“Of course, it helps, I’m just shocked that you’d offer. You just got done with a four-plus-hour surgery, my muscle tightness should be the least of your worries,” she tells me as she transfers from her seat to the table.
“Let me decide what’s important to me and what’s worth my time,” I tell her, dropping a kiss to her lips. I grab the foam roller and get to work rolling it over her muscles. A few passes over her muscles and I can feel as she relaxes into the table. “How’s that feel?” I ask, breaking the silence between the two of us.
“Like heaven. I really need to get back in to PT.”
“How long has it been since you last went?”
“A month or so.”
“Do you do things on your own, usually?”
“Yep, if I don’t, then my muscles usually spasm a lot more.”
“Then what’s stopping you from starting back up with PT?” I ask, genuinely concerned.
“Time. I’ve just been a little busy since moving here and getting acclimated to work. It’s on my to-do list, but by the time I think of it, I’m usually home and the offices are closed.”
“So, what you’re saying is I need to remind you on Monday to get yourself an appointment?”
“Sure,” she says, laughing lightly as she answers. That laugh quickly turns to a moan as I press a little more into her muscle with the foam roller. My body responds to her moan. My dick doesn’t realize a difference in moans. I instantly feel it thickening against my leg and I curse in my head. This isn’t supposed to be anything sexual. We’re at work and I’ve got a long night ahead of me. On top of that, the first time we have sex will definitely not be in the hospital where we have to sneak around to do so.
I shake my head side to side, attempting to clear the thoughts of Megan and me between the sheets, naked, sweaty and sated from pleasure. The more I attempt to clear the thoughts, the more they seem to flash in my mind. Fuck, this isn’t the time to be thinking these things.
“Everything okay?”’ she asks, looking over her shoulder at me. I realize that my movements have stilled.
I clear my throat before answering her, hopefully masking the desire coursing through my body right now. “Yeah, just got sidetracked,” I grunt out.
“If you need to go, we can stop,” she offers.
“No, I’m good, just went down a road we can’t go down here,” I tell her.
“Oh,” she says, quickly catching on.
“Yeah, your moan sent my mind wheeling, and other things,” I tell her, motioning to my obvious erection tenting my scrubs.
“Oh!” she says again, her eyes dropping to my crotch and then back up to my eyes. “Sorry?” she says, without sincerity.
“You don’t sound sorry,” I tease her.
“That’s because I’m not,” she says, carefully rolling over on the table and sitting back up. Her legs hang off the edge of the table. I stand up from the stool I’d sat down on and cage around her, my fists resting on the table on either side of her.
“What am I going to do with you?” I ask before my lips capture hers in a heated kiss.
“Whatever you want,” she says against my lips a moment later when we break apart.
“Go home, Megan,” I tell her as I pull back and stand to my full height. “We’re definitely not doing anything here,” I say as I motion around the room we’re in. If we’d been anywhere other than the hospital, I can’t say that I would have stopped us from going there. I’m definitely ready to make that next step in our relationship, and I’m pretty confident that Megan is on the same page.
“Okay,” she answers me, a little breathlessly. “Will I see you tomorrow?” she asks once she’s transferred back to her chair.
“Call me once you’re up, maybe we can get lunch or something. I’m not sure if I’ll be ready to leave the hospital or go far, so just call me.”
“I can do that. You need to get some sleep at some point,” she tells me, giving me a pointed look.
“I will. I’m going to go check in on Mack again and then go find an empty on-call room to crash in for a few hours.”
“Just remember that you’re of no use to Mack if you aren’t on the top of your game, and that means getting sleep so that you can think on your toes, if needed.”
“You’re starting to sound like my mother,” I tease her. I swear, I heard that exact line a hundred times from Mom over the years. But I like it coming from her. “Are you sure you didn’t spend more time with her that I don’t know about than what we did at the gala?” I tease. As much as it grates on me at times, when my mom nags at me about things, I don’t mind it so much when it’s coming from Megan.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asks, a little warily.
“Nope. She’s usually right,” I shrug, “and I’m fairly certain she’s said the same thing to me many times over the years.”
“She’s a smart woman,” Megan replies, and I have to agree with her.
“I’ll walk you out,” I offer as we both start making our way toward the door to the therapy room. We stop in the staff lounge so that Megan can grab her things from her locker, and then head for the elevator. She presses the down, while I press the up button. “Get some sleep, I’ll see you sometime tomorrow,” I tell her before I brush my lips across hers as two elevators arrive at the same time, one for me and one for her.
“Good night, Drew,” she says before rolling into the elevator going down.
“Night,” I call out just before the doors slide shut.
I ride up to the floor with the ICU on it. The floor is split up into pod-like sections. Each one a different section catering to different needs of patients. We’ve got a section dedicated to pediatric patients, and that’s obviously where Mack’s room is located. I walk along the row of rooms, most have the glass sliding doors almost closed, maybe open a few inches. I find Mack’s door fully closed, so I pull it open, then fill my palm with the foaming sanitizer hanging by the door. I thoroughly rub it over my hands as I step into the dimly lit room. My eyes first go to Mack, who’s lying peacefully in the bed, monitors attached to her body so we can pay close attention to her vitals. After taking in her physical presence, I turn my attention to the monitors and what they’re telling me. Heart rate and blood pressure all look great, her oxygen levels are also normal. I next focus on the meds hanging up and check their progress. The rate that the fluids are being run has been slowed, which tells me that she’s started to show signs of waking up, which is good.
“Hi.” Heather’s sleep filled voice grabs my attention. She was sleeping in the chair-bed thing next to Mack’s bed when I entered, and I did my best to keep quiet so I wouldn’t wake her. I look around and don’t see David.
“Hi,” I greet quietly. “I didn’t mean to wake you. How’s she been?” I ask.
“Good. She woke up for a little bit earlier. Had a few ice chips to help with her sore throat from being intubated, and then fell back to sleep. I sent David home to shower, change and get a few hours of sleep in a real bed. Once he comes back, we’ll switch off for a little while,” she says as a yawn hits her.
“Probably a good plan. You both need to be well rested for when she is awake,” I say as I place my stethoscope in my ears. I rub the other end against my palm, attempting to warm it up before I place it against her bare skin. I listen to her heart for a few moments. The monitor can tell me a lot of information, but sometimes I just need to listen to it with my own ears to get a real sense of what’s going on and how things are responding after the major surgery we just put her body through.
“Everything okay?” Heather questions as I slide my stethoscope back around my neck.
“Yep, everything is perfect for now,” I assure her.
“She’s strong and I have every hope that she’ll pull through all of this like the fighter she is,” Heather says, rubbing her hand through her daughter’s hair. She pushes a few strands that have stuck to Mack’s forehead and tucks them behind one of her ears.
; “Mommy,” Mack’s weak voice breaks through.
“Yes, baby?” Heather addresses her.
“My throat hurts,” Mack says, half groggy and half sounding like she’s got a frog in her throat.
“Here, have some ice chips, it will help your throat,” Heather tells Mack as she holds up a small spoon with a few small ice chips on it. Mack takes the ice and sucks on them, wincing slightly when the liquid goes down her throat.
“Your throat will start to feel better the more ice you get down and should be back to normal within a day or so,” I tell Mack.
“Okay,” she sleepily answers as she accepts another spoonful from her mom.
“You were a rock star, Mack,” I tell her, slightly sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Really?” she says, a little excitement in her voice.
“Yep! And your new heart is working so well. Look at how pretty that monitor looks,” I tell her, pointing at the screen and the steady normal rhythm that her heart is beating at.
I sit with Heather and Mackenzie for another thirty or so minutes, just watching her vitals. They don’t fluctuate much, just the normal ebbs and flows that everyone’s does.
“I’m going to go get some sleep, I’ll be back in the morning unless you need me beforehand. Don’t forget what I told you before. Nothing is too small of a worry. If you see a change, you notify the nurses, they’ll page me, and I’ll be here ASAP. These first twenty-four hours are crucial.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure to mention anything that seems amiss,” she assures me.
“Try and get some sleep, as well,” I tell her before leaving the room. I stop at the nurses’ station and let them know I’ll be in one of the on-call rooms down the hall and to grab me if anything changes.
Thankfully, the first room I check is empty. I remove my stethoscope from around my neck and toss it on the small table. I slide my phone from my pocket, set an alarm for six, and plug it in on the nightstand. Thankfully, the hospital keeps the on-call rooms stocked with charger cords for all types of phones. I kick off my tennis shoes and remove my socks. I’ve never been able to sleep with socks on, so once they’re removed, I slide into the bed. I’m so exhausted, and now that it’s after one AM, I crash pretty much as soon as my head hits the pillow.
I startle awake when my alarm starts ringing from the nightstand next to me. I reach over and turn it off, looking at the screen and seeing no messages or pages. I can’t believe it’s already six. I feel like I could sleep for a few more hours, but know I need to check on Mack, so I force myself to sit up and get moving. I can always come back and get a few more hours of sleep once I check on her.
I get ready, which only takes a minute, and stop in the bathroom to relieve myself. After washing my hands, I grab one of the disposable toothbrushes the hospital keeps in here for us. I scrub my teeth, something about that minty freshness helps wake me up. What I could really use is a shower, but that will have to come later. Feeling as fresh and awake as I can, I make my way down to the nurses’ station. I fill a cup with some coffee from the pot they keep going twenty-four-seven and suck down the heavenly caffeine.
“Good morning, Dr. Montgomery,” Simone, one of the nurses here in the ICU greets me from across the nurses’ station.
“Morning,” I greet her. “How’s my patient?” I ask between sips of the hot coffee.
“She’s doing well. Vitals stayed stable all night. Mack was awake when I was just in there checking on her.”
“Perfect, that’s what I like to hear. I’ll go in and check on her now,” I tell her, tossing my now empty cup into the trash can.
I knock on the partially open door, I do like we all do with ICU rooms, and fill my palm with the disinfectant foam, working it into my skin as I enter the room.
“Good morning!” I greet Mackenzie and David.
“Morning, Drew,” David says, standing and offering me his hand to shake.
“I hear you had a good night,” I say to Mack as I slide my stethoscope from my neck to listen to her heart. I slide it under her gown and start listening to her heart once again.
“Yep,” she tells me cheerily. There’s the patient I’ve come to adore shining through.
“Everything sounds good. I’m liking how stable your vitals are,” I tell her, and David. “We’ll keep watching her vitals, make sure nothing changes, but for now, she’s doing great. Better than we could have ever hoped. I really believe we’re on the other side of the hill with her. Hopefully, it’s all downhill and smooth sailing from here on out.”
“How long do you think she’ll need to stay in the ICU?” David asks.
“Standard protocol is two to three days. If she continues to stay as she is, we can consider moving her down one step tomorrow. I’d say after twenty-four hours, but with that being late at night, it’s best to wait for morning. Then, once she’s been stable there for another twenty-four to forty-eight hours, we can move her back down to the pediatric floor.”
“Sounds good. I know our parents want to come see her,” David states.
“I’m sure they do, and as soon as she gets moved out of ICU, they can. We just want to limit the number of people in and out of the ICU. With each person in and out, it just increases the chances of infection or germs being brought in.”
“Keeping our girl safe is our top priority, so we completely understand, as do they,” he assures me.
“I know, so hopefully tomorrow they’ll get to see her.”
“Thanks, for everything,” David says, offering his hand once again to me.
I shake it before exiting the room.
I stop at the nurses’ station again, finding Simone still there. “Hey, with Mack so stable, I’m going to take off for a few hours. Head home, shower, change, grab something to eat, maybe take a nap. Page me if anything changes and I’ll be back.”
“Okay, sounds good,” she says before heading off for another patient’s room. I run up to my office and grab my keys and head for my car. As soon as I step outside, the crisp fall air fills my lungs. The leaves have just started to change color, give it another three or so weeks and the colors that paint the trees will be so vibrant. Some people like to refer to it as leaf peeping season, as it draws in lots of tourists to the New England areas.
Once home, I first head for the shower. It’s amazing what ten minutes under the hottest water you can stand will do to refresh a guy. I grab a protein shake from my fridge and finish it off in a few large swallows. With some protein in my system and my muscles all relaxed from the hot shower, the tiredness and lack of sleep hit me hard, so I head for my bed. I go to plug my phone in and see a missed text from Megan.
Megan: Morning. Hope everything went well overnight. Call me or text when you’re able.
Drew: She’s doing great. So good that I came home a little bit ago. Was in the shower when you texted. I’m about to grab a nap. Maybe we can grab lunch when I wake up?
Megan: That’s so great! I knew she’d be a rock star. Lunch sounds perfect. Just text me when you get up and we can make plans then. Enjoy your nap.
Drew: I’d enjoy it better if you were next to me.
Megan: I’m sure you would. Now get some sleep. Lol
I plug my phone in and set it down on the nightstand. Much like this morning, when I slide into bed, I’m out within moments of my head hitting the pillow.
Two weeks later
THE PAST TWO weeks have flown by in a blur. Mackenzie did amazingly well for a transplant patient. I was able to discharge her today. Knowing she’s finally home and doing so well takes a huge weight off my shoulders as her doctor. I never want my patients to suffer, and when Mack started getting worse, it really affected me. I knew it was a long shot that we’d get a heart for her in time and was shocked when it happened so quickly. Most patients wait for six-plus months for one, and many more end up dying before they ever make it to transplant.
With none of my patients admitted to the hospital right now, I’ve rescheduled the litt
le weekend getaway I’d planned to take Megan on when the heart came through and we had to cancel all our plans. Things have slowly progressed these two weeks. We’ve been having lunch and dinner together most days, sometimes while stuck here in the hospital, sometimes at her place once we’ve both escaped the confines of the hospital. So, to say we’re both looking forward to getting away from here for a little bit is an understatement.
“Ready?” Megan asks as she stops in the doorway of my office.
“Yes,” I tell her as I shut down my computer. “I’ve been ready since about noon.”
“Then let’s go, the road is calling our name,” she says, and I follow her out and down the hall.
“Are you okay with waiting to eat dinner until we get there?” I ask. I finally caved and told her where we were going so she could pack accordingly. We’re staying two nights, so we both needed to plan for that.
“Yep, I’m good. Plus, it isn’t like the drive is that long, right?” she confirms.
“Nope, just about an hour.”
“I’ll be just fine,” she assures me.
“Okay, then let’s hit the road,” I tell her as we make our way outside. I was able to change the rental from before to this weekend. I already have my bag in the car, and all we’ve got to do is stop at her apartment across the street and grab hers.
“You know I would have driven,” she tells me again.
“I know, but I know where we’re going and don’t mind.”
“Yeah, but for you to drive, you have to rent a special car. For me to drive, we can just take my already customized car.”
“Just get in and stop worrying,” I tell her, opening the door and lowering the ramp so she can do just that.
I cross the intersection and pull into her apartment complex, grabbing a spot near the door. “Do you want me to just run in and grab your stuff?” I offer.
“Sure, it’s all by the door, ready to go. I’ve got a small suitcase and the fold up shower chair,” she tells me.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I tell her. I grab the key from her hands and head in to get her things. I find them just inside the door as she said they were. After making sure all the lights are off and the door is locked, I head back for the parking lot. I toss her things in next to mine and we’re off for our weekend away.
Cocky Doc: A Hero Club Novel Page 10