Secret Love (The 4Ever Series Book 2)

by Isabella White

  Holly held her breath.

  “We have found a partner willing to help out financially with our expenses, which will enable us to keep Downsend open. In fact, we are going to expand. New equipment will start arriving within the next couple of days. We’ll be back on track in no time at all.”

  Not a sound was made, because everyone simply stared at him. Holly, on the other hand, didn’t know if she should cheer. Her heart was pounding. Had she heard him correctly? She’d been dead sure that the only place she was going was home, going so far as to tell her mother of how big of a possibility that was.

  Now that Downsend would remain operational, it meant that she would be staying, and it once again meant that she’d have to continue to keep herself invisible from the Peterses for another seven months. A part of her wanted to cry. It was all too tiring and stressful. How could one be both happy and sad at the same time?

  So deep in thought was she, she missed all the cheering. When it died down, Dr. Downsend continued. “I’m happy to announce that our new partner is only a fifteen-mile drive from us.”

  Holly’s eyes grew as she shrank down in her chair. Please, don’t say it. Please… please… please!

  “I’m talking about P&E, namely, the Peters.”

  Cheers broke out once more. And all Holly could do was drop her head into her hands. She was jinxed, she had to be. This was her worst nightmare come true. Part of her wanted to quit right there and then. And horror of horrors, the voice she heard next sent chills down her spine.

  “When we heard that Downsend was in a serious predicament—” Mara’s voice reverberated around the room. Holly could only look through her fingers, but kept her body hidden. “—we knew there was absolutely no way we could, or would, let Downsend die. We are honored that we are in a position to help out, and before you know it, Downsend will be one of the best hospitals in the world, right alongside P&E.”

  Applause broke out, as Mara mentioned the salary increases attendings would receive for their loyalty. Holly felt like she was in a parallel universe, wishing that whatever was happening would end. An awful feeling twisted her gut. The memories of that not-so-long-ago day, the one on which Mara screamed at her that Jake didn’t want the baby… Where others saw this beautiful saint, Holly saw that day. The woman was a monster.

  She really didn’t want to run into Jake, but Mara… she couldn’t ever bear to be in that woman’s presence as long as she lived.

  “We won’t be personally involved with Downsend, per se, but some of our doctors will do consultation work now and then.”

  Sighing with relief, Holly felt more at ease. Still, she would do anything to be able to crawl out of the room unnoticed, and go hide out on the stairs until her next shift. As soon as the meeting concluded, she was practically the first one to exit, head down, hot-footing it out of there. So desperate was her haste to escape, she ended up on the stairs faster than it actually took to get there, thanking the good Lord above she hadn’t bumped into either Mara or Gus.

  Dialing her mother’s number, she sat down. On hearing Jane’s voice, words spewed out of her mouth so fast, Jane couldn’t get a hold on what she was saying.

  “Holly, calm down. What is going on?”

  “The Peters… they’ve just become Downsend’s partners! Mom?”

  “Calm down. Take a deep breath. Whatever happens, happens, sweetheart. Don’t get yourself into a state of distress.”

  “It’s not that easy, Mom. What if—”

  Jane cut her off immediately. “What-ifs do not exist, Holly. You know that. All you can do is take each day as it comes. What you must not do is start losing your head with all of this. You worry about things that may not even happen. They are partners, that’s it. Just seven more months, then you’re back home.”

  Holly blew air out through tight lips. “Fine! How is Jamie?”

  “She’s perfect, sweetheart. Just dropped her off at school.”

  “I really don’t want to be here anymore, Mom.”

  “You have no choice. You need to finish, Holly. You can’t give up. If you do, you’re letting them win. Don’t let them win.”

  Holly sighed. “You’re probably right. Besides, what else am I going to do?”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “Speak to you later?”

  “Of course. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom. Big hugs.” Swiping her finger across the screen, she disconnected the call, then switched her phone off.

  OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, SPIRITS ran high. Tanya was down with the fact that she wasn’t going to go to P&E after all. Holly just wished she would fuck off.

  “That little freak-out of yours a couple of weeks ago was totally unnecessary,” Tanya snapped.

  “Bite me,” Holly snapped back, running up the stairs to the second level. In the elevator, she wanted to break down and cry, as she’d just heard that Ty had been readmitted. When she saw him from the doorway to his room, her heart dropped. He looked gaunt and weak, and looked close to weighing nothing—he looked like he was on the verge of dying.

  Ollie didn’t look that well, either. He had a haggard expression on his face. And Mavis, Ty’s mom, was clearly devastated; her red-rimmed eyes were proof of that. This was not a good sign, Holly knew that.

  When Ollie stepped out, she couldn’t help but ask, “It didn’t work?”

  “It hasn’t shrunk even a tiny bit.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ollie.”

  “I can’t give them any more hope, Holly. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Just remember what you told me when I was stressing the other day: something will come up.”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said, sounding defeated, then walked away.

  Taking a deep breath, Holly stepped into the room. Teresse was talking to them softly, so as not to wake Ty. He was sleeping—he didn’t look like the boy she’d seen a couple of months back. He resembled a skeleton.

  Holly closed her eyes. She could do it, she could get the files to Jake, save Ty’s life, and do it without letting him know where she was, or how close. As soon as Matthews left, she ‘borrowed’ the files, rushed to the photocopy room, and made copies of everything she could. She couldn’t copy the CT scans, though. Taking one of the latest ones, she placed it in a large envelope. Tonight, she was going to give everything to Rod, then beg him to give it to Jake.

  **********

  During dinner, Holly took out Ty’s file. They were having pasta sitting at the kitchen table at home. “I have something important I need to ask you. I need a favor,” she whispered.

  His eyes were still trained on the file in her hand. “What is that?”

  “It’s a patient’s records, Rod. His name is Ty.”

  “Holly, you do know that what you’re doing is against hospital policy, right? And HIPPAA, for that matter. You could get fired.”

  “I know, but please. I’ll take full responsibility if it comes to that. He can’t die, Rod. He shouldn’t die.”

  Rod’s expression was one of worry. Then he sighed. Reaching his arm out, he said, “Fine, give it here.”

  Holly slid the envelope toward him.

  The scan was what he looked at first. His eyes grew wide at what he was seeing. “How old is the patient?”

  “Sixteen.”

  Rod’s head snapped up. “Sixteen!”

  “Sad, isn’t it? That’s why I need you to help him. Give it to Jake. Ty’s parents have tried everything to get a consultation with him, but his waiting list runs for months, if not a year as is. He can’t die, Rod. He hasn’t even experienced what it’s like to be with a girl.”

  Rod’s head lowered to the scan again. “Holly, this is one mother of a tumor. This kid is living on borrowed time. And you’re right. Jake’s schedule is packed to capacity.”

  “Just show it to him, please.” She wanted to cry. That was one of her weaknesses—she got too close to her patients. But he was only sixteen. “Oliver is giving up on Ty. Rod. Th
is is his last chance. I’m begging you.”

  “Holly…” He sighed.

  “Don’t ‘Holly’ me.”

  “You get too close.”

  “There is no such thing as too close when it comes to kids. Please, all I’m asking is for you to show him the file, and the decision will be his alone to make.”

  “Okay, but I don’t think he will—”

  “Give it to him. It’s all I’m asking.”

  “And what do I tell him when he asks me where I got it, Holly? It’s not just your ass on the line, it’s mine, too.”

  She hadn’t thought about that. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. Ty couldn’t die, and if Rod knew the kid like she did, he would’ve agreed.

  “You owe me… big. You hear?”

  Jumping up, she flung her arms around Rod’s neck. “Thank you! And you got it, whatever you want.”

  Holly struggled to sleep. What if Ty died during the night? Rod had said he was on borrowed time. Her efforts would be for nothing.

  *******

  Work only started at five the next afternoon. Holly was off for the day, working a new schedule. Since the Peters had come on board, she had been on different shifts.

  Ty had gotten worse. Her thoughts constantly plagued her, with Rod foremost in her mind. Had he given Jake the file? Giving the file to him was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. But in the grand scheme of things, Ollie’s refusal to get anywhere near Ty’s tumor was unacceptable. As for Jake, he’d proven over and over again that he wasn’t the least bit scared to take on the hardest cases. At least, that was what Rod had shared with her, anyway. It was because of this that he’d gotten the nickname, TBG—short for the brain god.

  Ty’s tumor was a ticking time bomb, which scared the living daylights out of her every time she put her foot in the pediatric ward. All she expected to hear was that Ty had passed on. Two days inched by, excruciatingly slow, but nothing happened.

  As the elevator doors started opening, she put on her bee antennae. Nurses and doctors alike wore them; they lit up the children’s faces. They wore something different every day.

  Taking a deep breath, Holly stepped out and looked around. No tears were evident on the nurses’ faces, which was always a good sign. She would work late into the night, which made her long for her off day tomorrow.

  When she neared reception, she directed her eyes toward Ty’s room. She saw the light was on, and that Teresse was still in there, hugging Mavis.

  “What happened?” she asked the person at reception, without even noticing whom it was she was speaking to.

  “We don’t know, yet.”

  She blew out a breath. Ty was still alive, or else Dennis—one of the male night nurses—wouldn’t have looked so calm.

  Ollie, who must have been elsewhere in Ty’s room, walked out, a hard expression on his face, one Holly had never seen before. He looked pissed off.

  “Oliver, what is going on?”

  He closed his eyes, and his nostrils flared. It looked like if he could scream, he would’ve. “Jake Peters is taking over Ty’s case.”

  “What!” Holly choked out, a tad too loud. “Sorry,” she apologized immediately.

  “They think it’s the best news ever. He’s going to kill Ty. That tumor is inoperable.”

  Teresse joined them before Holly could form a reply, placing her hand on Ollie’s shoulder. “Oliver, I know how you feel about him, but he is willing to operate. You are not.”

  “Teresse… he is going to kill Ty. I’ve been around my share of tumors, and I’ve never seen one that big on a kid.”

  “I know. But, so has he. If he is willing to help, let him help. In fact, no one should stand in his way,” she said. “You’ve tried everything, and nothing has worked. Now let him try.”

  Oliver’s jaw muscles clenched. “Fine. But I’d love to know how he got Ty’s file in the first place.”

  Holly’s stomach muscles tightened with guilt. She looked away, hoping nobody noticed her discomfort.

  “No one gave it to him, okay? If that is what you are thinking. They were on the list for a consultation, and I’m sure someone from his office asked the Bensons for the scans.”

  He tsked. “Whatever, Teresse. But don’t come crying to me when that boy doesn’t make it.”

  “He probably won’t, although I pray I’m wrong. So, you know what? It doesn’t matter anymore. Just leave before I lose my temper.”

  Oliver grunted and walked away.

  “Is he really that naive, or that insecure?”

  Teresse shook her head. “Ollie was a resident when Jake started his internship. He was the one who was due to scrub in with Dr. Huyo, but Jake got pushed into that surgery at the last minute. I’m sure I don’t have to elaborate any further?”

  “Nope, got it,” Holly said. “He’s really coming here?”

  “Tomorrow. Mavis told me he cleared his entire schedule to spend the day here.”

  Holly jumped for joy internally—she’d be off tomorrow. She knew that somehow, fate was on her side again. “That’s awesome news, Teresse.”

  Teresse’s smile disappeared. “Can I have a word, Holly?”

  “Sure, am I in trouble?”

  “It depends,” she said. Holly followed her into an empty room. Teresse sat on the edge of the bed. She looked dead tired herself. “I lied to Ollie about the files.”

  Holly froze. “But… Mavis said he called out of the blue, and announced that he would be operating. That he already had everything.”

  Teresse looked at Holly, and feeling uncomfortable, she looked away.

  “Please, tell me you had nothing to do with this.”

  Holly’s body language said it all. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t ignore it. He’s sixteen years old, Teresse. I know someone who works with Jake on almost every tumor patient he operates on, so I made copies and gave them to him along with the latest scan, and begged him to pass it on to Jake.”

  Teresse closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sure Jake is well aware that the means in which he got the information is against hospital policy. Make sure you get that scan back, Holly.”

  She nodded. “I will.”

  Teresse got up. “Don’t ever do anything like that again.”

  All Holly could do was nod. Hospital policies were stupid. What she did, wrong as it may have been, could save Ty’s life—and she would do it again if she had to.

  Five minutes later, she saw some nurses rushing Ellie into another room. The five-year-old was going to break Holly’s heart. Connie looked tired. She couldn’t imagine what this woman must be going through, seeing her little girl fighting a disease no one at her age should be fighting.

  Teresse took care of Ellie alone, indicating she didn’t need Holly’s help. She couldn’t believe Matthews was that upset about Tyler’s file.

  Later that evening, Holly made a fresh pot of coffee, grabbed herself a cup, and took it down to ER. She stayed there, helping with minor emergencies for a few hours, then found herself a bed. When she woke, it was ten to six. Jumping out of bed, she hurried to the locker rooms and sorted herself out as quickly as possible. She had to get her ass out of there before Jake arrived.

  Settling into Rev’s car, she sat back and exhaled. No Jake, thank heavens. Once home, she took a long bath, after which she texted Rod, thanking him for what he had done.

  He wanted to know where I got it.

  And?

  I told him to not ask.

  He left it there?

  Yes. Strange, but said the exact same thing you did. That kid hadn’t experienced sex.

  Holly smiled. At least he still had a heart.

  I owe you big.

  That you do.

  Midmorning, she took a jog through the park, which was just what she’d needed. But from there on, her day off flew by. She caught up on all her favorite shows then went to bed early.

  The following day, she was eager to find out what was going to happen.
Waltzing into the pediatrics ward wearing her mouse ears, she smiled at Aggie and Sue, the day nurses.

  “Annnd, what is the verdict? When are they going to operate?” She totally forgot to greet them.

  “Hello to you, too, baby. Coffee first,” Aggie said and gestured with a nod at the empty coffee pot. Holly went to prepared her famous cup of joe the nurses and doctors had come to love.

  Just as Aggie was about to speak, Teresse cut her off, taking Holly away for the morning rounds. They went to see Ellie first. Ellie was now completely bald from the chemotherapy. She’d lost a considerable amount of weight, which weighed heavily on Holly’s heart. Five-year-olds were supposed to be chubby, not stick-thin. Holly hated seeing Ellie in such a fragile state. Every time she stepped into Ellie’s room, Jamie’s face flashed through her mind and Holly’s heart broke a tiny bit. One of the other doctors updated Dr. Matthews on all her symptoms and the treatment she was receiving.

  They visited a few more patients until they reached Ty’s room. He looked tired. His eyes were closed. When they entered, Ty opened his eyes and smiled at Holly. She winked as one of the doctors gave Ty’s prognosis. They moved on to other patients, but as soon the rounds were done, she headed back to Ty’s room.

  “We got amazing news,” Mavis said to Holly.

  “I heard. I’m so happy for you, Mavis. When is Dr. Peters going to operate?” It was the news she had been waiting for all morning.

  “Later, Scallanger,” Matthews cut in. Teresse pulled her out of Ty’s room, put money into her hand, and sent her to the cafeteria. “I need a breakfast sandwich.”

  Irritated, Holly snapped, “I’m your errand girl now?”

  “You are my intern. Interns do as they’re told.” Teresse smiled, shoving her toward the elevator. Damn it. Was she ever going to hear what Ty’s fate was going to be? Teresse was paying her back for what she had done, even though she knew how close to her heart Ty was.