Chapter One
Natalie
The hospital waiting room is humming with chatter, groans, and exaggerated sighs. Like the louder they are, the quicker they’ll get in. I toss up a mental eye roll and repeat the triage protocol to the raven-haired, impeccably dressed woman with flawless make-up, standing in front of me.
“I hear what you’re saying, ma’am, but I’m a senator’s daughter,” she smirks. Then, she lifts her perfectly manicured hand in the air and studies her French tipped nails.
Lady, I don’t care who your father is. He could be the Pope for all I care. I snicker under my breath. If she’s the Pope’s daughter, she might get in quicker. That would be the news story of the century. The Pope’s illegitimate daughter shows up at the local ER. Story at nine.
“I understand your frustration. However, there is a procedure in place for how patients are addressed within the ER. Maybe you could try the urgent care clinic on Grand Boulevard.”
“Tell the doctor that Tanya Ferguson is in the emergency waiting area. I need to be seen for this killer sinus infection.” She flicks her fingers as if to dismiss me.
Sweetheart, I’ve been dismissed by better. My mind drifts to my father, and then, I shake my head. Now is not the time for a trip down memory lane. “I’ll let her know.”
“Her?” The woman’s brow furrows until her eyebrows almost touch. Above her brows are deep crevices in her forehead.
“Yes, Dr. Maxwell is the ER doctor today.” Damn, should have started with the doctor being female. So many people get their panties in a bunch when the physician isn’t male. Whether it’s a perceived competency issue or the potential loss of a doctor/patient fantasy, the results are the same – walkouts.
“Uggg,” she sighs, turns on her heel, and stalks to the door.
How in the hell did she do a perfect pirouette? I glance over the window ledge and search for her tutu. She must have left that little accessory at home. The woman was probably in ballet by the time she was two years old. The benefits of money and power.
Should have gotten rid of her fifteen minutes ago and saved a dry mouth from all this talking to the air I’ve been doing. I shake my head. The sheer number of people who pop into the ER for weird reasons is beyond what I would have ever expected.
Pill poppers. Free passes from work seekers. Too entitled to wait for a doctor’s appointment. And then, there are the ladies looking to hookup with the hot doctors. Not much question which category Ms. Perfect was in. The door slams shut behind her.
“Who was that?” Lucia Maxwell nods toward the exiting woman. Doctor Maxwell’s long blonde hair is pulled back into a bun at the base of her neck. She’s petite and thin.
“Her name is Tanya Ferguson. She left when I told her you were female.”
“Lord.” She rolls her eyes and slaps her hands on her hips. The top of her coat splays apart with her change in position. “The stalkers are the worst.” Her eyes flit over the waiting patients. “It’s a packed house tonight. Of course, it always is during a full moon.”
“Yep. It brings out the crazies.” Clicking through the computer screens, I finish inputting the insurance card information and
address for an older man who’s suffering from a potential kidney stone.
As I move through the ER, it’s as packed as the waiting room. Each exam room is inside a glassed in cubical. Most of the sliding doors are open all the way to allow the medical professionals easy access in and out.
Inside the rooms, the patients seeking privacy have the curtain skirted around them to varying degrees. The drape for room two is pulled shut. “Mr. Sanders?”
“Yes,” his voice comes out as a groan.
I snag the edge of the white curtain and pull it open a few inches. The metal rings make a scraping sound as they move. I catch a whiff of the man’s cologne and blink as it tickles my nose. “I have your insurance paperwork and some documents for you to sign.”
“Okay,” he mumbles and lifts his arm from over his face. The pain he’s experiencing is evident by the set of his jaw and extends to the distressed expression in his eyes.
Kidney stones are a bitch. “Don’t sit up. I’ll come over to you.”
“Thanks,” he sighs as his foot and leg bounce in an apparent attempt to help ease the pain. It’s questionable if it’s helping.