“Yes.”I grinned as I stood, taking my food from her and handing her a drink from the mini fridge on my desk.“I just pulled it up.Haven’t had a chance to look yet.Thought I’d try to catch up while I ate.”
“Good idea.Give me the rundown when you’re done, if you don’t mind.I’m not sure I’m up to studying today.”
“You still having a rough time of it?”
Dr.Martinez rubbed her slightly protruding belly.The baby bump had become more prominent the last couple of months.“It’s not so bad.I’m forty-two years old.I didn’t expect having my first child at this age was going to be easy.”
“Go sit in your office for a while.I’ll get you if you’re needed.Take a long lunch.”
“I really want to tell you I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.Instead, I’m simply going to say a grateful thank-you, and really hope your offer wasn’t just lip service.”
I reached for the other woman and gave her a quick hug.“Not lip service.Go take care of little Didi.”
“I’m not calling my kid Didi, Nadine.”
I shrugged.“I mean, you could just call her Nadine.I can keep it simple.”
Dr.Martinez snorted with laughter.“Yeah.Just for that, I might take two lunches.”She closed the door to her office and I went back to work still smiling.Fine.Time to get this over with.
I opened the first one, skimming over the actual case file but doing a more thorough examination of the medical file.There were six files in this batch and nothing interesting.Until I came to the last file.
“Ford Raven?”No way.He belonged to an MC called Kiss of Death and he had the nickname of Pain, according to the summary heading.But, honestly, how many Ford Ravens could there be?I backed away from my computer, needing to read on but not wanting to.Dr.Ford Raven had been the reason I’d gone into nursing.He even knewmyname and I was just a volunteer.There was no way this could be right.My eyes had to be playing tricks on me.
I moved back to my computer, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.When I opened my eyes, nothing had changed.After reading the first page, I confirmed it was, indeed, Dr.Ford Raven.I couldn’t bring myself to read his conviction record.I honestly didn’t want to know.So I tried to concentrate on his medical profile.Thankfully, it was clean.Even though this was my job, it still felt wrong.One of the things any hospital drills into employees was that patient confidentiality is a big deal.Which was why I’d known of more than one person who’d been terminated for looking into a colleague or friend’s medical record when they were an actual patient.Looking at Dr.Raven’s medical file felt like that.Like I was looking at something I shouldn’t be.
“You okay?”Dr.Martinez asked.I hadn’t noticed she’d left her office, so I was startled when she spoke.“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”In a way, I suppose I had.
“I’m fine,” I managed, my voice steadier than I felt.“Just recognized a name is all.”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself back into professional mode.Whatever happened, whatever he did, it didn’t change my job.I was here to provide medical care, nothing more.And, by God, I would be as professional as he would be.Even though I felt sick at the thought of whatever had happened to lead Dr.Raven to this place, he was still my secret hero.My schoolgirl crush on a famous celebrity.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I nodded, forcing a smile.“Yeah.”
“You know, there’s every possibility the name you saw isn’t the person you know.Right?”
“Doc, his name is Ford Raven.You know a lot of those?”I tried to joke when I was more shaken than I should be.How many times had I heard him say one patient wasn’t more important than another?That everyone deserved his very best, no matter if they were the CEO of the hospital or the homeless man by the dumpster.He’d never said it to me directly, but I’d heard him repeating the mantra to his colleagues and other hospital staff on multiple occasions.
Dr.Martinez winced.“Ford Raven.Yeah, can’t say I’ve ever heard of that name anywhere else.”She gave me a sympathetic, knowing look.“Is it going to be an issue?There are other nurses who can assist with his initial exam.”
“No.I’ll be fine.It’s just that he’s such a caring person.He was always the first person to come to someone’s aid.”
“Must have been a violent crime for him to end up here.You look at his case summary?”
“No.I can’t make myself.”
“You know you’re going to have to review it at some point before they get here.”
“Yeah, but it feels wrong.Whatever happened was probably the worst day of his life.It feels too personal.”
“Only you would feel that way.”Dr.Martinez squeezed my shoulder.“If I ever have a secret I need taken to the grave, I’m calling you.Just don’t get too comfortable around him.You’re the most conscientious person I’ve ever met, Nadine.You pay attention to people and are careful about what you say and how you say it.Did you have a personal relationship with this guy?I mean, like, were you friends?”
I shook my head.“No.Nothing like that.He was a doctor at the hospital I worked at before I came here.I was never actually introduced to him, but he knew my first name and always spoke when he passed me in the hall.”I shrugged.“He was soft-spoken and reserved, but always kind.To staff and patients alike.”
“Hmm…” Dr.Martinez pursed her lips.“Doesn’t sound like the typical person to end up here.What did he do?”
“Beats me.Maybe he didn’t get a long sentence and they kept him close to home.”
