He got connected to her voice mail. “Hey, it’s Wolfe. Call me when you get a minute.” He clicked off.
When was the last time he worried about a female other than family? The only thing he ever worried about was if she orgasmed fast enough so he could get home. He didn’t mean to be cold or cruel, it was just how he was built. He had stopped trying to be someone else a long time ago.
The voice taunted. Then why do you want to be more for her?
Shut up.
The voice grew quiet.
He didn’t trust David. This was bigger than wanting Gen back—this was about retribution for trying to leave and humiliating him. He knew how abusers worked, and how easily it could escalate behind closed doors. Better be safe than sorry. Another clichéd motto he believed in.
After this conference, he’d keep a close eye on things. For now, he needed to focus. Gen could take care of herself. They were friends, not lovers. No reason to blur the lines and make things complicated.
Complicated for who? Her? Or you?
This time he didn’t snap at the inner voice. Just got back to work.
GENEVIEVE WEAVED HER WAY through the chaos of the ER and headed toward the next patient. ER rotation was sometimes a bitch, and today was one of the worst. They were short beds and staff, and since she’d gotten back there’d been no time to pause.
The whole thing was a nightmare, but she figured she would hunker down like it was the Alamo and battle through.
Gen pulled the curtain back and read the chart for bed three. Susan Avery. Age forty-two. Symptoms of abdominal pains. No allergies. She smiled and met the gaze of a pretty blonde with big brown eyes and a thin face. “Hi, Susan, my name is Genevieve. Are we having some stomach issues today?”
Susan looked slightly flushed. “Yes. I really didn’t want to come to the ER but the pains aren’t going away and I got a bit nervous.”
“Of course. Any other symptoms?”
“Not really. I took some antacids last night but nothing worked.”
“And when did this start?”
“Late last night.”
“Okay, let’s check a few things out first.” She retook Susan’s blood pressure, which seemed slightly elevated. “Any past history of high blood pressure?”
“No.”
She noted the chart, but numbers were sometimes a bit high due to anxiety. “I’m going to do an ultrasound on you, Susan. We want to rule out acute abdomen so we’ll set that up. Just relax and I’ll have a tech here in a few minutes.”
Susan shifted position. “I don’t have any insurance.” She lifted her chin as she uttered the statement, as if trying to protect her pride. “Is that a problem?”
Gen hated the massive inflow of patients who needed certain tests but couldn’t afford it. The hospital did its best, but there were too many gaps in the system and no way to stave off the leaks. She shook her head. “Not a problem. Let’s take it a step at a time, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Gen ordered the test, noting the glare the tech gave her as if he hated being the one to help her. She hurried to the next bed, finishing up two more patients, and her phone buzzed insistently in her pocket. She glanced at the screen and saw Wolfe’s number. Juggling charts, she listened to his brief voice mail, and couldn’t help the smile on her face. She’d kept the confrontation with David to herself, and things seemed to have settled a bit in the past few days. Though she was still treated like a leper, David kept his distance. She quickly sent a text saying she was fine and would be working late.
“Dr. Mackenzie, it seems you still think you’re on vacation rather than in an overcrowded ER. If you have time to chat on your phone, maybe you’re not doing your job.”
She stiffened and thrust the phone back in her pocket. Dr. Tyler Ward was head of the ER, a real son of a bitch, and friends with David. “Sorry.” Giving any excuses would just make the situation worse. His bushy brows lowered in a disgusted frown, and his gaze swept over her. “We need bed three for incoming. What’s the status?”
“Waiting on the ultrasound report, sir.”
“Get it faster.”
“Yes, sir.” She already knew the tech probably buried her request in the back of others, so she hunted him down again. Gen glanced through the report, which came back clean for acute abdomen. Good sign. But something niggled at her that didn’t sit right. She went back to talk to Susan.
“Did you get the results yet?” Susan asked.
“Yes, the ultrasound came back fine.”
“That’s good, then, right? Maybe I should just switch antacids and sleep it off?” The joke fell flat as her hand settled on her stomach, obviously uncomfortable.
“I want to check a few more things.”
“Sure.”
Gen rechecked the blood pressure. Hmm. Still elevated, and she didn’t think it was nerves. She touched the woman’s skin, which felt clammy and sweaty. As she pressed over her muscles and examined her, she noticed her ankles were definitely swollen. How many times had a cardiac problem in women been misdiagnosed as indigestion?
“Anything big going on at home?” Gen asked casually, listening to her heartbeat again.
“Just the normal stress. I’m planning a bridal shower for my daughter and it’s been taking a lot of time. And my promotion at work is good news, but I’ve been working late a lot.”
“Congratulations on both. I’d like to run one more test to rule out any other possibilities before sending you home. Excuse me for a moment.”