Page 30 of Doctor One Night

I nod, garnering a newfound respect for her—not just for her knowledge, but for her dedication and her passion. It’s rare to find someone who can match me in intensity, and I find myself drawn to that in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

As we wrap up the meeting, the tension between us shifts. It’s less about conflict and more about the shared goal, the mutual respect that seems to be there between us.

As I leave her office, the realization hits me that this trial is going to test more than just our professional abilities. It’s going to test our ability to work together, to trust each other. If she's anything like me, that isn’t going to be an easy feat for either of our personalities.

Hunter’s Condo

6:32 pm

The city lights flicker through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow across the room.

I drop my bag on the kitchen counter and pour myself a glass of water, the meeting with Frankie still fresh in my mind. It went better than I expected—better than it had any right to go, considering the tension between us and our brief history of intimacy, which almost seems like a dream now.

But there’s something about her that’s making this trial extra important to me. It’s not just another project. It’s almost like a quest to make it soar.

I lean against the counter, staring out at the cityscape, my mind shifting gears to the work ahead.

Pacemakers have been crucial to cardiac care for decades, but like with all medical devices, there’s always room for improvement. The standard pacemaker does its job—regulating heartbeats by delivering electrical impulses to the heart muscles—but it’s not without limitations.

Most pacemakers work on a fixed-rate system or a demand mode, where the device only fires when it detects an irregular heartbeat. They’re effective, but they don’t account for the nuanced needs of different patients, particularly those with complex cardiac conditions. The device doesn’t always adapt well to a patient’s activity level or the natural variability of a healthy heart, leading to complications like arrhythmias or even heart failure in severe cases.

What Frankie discovered and what we will be testing with this trial is different. The pacemaker Frankie and her team have been developing is designed to be adaptive—smart, if you will. Everything these days is smart, and it only makes sense for medical devices to use the same technology to conform to individual quirks and needs.

It’s equipped with sensors that monitor not just the heart’s electrical activity but also the patient’s physiological status in real-time. Things like oxygen levels, blood pressure, and even metabolic rate are taken into account, allowing the pacemaker to adjust its pacing algorithm on the fly.

It’s a dynamic system, meant to mimic the body’s natural responses more closely than any device currently on the market.

The potential here is enormous. For patients with advanced heart disease, this could mean fewer complications, fewer surgeries, and a better quality of life. It’s not just about keeping the heart beating—it’s about keeping it beating the way it should under a variety of conditions, responding to the body’s needs as they change throughout the day.

This kind of innovation could change the standard of care, make pacemakers less of a blunt instrument and more of a finely tuned part of the body’s overall system.

But with all that potential comes risk. This isn’t a simple upgrade; it’s a fundamental change in how we think about cardiac care. The trials are going to be rigorous and the scrutiny will be intense. Every detail needs to be perfect because one misstep could set us back years—or worse, endanger patients’ lives.

That’s where my role comes in. As a cardiothoracic surgeon, I’ve seen the limitations of current pacemakers firsthand. I’ve been in the OR when a patient’s device failed, when their heart didn’t respond the way it should have.

I’ve seen the fear in their eyes when they realize their lifeline might not be as reliable as they thought. That’s why I've become so invested in this trial. It's why I didn't hesitate when Theo asked if I could consult.

It’s not just about advancing the science—it’s about making sure the next patient on my table has the best possible chance at a full, healthy life.

And it’s why Frankie’s perspective is so valuable. She sees the data, the patterns, the possibilities in ways I can’t. But I see the patients, the real-world application, the human lives hanging in the balance. Together, we might just pull this off—if we can get out of our own way to listen to the other.

I’m all pumped up from the realization of the full potential of what we are doing. Got to burn off some of this energy. A sunset run is just what the doctor orders.

ELEVEN

Frankie

Frothy Monkey

7:11 pm

I sit in the café, staring down at the paper cup of peppermint tea with the craft paper koozie wrapped around it. I spin the corrugated sleeve around mindlessly, trying to ease my anxiety but only adding to it.

The steam stopped rising from it a while ago, but I still haven’t taken a single sip. I wrap my hands around it to try to stop my fidgeting. It’s strange being here, waiting for a man who’s been nothing more than a ghost in my life.

When I got the second letter, I thought about ignoring it—just like I ignored the first one. But something in his words got to me this time. The way he basically begged me, promised to leave me alone if I would meet, I figured I would see what is so urgent.

Carly told me I’d regret it if I didn’t at least hear him out, and I came to the realization that she’s right. But as I sit here, waiting, I’m not so sure. Part of me wants to run before he gets here. Maybe this was a mistake…

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