“Yeah, I have to get to work.”
“It’s eleven P.M.”
I roll my eyes. This is my life.
“I start my shift at midnight.”
Thelma rolls in the silk sheets like a spoiled cat and pins me with her eyes.
“Can’t you go in a few hours late? You’re the head of cardio after all. We could take a shower together later. I’m flying out to Dallas tomorrow so this is goodbye.”
I’m fine, thank you. I had my fill of her, and I don’t plan on tasting it ever again.
“I have to check on my patients, including your husband.” I owe him at least some good medical care after screwing his wife on all flat surfaces in this hotel room. “He woke up today.”
“I do not care.”
Gross.
I pick up my clothes and get ready in a rush. Her last comment makes my skin crawl.
Why the fuck did I come here in the first place?
Because I’m fucking frustrated with my nurse, that’s why. Fuck! I need to get a grip on things before I get myself into some bigger shit.
Not looking back, I walk out the door with my mind already far away from the woman I left naked in the bed.
“Thank you for joining us, Dr. Ford, ten minutes late as always.”
“My bad, Chief.”
Since Sadin keeps insisting on meeting all primary doctors once a week to give us a live newsfeed I’ve not once been on time.
I took extra time to shower myself so I could get rid of the heavy sex and roses smell. Something I don’t wanna do is give a consult while smelling like a prostitute, which reminds me, I really need to check on Mr. Kawasaki.
With a cup of coffee in my hand, I find my way to the back row where Jessica and Wendy saved me a seat.
“Sullivan?” I whisper.
Wendy answers me while her annoying wife reaches her hands for my coffee like a toddler.
“He has a 911 consult. A man fell down from the top of his house while doing some roof repairs. They’re not sure about his neurological functions. He should be here any minute.”
Lucky bastard got saved by the clumsy guy and I have to stay here in the middle of the night and listen to how Chief wants us to beat last week’s efficiency parameters. Well, if she’d actually let us work maybe we’d have a shot. This - bureaucracy and strategy and shit - is not my thing. Medicine doesn’t work like that. If you can save someone, you do it no matter what. I’m sorry I couldn’t cure the guy with two bullets in his heart just to keep up the score. And since she knows I hate getting involved, Sadin is forcing me to face this kind of stuff all the time, sending me to conventions and telling me to give lectures to our interns and residents. I get that we’re a teaching hospital. I have no problem letting others look at my technique and learn something, that’s how I learned, but can we skip the part where I have to actually be involved?
I’d rather cut someone open, do some tests. I’d even take the free clinic over anything technical. Which reminds me, I start my shifts there next week. Two days a week, every two weeks, I have to sign my reports to the Chicago General Free Clinic for Community.
In the beginning, I wasn’t ecstatic about it but what the hell, it can’t be that bad. And it’s not like the many pretentious patients, with a stick up their asses, we have here, people at the clinic actually want to be helped.
Plus, it’s two extra London-free days and I have come to be quite fond of those. She’s not good for my blood pressure. Every time I tell London to do something, that something being her damn job, I get a dirty look or a handful of disputes. She gets pissed because I don’t ask nicely.
Fuck if I have to ask nicely! I’m in charge here.
So yeah, I’m glad I get to spend time away from that crazy French girl who can’t comprehend we’re not in croissant world anymore. Here we actually get things done.
Yes, I admit I’m an asshole to her, more than I am in a regular situation. Why? Because she annoys the shit out of my living soul when she flaps those plump lips arguing, turning her back on me while I’m talking, walking away, waving those round hips, giving me the perfect view to her ass and legs, that blond hair that falls like a golden fucking waterfall...
“Are you having an erection?”
“Huh?” I almost jump off the chair when Jessica’s voice gets me out of my head. She looks at me expectantly with her big gaze blinking fast.
I am having an erection. Again. This is starting to be a problem, so either I sign up for more free clinic hours or I order bigger scrubs.
“Did you just get aroused watching Sadin? Oh, my God, Wendy, Zach just got turned on watching Sadin.”
“No, I did not. I’m not having an erection. Stop.” Fucking Jessica.
“It’s ok, Zach.” Wendy puts her hand on my knee trying to be compassionate. ”It’s a natural thing , really . We’re in a hospital , we see erections all the time . And Chief Sadin is a very good-looking woman for someone in her sixties.”
Fucking hell! How do I get myself out of this?
“I’m not infatuated with Sadin, so can we please stop this stupid discussion?”
Heaven must have heard me praying because finally, the meeting is over, and I can walk away thinking about my very, very sick patients. This will kill my hard on, at least for now.
“Hey, it’s over already? I was stuck in the ER. What did I miss?” See, James actually enjoys going to these things and likes to be part of them.
He’s the good guy. It has always been like this. In college he was the quiet one who liked poetry and got the chicks all hot and bothered with cheesy lines. I was the jock who got them excited over a quickie behind the football stands. That’s why he’s married, and I am not, because he picked the smiley girl in the glee club and I picked the cheerleader. Bad move.
“The usual shit.”
That’s when Jess and her wife caught up to us.
“Zach’s got the hots for the Chief.” She chants and Wendy giggles by her side. I look at Sullivan finding him starring at the three of us confused but amused.
“Jessica, would you fucking stop?”
“If you don’t want her, then why did you have an erection?”
“You had an erection?” Now she got James’ attention. This is bullshit. I take my cup back from her and drink it in one big gulp.
“You don’t deserve my coffee. Go get your own.”
I turn my back on them and go to the elevator, pressing all the buttons, urging the thing to come and get me. I get in and just before the doors close, James’ hand slips in.
“You had an erection?”
“You don’t? Too bad, man. You’re young. We have a great urology department, maybe you should ask them to run some tests.”
He laughs and hits me. I hit him right back.
“Do I have to remind you, Ford, that I have a very pregnant wife at home?”
Who can forget it? Avery whimpers about how hard the pregnant life is every moment, at every social gathering, since the first day she got pregnant. No reminder needed, we’re all sick of it.
“Then why the hell are you such a prick?”
“I wanna know the reason you got horny on a Thursday night, in the middle of a briefing.”
Yeah, I bet my left testicle he’d like to know.