“Oh, right,” she whispered.
“They were great, and I try to get there at least once a year and drop in on the kids.” He gave a half smile. “For some reason, some of them think race car drivers are cool.”
She saw it in his eyes. He knew the drill. What the hospital represented for most of its patients. He knew the battle because he’d fought one of his own. These were the things he never talked about. The things she’d somehow forgotten.
Wyatt Blackwell continually surprised her.
Chapter 11
The drive to Children’s Hospital took about twenty minutes. Wyatt pulled up to the front doors and put his truck in Park. A light snow had begun to fall, but, driven by a strong wind that blew in from the north, it whirled and ripped past his windshield. He had the heat on but felt cold, and as he studied Regan’s pale face, he grew concerned. She’d been worrying at her cell phone since they left his buddy’s place.
“Are you— Do you need me—”
She reached for the door and cut him off. “I’ve got to get inside, Wyatt. Thank you so much for bringing me here. I’m sorry about…” She sighed and shrugged, those big eyes of hers beseeching. “Everything.”
“I’ll come in with you.”
She shook her head and opened the door. “No. I have this patient and…” She tugged on her hood and offered a small smile. “I’ll get a cab home later.”
Like hell she would.
But before Wyatt could say another word, she slammed the door shut and hurried into the hospital. He spun the truck around and headed for the parking lot, and not more than five minutes passed before he found himself inside the hospital. He shook the snow from his boots and realized a few things.
He had no idea where Regan was and…
He had no idea what patient to inquire about.
He glanced around and shoved his gloves in the pocket of his jacket. The entrance was large, painted with soothing pastel colors and murals of animals that any child would love. At the moment, the place seemed deserted, so he headed for reception and smiled at the young woman behind the counter. Dressed in peach scrubs, she was a cute little thing, with a messy blond ponytail, large wire-framed glasses that magnified pretty blue eyes, and a welcoming smile that made him feel hopeful.
“Hey,” he said, flashing a smile. She blushed, and that was a good sign. “I’m hoping you can give me some information.”
She sat up a little straighter. “Sure. What do you need?”
“My friend, Regan Thorne, she’s a doctor. Do you know her?”
“I’m sorry. Not personally, but I only started here a few months ago.”
“Gotcha. Well, I just dropped her off. Did you see her come through?”
“Um, no one came to reception, so I’m not sure. There were a bunch of people in here a few minutes ago.”
“Okay. Well, she’s here to see a patient, and I just need to know where she is.”
The girl hesitated for a second, and he flashed a smile that should make a nun’s panty’s melt. Her blush deepened, and she started typing on her keyboard, a small frown marring her forehead.
“Hmm. There’s no Doctor Thorne listed in our system. Not even for privileges.”
“Privileges?”
“Yes. Doctors who don’t practice here, but they have permission to perform procedures, etc.”
“I see.” He leaned in a bit closer. “That kind of makes sense because her office is in Crystal Lake. But I think one of her patients from home has been admitted.”
“That might be the case, but it would mean she’s not here in a professional capacity.”
He wasn’t sure, but considering the whole privilege thing, he was going to go with no.
“Do you know the name of the patient?” she asked, watching him closely.