When they were done and Luke had come deep inside her, he gradually pulled out. There was a small tug, as if her body didn’t want to let go of his. As he gathered her up in his arms, she completely understood. She didn’t want to let go of him either.
And Elise knew it was time to tell Rachel about her relationship with Luke. She would take her friend out for lunch and tell her everything.
That was the idea anyway. Unfortunately, life sometimes had other plans.
A couple of days later, Luke stepped into the break room at work to grab a quick snack. So far, the morning had been pretty slow, which only made the day drag on. As much as he hated when there was an overflow of patients, he thrived on the adrenaline. That was why he loved being an emergency room doctor. Maybe, someday, he’d get into private practice, but that wouldn’t happen for a long time.
Since Luke had a few minutes to kill, he pulled out his phone to see if he’d missed anything important.
What the hell?
There were seven missed calls from Elise within the last twenty-five minutes. Since there were several other people in the break room, Luke went to find a place where he could talk to her in private.
Finding an empty ER room, Luke dialed Elise.
“Lu-Lu-ke?”
Damn. She was crying.
His heart went into his throat. “Elise, what’s wrong?”
“My-my dad. Can you come here?”
Luke closed his eyes. Crap. He had almost six hours of his shift left. “Lise—”
“Please. I need you. My dad is really si-sick. I don’t know what to do.”
Shit.
If her dad was really sick, then he should be brought to the hospital.
“Can you bring him here?”
“No. He’s—” She didn’t finish because she started crying harder.
Fuck.
He couldn’t stay here when something was obviously wrong. With her father’s history, he was at risk for so many serious conditions.
“Baby, listen, I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay? Are you at your parents’ house?”
“No-no, mine.”
What was her father doing at her house? Had he gone over there because he didn’t feel good? Or had something happened while he was there?
Elise would never forgive herself if she thought she was to blame.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Th-thank you.”
Luke hit End on his phone and went to talk to his coworkers. He needed to let them know that he had to leave for personal reasons. Now, he was thankful the morning had been slow. Hopefully, it would remain that way until someone came in to cover for him.
Luke didn’t even change his clothes before leaving and heading for Elise’s. If he had a patient to look after, he might as well keep his scrubs on.
Climbing into his SUV and taking off, Luke tried to keep all negative thoughts out of his mind and concentrate on his soon-to-be patient, but he couldn’t deny that he was feeling uncertain. He understood that Elise trusted his skills as an MD, which he really did appreciate, especially after dating Ava. But would she have called him to come if he wasn’t a doctor?
He knew that wasn’t the important thing. Her father’s health was, but he just couldn’t ignore the doubt that lingered in the back of his mind.
Damn, am I turning into a woman? He might have to check his pants later to see if his dick was still in there.
Luke got to Elise’s house in record time, hitting all green lights on the way. At least, now, he was in full professional mode, forgetting all about his qualms.
He knocked on Elise’s door, wanting to be quiet at first in case her father was sleeping, but when she didn’t answer, he rang the doorbell. When she still didn’t come to let him in, he tried the knob to find it unlocked.
“Elise?”
No answer.
He walked through the whole main level, softly calling her name. Still nothing. He went upstairs and saw her bedroom door was slightly ajar, and he had a moment of hesitation about what he would find in there. He would hate to walk in and see something that Elise couldn’t come back from, like her father dying.
He pushed the door open. Elise was lying on her side, facing away from him. He quietly approached the bed. She was sleeping. But, even in slumber, she looked tense. She had dark circles under her eyes and was frowning. It wasn’t a peaceful nap.
He sat on the edge of the bed and shook her shoulder. “Elise?”
She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times from the bright sunlight streaming through her window. When she saw his face, the relief that fell over hers was so obvious that he couldn’t help but feel humbled.
He rubbed a hand over her hair. “Hey.”
Her lower lip quivered.
“Where’s your dad, honey?”
She flew upright, threw herself into his arms, and started bawling.
Realizing he wasn’t going to solve the mystery of her missing father with her so emotional, he pulled her onto his lap and held her close. He rubbed her back and tried to offer comforting words.
After most of her crying was finished, she pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. Luke snatched a tissue from her nightstand, so she could blow her nose.
She was sniffling some, but she was able to speak at least. “He’s at Mayo.”
Understanding struck Luke, as he realized that Elise hadn’t called him to check on her dad. She had called him because she wanted him. Just him. Not the doctor.
He wanted to kiss her, but now wasn’t the time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked instead.
“My dad’s really sick. He just had a small cough, and then he started to feel worse last night. He refused to go to the hospital because he had a doctor’s appointment today, saying it could wait. My mom was barely able to wake him up this morning. He basically went from the bed to the car. But, instead of taking him to the local ER, she drove two hours away and had my dad sit in the waiting room for another half an hour. Thank God his oncologist took one look at him and had him admitted. But I can’t help but be angry with my mother for being so negligent with him. If only I hadn’t moved out…”
Luke met her eyes. “Hey. You are not blaming yourself.”
“But—”
“No. This is not your fault.” He raised his brow. “Okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious, Elise.”
He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t really her mother’s fault either. Most people who weren’t in the medical field didn’t have the education to recognize certain things. He was sure Elise’s mom was beating herself up pretty badly all on her own. But he wasn’t going to say that to Elise. She was worried, and from having a mother and two sisters, he knew she just needed someone to listen to her.
“I tried to go and see him,” Elise told Luke, putting her head down. “But, every time I tried to drive there, I would start crying and couldn’t see anything. I didn’t want my mother to have to visit someone else in the hospital.”
Poor Elise.
She was feeling responsible for moving out and not being there last night, and now, she felt guilty for not going to the hospital.
“Do you want me to drive you?”
Her head whipped up. “You’d do that?”
“Course. Just let me change real quick.”
She brushed her lips across his. “Thank you.”
He kissed her back and moved her from his lap to the bed. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
She nodded, and he went to fetch his clothes from his vehicle.
Four and a half minutes later, they were pulling out of her driveway.
The drive to Rochester was about two hours, which seemed like a long way to go when there were numerous hospitals in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. But, considering that people came from all over the country and sometimes all over the world to visit the Mayo Clinic, two hours was nothing.
“Why don’t you try to na
p some more?”
“Okay,” she agreed as she put her seat back.
He turned up the stereo in his SUV, hoping the music would help lull her to sleep, but she continued to fidget every few minutes.
Keeping his eyes on the road, he took her hand and pulled her toward him. She didn’t protest or question his motives. She laid her head down in his lap and adjusted her seat belt to make herself more comfortable. She still didn’t fall asleep right away, but she did eventually let slumber take her.
When they only had about a half hour left of the drive, Luke’s stomach rumbled. He remembered that he’d never eaten anything on his morning break, so he hadn’t eaten anything since about five a.m. It was close enough to lunchtime that he decided to stop and get food.
He searched for the closest drive-through, so they wouldn’t have to waste time in getting to Elise’s dad. He ordered food for both of them because, surprisingly, Elise didn’t wake up the whole time he picked up their food. The guy at the drive-through window smirked when he saw Elise’s head in his lap, but Luke ignored him. Teenagers.
When they were only ten minutes away—thank you, GPS—Luke woke Elise.
“Hey. Elise. It’s time to wake up.”
She stirred, and he put his hand on her hair.
“Be careful. Don’t hit the steering wheel, babe.”
Elise slowly sat up, still groggy. The circles under her eyes had lessened but were still there.
He reached into the fast-food bag and pulled out the cheeseburger he’d gotten her. “Here. I didn’t know exactly what to get you.”
She pushed his hand away. “I’m not hungry.”
“Lise, you need to eat. When was the last time you ate?”
She scowled but snatched the burger from his hand. “Fine.” She unwrapped it and took a big bite. She looked pained, but she chewed it up and swallowed. “Are you happy now?”
“No, but I’m better,” he told her. “I don’t want to worry about you getting sick, too.”
He saw some of the anger leave her body as she took another bite—this time, with no coaxing.
He stared straight ahead at the road and told her, “Thank you.”
“Humph. You’re a meanie, Dr. L.”
Luke chuckled. “As long as you’re healthy and happy, you can call me whatever you want.”
Elise didn’t reply, but she took his hand and laced their fingers together while she managed to eat her entire sandwich..
Elise tightly grasped Luke’s hand as they rode the elevator up to her father’s room. She was so afraid of what she would find when she got up there. She knew her dad was alive, but beyond that, she had no idea what his condition was.
She gazed at Luke and squeezed his hand. He looked down at her and gave her a reassuring smile. She was so grateful that he was with her.
When she’d called him this morning, she hadn’t even thought about it. She’d just known that she needed Luke, so she’d dialed his number.
Now that she’d gotten some rest, she remembered that he’d had to work today, so that meant he’d left to come and take care of her. She felt guilty but not guilty enough to wish she hadn’t called him because he was the one who she wanted there with her.
He had taken such good care of her so far, and if it hadn’t been for him, she didn’t know if she would have found her dad. Despite being called the Mayo Clinic, it was anything but. It had two hospital campus locations and various buildings with numerous clinics in those buildings. Basically, if you didn’t know where you were going, you were screwed.
She let go of Luke’s hand and linked her arm through his as she rested her head against his shoulder. She hoped he knew how much she appreciated him, but she would have to make sure and tell him later.
When the elevator stopped, she kissed his shoulder before the doors opened for them to step out. Luke twined their fingers together again, and they followed the signs to the correct room.
When they got there, Elise saw her mom sitting next to her father’s bed, staring off into space. There was a curtain pulled around the bed, so all Elise could see was her mother. The door was partially open, and Elise didn’t even bother knocking before she pushed it open and entered the room.
“Elise,” her mother said, rising to her feet when she saw her daughter.
Her mom held out her arms. While Elise was still angry with her mother, she didn’t really blame her for her father’s condition, and she willingly went into her arms.
“Hello, Luke,” her mother said as she squeezed Elise to her.
Elise had to fight to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to cry again. At least, not right now. Right now, she just wanted to talk to the doctor and find out what was wrong with her dad.
“Hello, Mrs. Phillips.”
Her mom released Elise. “Please, call me Suzanne.” She took Luke’s hand. “I’m so glad you could bring Elise here to visit.”
Elise stepped around her mom and Luke and got a good look at her father for the first time. She gasped when she saw him. “Oh, Daddy,” she whispered.
Her father had several IVs, a nasal cannula, a pulse ox, heart monitor, and several other things hooked up to him.
Elise collapsed in the chair next to him on the opposite side of the bed as her mother.
Her mom took her own seat, and Luke came to stand behind Elise. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she welcomed his strength at a time like this.
“Where’s Kristen?” Luke asked.
Elise’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God. I didn’t even call her.” The only person she’d called was Luke. One more thing for her to feel guilty about. “We could have ridden together. I’m a horrible sister.”
Luke squeezed her shoulder as her mom said, “Don’t worry. I called her. She was at work but left. She’s on her way.”
A rush of relief washed over her. “Thank God.”
The nurse came in to check on her father several times but wouldn’t tell them much, saying that the doctor would be along any minute now.
Two hundred forty-three minutes later, the doctor walked in.
Any minute now, my ass.
The only good thing about the delay was that it had given her sister time to arrive. She was alone, and Elise didn’t bother asking why her brother-in-law hadn’t come.
“I’m Dr. Olson,” an older gentleman with gray hair said after he walked into the hospital room, commanding attention.
He looked like he’d been doing this a long time. His eyes were all business. Dr. Olson wasn’t mean, but he wasn’t kind either. It was apparent to Elise that her father was just another part of Dr. Olson’s job, not someone’s family member.
“I’m the hospitalist on today. Mr. Phillips has sepsis, which is an infection in his blood.”
“But he just had a cold,” Elise’s mom protested.
“That’s how it started, but, Mrs. Phillips, your husband is on chemo. The chemo doesn’t just kill the cancer; it also kills good things in the body. Because of this, your husband’s immune system is very weak, and he was unable to fight off his cold like he normally would. Didn’t your husband’s oncologist inform you to seek medical attention at even the slightest thing?”
Her mom closed her eyes in regret. “Yes. But my husband was just in the hospital for a blood clot, and I didn’t want to pressure him to come to the hospital again. He hates hospitals. And, since he had his appointment today, I figured it would be okay to wait.” Her mother looked down at her hands as she wrung them. “Clearly, I was mistaken.”
“Yes, well, next time, take him to the hospital right away.”
What an asshole. Would it kill this doctor to reassure her mother just a little that it wasn’t her fault?
Luke must have read her expression because he put his hands on her shoulders and lightly massaged her neck until she calmed.
“Mr. Phillips’s condition has reached the point where he is neutropenic. This means, his white blood count—the cells that fight off infection—are
very low. The next twenty-four hours are the most critical for him.”
Elise’s vision blurred as new tears formed in her eyes, and she heard her sister sniffle next to her while her mother used a tissue to blot her face.
And, with that, the doctor was gone. No parting words, no wishes for the best, nothing.
Elise turned around to Luke. “Please don’t ever be an insensitive butthole like that.”
“Elise, language!”
Oh, Mom, even when Dad is on his deathbed, you’re all about propriety.
It was a good thing she hadn’t really said what she thought about Dr. Olson.
“I agree,” Kristen said. “Where’s his compassion?”
“It’s not an excuse,” Luke said, “but some people have been doing this a long time, and they forget why they started in the first place.”
“That’s sad,” Elise said.
“It is,” Luke said. “I will do my best to never end up like that.”
Hours later, the sun had fallen, and there was no change in Elise’s dad. Her mom, Kristen, and she hadn’t moved, except to use the restroom. If it hadn’t been for Luke, none of them would have eaten anything. He’d gone out and gotten dinner for the three of them without anyone asking him to.
“You three should go home,” Elise’s mother told them.
“No way,” Kristen said.
“Honey, you heard the nurse the last time she was in here. There won’t be any change tonight, and you sitting here won’t make your father better. He would want you rested.”
“What about you, Mom?” Elise asked.
“I got a hotel room here earlier. I was lucky there was a cancelation for a single; otherwise, I would let you stay with me. Well, you girls, anyway. Sorry, Luke, but I couldn’t have you staying with us.”
Luke looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I understand.”
Elise was about to offer to sleep in the car, but she’d ridden with Luke. And, while her sister had driven separately, it wasn’t fair to ask her sister to stay overnight in her car. She probably wanted to get home to Jennifer.
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