Page 2 of Doctor Frost

Only she didn’t move. She just sat there, giving me that same smug smile she’d given me for the past few minutes.

“NOW!” I barked, causing her to jump for the first time. Poor Charlotte almost dropped the phone and had to take a drink before she answered the line and let them know we were on our way.

I didn’t wait for another word. I took off out of my office and made my way toward the elevator, quickly pressing the call button, hoping I could get up there before she arrived, but just as the doors opened, Amelia appeared at my side. We both loaded into the elevator and stood in silence as we waited to get to the fifteenth floor.

We made our way to the unit the patient was in, and I quickly exchanged information with the doctors and nurses on duty before I decided if I actually needed to see the patient or just change her treatment plan. At least they’d called me to get my opinion before doing anything. Once I’d gotten the information I needed, I made my decision and looked over at Amelia, who waited patiently by my side, pen at the ready to make any notes.

“Go tell Mrs. Jackson I’m switching her off the medication that is making her sick to a new one,” I muttered, while writing down the name of the new medication in the chart for the nurses.

When I handed the clipboard back to the nurse and turned toward Amelia, she was staring at me.

“What is it?” I questioned.

“Does that mean you aren’t going to come in and talk to her?” she questioned. "She specifically asked to see you. She probably has questions.”

I averted my eyes. I swore if she started, I was going to explode. I let out the breath I was holding and then looked back at her and nodded over to the right. I took a few steps and waited until she made her way over to me.

“Amelia, there is no need for me to go in and speak with her. You can take care of this.”

“Doctor Frost, that woman has been your patient since she got sick. You really should—”

“Amelia, worry about yourself and what I just told you to do. Now, go and speak with her.”

“Seriously? She’s dying, Dalton.” Amelia frowned, looking up at me.

As I studied her, I noticed her eyes getting watery. “I know, it’s you that normally doesn’t acknowledge that.”

Amelia looked at me. I was certain I saw a hint of a tear in her eyes, but she swallowed hard and straightened her back. “Dalton…”

“Amelia, don’t make the patient wait any longer. I have to go. I have work to do and test results to go over. I need to prepare for the day tomorrow, and so do you. It’s best you take care of this patient now, rather than later.” Without waiting for her to respond, I turned and went to take a step when I heard Amelia clear her throat.

“I can’t believe you! Are you serious? You really won’t speak with her?”

I looked over my shoulder at her, at the disappointment and anger on her face. “Yes, Amelia, believe it,” I said, taking another couple of steps away from her.

“What about please? What if I ask you to please speak with her?” she begged.

I didn’t have time for games. Ignoring her, I made my way to the elevator where I hit the call button and waited. While I waited, I glanced over my shoulder to see if she’d done what I’d asked. Instead, I saw her wipe at her eyes and then glare at me.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside, turning to see her still standing there, the look in her eyes now one of disappointment. I didn’t care, though; I hit the button for my fifth-floor office and watched as the doors closed.

It wasa little after seven when I shut the light off in my office and pulled the door closed. The office was dark aside from the small overhead lights at the check-in counter, which normally stayed on until the last person left, which was normally me.

I reached to turn them off when I heard something hit the floor. I glanced around the corner to see Amelia bent down on one knee, picking up a stack of files, stacking them once again into a neat pile.

“What are you still doing here?”

She jumped and dropped the stacked files off her knee as she looked over her shoulder at me.

“Oh my god, you scared me. I thought you left hours ago,” she muttered, picking up the files and stacking them again.

“You didn’t answer me,” I barked.

She didn’t say anything as I waited, and then she let out a sigh.

“You didn’t answer me either. If you need to know, I’m here because Mrs. Jackson had questions and concerns, so I stayed with her for over an hour and a half, doing my best to answer them. I then had to finish up my work for today and prep fortomorrow, which was what I was doing until you made me drop the patient files.”

Why had she been with the patient that long when all she needed to do was give her a simple answer?

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