“Are you okay?”. Maggie asked.
I nodded. I was staring into space stuck in my own head. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ashley. Her CT was clear, and I stood back and watched as she was discharged with that man.
“We couldn’t have kept her here Ava”.
“I know”. I was updating Arthur’s chart. He was upstairs in a side room waiting for a few more tests. I had a feeling he was going to be with us for a few days.
I put the iPad away and got to my feet. “Where do you need me?”. I asked.
“Have you had lunch?”. She asked.
“Not yet”. I shook my head.
“Go for lunch, Dr Beckett is due on shift any minute”.
“Dr Beckett?”. I frowned.
“Ah”. She grinned. “Our new ER physician. You haven’t met him yet, have you?”.
I shook my head. “Is he going to be running the show down here?”.
“Girl”. She huffed. “You know this is my ER”. She winked.
A laugh fell from my lips. She wasn’t wrong about that.
“Do you want me to bring you something back?”.
“I’m good”.
“So, coffee then?”. I grinned.
She nodded giving me a smile.
I grabbed a sandwich and fries from the staff canteen and found an empty table. I was trying my best to stay positive, to put everything that had happened to the back of my mind.
It’s the only thing I could do to keep moving forward. Worrying about something that hadn’t happened yet wasn’t doing me any favours. I checked my phone tapping on Blaze’ number.
“Hey beautiful”. He answered.
“Hi”. I couldn’t hide my smile. Things weren’t great around us, but we were doing okay, and we were in a good place.
“You coming home yet?”. He asked.
I rolled my eyes. I swear if it was up to him, he wouldn’t have me working at all. But it wasn’t up to him, and I loved my job.
“Not yet how’s Everleigh?”. I shoved some fries in my mouth my eyes landing on Josh as he pointed to the chair in front of me.
I nodded for him to sit.
“She’s fine babe taking a nap”.
“Okay, good. Are you doing okay?”. I asked.
“Aye darling. We still on for tonight?”.
“I’m trying to finish for 6”. I glanced at Josh and grinned when he nodded. “I will be finished for 6. Where are you taking me?”.
A laugh fell from his lips. “You’ll see now I gotta go. Talk soon”.
I pulled the phone away from my ear. “Sorry about that. Is everything okay?”. I asked.
“How’s he doing?”.
“He’s good, we’re good. Trying not to think too much about the mess that’s going on around us”.
“The cops?”.
I nodded. “It’s one thing after another. They’re trying to put him away for something he didn’t do”.
“And what are they doing about the cops that hurt you?”.
I felt the lump appear in the back of my throat. I still wasn’t ready to talk about that night. Anything to do with what happened always set me back.
“Last I heard they were still suspended. Is everything okay with you?”. I asked.
“Yeah, just checking in. How’s the ER?”.
“Who is this Dr Beckett?”.
“Great guy, great doctor. You’ll like him”. He smiled.
“He’s not from around here?”. I asked.
“California. Moved down here for family. Sick mom I think but I didn’t get into it too much with him. Must warn you though he’s a catch”.
I made a face. “I think I’ll be fine. I know her CT came back clear, but did she say anything to you?”. I changed the subject because I didn’t care if Dr Beckett was a catch, he’d catch Blaze’s hands if he wasn’t careful.
“Ashley?”. He frowned.
I nodded. “That’s twice I’ve let her walk out of here when I know she’s in danger”.
“Can’t keep blaming yourself for stuff we have no control over. She didn’t talk to me the whole time we were up there. She’ll come back if she needs help”.
“I just wish there was something we could do”.
“We all do Ava but sometimes it’s better to just leave it be”.
“I guess”. I shrugged. “How’s your day been?”. I took a bit of my sandwich.
“Consults all day, meetings with the board. You should come to them one day. It’s fascinating watching people who know nothing about medicine talk about medicine”.
A laugh fell from my lips. “I think I’ll pass”. I was in no way interested in what the board had to say. People with money liked to talk big things but all they wanted was to benefit the hospital not the actual patients.
The sad reality was it was a business, and they were all about making more money.
“Bet you’ve got ideas in that head of yours”. He spoke. “The board is the people you go to for the funding. I would like for you to join me in one soon. It’ll take the pressure off me, and they like to hear from a doctor’s perspective at times”.
“But you’re a doctor”. I frowned.
“Come on Ava help me out please”.
“Fine okay but not too soon”. I finished off my sandwich before getting to my feet. “I’m going to grab Maggie a coffee before heading back to the ER”.
“You’ve still got vacation time and if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”.
“Aren’t we short staffed?”. I asked.
“Aren’t we always?”.
“Fair enough”. I nodded. “I’ll work another double tomorrow in the ER and then I’ll take a week off”.
“Excellent but get back to me with the rest before Monday”.
“Okay”.
I grabbed Maggie’s coffee before heading back to the ER.
“Have you ever been to a board meeting?”. I asked.
“A board meeting”. She laughed. “I stay in my lane sweetheart; I’m not messing around with all the big lugs upstairs”.
“Yeah, same”. I grinned. “But Josh wants me to go to one soon and I’m not sure I want to. I became a doctor to practice medicine and help people. I’m not interested in the money side”.
“I get that, but it might be good for you to meet some of the beneficials that support the hospital and also where the money comes from and what they do with it”.
“Maybe”. I shrugged. “Where do you want me?”.
“Everything is pretty settled down here. Amy is taking care of a leg laceration in bay 5 and everyone else is waiting to be discharged. But at least we’ve started moving people upstairs and beds are becoming available just in case”.
“Okay”. I nodded. “I’ll start with discharge papers”.
“Before you do, you’re needed in the waiting room”. She spoke.
“The waiting room?”. I frowned.
“You have a visitor, but he wouldn’t come inside”.
“Okay”. I made a face.
A sigh fell from my lips when my eyes landed on my dad. I don’t know why I thought it was going to be someone else.
“Dad?”.
“Bout time darling I’ve been sat here for ages”.
I rolled my eyes. “Are you okay? Is mom, okay?”.
“Aye darling all good”.
“Is it Everleigh?”. The lump appeared in my throat.
“She’s all good Ava. I need a favour”.
“What’s that?”. The last time I did a favour for the club I could have lost my license.
He scratched the back of his head. “Need you to pick something up for your mom”.
“It better not be a pregnancy test”. I whispered.
“What, no. Fuck sake Ava”.
Knowing my dad, I wouldn’t put it past him. My mom and dad were very much still in love.
“Then what is it?”.
“Ain’t nothing bad darling I just want to get her something nice y’know”.
“Then why don’t you go to the store and get her something. I have to get back to work dad”.
“I ain’t never been good at that sort of stuff Ava. I kinda feel her slipping in I gotta show her how much I love her”.
Slipping?
“What do you mean?”. I frowned.
“You know how much she wants me to walk away but I can’t do it just yet. I know she’s getting fed up but I ain’t ready to give it all up”.
A sigh fell from my lips as I ran a hand down my face. “I’ll get her something nice but maybe you should do something to show her how much you do actually love her”.
“I plan to darling just you take care of the gift for me”.
“Fine dad consider it done”.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “Thanks darling. You stopping by for dinner?”.
“No, I’m going on a date”.