CHAPTER ONE
Her back hurt, her head pounded, her feet begged for her to sit, and if Dr.Morton dumped any more patients on her overflowing plate, Tessa would shove his stethoscope up his ass.
She didn’t mind the demands and sacrifices of being a doctor, but she knew that underneath the lab coat, the diploma, and the wealth of information processing through her brain every minute, lay a weary body and a worried heart. Separating her personal and professional lives was becoming more and more difficult, taking a toll she couldn’t afford to show.
Passing the nurses’ station, she stopped and grabbed another file.
“Doctor Freeman, I thought you had left.”
Tessa looked up and smiled at Mabel, one of the RNs assigned to the night shift and a dear friend. The black woman was the epitome of efficiency, no-nonsense, and warmth, and was an incredible support as the night shift often had new and inexperienced staff in the emergency ward.
“I wish I had. But Dr.Morton has disappeared again, so I’m taking his shift.”
The nurse rolled her eyes with a grimace that made Tessa smile. “I swear that man is flighty. There must be a woman again. It’s always a new one that makes him disappear like Houdini. He can’t keep it in his pants.”
“As long as he keeps it in his pants at the hospital, I don’t care where else he slings it.”
Mabel laughed and shook her head. “If I ever see it, I’m calling the police.”
Tessa bit her lip and couldn’t help but wink at her. “If you do, please tell me. I want to watch him being taken away, and never return.”
“Yeah … but you’re trying to divert my attention … when are you planning on taking a real vacation?”
Tessa sighed. “To do what?”
The nurse frowned. “To do what? What kind of question is that? To sleep, to rest, to eat way better food than what you can find in the cafeteria and maybe have a man rub you all in all the right places?”
“For that, I need a man to come with me.”
“There are men everywhere … you work too much, you’re not thinking straight. Hell, you frequently take too many shifts! That’s not a life.”
“I have time for all that other stuff.”
Mabel crossed her arms. “We all say that, honey, until we wake up old and alone in a cold bed.”
“Are you warning me of something you’ve experienced?” Tess found it difficult to keep a straight face as she teased her friend, and a half-smile slowly appeared.
A menacing finger was waved in her face. “Stop being so stubborn, woman, and listen to me before it’s too late.”
Lifting her hands in surrender, Tessa poked her tongue out at her. “If I say yes, can you tell me who my next patient is?”
Mumbling, Mabel sifted through a pile of folders and handed her another file. “Everything is under control so far. There’s only one you need to see. Cuts that may need stitches and a blow to the head. Waiting in numbersix.”
“Good! Anything that keeps me awake until I can go home.”
“I’ll schedule you some time for a nap after.”
It was Tessa’s turn to point a menacing finger at Mabel. “Now you’ve said that, I’ll be hopping all night. I’m blaming you when we get busy.”
Mabel smiled in appeasement. “Blame me for that, but the rest is on you.”
With a burst of energy thanks to Mabel, Tessa made her way to her patient.
The emergency room was eerily calm at this hour which never boded well. It was like a curse that would soon explode in your face.
Pushing aside the bland blue curtains, she looked at the man sitting on the stretcher. Thanks to her extensive training and high professionalism, she was able to keep her surprise from showing on her face. Half-naked, and despite the bloody dressing hiding most of his side and part of his head, he was pure female fantasy. Muscles ripping under golden skin, dark chocolate hair and the face of a fallen angel. And when the man turned his attention on her as she entered, it was as if she hit a wall. Pale sea-green eyes focused on her and shimmered. It wasn’t just surprise on his face but assessment, annoyance, and immediate detachment. White and slightly sweating, he was in obvious pain despite trying to not let it show on his face. A man used to pain by the way he kept himself in check.
Taking a quick look at his file, Tessa noticed the name. When patients didn’t want to divulge their true identity, they often reverted to ridiculous substitutions.