Strictly Business

by Lisa Eugene

  She loved making a real difference, loved knowing that she was able to change someone’s life for the better. She’d spent many summers as a teenager working in her father’s office, watching him chase away the miseries of his indigent patients.

  She’d grown to respect her father for the type of physician he was. He mended the poor and the uninsured and also the well-to-do. He was a physician who espoused the indelible values of medicine and she wanted to make as difference as he did.

  “What a jerk!” Sally spat. “Dr. Reynolds always acts as though we’re all beneath him. His face always looks like his drawers are too tight! Jerk!”

  “Yeah, he gives me the creeps. Unfortunately that jerk will be one of the doctors deciding my future in a few weeks.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re a shoe-in. You’ve worked hard.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “That guy’s all spit and polish. No substance. Money’s all he cares about. I heard that he just bought two new luxury cars and a new house on the shore,” Sally informed, still staring after him.

  “Wow, I guess his practice is doing better than I thought. Humm…maybe a new car and house wouldn’t be so bad.” Nina rubbed her chin in mock contemplation and laughed when Sally playfully smacked her head, as if trying to dislodge any notion of joining Dr. Reynolds.

  “I would never do it,” she assured her.

  “Good.” Sally’s face fattened with a wide grin. “So where were we?”

  “Home,” Nina announced, glad to have arrived at the front door of her four-story brownstone. “Really, I’m just worried about the promotion, that’s all,” she promised and was inwardly relieved when Sally seemed to be placated.

  “Okay…but you’re not getting off that easily. We’ll talk about this another time. I know you’re hiding something.”

  Nina waved and disappeared, ignoring the suspicious scowl on her friend’s face. She decided not to wait for the claustrophobically tiny elevator in her building and jogged up the four flights to her one-bedroom apartment. Once bundled under her thick down comforter she slept fitfully, fantasies of hot fervent kisses and delicious caresses of sensitive flesh bumped around in her dreams until she awoke sweating and frustrated.

  Two days later Nina sat in the nurse’s station hunched over a chart. She was finishing up some left over notes from the night shift when Dr. Tanno walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  She turned and smiled into his kind face. His bushy white eyebrows were drawn together on his forehead and familiar laugh lines creased his face. Dr. Tanno was one of her senior attending and the emergency room’s medical director. He’d been her mentor during her residency and they’d developed a true fondness for each other. He was a few years younger than her father, and she found him equally endearing.

  “Don’t you need to get out of here?” He looked at his watch.

  “Yeah.” Nina shrugged. “I just have a few more notes to write and then I have to stitch up Mr. Evans in room three when the nurse is done with him.”

  “Just finish up the notes. I’ll stitch up Mr. Evans.”

  “No, no. You don’t have to do that,” she protested.

  “No problem. I’m free. Have fun at lunch. Say hi to Beth and Robert for me.”

  Nina watched Dr. Tanno walk away and smiled. He had such a good heart. He was always willing to assist the junior doctors any way he could. She made a mental note to have him and his wife over for dinner again sometime soon. Married for over thirty years, the couple seemed just as loving and devoted as newlyweds. She sighed. That was the kind of relationship she wished someday for herself.

  She looked up as Sally strode towards her, her bag slung over her shoulder. Her wrinkled white scrubs were a testament to her harried night. “Wanna grab some grub on the way home?”

  “Oh, I can’t today.” Nina flipped the chart closed. “I’m having lunch with my parents.”

  “Ouch.”

  Nina laughed. Her mother had called her the day before to ‘request the company of her only heir to lunch’. Which as Beth put it, was the least Nina could do since Beth had labored with her for thirty-six hours straight without the aid of anesthesia, alcohol or drugs. Nina rolled her eyes as her mother’s shrill voice pecked at her brain.

  She focused on Sally. “Dad has to see the eye doctor for a new prescription. It should be a quick lunch.” Nina chewed her lip. “Besides, we’ll be in a public place so they should be…tame. Wanna come?” she asked hopefully.

  Sally wrinkled her nose and laughed.

  “Thanks, but I have a date with a washer and dryer. And I don’t think the word tame and your parents belong in the same sentence.”

  Nina smirked knowingly. Sally was considered part of the family. Nina wasn’t quite sure if she found that a blessing or a curse, but Sally was very easy going and seemed to fit in with her eccentric parents.

  “You’re still here?” Nina turned to see Dr. Charles walking towards them. He was one of the radiologists from the MRI department who frequently worked the night shift with her.

  “Good work last night Henley,” His handsome face smiled down at her.

  “Thanks,” she replied, blushing at the praise.

  “You need a ride home?” He asked Nina.

  “No, we’re good.” Sally said, winking secretly at Nina.

  “Alright, see you later.”

  Nina waved as the doctor walked away. She turned to her friend who was grinning slyly down at her.

  “What?” Nina asked, irritated by her friend’s lengthy silence.

  “He is so hot for you girl!”

  “What? No way.”

  “There’s only one ride that man wants to give you.”

  Nina’s eyes grew round at her friends words. “You’re impossible!”

  Sally shot her a teasing wink and scooted away. “Enjoy lunch! Give your parents my best.”

  Nina shook her head good-naturedly. Sally was playing cupid again. Dr. Charles was a good friend and a respected colleague. Nothing more. One look at him certainly didn’t cause a lustful combustion of her hormones. Not like—stop!

  Nina focused her thoughts and pulled another chart from the pile in front of her. She was just about to open it when Sally’s urgent voice rang in her ears.

  “Nina! Get over here!”

  Nina shot up from her chair, adrenaline already starting to pump through her veins as she anticipated a medical emergency. She rounded the corner and almost bumped into Sally as she stood staring wide-eyed at the twenty-seven inch television that hung from the ceiling in the corner of the waiting room.

  “It’s him!” Sally exhaled.

  “Him who?” Nina asked quizzically. Her rapid pulse started to ebb as she realized there wasn’t an emergency, but soon came to a sudden halt as she followed Sally’s gaze to the television screen.

  There was no mistaking the square jaw or the handsome contours of the face now displayed in close up views to fill every inch of the color screen. The dark blue suit seemed to highlight the vibrant shade in his eyes and they twinkled as a soft laugh rumbled from his throat. Nina swallowed hard as she realized that the man on TV was her sexy patient from two nights before, the one who had been slipping into her dreams ever since then to do delicious things to her. Damn him!

  Wade was seated comfortably on a plush couch across from Marie Deluse from the popular morning show On The Move With Marie. Marie had obviously just said something flattering that coaxed a sexy chuckle across his lips. He seemed to be evading her question, and she sat poised at the end of her plush sofa with her winged eyebrows raised in expectation. Nina watched as Marie waved a perfectly manicured hand in the air, then brought it to rest on Wade’s arm. The makeshift tie-sling had been replaced by a sturdy over the shoulder immobilizer.

  She watched silently as Sally dove for the remote control on a nearby couch and impatiently pumped up the volume.

  “So Mr. Connolly…” Marie was saying, batting her lo
ng fanning lashes. “I’m sure most of the single women in this city are wondering how one of their most eligible bachelors managed to get himself injured.” she cooed seductively.

  Wade’s lips curved up into an enigmatic smile, and his eyebrows darted high in amusement.

  “Well, then!” Marie exclaimed. “Shall we just say that your situation was a delicate one.”

  Wade smiled slowly, his silence hanging heavily in the air. He was obviously playing the game Marie had invited him to join.

  “Or maybe not so delicate!” Marie turned to the camera. “Isn’t that your motto Wade, ‘work hard, play hard’?” She whistled suggestively as shots of the live audience, composed almost entirely of women, flashed on the television. Nina watched as women clapped and laughed, covering their mouths coyly at the innuendo. Meanwhile their wide eyes begged for more. They were enthralled with what was happening on stage and seemed mesmerized by Wade’s charismatic appeal.

  She stared in disbelief. Annoyance prickled her skin as she watched the screen. What was she talking about? She knew from Wade’s medical interview that he’d fallen off a ladder and sustained the injury to his arm, now he was leading the entire television audience to believe that he’d been injured in some sexual escapade. She inwardly explored several colorful names for him as her irritation grew. She could only guess at the size of his ego and was more annoyed at the women around him who seemed to nurture its growth.

  “Well, we wish you a speedy recovery. Healing well?” Marie asked.

  “Yes, thanks to some expert medical attention.” His voice was deep and intimate and Nina almost swooned as she swore his eyes penetrated the television set to bore directly into hers.

  Horrified, she looked to Sally who hooted and clapped at his statement. Sally turned to study her closely and she refused to meet the perceptive gaze. Her thoughts were riveted back to the screen when his tone grew serious.

  “The organization that my firm is sponsoring this season is called Food on Foot.” Wade was saying to Marie. Her face had taken on a pensive expression as he explained the details of the organization, but her eyes devoured him.

  She turned to the camera. “For those of you just tuning in we have Wade Connolly who is a partner in the very prestigious downtown firm Bennett, Stein and Connolly. Their latest charity is Food on Foot.” She gave the phone number to make donations to the charity then turned her inquisitive eyes back to Wade. “Mr. Connolly how long have you been with the firm?”

  “Five years.”

  Marie narrowed her eyes and leaned in close to him.

  “Can you tell us a little about the big case you’re currently working on?”

  Wade’s back straightened as he answered her; a barely perceptible look of surprise crossed his face before he resumed his dazzling smile.

  “Now, Marie,” he said smoothly. “Can’t divulge all my secrets, can I?”

  “As long as you promise to give me the exclusive!”

  “Of course.”

  “And just for the viewers who haven’t seen you on this show before tell us a little about your firm.”

  “Well,” Wade started evenly, his baritone purring through the television speaker and down the length of Nina’s back, “we’re a law firm dealing mostly with medical malpractice and fraud. We specialize in personal injury cases. We weed out those medical professionals who fail to uphold their commitment to our community to provide good, safe, conscientious health care. We make sure that the patient receives justice when malpractice is committed.”

  Nina felt the color drain from her face and she had to clutch the arm of an adjacent couch. Oh my God… She sat down, afraid that her legs would no longer support her. They wobbled like cooked spaghetti. She kept hearing Wade’s voice echo in her head. Medical malpractice! Personal injury! Fraud! Weed out?

  Medical malpractice lawyers were not well received in her profession. In fact, some of her colleagues despised them. Nina never harbored feelings one way or another, but she was aware of the derogatory terms they were sometimes known by. ‘Ambulance chasers’ and ‘bottom feeders’ were among the numerous aspersions she’d hear cast about daily by her colleagues.

  Could she be in serious professional jeopardy? Could her frenzied groping of him be considered personal injury? It was clearly misconduct, but…She took in a deep breath as she felt Sally’s eyes bore into her.

  Wade pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and dragged it across his forehead. The intensity of the bright lights hanging from the ceiling was scorching his skin and blinding his eyes. Cameras were pointed at him from all different directions and a constant buzz from the equipment was giving him a headache.

  He couldn’t see the studio audience as they exploded with applause or issued unified moans. It was as though they were one loud deafening voice. He was thrilled when Marie thanked him for being on her show and brought their segment to an end.

  A tall gangly girl who he recognized as the production assistant came running towards him during the commercial break. She spoke quickly into the headset dangling from her ear as she led him off stage, clutching an electronic note pad to her chest. She abandoned him backstage in a plain dressing room, and he was grateful for the sudden quiet. One of the producers showed up a moment later, thanked him for his appearance, and invited him to a crew lunch at a nearby hotel. Wade declined the invitation, checking his watch. He had a business lunch across town in forty minutes that he couldn’t miss.

  Walking out of the studio, Wade made a mental note to give his partners Andrew Bennett and Joel Stein a piece of his mind. They’d pulled rank and dubbed him the front man for the firm. He didn’t deny that these television appearances gave the firm valuable publicity and helped to bolster their reputation as a respectable practice, but having the spotlight on his personal life was often annoying.

  Each legal case they undertook was thoroughly investigated and handled with integrity. In fact, they turned down cases after deeming them to be without merit.

  He truly liked making a difference in someone’s life. What he didn’t like was the way Marie always diverted the topic of conversation to his love life. She was a very clever lady who had her sights set on moving up in the world.

  Wade had promised to go on the show to discuss the charities, not how he’d hurt his arm. He’d told Marie before the show even started how he’d gotten injured. What was he supposed to say when she obviously wanted a juicier answer? He figured saying nothing was best and instead it had landed him in a dubious situation.

  He shook his head and smiled crookedly. Never put anything past Marie. He should have stuck to the topic of his charities. He and his partners were proud of the various charities they sponsored. They not only wanted to help individuals, but contribute to the community as a whole, though his driving force was much more personal. His Aunt Bev had been a selfless individual who’d not just given to her family, but anyone around her in need.

  He felt a stab of remorse when the memory of his Aunt Bev surfaced in his mind. She’d been his surrogate mom. His parents were both environmentalist. They’d done a good deal of traveling when he was a child, and was always consumed with one cause after another.

  His school semesters were spent with nannies and his summers, his favorite time of the year, were spent with Aunt Bev and Uncle Tim on their crop farm in Virginia. One summer, Aunt Bev had taken ill and sought treatment from her long time local family doctor. He’d misdiagnosed her. She died a few months later from complications of advanced stomach cancer. His Uncle Tim had given up on life and died shortly after.

  If only the cancer had been detected earlier…It’d seemed her physician was more interested in retaining her as a patient and collecting her life savings than sending her to the specialist she’d needed. The bitter taste of bile rose up in his throat as he remembered how she’d suffered. It was then that he swore he’d never let anyone suffer like she had. He’d do whatever was in his power to remove the quacks, the incompetents, and the recklessly a
varice from the medical profession.

  Slipping into the back seat of a yellow cab, he thought about his interview with Marie. His firm had been working on a potentially explosive suit against a physician in the metropolitan area as well as a popular medical insurance carrier.

  A few months ago Mr. Johnson had come to him claiming that he’d sought medical treatment regarding a back problem. His long time physician had ordered the necessary tests to diagnose the problem. After seeing the MRI report his doctor had recommended immediate surgery. His client’s insurance company had sent their own doctor to review the records and give a judgment regarding surgery, as was policy for all claims.

  Apparently after speaking to the doctor from the insurance company, his client’s doctor had done a complete about face. He insisted that surgery wasn’t necessary and that physical therapy and pain relievers instead would be sufficient treatment. In fact, they’d shown Mr. Johnson the MRI film that demonstrated his problem was a minor slipped disc. His client was now suffering from intractable back pain and could hardly walk. He spent most of his time in a wheelchair. No longer trusting his doctor and fearing for his diminishing health, Mr. Johnson had sought out Wade’s firm for answers and remuneration.

  Wade’s firm had their own medical experts review the films that Mr. Johnson brought in and surprisingly they concurred that the problem was only a minor slipped disc. Wade couldn’t understand how Mr. Johnson could be so debilitated if he suffered from a simple disc problem. He convinced his partners to send Mr. Johnson for an MRI with one of doctors that his firm used regularly.

  They realized that something was terribly wrong when the MRI report showed multiple level disc disease as well as spinal cord compression. His firm’s doctor later confirmed that the MRI brought in by Mr. Johnson was not his MRI at all. There was no explanation for the MRI brought in by Mr. Johnson. Clearly, it had been a recent scan of high quality. But by comparing anatomical markers it was determined without a doubt that the person in the scan was not Mr. Johnson.