One Night in New York

by Amy Ruttan

  “I won’t say a word.”

  “He doesn’t like it brought up. I admire him for not seeking favors or using his mother’s name to gain footing. He may be a bit of a lone wolf here but everything he gets, every advance, every surgery he earns on his own merit.”

  “He told me as much,” Mindy said.

  Only Mindy wasn’t sure that Sam quite believed that. His mother’s shadow loomed over him. Even if people didn’t know that Sam and Dr. Hanley were related, there was something holding him back, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

  Of course, there were things she didn’t want to admit either. There were things she wanted to remain locked away. Everyone had their secrets, but relationships didn’t work when there were secrets.

  Mindy stood up. “Thank you for understanding, Dr. Chang, and I appreciate your discretion.”

  “Thank you for your honesty, Dr. Walker. You know the hospital doesn’t frown on relationships between attendings?”

  “I’m afraid I do, and it’s for personal reasons.”

  Dr. Chang nodded. “I respect that.” She reached across the desk and Mindy shook her hand. She left Dr. Chang’s office but didn’t feel any better. She was glad that she didn’t have to have a say in the fellowship this time around and she was glad to get the truth out in the open with a colleague she admired. One who respected Sam as well, one who wouldn’t do any damage to his career. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and even though the stress of being discovered was gone, something still didn’t feel quite right because even though she wouldn’t date Sam, even though nothing could go any further, she wanted it to.

  Try as she may, Mindy had fallen in love with Sam and it made her sad that nothing could happen between them.

  Sam gritted his teeth as he made his way to the OR floor. He was on the pediatric floor when he saw that they were prepping Janie for surgery and then he got the page to head down to OR three. He’d managed to avoid his mother for two days, but now, with them prepping Janie, he knew she’d be paging him.

  When he got down there he was going to pass on the surgery. Even though it was Janie and he liked the family, he wasn’t going to work with his mother. He just didn’t have the patience to be in her presence today.

  When he got down to the surgical floor, his mother was already in the OR.

  Of course. Now I have to scrub in.

  It was one of her little tricks. She was avoiding him, ignoring his texts about wanting to talk about the upcoming surgery because she knew he was going to turn her down. It was a game his mother liked to play. It was immature and Sam hated it, but he was used to it.

  He entered the scrub room and glanced through the window into the OR to see his mother speaking to a few reporters, who were garbed and waiting anxiously for the surgery to start. At least poor Janie wasn’t lying there while all this nonsense was going on. It just seemed to be the surgical team prepping for surgery, while his mother and Langley spoke to the press.

  Great. Just what I need.

  Both the people responsible for breaking his father’s heart in the same OR and they wanted him to assist? Well, he would assist. He would just stand by and maybe suction the odd bleeder.

  He finished scrubbing and headed into the OR, staying back near the doors waiting until his mother saw that he was there, but instead of her coming over Langley headed over to him.

  “Why aren’t you gowned, Dr. Napier?”

  “I’m not planning on staying.”

  “Dr. Hanley requested your assistance.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” Sam snapped.

  “I would watch your tone with me. Now, go get gowned properly. The patient will be coming down soon.”

  He hated it when the man ordered him about like he was a child.

  Don’t let him get to you. That’s what he kept telling himself, but he was losing the battle fast.

  “I’m on Dr. Walker’s rotation and I would prefer to stay there.”

  “I’m sure Dr. Walker won’t mind you attending this surgery.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t, but I would prefer to sit out all the same.” Sam turned to leave, but Langley stepped in front of him.

  “You’re staying here.”

  White-hot rage bubbled up in Sam. He didn’t like the tone Langley was taking with him, as if he was a child. As if he was his father. Sam lost all rational thought at that moment and the dam burst.

  “You’re not my father! You may have slept with my mother when I was a child, but you don’t have any right to order me about and I won’t stand for hours in an OR with my mother.” Then he realized what he’d said out loud to Langley. He was the chief of surgery. The room had gone quiet and then he saw the gallery was full. It was full of his fellow residents, who had heard him shouting.

  Kimberlyn, who had come up to visit Enzo’s family, was in the gallery, in shock, and Holly’s mouth was hanging open pretty wide, and standing in the back row was Mindy. She looked heartbroken for him, she was pitying him. He didn’t want her pity. It tore out his heart.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know—”

  “What do you think you’re doing?” his mother shrieked. Professor Langley stepped back, still in shock himself at what had happened.

  “I don’t…” Sam didn’t know what to say, because right now, at this instant, his reputation was ruined. It was absolutely shattered.

  “You’re an ungrateful son. How dare you humiliate and attack the chief of surgery in my OR? How dare you turn down this opportunity from me? Do you know how many strings I had to pull to get you into this surgical program and to get you into the pediatric program with Dr. Chang? In case you weren’t aware, you’re not that extraordinary.”

  “No. I guess I’m not,” Sam shouted. “I never asked you to assist me. I didn’t want your help. I didn’t want to earn my accolades the way you did. Sleeping your way to the top.”

  “Get out of my OR,” she shouted.

  “With pleasure.”

  Sam marched through the scrub room, ripping off his surgical mask and scrubbing out quickly. Langley followed him out into the hallway.

  “Dr. Napier, wait!” It was Langley who had followed him out. He didn’t know why and he wasn’t too impressed that he had.

  Sam stopped and turned. “You’ll have to scrub in again.”

  “I am aware of that.”

  “What do you want?” Sam demanded.

  “What was that about?” Langley asked.

  “I think it’s obvious.”

  “Why did you apply for the surgical program here?” he asked. “You clearly loathe me.”

  “Because of Dr. Chang. I knew she was the best in pediatrics. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have touched West Manhattan Saints with a ten-foot pole.”

  Langley crossed his arms. “Because of me?”

  “Yes. You ruined my parents’ marriage.”

  The older man shook his head. “Your parents’ marriage was ruined long before I hit the scene.”

  “Why did you sleep with her?” Sam asked.

  “Should you really be prying into your mother’s private life like that? Isn’t that inappropriate?”

  “Tell me. Why did you sleep with her? Why did you break up a marriage? You could’ve had anyone, but you decided to pursue a married woman.”

  “I loved her.” There was sadness on Gareth Langley’s face. It was apparent that his mother had hurt more than his father, but at this moment Sam didn’t have any sympathy for Langley. He could’ve walked away.

  Mother could’ve walked away too.

  “So did my father,” Sam snapped. “So did a lot of men.”

  Langley winced at that statement, because he knew it to be true. “Yes, and I do regret what happened.”

  “That’s not good enough.”

  “She broke my heart too,” Langley said.

  “I don’t care. And in case it’s not clear for you, I’m tendering my resignation from the surgical program and
West Manhattan Saints.” He turned around and didn’t wait for the professor to say anything further.

  The word was out that Dr. Hanley was his mother, that she’d pulled strings to get him into the program. He hadn’t got where he was on his own merit. It had all been his mother, begging people to take him.

  Well, he could take a hint.

  He didn’t know exactly where he’d go. Perhaps back home to Scotland. He didn’t know, he just knew that his time at West Manhattan Saints was at an end.

  “Sam!”

  He whipped around and saw Mindy chasing after him. He didn’t want to see her, he didn’t want her to see him like this, and he didn’t need her pity. So he turned back around and kept on, but she caught up with him and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  “Sam, didn’t you hear me?”

  “Aye,” he said tersely, not looking her in the eye. “What do you want? Are you coming to shatter the rest of my tattered reputation by calling me by my first name in the halls?”

  Mindy let go of his arm. “Why are you angry with me?”

  “I don’t have time for this.”

  “You stood up to your mother. That’s a good thing.”

  Sam snorted. “Is it really?”

  “It is. Don’t listen to her. You’re an extraordinary surgeon in your own right. You deserve to be here.”

  “No. I don’t. I got here on her ticket. That much was made clear.”

  “You’re a fool to believe that!”

  “A fool?” He shook his head. “I’m done with this conversation. I have my locker to clean out.”

  Mindy blocked his escape route and stood in front of him. “What?”

  “I resigned.”

  “You did what?” she asked, shocked.

  “I quit.”

  Her brow furrowed. “That’s a foolish thing to do.”

  He snorted. “Look who’s talking.”

  Mindy’s eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “No, but I do know that running away from this is a coward’s way out. So everyone knows now that Dr. Hanley is your mother and slept with the chief. Who cares? It’s their problem. You’re a fine surgeon. You shouldn’t quit.”

  “Why not? You ran away from California when your husband cheated on you. I’m doing the same. I’m running away.”

  “I—I didn’t run.”

  He’d hurt her. It killed him, but it was for the best. Love was too hard and uncertain and he wanted nothing to do with it, even though he did. It was just that he had nothing to give her.

  Nothing, so it was best to cut the strings. Let her go.

  Besides, she’d made it clear she couldn’t give him anything and he didn’t want to end up with someone who would hurt him like his mother had hurt his father, or do the same to her.

  “You did. So I am. I don’t need any favors or forgiveness,” Sam snapped.

  “Well, you won’t be getting any forgiveness, if that’s what you want.” Mindy turned on her heel and marched in the other direction.

  Sam’s heart twisted and he hated himself for doing that, because he loved her even though he didn’t really know what love was himself. He just knew he’d fallen in love with Mindy, but there was no way he’d win her back now.

  It was for the best this way.

  Go after her.

  Only he didn’t chase after her, because he didn’t deserve her.

  He didn’t deserve any of this.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Three days later

  “Go AWAY! I don’t want to talk.” Sam was tired of the incessant knocking. Every one of his roommates had come by his door in the last three days to try and talk him into coming back because the cat was out of the bag. Even Kimberlyn and Enzo had dropped by to talk some sense into him.

  Everyone was interested in the fact that Dr. Hanley was his mother and that his mother and Langley had once been an item.

  All he wanted was to be left in peace to pack. He was going to head back home to Scotland, set up a family practice. He was licensed for that at least.

  That’s not what you wanted to do.

  No, it wasn’t the dream when he’d been becoming a doctor. He’d wanted to be a pediatric surgeon. He loved working with kids, saving their lives. That was his joy, but that was never going to happen.

  At least he would be an ocean apart from his mother and Mindy.

  His heart ached as he thought of Mindy again.

  Well, at least with him gone she could practice her medicine in a relatively peaceful environment.

  The knocking continued and Sam cursed under his breath. He set down the stack of books he was going through and crossed his small apartment, flinging open the door. He was expecting it to be Kimberlyn or Holly, since they were the most insistent door-knockers.

  “What do you want?” He was stunned to see Dr. Chang standing in the hallway, in street clothes. “Dr. Chang?”

  “I’m aware that you’re busy, Dr. Napier, but can I come in?”

  “Sure.” Sam stepped to the side and Dr. Chang walked into his apartment.

  “Nice place.”

  “Thanks.” Sam was still stunned. “Why are you here, Dr. Chang?”

  Dr. Chang set her purse down on his bed and then took a seat in one of the battered old leather wing chairs he had in his small makeshift sitting room.

  “This is a comfortable chair.” Then she crossed her arms and leaned back. “You’re heading back to Scotland, I hear?”

  “How did you hear that?”

  “Your father called me.”

  Now it was Sam’s turn to be stunned. “My dad called you?”

  “Yes, he and my husband were friends when he was married to your mother back in the mists of time.”

  Sam perched on the edge of the other wing chair. “I didn’t know that.”

  Dr. Chang shrugged. “Well, you do know that your mother and I were in the same resident program. Along with Chief Langley.”

  Sam grumbled under his breath. “I’d rather you not bring up his name.”

  “I know he did something horrible. He pursued a married woman and broke up a family, but he did love her and he thought she loved him too.”

  Sam snorted. “My mother doesn’t love anyone.”

  Dr. Chang smiled. “No, and Chief Langley found that out soon enough.”

  “I know my mother cheated on Langley, but I don’t have much sympathy for him. After all, he was just doing a favor for my mother by accepting me into the program. I don’t need his pity or her favors.”

  “You’re stubborn, like her.”

  “I’m nothing like her,” Sam snapped.

  “You are, in some ways. Look, your mother in her eccentric, egotistical way may think that she pulled strings to get you into this program, but it wasn’t Chief Langley who helped pick the interns for the program the year you entered. It was me.”

  “You?”

  Dr. Chang nodded. “Me. The board trusts me more than Langley when it comes to West Manhattan Saints’ surgical program. I’m the one who had the final say and what I saw in your application was high grades and glowing reference letters. There was no hesitation on my part to accept you into the surgical program. Despite what your mother says, you’re far from ordinary. She’s just too stubborn to see what a brilliant surgeon you are.”

  Sam didn’t know what to say. He was stunned. From the moment he’d decided to pursue a career in medicine he’d thrown his whole self into practicing medicine, while his mother had watched from afar and nitpicked over his skills.

  Perhaps she’d been worried that if Sam didn’t make it, it would somehow look bad on her, and by controlling his specialty she would be able to keep him under her thumb. Only he hadn’t chosen her specialty. So she’d gone about knocking his confidence, so that he would turn to neurosurgery and she would dazzle him with her surgical prowess.

  “I’ve made a right mess of things.”

  “In your word
s, aye, you have.”

  “I don’t think I can go back.”

  Dr. Chang’s eyes narrowed as she frowned. “You really have no choice. I don’t accept your resignation.”

  “You really don’t have a choice. The chief of surgery… Langley makes that call.”

  “No, you don’t have a choice.” Dr. Chang stood and stared him down, though she was much shorter than him. “I chose you when you were an intern, Sam. I’ve been grooming you.”

  Sam was stunned. “Pardon?”

  “I think you heard me. You have earned one of the fellowship spots. It was a no-brainer and since I really don’t want to go back to the drawing board you really have no choice.”

  “Did Mindy vote for me?”

  “No. She withdrew her consideration after she told me what had transpired between the two of you.”

  Sam was shocked. “She told you?”

  “She did and told me that what happened was unintentional. So even though she felt you were an extraordinary surgeon, she couldn’t rightfully vote for anyone. Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s vote for fellowship was based on Dr. Powers’s notes before she retired.”

  Sam was still stunned. Mindy knew that he didn’t like favors and she’d done the best thing she could for him and told her colleague that she’d slept with a resident. She’d put her own career and reputation in jeopardy, by telling Dr. Chang that their one-night stand had been just a coincidence.

  You’re an idiot.

  Sam sank back down in his wing chair and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’ve made a right bourach of this whole thing.”

  “I agree.”

  Sam glanced up at Dr. Chang. “I have to talk to Langley and my mother.”

  Dr. Chang nodded. “I would also talk to Dr. Walker, but I don’t think I have to tell you that.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “So you’ll be coming back to West Manhattan Saints?”

  Sam grinned. “Aye.”

  “Good.” She picked up her purse and went to leave, but turned. “Look, your mother does care for you in her own way. She never wanted to be a mother, but your father wanted you and kind of pressed his case. I’m sorry that your father was hurt and that you think that maybe a family doesn’t work if you’re a surgeon, but it can. As long as both parties are willing.”