Lakeside Hospital Box Set

by Cara Malone

  “Great,” Dr. Marsh said. “I’ll make sure you get your fill of Nashville barbeque while you’re here, too. Maybe someday we can poach you away from Lakeside.”

  “Fat chance,” Lily teased. “But I appreciate the chance to see the lab – I’m so excited.”

  “Believe me, so are we,” Dr. Marsh said, speaking on behalf of his team. “This technology is going to change the way we treat burn patients.”

  Lily hung up the phone feeling optimistic and frustrated at the same time. Dr. Marsh had been joking about poaching her ever since he read about her success in pediatric wound debridement, and she had to admit that the generous budget Vanderbilt offered its hospital was tempting. She’d been explaining the benefits of Graft 3D to Dr. Ross for almost six months but she hadn’t managed to get him to look past the $5 million price tag.

  But Lakeside was her home, and her heart was most certainly here.

  The uglier side of Lily’s first trimester was beginning to rear its head by the end of the week and she had spent her days in a state of perpetual, low-grade nausea. It was through sheer force of will that she made it through rounds every morning and saw to her patients without letting it get the best of her.

  Chloe and the rest of the girls had been just as ecstatic to find out about her pregnancy as Lily’s family was, but they all agreed that until she was a little further along, it would be wise to keep her condition quiet at work. Things were still tenuous, and Lily found herself making a lot of bargains with the baby.

  I know you’re still just a cluster of cells, but it’s just you and me and we’re going to have to work together. If you could not reject the oatmeal I ate this morning, I’d really appreciate it.

  Some days it worked, and others were more challenging.

  Friday was one of those challenging days, and Lily finally admitted defeat about ten minutes after the morning rounds. She put Chloe in charge of the interns and headed down to the hospital cafeteria to find something that would settle her stomach.

  Scrambled eggs. Greasy sausage. Dense biscuits. All of it was great if you happened to be recovering from a hangover, but not if you were struggling through morning sickness or trying to eat healthy for any other reason.

  Lily was just poking through a bowl of fresh fruit, thinking that a banana would probably go down fine, when she heard a familiar voice behind her and smiled.

  “Hey there, Dr. Thomas,” Mercedes said. When Lily turned around, Mercedes frowned and said, “You’re looking a little green, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

  “No, it’s true,” Lily said. “I’m a little under the weather this morning.”

  She peeled the banana and took a bite, waiting to see how it would go. The woman at the cash register gave her a dirty look for eating before she paid and Lily thought, Calm down, Agnes. How long have you known me? The banana went down okay and her stomach felt a bit better, so she relaxed a little and looked at Mercedes.

  She was smiling, a glimmer in her eyes. “Better?”

  “Yeah,” Lily said.

  “You should get a bag of pretzels to keep in your lab coat pocket,” Mercedes said. “’Morning sickness’ is just a phrase – it can occur any time of the day.” Lily gave her a startled look, so Mercedes lowered her voice and added, “Sorry, is it a secret?”

  Lily shook her head – not exactly a secret – and stuttered a little as she said, “I just- I didn’t know that you knew.”

  “I’m an obstetrician,” Mercedes said. “I always know. Come on, I’ll buy your banana before the cashier calls security.”

  She grabbed a bag of pretzels off a rack near the register, as well as a breakfast sandwich for herself, then she and Lily did the customary back-and-forth of deciding who should pay.

  “I’ll buy my own food,” Lily said. “But I appreciate the offer.”

  “Too late,” Mercedes said, shoving a ten-dollar bill into Agnes’ hand before Lily had a chance to take out her wallet. She gave Lily a triumphant look and said, “I already paid.”

  “Thank you,” Lily said as she stuffed the pretzels into her pocket and they headed out of the cafeteria. They paused in the hallway while Mercedes unwrapped her sandwich.

  “I’m going this way,” she said, hooking her thumb down the hall in the opposite direction of the elevators that were Lily’s destination. “I have to stop by the medical library before my shift. I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay,” Lily said. Mercedes got a few paces up the hall before she called, “Hey,” and Mercedes turned around with a grin, like she knew Lily wouldn’t let her just walk away. “Umm, when did you know?”

  Was it before or after you started flirting with me?

  “Well, I gotta say, I was suspicious of that orange juice on the first day,” Mercedes said with a wink. “No self-respecting doctor passes up free coffee unless there’s a good reason.”

  5

  Mercedes

  That night, Lily was waiting at the elevator when Mercedes was on her way out of the hospital. She gave her a wave and asked, “Did the pretzels help?”

  “Yeah,” Lily said. “Thanks. Hopefully the morning sickness doesn’t last long because I can’t afford to slow down around here.” The elevator door slid open and she asked, “Are you going down?” Her cheeks turned that lovely rose color as she noticed the connotations of her words and Mercedes admired her embarrassment. Then Lily said, “Umm, going downstairs, I mean. Is your shift over?”

  “It is,” Mercedes said, stepping aside and letting Lily enter the elevator first.

  When the doors closed behind them, Mercedes reached across Lily for the elevator buttons and asked Lily what level of the underground parking garage she was on. As she pressed the number Lily told her, her hand coming in close proximity to Lily’s body, she heard the faint sound of her breath catching in her throat. It had been a long time since she’d had this strong of an effect on a woman, and she wondered how far she could push it.

  She turned to face Lily, bucking the elevator etiquette that said everyone should face forward and keep their eyes on the smooth steel doors. Her eyes flitted down to Lily’s ringless hand, then said, “Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but you’re having a baby?”

  The unspoken question was, How did that happen? It couldn’t possibly have been an accident if the dreamy way Lily looked at Mercedes every time their eyes met was any indication of her dating preferences. Was she bisexual? Was there a long-term boyfriend waiting at home for her while she had fun flirting with the new doctor on staff?

  The idea struck Mercedes as tragic – for her.

  “Yes, I am,” Lily said, sounding a little defensive.

  Mercedes didn’t blame her – the question had been rude. There was just no good way to ask why a woman would give her seduce me eyes every time they met if she had a partner – tragic boyfriend or otherwise.

  Luckily, Lily guessed at Mercedes’ confusion and took pity on her. She explained, “I always wanted to have a family and it didn’t happen in the old-fashioned way – partner first, then baby – so I did it my way instead.”

  Ah. That made sense, but it only brought up more questions, like who wouldn’t want this beautiful, intelligent woman? Mercedes did, if only for a diversion while she was in town, and she’d only just met Lily.

  “I’m sorry, it’s really none of my business,” Mercedes said.

  “It’s really not,” Lily said, giving her a challenging smile.

  She didn’t seem angry, but Mercedes decided it was best not to push her luck. “Well, if you need an obstetrician, I happen to know someone very good.”

  Lily snorted and said, “I do, but no thanks.”

  Mercedes feigned offense, then changed the subject. “So I heard you take a call from Dr. Marsh this morning – would that be Alexander Marsh at Vanderbilt?”

  Lily gave her another challenging look and Mercedes made a zipper motion across her mouth.

  “I’m sorry, I’m being so nosy,” she said. “I was
just trying to make conversation – I didn’t mean to pry.”

  Lily smirked. “I think you did mean to pry.”

  Mercedes studied Lily’s expression – still more curious than irritated – and decided to push her luck after all. The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile and she said, “I didn’t, but I am curious. You’re interesting to me, Dr. Thomas.”

  “Am I?” Lily asked, and Mercedes was rewarded with another blush so deep it spanned the bridge of Lily’s nose. “How do you know Dr. Marsh?”

  “He was a visiting professor for a semester when I was studying at Stanford,” Mercedes explained. “His work with burn patients is seminal. Not exactly my field, but still inspiring.”

  “He really is,” Lily said. “Right now, his team is gearing up to be the first in the country to use 3D-printed, live skin grafts to reduce the risk of rejection in burn patients. He offered to let me tour his facilities because I’ve been wanting to bring that technology to Lakeside, but Dr. Ross is never going to go for it. Not that I have a lot of time for high-profile projects right now.”

  Lily put her hand on her stomach, although it was still perfectly flat at this stage in her pregnancy.

  “Maybe you can apply for a grant,” Mercedes said as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the lowest parking level. Mercedes stepped aside and let Lily pass first again, and Lily gave her an incredulous look – Mercedes guessed it meant, Why are you trying so hard?

  Because I’m a sap for beautiful women in white lab coats, and because you’re the perfect diversion from my mother, she thought as she stepped out of the elevator behind her.

  “I’m over there,” Lily said, gesturing up the long row of cars.

  “I’m actually one level up,” Mercedes said with a smile, and when Lily opened her mouth to ask why she hadn’t stopped the elevator earlier, she added, “I couldn’t leave a pregnant woman to walk through a dangerous parking garage alone.”

  “I can fend for myself,” Lily said, “and there’s nothing dangerous about this parking garage.”

  “Okay, fine,” Mercedes said. “I just wanted to spend a little extra time with you.”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” Lily asked.

  “Do I need a reason?” Mercedes asked in return, but Lily’s words had been underlined with suspicion so she went ahead and gave one. “Professional interest – you said you don’t have an obstetrician yet, so I take it as a professional duty to look after you and your pretzel inventory. Besides, like I said – I find you interesting and I don’t really have any friends here to keep me occupied.”

  “Well, I can change that,” Lily said and Mercedes arched an eyebrow in surprise. “My friend, Chloe, is a world-class matchmaker. I’m sure her services would extend to companionship if you’re interested.”

  “What if we cut out the middle man and I take you out to dinner sometime?” Mercedes asked, taking her shot. That was not professional, but given all the flirtatious banter she and Lily had exchanged over the past week, they were halfway to having written a rom-com.

  Lily looked down at her flat stomach and said apologetically, “Look, Mercedes, this past week has been fun, but I’m not in a position to be dating right now.”

  “That’s why I didn’t ask you out for drinks,” Mercedes laughed. “Just a meal – between colleagues, if you prefer.”

  “I don’t know,” Lily hedged. She nodded at a deep blue sedan two spots ahead on the right and said, “That’s my car. I should go.”

  “Okay,” Mercedes said with a frown. Had she read Lily all wrong? “Well, I’m going to keep flirting with you if that’s okay. Watching you blush is just too much fun.” Lily laughed and did it again, so Mercedes grinned and added, “Yeah, just like that.”

  “Okay,” Lily said. She looked up through her lashes at Mercedes – be still, my heart! – and said, “Well, I’m not working this weekend so I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Have a good weekend,” Mercedes said.

  Lily got into her car and Mercedes started hiking up the gentle incline of the parking garage to the next level. That hadn’t gone well, but it hadn’t been a disaster, either. There was just something about Lily Thomas that was irresistible, and they both knew she had Mercedes on her hook – at least for the next six months.

  6

  Lily

  One Saturday night in early August, Lily put on her favorite little black dress – something that she’d soon have to retire to her closet for a while as her baby bump became more pronounced. She met her friends at a vineyard on the edge of town, finding her way through a fancy indoor restaurant and out to an expansive patio that looked over a sloping field of grape vines.

  Her friends were all circled around a large fire pit, keeping warm as the nights began to cool down at the end of the summer.

  Chloe was sitting on a wrought-iron bench with Ivy’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she stood up to wave Lily over when she spotted her. Lily’s other friends, Krys and Darcy, and Megan and Alex, were cuddled up together around the fire. Alex’s work friend, Sarah, sat beside an empty chair reserved for Lily.

  They were the only two single women remaining in the group, and Chloe had already tried her darnedest to hook them up during Megan and Alex’s wedding.

  “Hi, everyone,” Lily said as Chloe hugged her and commented on the size of her belly.

  “You’re glowing already,” she said and Lily smiled.

  “I don’t think that happens until later,” she said. “I’m only nine weeks pregnant. Anyway, sorry I’m late – I never thought I’d say it, but I’m happy to report that I had to struggle to zip up this dress.”

  Chloe let her sit and she said hello to Sarah, then Megan picked up one of a pair of cheese platters sitting on a side table near her and passed it around the circle to Lily.

  “Chloe’s right – you are glowing,” she said. “You didn’t miss anything, though. We’ve just been talking shop, as usual. Ivy’s regaling us with her ruthless drive to be chief surgical resident.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “You’re one to talk – you want to be chief pathology resident just as badly.”

  “You’re right,” Megan said, then she pulled Alex off the arm of her chair where she was perched and into her lap. She gave her waist an affectionate squeeze and said, “But at least I have my priorities right.”

  “Oh yeah,” Lily said. “You two are house hunting. How’s that going?”

  Alex laughed. “It would be going a lot better if a certain someone would shorten her wish list. We’ve found a lot of good houses but none that meet all of Megan’s requirements.”

  “Is it a crime to wait until the perfect one comes along?” Megan asked, nuzzling affectionately against Alex.

  “How are you still in the honeymoon stage?” Ivy teased. “It’s nauseating.”

  Megan shot her a smile, and then Krys changed the subject, asking Lily, “So, what’s it like being an expectant mom? I feel like we’ve barely had the time to talk since you told us about it.”

  “It’s been hectic,” Lily agreed.

  Between work, making plans to visit Nashville and see the Graph 3D machine before she got too far along, and her mother acting like they needed to be completely prepared for the baby as soon as possible, Lily had barely had time to catch her breath in the last couple of weeks.

  And then there was Mercedes – she’d been true to her word, flirting just as hard as if Lily hadn’t rejected her in the parking garage, and bumping into her had quickly become the highlight of Lily’s work day.

  “Are you feeling better yet?” Sarah asked. “Chloe mentioned you were having morning sickness.”

  “A little bit, yeah,” Lily said. She laughed and added, “Mercedes got me a whole case of pocket-sized pretzel packs to carry with me after I told her they were helping.”

  “Aww,” Chloe cooed. “And how is that going?”

  “It’s not,” Lily said sternly. “She’s nice, but it would never work.”
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br />   “How do you know?” Chloe persisted.

  Lily gave her a look – a we’ve been down this road before look. “Well, for one thing, I think it would be awkward to start dating someone when I’ve got a baby on the way. For another, she’s going back to Seattle in December. Besides, I put in my time on the dating circuit and I’m done trying.”

  Chloe gave her a disappointed look. “Cynic.”

  “Realist,” Lily corrected.

  “You’re such a matchmaker,” Alex said. “I think you missed your true calling, Chloe.”

  “I am pretty good at it,” she said, nodding to Krys and Darcy, who she’d encouraged at the beginning of their relationship last year. Then she gave her own girlfriend, Ivy, a long kiss.

  “Get a room,” Megan said, tossing a small piece of cheese at Chloe. Ivy leaned forward and deftly caught it in her mouth, giving Megan a challenging look.

  Lily picked at the crackers and sliced apples on the plate in front of her, mindful of the soft cheeses that were on her list of banned foods for seven more months. Krys started telling everyone about the new workflows Darcy was instituting to improve the free clinic where they both worked and Lily relaxed into her chair. It was dark, the fire was warm and the breeze was cool, and there was a string quartet inside the building whose music floated periodically outside whenever someone came through the doors.

  These seven women had quickly become Lily’s second family, and even though they were pretty much all coupled up, they were all she needed to be content – she didn’t need the temporary companionship of Mercedes Stone, who would just break her heart when she went home four months from now.

  No matter the circumstances, that was what always happened – Lily fell for a woman, and sooner or later, she got her heart broken.

  She put her hand on her belly, trying to feel the baby’s movement. It was too soon for that, but Lily had let go a few joyful tears in her new obstetrician’s office when she heard the heartbeat for the first time the previous week.