It feels normal. It feels good.
Eventually, I decide to call it a night. I know Aiden’s busy with rounds and I’m tired and need a good night’s sleep. I kiss Grandmom on the cheek and head out, already dreaming about my comfortable couch and The Great British Bake Off.
I move down the hallway, past the nurse’s station. I nod at Jackie and she smiles at me. As I head toward the elevators, an older woman with short blonde hair and a severe smile waves at me.
I stop short and blink. I don’t recognize the woman, but she’s wearing a very professional looking outfit, like she belongs here or something. She smiles and cocks her head slightly at me.
“Ruby, right?” she asks.
I nod. “Uh, hi. I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are.”
“My name is Liza Cutter,” she says, holding a hand out. She’s wearing a surprising amount of bracelets and her nails are painted light blue.
I shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. How, uh, do you know me?”
“I’m the director of medicine here at Jefferson,” she says, still smiling.
Oh, shit. The name suddenly clicks into place. Aiden’s mentioned her before, Liza, his boss.
Oh, shit-fucking shit.
I keep a smile plastered on my face as she releases my hand.
“Dot’s doing well, isn’t she?” Liza asks me.
“Uh, yeah,” I say.
“All thanks to Dr. Hill.”
I try to keep the fear out of my expression. “He’s doing a good job.”
“More than a good job. I think your grandmother will be leaving here fairly soon, don’t you think?”
“I hope so.”
Liza beams at me, but I can sense something else. There’s a tension in her expression, like she’s afraid of something.
I want to get out of here. I know I shouldn’t be talking to Liza. I know the freaking director of medicine would never bother with a random patient’s granddaughter unless that random patient’s granddaughter was fucking one of her star doctors.
It’s obvious what this is about, and the longer we stand here doing this weird small talk dance, the more I’m about to freak the fuck out.
Breathe. Calm down.
There’s no way she knows anything for sure.
Everything she hears is just a rumor. Aiden even said so himself: just rumor.
Just the nurses chatting.
But I don’t know what I’ll do when she asks about it. I never discussed it with Aiden.
Do I lie? Do I tell the truth? I don’t know what this woman would do if I lie, or what she’d do if I told the truth.
She could kick my grandmother out of here. She could fire Aiden.
Fucking fuck.
“So, has Dr. Hill been… ah… respectful since he took over your grandmother’s case?”
That question throws me. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Dr. Hill has something of a reputation, you see, for being very… short with patients.”
I can’t help but smile a little at that understatement. “He’s been okay,” I manage to say.
“Good, good.”
“My grandmother likes him. I think she finds him very authoritative. It’s almost comforting her for.”
“That’s very good. Yes, Dr. Hill can come off that way sometimes. Other times, he’s just…”
“Difficult?” I supply.
“Yes, that’s a kind way of putting it.” She sighs a little. “Good. I like to check in on his patients and their families, just to make sure he isn’t doing something stupid.”
Relief slowly floods through me. Of course this is what she does. She’s the one that deals with hospital lawsuits and all that stuff.
She has an interest in making sure Aiden doesn’t piss anyone off. She plays damage control with him.
That’s pretty amazing, actually. I know he’s talented, but to have the director of medicine herself coming down to play defense for you… that’s impressive.
He must be way more valuable than I even realized.
Liza gives me a big smile. “Well, okay. Glad we had a chance to chat, Ruby.”
“Me too,” I say. “Really, Dr. Hill’s been great. No problems here.”
“Good to hear,” she says, and starts to walk away.
I smile at her, stepping toward the elevators. I feel like I’m going to get away. My apartment is calling for me.
Liza turns back. “Oh, by the way. When did you start sleeping with him?”
I stop dead in my tracks. I stare at the floor. I feel like she just plunged a spear into my back.
I slowly turn toward her.
“What do you mean?” I ask like a moron.
Her smile is dripping venom. “Ruby, come on. You think you’re the first?”
Something rocks through me. A shockwave, a tremor. “Excuse me?”
She sighs. “You don’t have to protect him.”
“I’m not,” I say. Confusion rolls along my spine.
I’m not the first?
What the hell does that mean?
She steps toward me, pitches her voice lower to make sure nobody can overhear her.
“Listen Ruby, you’re young, and I’ll admit, Dr. Hill is very attractive. Everyone knows the effect he has on women.”
“Uh,” I manage to say, feeling like this is the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.