“I’m getting better. I can get to work without getting off the subway and doubling back a station. I do get my exercise, though.”
Ryan gave her body frank consideration. “I can see that you do.”
Warmth washed over her. It felt wonderful to have a man look at her with interest. In the past few days they’d managed to develop a working relationship that was at least doable if not comfortable. On her part, she’d spent longer than normal getting to know Ryan’s patients and their families. On his, he seemed to at least tolerate having her around.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I like that Southern drawl.”
The grin on his lips and the dimples it brought to his cheeks made him the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
“But you talk so slowly that I forget what you said at the beginning of the sentence by the time you get to the end of it.”
She thrust her chin out and looked at him hard. “Are you making fun of me?”
The laugh lines around his eyes grew more prominent. “I would never do that.”
Lucy couldn’t help but return his teasing smile. Something she hadn’t done in a long time. It felt good to have some humor in her life again.
A nurse came down the hall. “You first patient is in exam two, Dr. O’Doherty.”
Ryan took the patient chart from the nurse and Lucy followed him. The man could turn on the charm when he chose. She’d have to watch out or he might use it against her.
Lucy joined him during each examination. All the patients were there for sixth-week post-op visits and would be released from Ryan’s care after this clinical appointment. Neither he nor she would see them again unless the patients required additional surgery. Maybe that was why Ryan didn’t invest more effort into getting to know the families. They weren’t normally long-term patients for him.
“This is the last patient,” Ryan told her as he pulled the chart out of the holder on the door. “Amanda Marcella. Three years old. “
He tapped lightly on the door then entered. Lucy followed and he introduced her. “So, how’s Amanda doing?” he asked the far-too-young mother.
“Okay, I guess.”
Lucy cringed. If she had a child who was sick she wouldn’t be treating the child’s heath so nonchalantly.
The little girl had an external shunt located on the right side of her head. Ryan removed the bandages. He really had a tender way about him.
“This shunt isn’t positioned correctly. The site needs to be checked and rebandaged. I’ll show you how I want it done,” he announced, engrossed in what he was doing.
“I don’t like doing that sort of thing. My boyfriend has to do it,” the mother said.
Ryan looked up. “This isn’t something that you have a choice about. You have to take responsibility for your child.”
He didn’t wait for the mother to respond before he turned and left the room.
At the girl’s stricken face, Lucy stepped toward her. “Do you have any one else who can help you?”
The girl shook her head slowly, her eyes filling with tears. “My parents kicked me out when I got pregnant with Amanda. I try to do what I can but I’m no good at being a nurse.”
Ryan returned with a nurse in tow. She carried a disposable suture kit. “I’m going to put in a couple of stitches to secure the shunt. It’ll still have to be bandaged and cleaned regularly.” He looked at the mother to punctuate his point.
The mother’s eyes grew larger and she screwed up her face with displeasure. Couldn’t Ryan tell he was scaring the girl? If he did notice, why didn’t he care?
“Why don’t we wait outside while Dr. O’Doherty is working?” Lucy suggested. The mother nodded and Lucy led her out into the hall.
“I know Dr. O’Doherty wants me to see about Amanda’s head but I just can’t. It makes me so sad to look at it.”
Minutes later Ryan opened the door, letting them know that he was finished. Lucy and the mother returned to the room. Ryan looked at the mother and said, “The nurse will show you how to bandage the site. You’ll need to bring Amanda back again next week. I’ll expect to see that the wound has been cared for.”
The girl mumbled, “Okay…” and took her whimpering child from the nurse.
Ryan left and Lucy gave the girl’s shoulder a reassuring pat and joined him.
“I hate it when I perform surgery and the patient is improving but the parents won’t take care of the child,” Ryan said through clenched teeth, softly enough not to sound unprofessional. Lucy had no doubt that he wished he could say it loud enough that not only the mother could hear but everyone else as well.
“Can we go to an empty exam room and talk a sec?” Lucy asked.
He gave her a frustrated look but nodded his assent.
When they were in the room with the door closed behind them, she turned to him and said, “Ryan, you can’t be so hard on that mother. She’s little more than a child herself and terrified. She has no help at home and a sick child to care for.”
“She has a duty to her child. She has to see that her child gets the care she needs.”
“Her grief is so great she can’t stand to look at her baby, it scares her,” Lucy flung back. “Haven’t you ever been in a spot where you thought you couldn’t handle it?”
He went pale for a second but soon recovered. Still, she’d seen it. His reaction to the mother had been over the top—was his cool relationship with his patient’s parents masking something more?
“What do you suggest?” he asked in a tight voice.
“I don’t think forcing the girl to do the wound care is the answer. She needs help. Which I will see about getting her. Until then, if you would write an order for home health a couple of times a week, I think it would be best for her and the child.”
She was shocked when a slight grin formed on his lips. “I’m starting to feel manipulated but I think you’re right this time. I’ll write the order.” Taking the chart he held, he turned and left the room.
She’d eased one aspect of the girl’s issues but she’d hit a nerve in Ryan’s. Why?
The knock on her office door told her Ryan stood on the other side. Even the rap of his hand was distinctive. Her officemates had gone home long ago. She might have left sooner if she’d had more to go home to. Instead, she was busy trying to see what services were available to Amanda Marcella. Going to the door, she opened it.
“Hi, I was just wondering if you might have dinner with me tonight. Let me say thanks for helping out this afternoon and apologize for making you feel less than welcome on your first day.” He grinned.
Ryan could slay dragons and carry off a princess’ heart with that movement of his lips.
“Just doing my job. No thanks necessary. I appreciate the invitation but I think I’d better just go home.” Why in the world wasn’t she accepting an opportunity to go out with a good-looking, smart man? Because she could be one of those slayed by his grin. Because it couldn’t go anywhere. But why did it have to?
“You don’t think you can take a few minutes to keep a hard-working colleague company while he eats?” His grin widened.
She was starting to fall for his charm. “I guess I could for a few minutes. I am hungry. But do you mind if I pick the place?”
“Sure. Just so long as it’s not a beans-and-sprouts place. I want meat and cheese and more meat.”
Lucy smiled. Something she was doing more