Page 42 of Drake Eternal

We ended the call, and I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes.

She didn’t say anything about the photo. Why?

Was she too worried about it to tell me? She had to know I’d be jealous of seeing her with anyone, let alone someone young, handsome and wealthy like Carlton.

I sighed and glanced out the window. It was raining again, with sheets of it falling between the buildings. That was bad news for the state of the country’s water system. There had been more than enough rain for a year, let alone a month.

It was scary and made Michael’s job finding two — or more — new surgeons for the hospital even more important.

Later that afternoon, when I was finished rounds to check on my patients, I sat in the cafeteria and had something to eat. I read the paper and watched on the television on the wall across from me scenes of mayhem in the rivers outside of Nairobi. Now, the rains were hitting the city itself and I watched as the camera panned to a building that had collapsed at the edge of the city, rescue workers frantic to find survivors.

My cell rang, and I saw that it was Michael. “Can you come by my office? I have a huge favor to ask.”

“I’ll be right there,” I replied and grabbed my paper and tray.

“Thanks.”

I returned my tray to the racks at the side of the cafeteria and then made my way to Michael’s office. He was standing watching the flat screen in his office.

“Come in,” he said when he saw me pop my head inside. “Have you seen this?”

We watched the scenes of devastation on the outskirts of Nairobi. “Yes, I have. It’s a nightmare. Some of the older buildings just can’t withstand the heavy rain.”

“It’s once in a thousand-year rain,” Michael said, shaking his head. “They just don’t have the infrastructure to deal with this.

I watched in horror as the camera panned the streets with the building collapsed into the roads. Panicked rescue workers carried stretchers from the remains of the formerly-four story building.

“We’re going to be inundated with trauma patients,” Michael said, his voice low. “Can you put your skills to work and help out tonight?”

“Of course. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Good. I just got word that they’re sending several trauma patients here with neurological issues so they can deal with the trauma. We’re already strapped for surgeons and trauma surgeons in particular. Every hand helps.”

“I’ll get scrubbed up,” I said and went to the door.

“I’ll join you in five,” Michael said. “I have to call to confirm that we have extra staff working in the OR. I feel bad about this, but I’m seriously considering calling Sam and asking her to come in for a few days to help deal with workload. We could use her hands tonight of all nights, but I wanted to speak with you first.”

That made me feel bad. “I’m sorry you had to do it because of me, but if you think we need her to deal with this, go ahead.”

He exhaled heavily. “I didn’t let her go because of you. I let her go because of her own bad choices. She is the problem, not you. Get that out of your mind. She got a job at the General. When they called for a reference, I didn’t want to give her a bad one so at least she has a job. Maybe she’ll realize she can’t sleep with her residents. She’s a very skilled neurosurgeon, and we need every hand we can get. I hope you don’t mind.”

I frowned. “Of course, I don’t mind. It’s an emergency. Will she mind? It’s because of me that she got fired.”

“No,” he said and made a slicing motion with his hand. “It’s because of her own bad choices.”

I nodded. She was a very good neurosurgeon. It was just too bad she showed bad decision-making skills when it came to her personal life…

Whatever the case, I still felt bad that she was let go because of our relationship and her inability to keep her sex life and work separate.

“You do what you have to do. If she’ll come back to help, I’ll put on my best fake-smile and work with her if I must. I’ll go now,” I said and pointed to the door. “Get scrubbed in. Do whatever you think the hospital needs. Don’t worry about me.”

“Thanks, Drake. I wanted to let you know before I called her.”

I nodded and left his office, heading back to my own before going down to the surgical suites to scrub in.

So, he was going to call Sam and ask her to scrub in with us until the worst of the crisis had passed…

If she agreed, she’d rub it in as much as she could. Of that, I was certain.

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