The Doctor Who Has No Ambition (Soulless Book 9)

by Victoria Quinn

  I stayed quiet, unsure what he wanted to say. Did he actually come here to get Mr. Torres’s information so he could cancel the appointment? I’d be really disappointed if he’d rather devastate a dying patient than just move forward.

  He stared above my head for a while, his brown eyes hard and impossible to read. His normally warm presence was now ice-cold, and he was clearly still in the same bad mood that he’d been in before. “I’m sorry.” He dropped his gaze for the first time and made eye contact with me, giving me a window into the sincerity in his soul. “I’m glad you didn’t let me fire you.”

  I wasn’t the kind of person to hold a grudge because it took too much bad energy, but I definitely couldn’t hold one now when his apology was so sincere, when this beautiful man had no issue admitting his wrongs and facing me head on. I knew he was such a good person, so it was hard ever to be mad at him in the first place. He was just overwhelmed and temporarily insecure. “Never.” I gave him a smile to tell him it was over, that everything was good between us.

  His eyes slowly softened as he looked at me, and then a gentle smile moved on to his mouth, his eyes a little brighter than they were before. “I apologize for the way I spoke to you too. That was uncalled for…and unprofessional.”

  “Dex, it’s water under the bridge.”

  “Wow, you’re a forgiving person.”

  I shrugged. “You make it easy for me to be forgiving.”

  His eyes quickly shifted away, dismissing the heartfelt thing I said.

  “So, we’re seeing Mr. Torres on Wednesday.”

  He continued to look away, his mood falling now that he was facing the thing he dreaded the most.

  “It’s an hour-long appointment, so you’ll have plenty of time with him. And we don’t have any other appointments, so…you can have all the time you want.”

  His gaze remained locked elsewhere, his eyes open and unblinking, like he was so deep in thought, he wasn’t aware of me sitting right in front of him.

  “It’ll be okay, Dex.” I lowered my voice and kept it gentle, trying to pull him out of whatever mental torture he was enduring.

  His eyes came back to life and shifted to mine, his gaze still hard. “I don’t think you truly understand what’s at stake here.” He didn’t raise his voice or seem angry, like he’d been before. He was subdued, defeated. “Mr. Torres has exhausted every other option possible, and now I’m his very last hope. If I don’t succeed, he’ll die. I literally have this man’s life in my hands—and I don’t take that lightly.”

  24

  Dex

  When the ref made the call, Daisy lost her shit.

  “Why don’t you go up to Fuck Off Town and fuck yourself?” She slammed her beer down on the coffee table then looked at me. “Who the hell does this guy think he is?” She shook her head then looked at the TV again.

  I shrugged because it was pointless to say anything.

  We watched the game in silence, seeing the minutes tick away, helping ourselves to the beer in her fridge and the snacks she put out. She was dressed in her sweatpants and a baggy shirt, completely casual since it was just me.

  She turned to me. “Why are you so quiet?”

  “Just stressed.”

  “About?”

  “I’m supposed to see Mr. Torres tomorrow.”

  Instead of telling me to suck it up and get over it, she sighed loudly. “Dex, you’ve got this.”

  “It’s not so easy…”

  “You do the best you can. Period.”

  “I really don’t want to kill my first patient back.”

  “Being unable to save someone’s life is not the same thing as killing someone. You need to get that shit out of your head. And if you aren’t ready, why did you take the appointment in the first place?”

  “Sicily. She basically forced me.”

  Daisy gave a slow nod with a look of approval. “I like her.”

  “You like her for going over my head like that?”

  “Hell yeah.” She looked at the TV. “I respect a woman who doesn’t give a damn and makes shit happen. You should be thanking her.”

  The most I was willing to do was apologize.

  “I can move some things around and attend the appointment with you, if you think it’ll help.”

  It was a nice gesture, but that wouldn’t make a difference. No one could do this but me. “I’ll be alright, Daisy.”

  “I know you will.” She gave me a clap on the shoulder and looked at the TV again. “Things are going well, otherwise?”

  “Yeah. I started my own research project. It’d been on my mind before all the shit hit the fan, and now I’ve decided to devote my time to it. Depending on how it goes, I might recruit a few other researchers to join me.”

  “What’s your idea?”

  “You know how patients have pacemakers in order to keep their hearts in rhythm automatically?”

  She nodded.

  “What about automatic epinephrine injections for those patients with advanced heart diseases at a high risk for myocardial infarctions? When an episode happens, they’re either alone and unable to call an ambulance, or by the time the paramedics arrive, it’s too late to get the heart restarted. By establishing some kind of regulatory system that can provide the intervention automatically, it could keep patients alive long enough for help to arrive. It’s a bit out there, I understand that—”

  “That sounds really complicated…but brilliant.”

  “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “That’s gonna take a long time to get off the ground, but with enough research, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be feasible. Every new suggestion in medicine is laughed off because of how ludicrous it sounds, but just a single success has revolutionary consequences. Go for it. Have you told Dad about it?”

  I shook my head.

  “I’m the first?” she asked in surprise.

  Daisy and I were two peas in a pod, going through medical school so close together, experiencing a lot of things at almost the same time, and that created a bond between us that was timeless. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. “Don’t let it go to your head, alright?”

  I sat in my corner office at the practice, going over all the paperwork I had for Mr. Torres. My notes were scribbled everywhere, and to any onlooker, I’d look like a disorganized idiot who didn’t have my shit together.

  But that was just how my brain worked.

  The door was open, so Sicily knocked on the frame to get my attention.

  I looked up from my work and stared at her. “What’s up?”

  “There’s a visitor here to see you. Her name is Daisy.”

  My sister must have decided to swing by and check out the place. All I’d been doing all morning was get ready for an appointment I was already ready for, so it wasn’t like I was too busy to see her. “I’ll be out in a second.”

  “Alright.” Sicily didn’t ask any questions and walked away.

  I finished what I was doing then stepped into the lobby. Andrea was the nurse on staff, but she played solitaire on her desktop because she literally had nothing else to do since we hadn’t had a single patient yet.

  Sicily was back behind the desk, working on some paperwork.

  Daisy stood in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out at the view of the city, dressed in a gray pencil skirt and a black blouse. Her coat was on the rack near the elevator.

  “Don’t you have work to do?” I came up behind her and slid my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.

  She turned around while wearing that sarcastic grin. “I could say the same to you.” She looked down at my jeans and hoodie with disapproval. “You look like you’re about to order a basket of fries at a bar, not take care of a cardiac patient.”

  “I’m brilliant. I can wear whatever the fuck I want.”

  She grinned like she liked that response. “This place is niiiiice.” She turned to face the desk where Sicily sat, in earshot so she could hear ou
r entire conversation. “You look like hell, but at least your office looks professional.”

  I gave her a gentle nudge in the side with my elbow then moved closer to the desk. “Why aren’t you at the clinic?”

  “My appointment canceled, so I thought I’d take a peek. You gonna give me a tour or what?”

  “Sure.” I nodded forward and approached the desk. “This is the crew. Sicily is my office manager and my assistant.”

  “Ahh…” Daisy nodded in understanding. “You’re the one who keeps my brother on track.” She gave a thumbs-up. “Keep up the good work. Dex may be this big shot doctor, but he’s still an idiot.”

  Sicily chuckled. “I don’t know about that… He just needs some encouragement.”

  “Trust me, he’s an idiot,” Daisy said. “I’ve known him my entire life, and he’s sucked the whole time.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for talking shit about me to my team.”

  “What?” Daisy asked innocently. “They’re gonna talk shit behind your back anyway.”

  Andrea started laughing at my sister’s frankness.

  “Let me guess.” Sicily stared at Daisy. “You’re Dex’s little sister?”

  “Little?” Daisy asked in surprise. “Honey, there’s nothing little about me.” She leaned over the desk and extended her hand so she could shake hands with Sicily. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for getting this place together. My mom says you’re one hell of a boss bitch.”

  “Wow.” Sicily dropped her hand then looked at me. “That’s definitely a compliment coming from your mom. I always thought she was the boss bitch.”

  “Oh, she’s the top boss bitch,” Daisy said. “I get all my bitchiness from her.”

  I glared at Daisy. “Can we stop throwing the word bitch around everywhere?”

  Daisy flipped her hair with attitude then walked off. “So, what do you want to show me next?”

  I took her into the patient rooms and then to my corner office.

  She whistled quietly as she looked around. “This office is super fly.” She examined my photos and then my desk before she fell into one of the couches. “And by the way, your assistant is one hot piece of ass. You know that, right?” There was a bowl of chocolate candy on the coffee table, so she stuck her hand inside and grabbed a couple like a child at their grandmother’s house.

  I quickly moved to the door and closed it to make sure Sicily couldn’t hear my sister’s crassness. “Can you tone it down a bit?”

  “Tone down what?” She already had one candy unwrapped, and she popped it into her mouth.

  “You know.” I sat on the couch across from her then waved my hand in a circle in front of her. “All of this.”

  “Sorry, hun. This is how I come. No returns, exchanges, or discounts.”

  “Well, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t objectify my assistant and throw out the word bitch while in my office.”

  She sucked the candy then rolled her eyes. “Coming from the guy wearing jeans and a hoodie from Target…”

  I ignored the jab.

  “Seriously, that woman is fine. You think you’re gonna be able to work with her and not get up on that?”

  “You sound like the one who wants to get up on that.”

  She chuckled then opened another wrapper. “So typical. A woman compliments another woman, and that can only be possible because she’s gay. Come on, Dex. You’re better than that.” She placed the candy in her mouth. “If I see a woman who looks amazing, has the best dress or the best shoes or whatever, I’m gonna say it. That woman is a fine piece of ass, and that’s just the truth.”

  “You think I don’t already know that?”

  “So, you’re gonna for it, then?”

  “No.” Daisy didn’t have a problem talking to me about my personal life because she didn’t have that protective-older-brother instinct like I had. She treated me like a friend without a filter.

  “Oh… That must be mean you’re gay, right?” She narrowed her eyes, hitting back at my previous comment.

  My only response was a glare.

  “Alright, alright.” She relaxed into the couch and scanned the office, looking at my bookshelves and the large wooden desk next to the window. It was a cold day, but the sun shone through and brought some heat to the office. “I like your setup here. It’s cozy. It’s not anxiety-inducing like other doctor’s offices. But I have one recommendation.”

  I stared at her.

  “You have some fitness magazines in the lobby. Chuck them. Who wants to think about working out while waiting to see the doctor? Actually, who wants to think about working out at all? Replace them with some Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions and hot firefighter magazines for the ladies.”

  I shook my head slightly. “Sometimes I can’t believe you’re this brilliant doctor, with all the shit that comes out of your mouth.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t believe it either sometimes.” She opened another candy and placed it in her mouth. “You want to get together later tonight? Derek invited us over to watch the game.”

  If I got together with my family, they would ask me about my appointment with Mr. Torres, and since I didn’t know how that was going to go, I wasn’t sure if I’d want to discuss it. “I’ll let you know.”

  She studied my gaze as her face slowly turned serious. “Sure.”

  25

  Sicily

  Daisy stopped by my desk before she left. “Keep up the good work.” She winked then headed to the coatrack to grab her jacket and walk out. With perfect grace and poise, she stepped into the elevator then disappeared.

  I noticed she had the same eyes as Dex, but she also had that dark hair like her father. She was the most laid-back family member I’d encountered so far, making jokes and never taking herself too seriously. It was strange to meet a woman so classically beautiful and intelligent but also down-to-earth.

  I had no idea what made that family so humble.

  How did they get that humility while being so beautiful and brilliant?

  Dex came out a few moments later and walked up to my desk. His arms rested on the counter, his sleeves pushed to his elbows, showing off those tight forearms covered in a web of veins. “I know Daisy is a lot. Hope she didn’t offend you.”

  “Why would she offend me?” I asked, eyebrows furrowed.

  “Well, she’s…” He paused as he tried to find the right words. “Just a bit much.”

  “I like it. She’s fun.”

  “If you say so.” He glanced at the clock on the wall to see the time, clearly counting down the hours and minutes until his first patient stepped into the office.

  I tried to get his mind off it. “She’s really beautiful.”

  His eyes moved back to me. “Yeah.”

  “You sound disappointed by that.”

  He thought for a moment before he shook his head slightly. “She’s like a beacon of light that attracts everything around her, the good and the bad, and I just never want the bad anywhere near her.”

  “Meaning?”

  He shrugged. “There’s no guy out there good enough for her, basically.”

  My eyes softened. “That’s sweet.”

  “I understand why other cultures do arranged marriages where the family chooses the spouse of their children because it’s just easier that way. Safer. I never want her to get hurt. Never want her spirit to be crushed.”

  “She seems like a smart woman, so I wouldn’t worry too much.”

  His eyes dropped. “Intelligence isn’t always enough to prevent heartbreak.” He cleared his throat and straightened. “When Mr. Torres gets here, I want his vitals, EKG, and blood work. And I want you in the office with me to transcribe the meeting. I don’t take notes when I see patients.”

  I typed pretty fast after doing emails all the time, so that wouldn’t be a problem. “You got it.”

  He silently dismissed himself and returned to his office.

  My eyes watched him go, watched his muscular frame str
etch the fabric of his shirt in every sexy way imaginable.

  When Mr. and Mrs. Torres checked in, they were somber but also in good spirits.

  Andrea escorted them into one of the rooms so she could get his vitals and other things Dex asked for.

  I walked into his office and saw him sitting on the couch, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, his elbow on the armrest while his fingers gently dragged underneath his lip as he looked out the window behind his desk.

  I set the refreshments and tissues on the table before I got my laptop ready in the armchair off to the side. That way, I could hear everything clearly but not be directly involved in the meeting. I was just a shadow, a fly on the wall.

  Dex knew I was there, but he didn’t acknowledge me.

  Instead of giving him words of comfort, I just let him be. He seemed to need the silence, to move through his own thoughts at his leisure, to think about things I could never understand.

  I just watched him, stared at the sharpness of his jawline, the slight stubble of dark hair that gave it a distinct shadow. His face was still turned away, so the muscles of his neck were tight, the thick cords moving down underneath the collar of his hoodie. I’d heard Daisy’s joke about his attire, and I liked his response. He had this innate power and authority that rang in the silence, and a professional outfit wouldn’t enhance that more than he already did on his own.

  The silence continued, and I just watched, stared, examined this very special person, this person who cared too much. I found it hard to believe he had been married to a woman who ever let him go, that she ever let this absolutely gorgeous and caring man walk out her door. Knowing his character, I knew there was no chance he was a cheater or a liar. He didn’t cause the end of his marriage. She did.

  Footsteps sounded down the hallway as they approached.