Page 7 of Hush

“Garrett, please,” Elise said.

“If you’re not comfortable with me, I can refer you to one of our other doctors, but I can assure you that I have the utmost confidence in being able to help your son. I know I’m young, but I have the most current training.”

“Where did you go to medical school?”

“Stanford.”

Garrett shifted in his seat.

Elise waited through an uncomfortable moment, willing Garrett to back down. Finally, he asked, “General anesthetic, right?”

Dr. Parker nodded, his confident demeanor unchanged. “Our anesthesiologist is top notch. He’ll keep Jaden safe and completely comfortable. Surgery should take about an hour and a half.”

Elise inhaled a long, slow breath. “When?” she asked.

“I do surgeries on Wednesdays and Fridays. I have openings both days.”

“Wednesday,” Elise said. She didn’t want Jaden to go from the hospital to Garrett’s house. This way, she could bring him home and care for him for a few days first. Not that Garrett couldn’t take care of him. He was actually a good dad, when it counted.

“Works for me,” Garrett said.

Not that anyone asked you, Elise thought, still rattled by his attack of Dr. Parker.

Garrett checked his watch and stood. “So, hey, I gotta run,” he said, bending to kiss the top of Jaden’s head. “See you soon, J.J.”

Jaden looked up, his eyes full of longing.

Garrett stepped toward Dr. Parker, extending his hand. Dr. Parker shook, the expression of surprise evident.

“Thanks for coming,” Dr. Parker said.

Garrett nodded before moving swiftly from the room.

The door closed softly behind him, and Elise felt the tension drain from her shoulders. “Sorry about that,” she said to Dr. Parker.

Dr. Parker had logged out of his computer. “What about?” he asked, frowning. “Oh, that?” he added quickly, then shook his head. “No big deal. He just cares about his son. I understand.”

Elise brushed back a hair from her forehead, feeling drained. A long to-do list spooled from her thoughts:request time off,buy more wine.

Dr. Parker leaned his hip against the exam table, crossing his arms. “How are you doing?” he asked.

Elise blinked. “Me?” She took a moment to think up a reply, but her mind returned to the conversation with her sister. The way Dr. Parker was standing, so at ease, his muscular torso and arms evident through his blue-and-orange plaid dress shirt was making her thoughts skitter away like a jar of spilled marbles. Finally, she settled on, “I’m fine.”

Dr. Parker’s eyebrows narrowed slightly. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Elise felt something warm inside her chest, realizing with horror that she was blushing. She urged Jaden from her lap so the they could stand. “Yes, but you seem to have everything under control,” she said, her voice sounding more forceful than she’d planned.

Dr. Parker gave her a confident smile, then crouched to Jaden’s level. “They serve really good ice cream in the hospital,” he said. “What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Vanilla,” Jaden said proudly.

“Vanilla?” Dr. Parker said. “Not rocky road, mint chocolate chip, or lemon sorbet?”

Jaden’s face clouded. “What’s lemon sorbet?”

Dr. Parker laughed. “It’s like a lemonhead, only…colder.”

Jaden kneaded Elise’s hand. “That doesn’t sound very good,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

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