by Cara Malone
“You’re up and at ‘em early,” Dr. Lily Thomas said as she came into Tyler’s room. She wasn’t talking about Tyler because he was finally sleeping after a night of discomfort, and Chloe smiled at her, chasing away the urge to yawn.
Dr. Lily Thomas was a pediatric attending physician Chloe had been working closely with over the last couple of weeks. She was one of the few doctors Chloe had encountered who wasn’t prickly, arrogant, or overly competitive, and Dr. Thomas liked to work with the medical students. She always took her time during rounds and let them be as hands-on as possible.
She also gave lectures at the university, which was how Chloe had been introduced to her. In her second year, Dr. Thomas had given a particularly poignant lecture about her own experience as a pediatric burn patient and the importance of taking chances but knowing when to ask for help.
“Already working before rounds begin,” she said. “That’s the kind of initiative I like to see in my department.”
“Dr. Barnes is incredible,” Tyler’s mom, Angie, chimed in. She was sitting in an armchair near her son and Chloe was standing on the opposite side of the bed, checking Tyler’s vital signs. Angie said, “She stayed with him all night.”
“Did she?” Dr. Thomas asked, shooting Chloe an impressed look.
“I had to work last night,” Angie said. “Dr. Barnes stayed with Tyler to make sure he didn’t wake up alone in the middle of the night.”
“And how did he do?” Dr. Thomas asked.
She pulled up Tyler’s chart on her tablet and scanned through the notes from the previous eight hours while Chloe filled her in. His tonsillectomy had been uneventful and aside from feeling a little sick while coming out of anesthesia, plus the expected soreness, he’d been a model patient.
“He was a little fitful,” Chloe said. “I adjusted his IV drip and got him popsicles when his throat was feeling particularly sore, and that seemed to do the trick.”
“We’ll see how he’s feeling when he wakes up,” Dr. Thomas said. “But everything looks good and he should be ready to go home this morning.”
“Great, thank you,” Angie said with a yawn that almost set Chloe off, too. “Thanks again, Dr. Barnes.”
“It was nothing,” Chloe said, then she grabbed her coffee cup and followed Dr. Thomas into the hallway before she could garner any further accolades.
Dr. Thomas led the way to the nurses’ station, where the other medical students were beginning to congregate for the morning rounds. While they walked, she told Chloe, “That was above and beyond the call of duty.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“For what?” Dr. Thomas asked. Chloe had been thinking of Dr. Stevens in the ER and how she would have reacted – probably with annoyance. Chloe shouldn’t have stayed in the hospital when she wasn’t on call because she hadn’t gotten much sleep and now she was tired. In the fast-paced ER, that could translate to delayed action, impaired judgment and mistakes. But Dr. Thomas surprised her and said, “I think it was a really nice gesture. Not all of our patients have adequate support systems and it was obvious how much it meant to Angie that you watched over Tyler.”
“Oh,” Chloe said. “Thanks.”
“Don’t let me catch you yawning today, though,” Dr. Thomas said with a smile.
Chloe was enjoying her rotation in pediatrics more than she’d expected to. She thought she would resent it just because everyone thought she’d end up there due to her bubbly personality, but she had to admit it was a lot better than running around like a lunatic with her heart pounding in her chest during the ER rotation.
Of course, Ivy might have had something to do with Chloe’s pulse rate on certain occasions.
She still didn’t feel like pediatrics was the specialty for her, but Chloe enjoyed her time in the department. She said goodbye to Tyler and his mom when they went home to recuperate, and she got to know quite a few more kids during the rotation.
She barely heard from Ivy in her first couple of weeks in pediatrics and their weekly study sessions were strictly professional. Ivy did tell Chloe that she was getting along well with the chief surgical resident, Dr. Isaac, and that she’d scrubbed in on a variety of surgeries. She was exactly where she wanted to be – in the hospital, working her tail off – and Chloe was becoming increasingly aware of the way that Megan and Alex’s relationship was evolving and intensifying. Alex almost never went home anymore, spending most nights at the apartment, and Megan made time in her schedule to be with Alex even though she had just as intense a case load as Ivy.
Even though neither of them would say it out loud, Chloe knew that her presence in the apartment made her a third wheel and as a result, she started spending more time at the gym in the evenings, trying to give Megan and Alex space. It had the added benefit of keeping her mind occupied and off of Ivy.
Chloe was on her way to the gym one night after work when she stopped by the apartment to grab her sneakers and heavy bag gloves, and when she walked in the door she found a romantic meal waiting on the dining table.
The lights were dimmed and the table was set with a neatly ironed tablecloth, a half-dozen taper candles burning as centerpieces. There was no one around but Chloe could smell something cooking, filling the whole apartment with a delicious aroma. Her stomach growled on instinct - she hadn’t eaten anything since the granola bar she’d scarfed that morning on the way to rounds – and then the oven timer started to go off.
The bathroom door flew open and Megan came rushing toward the kitchen, a towel wrapped around her. She was wearing a full face of makeup, a pretty uncommon sight, and when she saw Chloe on her way to the oven, Megan said, “Hey, Chlo - what are you doing here?”
“I live here,” Chloe pointed out, taking in all the little touches of ambiance that Megan had set up around the apartment. There were votive candles on the kitchen counter, the coffee table, and even the windowsills, and there were two place settings neatly arranged with cloth napkins. Chloe didn’t even know they had cloth napkins.
“I thought you were on call,” Megan said, pulling a casserole dish out of the oven.
“That’s tomorrow,” Chloe said as she spotted a bouquet of roses on the kitchen counter. “Megan, are you about to propose to Alex?”
Megan set the casserole on top of the stove and turned around. She was smiling from ear to ear and she didn’t need to say a thing.
“Shit,” Chloe said, grinning right back at her. “I have to get out of here. When’s she coming?”
Megan glanced at the stove clock and said, “About twenty minutes. Chloe, I’m sorry I mixed up your schedule – I don’t mean to kick you out of your own apartment.”
“Forget it, I’m happy to get lost for a reason like that,” Chloe said, her heart swelling with happiness for Megan and Alex. Suddenly she wished she could be a fly on the wall for their big moment – Chloe went into the kitchen and threw her arms around Megan. “I’m so excited for you two. How are you going to do it? It’s going to be a surprise, right? Can I see the ring now or do I have to wait ‘til it’s on Alex’s finger?”
Megan laughed and led Chloe over to the coffee maker on the kitchen counter.
“We bonded a lot over coffee when we first met,” Megan explained. “I’m going to pretend this is just an anniversary dinner and then afterward, I’m going to ask her to make a pot of coffee. That’s when she’ll find this.”
She demonstrated, revealing a diamond solitaire on a delicate white gold band that hung from a ribbon attached to the coffee maker’s lid.
“It’s beautiful,” Chloe said, hugging Megan again. “You have grown so much since I met you and I’m so proud of you. And I’m going to get out of your way now before I cry or Alex shows up and I ruin the romantic atmosphere with my presence.”
Megan laughed again, then carefully lowered the coffee maker lid and went back down the hall to keep getting ready. Chloe grabbed her gym bag and a couple textbooks, then poked her head into the bathroom on her way out.
“I’ll occupy myself at the library when I’m done working out,” she said. “Text me when it’s safe to come back.”
“I’ll text you when it’s time to come celebrate,” Megan corrected her.
“Good luck,” Chloe said with a wink. She headed down the street to the gym, feeling happy for Megan and knowing with certainty that Alex would say yes. She also knew that she couldn’t put off finding a new apartment any longer – Megan and Alex would never ask her to move out, but a newly engaged couple should have space and privacy to be madly in love with each other.
13
Ivy
The medical library was on the third floor of Lakeside Hospital, sandwiched between the cafeteria and a supply closet. Even with food nearby to lure people in, it was almost always empty except for the librarian, Brian. Ivy had made a point to introduce herself when she started her rotations last year and by now they had a rapport.
She swiped her ID badge and entered the library, which thanks to the proliferation of digital resources was nothing more than a small room with a few racks of medical journals lining the walls, a couple computer terminals in the center of the room, and Brian’s desk near the door. As Ivy made a beeline for her customary computer, he gave her a nod and said the same line he always did. “Ah, my most loyal patron. What’s on the menu today?”
“Thyroidectomy,” Ivy said, sitting down and putting her backpack on the chair beside her.
In all the time she’d been coming to the medical library, she’d rarely had to share it for more than a couple of minutes and she’d never seen anyone else from her program come here to study. The library was hers so she spread out and made herself comfortable, and Brian even bent the rules to let her bring food if she was going to stay a while.
“Check the Journal of Thyroid Disorders and Therapy,” Brian said. “There’s also Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine-Related Cancer, and Endocrine Journal.”
“Thanks,” Ivy said as she logged onto the computer.
Brian’s encyclopedic knowledge of medical journals was one of his best qualities and Ivy thought her fellow medical students were missing out on an important educational resource. She’d introduced Chloe to him last year and had been happy to learn that Chloe came to the medical library periodically as a result, but Ivy wouldn’t dream of sharing her secret weapon with anyone else.
“So are you on track to be the best medical student the surgery department has ever seen?” Brian asked.
He was always chatty, probably because most people who needed medical research made their requests via email and Brian didn’t get out of the library much. Ivy didn’t mind a little conversation but she liked it when her schedule allowed her to arrive at the library just as Brian was going home. They could talk a bit, Ivy could mine him for information about whatever topic she was researching, and then his shift would end and Ivy would get the library to herself for as long as she wanted. She spent a lot of evenings there because it beat the long walk back to her empty apartment, and she didn’t have access to the hospital databases there.
“That’s the goal,” she said now. “I need the best review possible from Dr. Isaac to preserve my high rank when it’s time to apply for my residency.”
“Suck up, but not too much,” Brian advised. “You have to hit that sweet spot where he knows you think he’s a surgery god, but your lips are not permanently affixed to his ass.”
“That just so happens to be my special talent,” Ivy said.
She turned toward the computer, giving Brian a subtle hint that they were done chatting for the time being, and he said, “And don’t forget to take a break once in a while. You’ll end up on the psych ward if you never take a day off.”
“You sound like Chloe,” Ivy said.
Then she started scanning through recent articles on thyroid cancers for a surgery that Dr. Isaac was going to let her scrub in on early next week. Brian tidied up his desk to go home and about ten minutes later, Ivy’s phone started buzzing in her pocket. Another nice thing about being the medical library’s only patron was that she didn’t have to step into the hallway to take calls.
She glanced at Brian, who seemed unperturbed, then answered, “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Chloe. Can you talk?”
“Yeah,” Ivy said. “What’s going on?”
“I was just wondering if you’d gotten another study buddy,” Chloe said. “I haven’t heard from you in almost a week.”
Chloe was right – ordinarily, Ivy would have scheduled their next study session at the end of the last one, but they had no current plans to get together.
“No,” Ivy said. “There’s no one else. I’ve just been busy.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Ever since they’d kissed, Ivy had begun dreading their study sessions. It had been hard enough sitting across the table from Chloe and her beautiful blue eyes for the last three years when they were only study partners. Now that Ivy thought about the honey flavor of Chloe’s lips every time she saw her, it was almost impossible to keep from diving across the café table to kiss her again, to say nothing of her ability to concentrate on her studies.
“Good,” Chloe said.
Ivy could practically see the smile on Chloe’s full, pink lips, and she almost asked whether she was in the hospital right now. Instead, Ivy asked, “So do you want to schedule our next study session?”
“No,” Chloe said. “Actually, I called for a different reason.”
“Which is?”
“I need help moving this weekend,” Chloe said – not what Ivy was expecting. Not even on the map.
“What?”
“I found a one-bedroom apartment and it’s only a couple minutes away from my current place, but I can’t move my furniture alone,” she said.
“Why can’t Megan help you?” Ivy asked.
“She let me borrow her car but she’s on call the day I’m moving,” Chloe said. “I figured if she’s on call, it means you probably aren’t.”
“Why are you moving?” Ivy asked. “We have less than a year left in medical school.”
“Megan and her girlfriend got engaged,” Chloe said.
“Wow,” Ivy said, a smile playing on her lips. Maybe now Megan would be too busy to give Ivy trouble during the rest of their surgical rotation. She wondered what it would mean for Megan’s ability to concentrate on studying for the medical licensing exam, but resisted the urge to make a snarky comment.
“I was thinking about giving them more space as it was, and that kind of settled it,” Chloe said. “I got a month-to-month lease so I can move for my residency if I have to. So what do you say, can you help me move?”
Ivy didn’t really want to help Chloe move. If she couldn’t trust herself in a public café with her, what hope would she have of resisting her urges when they were alone in Chloe’s new apartment?
“I’ll buy pizza and beer,” Chloe added when Ivy didn’t answer immediately. “Or whatever meal makes you want to do me this favor.”
“What day? Saturday?” Ivy asked reluctantly.
“Yeah,” Chloe said. “Whatever time works for you.”
“Okay,” Ivy said, letting her hesitance show in her voice. “Text me your address.”
“Ivy!” Chloe squealed. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you big time.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ivy said. She hung up and then stared at her phone for a minute, a little smile creeping onto her lips. Then Brian cleared his throat and she looked up. “You still here?”
“Was that Chloe?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in intrigue.
“Maybe,” Ivy said, rolling her eyes. “I thought you were leaving.”
Brian shrugged and picked up his lunch bag, then headed for the door. Ivy turned back to her research. It was definitely a sign that she was spending too much time in the hospital when even the librarian knew about the feelings she was trying so hard to suppress.
14
Chloe
>
Moving day came quickly and thanks to her pediatrics schedule, Chloe barely had time to pack. She spent Saturday morning walking through the apartment, collecting the little knickknacks and décor pieces that she’d set up to make it cozy – not something that Megan had cared about when Chloe first moved in.
It didn’t take much to make a room feel warm and inviting – a softly glowing candle here, a throw pillow there. As she gathered all of these things up so as to leave the apartment just as bare and utilitarian as she’d found it, Chloe wondered if Megan would be any more inclined to nest now that she had Alex to make a home with. She wondered if Alex would redecorate in her own style when she moved in.
After Chloe had packed up her décor and her belongings from the kitchen, she moved on to her closet, folding her clothes neatly and putting them in cardboard boxes for the move. They weren’t going far – Chloe’s new place was just one block over and two blocks up. In order to get a month-to-month lease on short notice, she’d had to compromise on the quality of the apartment. Where Megan’s apartment was modern and complete with amenities, Chloe’s new place was better described as eclectic. It was located above the neighborhood convenience store and hadn’t been renovated since the seventies, but it was clean and safe, and the store downstairs closed at nine every night.
She was just finishing with her closet when the door buzzer rang and her heart took a sudden leap into her throat. She’d been anticipating seeing Ivy ever since she called to ask for help and she wasn’t really sure what to expect. Would Ivy be all business, or could they maybe pick up where they’d left off in the call room?
Chloe knew it was a bad idea to continue pursuing Ivy after she’d made it clear she only had time for school, but she spent an awful lot of time thinking about the physical chemistry that they had. It would be hard to be alone with her all day and resist the urge to kiss her again.