“Katherine Lyons. I’m her daughter, Jane. How is she? Did the surgery go well?”
I smiled. “I can’t discuss the operation in depth. For now, just know that she is resting well. The doctor will be out shortly to—”
“Oh, Dr. Reynolds,” the woman called, looking over my shoulder.
I turned to see Dr. Reynolds moving toward us. He glanced at me briefly before his eyes moved to the other woman.
“How’s my mother?”
“Surgery went well. As I assume the nurse has—”
“Nurse Young,” I interjected.
He paused, looking to me with a wrinkle in his forehead, but I turned back to the woman in front of me.
“Nurse Young should’ve already told you that your mother is now resting. And as long as she sticks to the recovery plan, I recommend she should do just fine. Is there anything else?”
Even I was jarred by his curt manner.
“N-No. Um, can I see her?”
“No.”
“Not yet,” I quickly added, giving Dr. Reynolds a sideways look. “You mother needs to spend a little more time in recovery until she can be brought back to her room. It’s just a precaution we take with all our patients,” I added to smooth out the worry I saw beginning to form on the woman’s face. “It should only be another thirty minutes or so. Go have a cup of coffee in the cafeteria, and by the time you get back she should be ready for you.”
The woman pushed out a breath and looked between Dr. Reynolds and I before nodding and turning to head toward the elevators.
Folding my arms across my chest, I turned to Dr. Reynolds. “You could’ve been a little nicer. She was obviously concerned about her mother,” I immediately started, not knowing what was prompting me.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
He angled his head. “She didn’t need to be concerned. Her mother was in capable hands and it’s not the first time she’s been through a surgery.”
“But every surgery comes with risk, which you are well aware of, and likely, so is she.”
“Her mother’s fine unless there’s something you want to tell me that I don’t know.” He lifted an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest, and I couldn’t help but notice his muscles as they bunched and bulged.
“No,” I stubbornly responded.
“Great. Then Ms. Lyons is expected to be up and on her feet in no time. In the meantime, you should get back in the recovery room to chart her vitals.”
“Don’t tell me how to do my job.”
That retort stopped him in his tracks, and he turned to stare at me. He didn’t say anything, just gave me another up and down look before sauntering off down the hallway.
Now I knew why Katie and Rachel referred to him as Dr. Jackass.
****
“I’m on my way to the store,” I responded into the speakers of my Jeep Cherokee as I talked on the phone with my younger sister, Journey.
“Are you going swimming tonight?”
“Absolutely.” I pushed out a hard breath. It was a long day. Not only had I assisted in the surgery with Dr. Reynolds, but after that I was in another trauma surgery that took almost seven hours. The patient had been in a hit and run accident. I often went swimming at the gym I had a membership at after long days. My sister knew this.
“Aren’t you tired?”
