A pang of guilt pierced me. I didn’t want to think that he might have been looking for me. “I’m sure he’s going to be just fine. Again, I’ll know more after the scans.”
She wiped the tears away with her fingers. “Ok. Should we wait? Can we wait?”
“I’ll take you upstairs where you can sit.”
“I’m Mia, by the way.” She gestured to the men. “And this is John, my husband and Brett’s brother, and Jacob, my brother.”
“Yes, Brett mentioned your names last night. It’s nice to meet you.”
Jacob chuckled. “I guess the scar will just make him even prettier.”
Mia smacked his chest. “Knock it off.”
They followed me out into the lobby and up the stairs to the waiting area. “I’ll have the nurse bring you some paperwork to fill out for him.”
I turned to head towards my office. Mia followed after me. “Do you have a minute?”
After a quick glance at the wall clock, I nodded. “You can come to my office.”
She followed behind me. I shut the door behind her and gestured to two cushioned chairs. “Please.”
“Thank you.” She sat, wringing her fingers. “I wanted to apologize for him again. He really is a good guy, but a lot like his brother. They seem to want to be the life of the party, and they pull ridiculous stunts.”
I nodded.
She shifted uncomfortably. “When I met John, he was carrying a blow-up doll. I didn’t have a whole lot of patience for him.” She scooted to the edge of the seat. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… well, Brett has a heart of gold, and I know he really took to you.” Tears welled again. “Please take care of him.”
“Medically, I presume, is what you’re asking?”
She tilted her head, opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again, sighing.
“Mrs.Barringer…”
“Mia.”
I nodded politely. “Mia, I will do my best for him while he’s in my care.”
Her eyes bore into mine. “Well, then, I guess I should tell you who he is.”
I kept a straight face. “Please.”
She reached into her bag. “He’s the center for the Seattle Kraken.” She wrote a number on the back of a business card. “It’s a hockey team. You’ll want to call the team physician.”
I took the card she handed me. I stood. “I’ll give him a call as soon as I get the results.”
She stood and followed me to the door. “Please don’t be too hard on him.” She shrugged. “Brett, that is.”
Kindly, I said, “Ok.”
Mia returned to the waiting room. I sat at my desk and put my head in my hands. My world was closing in around me.
The phone lit up. I hit the speaker button. “Dr.Cain.”
“Dr.Cain, the scans are back.”
“Thank you, I’ll be right down.” I hit the end call button and went back to the emergency room.
Mia, John and Jacob all stood when they saw me. “The scans are back. Give me about ten minutes to talk to him, and then you can come in to see him.”