
I run into Owen’s wife, Kerry, at the elevators.
“Garrett!” She gives me a hug. “Nice to see you twice in one day. I just left Dani. She’s in good hands with Rory and Aiden.”
“Aiden?”
“Aiden Schmidt. Head of obstetrics here. Happened to be on call today.”
I nod, but a weird tension coils at the base of my neck. “Are they still busy with Dani?”
“I don’t think so. You can head up and collect your girl.” She waves good night as she heads for the door. “See you tomorrow!”
Right. Cousin lunch at the diner.
The elevator doors are slow to close, and the button takes forever to light up even after I press it twice.
Time silently ticks by in pulse-thudding seconds. The car creaks to life and starts to rise.
Rory and Aiden.
It’s completely irrational, I know that, but even before the elevator doors open, I know I’m going to be jealous of this guy who Rory chose to spend Christmas Day with, because she’s so fucking desperate to prove that she doesn’t hate her job.
Why the fuck did I say that to her?
With everything else that’s happened today, I’d shoved the mental replay of our fight this morning to the back of my mind, but it all comes raging back when I turn the corner and see Rory with her elbows on the nurse’s station outside Dani’s room, a tall silver-haired man in scrubs and a white lab coat leaning over her.
Both of them laughing.
I don’t hate my job. You shouldn’t have said that.
No fucking shit. I sent her running right back to it.
And as I stride toward them, it gets even worse.
