by Erin Wade
“How did you draw the straw to clean up the mess?” Shay asked as sterile gloves were pulled onto her hands.
“Dr. Brandt asked me to take care of it,” Laurie snorted. “I couldn’t say no.”
Shay agreed and followed the surgical team into the operating room.
##
An hour later the two surgeons were congratulating each other as they scrubbed again.
“She’s lucky she had you,” Shay noted. “I’m not sure any other surgeon would have noticed the slow bleeding of the splenic artery. Obviously it was nicked in the original surgery. I’m glad you spotted it first thing. If we had pulled out the sponge before you sutured the artery she would have bled out on the operating table.”
“I knew there was too much blood in the cavity for it to be the infection,” Laurie explained. “That’s why I immediately began looking for another source for the blood.”
“All I can say is, it was your patient’s lucky day to have you as her surgeon,” Shay reiterated. “I’m proud to be associated with you.”
Laurie tilted her head and shook loose her brown hair as she pulled off the surgical cap. “You want to grab a bite with me?”
“I’d love to,” Shay said, “but I must make my rounds. I have a patient that concerns me. Her wounds are healing nicely, but I’m not sure about her mental state. Rain check?”
Laurie chuckled. “Anytime.”
##
Shay hurried to her office, where she combed her hair and put on makeup. She traded her blue scrubs for a pair of black slacks and a white blouse. Her white doctor’s coat completed her look of professionalism. She was surprised to find that she was excited about seeing Katie Brandt.
Maudine hailed her as she walked past the nurses’ station. “Dr. Shay, I need your signature on this order.”
Shay frowned, wondering what order she’d given without signing it. “This is for Katie Brandt,” Shay gasped. “I didn’t authorize this.” She ran to room 601 with Maudine right on her heels.
“She’s gone, baby,” the nurse exclaimed. “They took her away about an hour ago.”
“Who authorized this?” Katie shook the paper clutched in her fist. “She’s my patient. No one else has a right to authorize treatment for her.”
“Dr. Brandt,” Maudine huffed. “Who else would meddle with your patients?”
“Where is he?”
Maudine scowled. “I have no idea. Do I look like the employee monitor in this place?”
Katie ran to her car and broke every speed limit she encountered on her way to Glencove Hospital. She skidded to a stop at the entrance and scurried into the building. Two orderlies were dragging Katie toward a door Shay knew would keep her from getting the woman out of the hellhole she was about to be confined to.
“Katie Brandt,” Shay screamed as she ran toward the three.
Katie began to struggle, digging her heels into the floor to keep the men from taking her any further into the bowels of Glencove.
Shay placed herself between Katie and the double doors leading into the darkest part of Glencove Hospital. “I’m Dr. Shay Copeland,” she said, showing the men her hospital ID. “There’s been a mistake. This patient wasn’t supposed to be sent here.”
The two men looked around trying to decide what to do. Shay carefully pulled Katie from their grips and eased her toward the exit. She didn’t look back as she tightened her hold on Katie’s arm, steered her toward the car, pushed her in, locked the door, and closed it.
The two men ran out the double doors as Shay sped away from the hospital.
Katie burst into tears. “I thought you did this to me,” she sobbed, shaking violently.
“No! No, I’d never put anyone in that place,” Shay sputtered, trying to find her voice. “It’s a disgrace to our profession.”
“David sent me there again, didn’t he?” Katie sobbed louder.
“I’m not certain what transpired,” Shay answered. “I went to check on you, and Maudine told me you’d been transferred there. I just knew I had to get to you before they admitted you.”
Katie caught Shay’s hand and held it tightly. “Thank you, Shay. You saved my life.”
Shay thought that was a little melodramatic but didn’t argue. She knew how awful Glencove Hospital was. Katie could be right.
“Where do you live?” Shay asked, realizing she knew very little about her patient and her life.
“I’ve been living in my home . . . um, David’s house.” Katie frowned. “Please don’t take me back there.”
“I won’t,” Shay promised as she tried to decide what to do with her traumatized patient. “I’ll take you to my home for now. We can find you an apartment or something when you feel up to it.”
“Thank you,” Katie whispered.
Chapter 5
“Your home is beautiful. I love Mediterranean. Do you live here alone?”
“Yes,” Shay said. “If you’re asking me if I’ve ever lived with anyone, the answer is no. I prefer my solitude.”
Katie shrugged.
“You must be exhausted,” Shay noted. “Would you like to lie down while I fix dinner for us?”
“I’d rather be in the kitchen with you,” Katie said. “I don’t really want to be alone right now.”
“That’s understandable. Right this way then. I’ll whip up some gourmet delight for you. Are you allergic to anything?”
“No, I can eat anything,” Katie replied, following the doctor into the kitchen.
True to her word, Shay had lemon-herb chicken, rice, and broccoli on the table in less than an hour. Katie admired Shay’s ease in the kitchen, watching as she heated two lemon halves in the skillet and then squeezed them over the broccoli.
“Why did you heat the lemons?” Katie asked.
Shay grinned. “It makes them juicier and easier to squeeze.”
##
“That was delicious,” Katie said as she finished the last bite of chicken. “You truly are an excellent cook.”
“Come, let me show you to your room.” Shay caught Katie’s hand and led her down a hallway.
“Will you be close by?” Katie asked.
“Right across from you.” Shay paused. “This is my room and across the hall from me is your room. We can sleep with the doors open if that makes you feel safer.”
“It would,” Katie said anxiously.
Shay led Katie into the guest room. “I’m going to sit here while you shower,” Shay informed her. “I don’t want you falling. Are you sturdy enough to shower without help?”
“I think so,” Katie hedged. “I see you have a seat in the shower. If I feel unstable, I’ll sit down.”
“I’ll be right here,” Shay said. “Your stitches are covered with waterproof bandages. You shouldn’t have any problems. Just call me if you need me”
As Katie showered, Shay answered text messages that had piled up on her cell phone. Some of the messages required follow-up communication, but for tonight she would concentrate on her patient.
“Ahem.” Katie cleared her throat as she entered the bedroom. “Do you have something I can sleep in?”
Shay’s mouth dropped open as she looked up at the dark-haired beauty standing before her wearing only a towel wrapped around her.
“Yes . . . yes,” Shay mumbled. “Of course. I’ll just run get you something. Don’t go away.”
Don’t go away? Shay thought. What a stupid thing to say. I’ve become a blithering idiot.
Shay found a soft T-shirt that would make a long nightshirt for Katie. Underwear and a pair of jeans with the cuffs rolled up would do for tomorrow. She shook her head as she studied her bras. No way would they fit Katie, who was much better endowed than Shay.
“This should work for tonight,” Shay said as she walked back to Katie’s bedroom. “I’ll need to throw the clothes you wore today into the washing machine. You’ll need some of them tomorrow.”
Katie’s eyes twinkled impishly. “You mean my bra?”
> “Yeah,” Shay mumbled, picking up the clothes Katie had dropped on the bathroom floor. “I’ll . . . uh, just throw these into the wash.”
“Shay?” Katie whispered. “Good night and . . . thank you. For everything.”
“You get some rest,” Shay advised. “We’ll try to sort out this mess in the morning.”
Across the street, a dark figure watched as the lights went out in Dr. Copeland’s home and wondered how long it would take to get Katie Brandt alone.
Chapter 6
The smell of fresh coffee and frying bacon teased Katie Brandt’s senses. She didn’t open her eyes. She wanted to lie still and savor the moment of normalcy in her life. Drifting in and out of sleep, she momentarily wondered where she was. Then she recalled Shay’s sweet smile as the doctor tucked her into bed the night before.
Katie reluctantly eased from the warm bed and looked around the room. Like the rest of Shay’s home, it was tastefully decorated, engulfing one in a warm, welcoming feeling.
Katie padded into the kitchen in her bare feet, stopping in the archway to watch her doctor dancing to the soft music coming from the overhead speakers. What a wonderful place to be, Katie thought.
Shay plated bacon and eggs as the toast popped from the toaster. She jumped when she turned and saw Katie standing in the archway. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Shay said, beaming at her guest. “I hope you rested well.”
“The best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.” Katie accepted the cup of coffee Shay held out to her.
“Your timing is perfect,” Shay pointed out as she carried their plates to the breakfast nook that overlooked a sparkling blue swimming pool. “I hope you like bacon and eggs.”
“My favorite meal of the day,” Katie replied honestly.
They made small talk until Shay steered the conversation toward a more serious subject. “Katie, tell me what is going on between you and your husband.”
Katie walked to the kitchen island and refilled their coffee cups, stalling for time to assemble her thoughts.
“David and I married while we were still in college,” she began. “He was a struggling medical student, and I was pretty good with computers. I wrote the program for an app. You know, one of those silly little word games one downloads from the App Store for $4.95. It became popular, and the income from it made it possible for us to complete school without worrying about tuition and rent or where we’d get our next meal.
“After college, both of us became very successful in our chosen fields. I followed my passion for computers, online games, and the internet, and David is now a highly regarded surgeon.
“It took me awhile to realize that every time I left town for a business meeting, David entertained his latest paramour in our home while I was gone.
“I returned home a day early from a meeting in California and discovered him in our bed with a nurse from the hospital. I was dumbfounded, then hurt and ultimately furious. I told him to get out and filed for divorce the next day.
“He begged my forgiveness, swore it was the first time anything like that had ever happened, and promised it would never happen again. I tried—I really did. But I never trusted him again and soon caught him with another woman.
“I told him I was filing for divorce, and we could split our real property right down the middle. We agreed neither of us would have any claim to the other’s intellectual property. I was in the middle of negotiations with a large tech firm for a security program I had written. David demanded half of the income from the program. I said no, of course, and we began a bitter battle over assets.”
Katie looked down at her hands that had started to shake. Shay reached across the table and wrapped her hands around Katie’s.
“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to,” Shay said softly. “I can see it’s upsetting you.”
“No, I want to tell someone the truth,” Katie said.
Shay nodded for her to continue.
“One evening, David asked me to have dinner with him. He said he wanted us to forget the lawyers we were making rich and work things out between us. I was tired of the wrangling back and forth and agreed to meet him. He was his old, charming self, and we had a delightful dinner, hammering out our differences and signing a handwritten agreement we planned to give our attorneys the next morning.
“David insisted on paying the check, and I visited the ladies’ room while he waited for his credit card. When I returned, he had ordered two glasses of my favorite wine and insisted we toast our agreement.
“The next thing I knew, I awoke in Glencove Hospital. I was strapped to a bed like an animal, and no one would talk to me. At first, I ranted and raved like a wild woman, demanding my release. Everyone ignored me, and no one would help me. I never saw a psychiatrist.
“Thank God for my sister, Beth. I had been in that hellhole for over a year when she returned from Africa. David told her I’d had a nervous breakdown and was committed to the psychiatric hospital.
“She tried for three weeks to visit me, and they kept finding excuses to keep her away from me. She showed up one day with a Texas Ranger, a friend of hers, and demanded they let her see me.”
Katie’s hands began to shake violently. Shay held them tighter. “That’s enough for now,” she whispered, trying to calm the agitated woman. “We can talk about this later when you’re feeling better.”
Katie nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks.
The doorbell rang, interrupting the dark thoughts of both women.
Chapter 7
Shay tapped her cell phone, checking to see who was at her front door. She wasn’t surprised by what she saw.
“It’s David,” Shay said.
A look of sheer terror crossed Katie’s face. “Please, Shay, don’t let him take me.”
“I won’t,” Shay promised as she placed their coffee cups in the dishwasher. “Why don’t you go to the bedroom and stay out of sight.”
Katie scurried away as Shay walked to the front door.
“Good morning to you, Dr. Brandt.” Shay pretended to be much happier than she was. “Is this a house call?”
David laughed. “Of sorts. I believe you have Katie.”
“Yes, I do,” Shay said. “I was about to have a cup of coffee. Come join me. Katie is still sleeping. I gave her a sedative. She was extremely agitated.
“Apparently there was a mix-up at our hospital yesterday,” Shay said casually as she pulled two cups from the cabinet. “Katie was whisked away to Glencove Hospital. Fortunately, I arrived before she was admitted. You know it takes an act of Congress to get someone out of that pigsty once they’re admitted.”
David settled his lanky frame in a chair at the breakfast table and took the cup of coffee Shay held out to him.
“Shay, I sent Katie to Glencove,” David said, frowning. “She was hallucinating. I felt it was best for everyone for her to get back to her psychiatrist.”
He inhaled deeply and then expelled the breath he was holding. “I don’t know where to start. I do know my wife is a very sick woman.”
“What makes you say that?” Shay asked.
David stared into his coffee for a long time, as if it would provide answers for him. “Katie is brilliant,” he began. “Not your run-of-the-mill genius, but a universe-bending genius. Her mind works in mysterious ways. Ways we can’t understand. Ways that are sometimes violent and dangerous—sometimes self-destructive.”
“I haven’t encountered that side of her,” Shay noted.
“You wouldn’t. She’s been sedated the past few days due to her imagined attack. As long as she’s sedated and on her meds, she’s fairly normal.
“Shay, I need to get her back into Glencove before she hurts someone or herself. She’s a self-mutilator.”
“She’s my patient, David.” Shay stood. “Please don’t interfere with my treatment of her. Once I release her, the two of you can work out your problems. But for now, I’m her physician, and I wouldn’t put a dead cat i
n Glencove.
“There are at least half a dozen psychiatric hospitals in the metroplex. Why in heaven’s name would you put her in Glencove? You know their reputation.”
David stood, pulling her into his arms. “Shay, I don’t want to get crossways with you. I also don’t want you hurt. Please be careful, and don’t hesitate to call me.”
He kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Shay Copeland. Please don’t forget that. I’ll see you at the hospital. Maybe we can have lunch together. Oh, and if she’s spending her nights here, I’d lock my bedroom door, if I were you.”
Shay walked him to the door, wondering how she had gotten caught in the middle of the Brandts’ fiasco.
##
Once David’s car disappeared down the hill, Shay knocked on Katie’s door. “Come in,” Katie called.
Shay stepped into the room leaving the door open. “He came by to check on you.”
Katie was propped against the headboard reading a book that had been on the nightstand. Shay couldn’t imagine the woman being dangerous to others or herself. Katie’s long, dark hair curled around her cheeks, framing the most beautiful face Shay had ever seen. Dark eyes looked up at her through long lashes. Katie’s lips were so pink and full that Shay could almost taste them. What the hell? she thought, pulling herself from under Katie’s spell.
“You need to go to the hospital with me,” Shay instructed. “I have to properly release you. Then we can find you an apartment.”
Katie stared at her. “He’s made you afraid of me, hasn’t he? Did he tell you I’m a danger to others and myself? That I devour small children for dinner?”
“He told me you were mind-bogglingly brilliant.” Shay couldn’t stop the smile that played on her lips.
Katie laughed out loud. “That part is true. Would you mind driving me by David’s so I can pick up my clothes?”
“I’d be happy to.” Shay grinned.
Chapter 8
They picked up Katie’s clothes on the way to the hospital. Shay called Maudine and asked her to have a room ready for Katie when they arrived.