Page 22 of Safe With Me

She scowled. “I’m not abandoning you at a time like this.”

Mutt came out of the office. He walked to Pax and nudged him. “He has to go out. And he should walk.”

“I’ll take him. But I want to be here when Jackson comes, so I’m going out back. I’ll walk him later.” She leashed the dog and headed out. Once in the cool air, Steph tried to empty her head. Only one thing was clear. She felt compelled to be there for Pax, no matter what. She didn’t examine why.

* * *

Pax dropped down at the new table he’d set up for the reception desk. His worlds had collided and he felt the crush in his chest. Steph came back in; Mutt crossed to him and put his head in his lap. Pax scratched his head.

Steph took the empty seat next to him. “Do you want to talk about this?”

He shook his head.

“Okay, we’ll wait quietly.” She got up and went to the sink behind the desk and ran him a glass of water. “Drink.”

“I’ll choke on—”

“I said drink.”

He downed the water. He hadn’t realized how parched he was.

She scrolled down on her phone while they waited in silence. Soon, Jackson walked through the door with another man. He was as tall as Jackson and had wider shoulders, but it was his cold gray eyes that stood out. Both crossed to Pax.

Jackson put his hand on Pax’s shoulder. “Hi, you two. Pax and Steph, this is Nick Redmond. He’s one of the lawyers for Pathways, and my own personal representative.”

Pax managed to get out, “Good to meet you.”

Steph dragged over two chairs from the corner table. They all sat at the desk.

Redmond said, “I’d like to see the summons, Dr. Barry.”

Steph handed him the documents. He scanned the complaint. After reading the first page he looked up. “They’re not suing for medical malpractice. They’re suing for wrongful death and negligence.”

Jackson asked, “What’s the statute of limitations for that?”

“Two years. How long ago was the surgery?

Pax would never forget the date.

Nick said grimly, “That’s six days short of two years.”

Steph sighed. “So, they made it under the wire.”

“Yes.”

“Where do I go from here?” Pax’s voice was strained.

“We, Dr. Barry. I’ll be your lawyer in this.”

“I—”

“No objections.” Jackson’s voice was firm.

“All right. I have some money saved, but if I’d have to pay it out for this…”

“Nick is on my dime. And before you object, I funded this clinic and I want it open. And I want you to run it.” He faced the lawyer. “What do we do next, Nick?”

“I’ll tell you all the steps and then we’ll discuss what needs to be done right away. First, I’ll have to review the complaint carefully, then I can advise on the best course of action. We have to file a response to the allegations. I recommend a motion to dismiss. If the court refuses, we go to discovery, where we exchange information relevant to the case, such as witness statements and formal documents like depositions. A court may hold a pre-trial conference to discuss the case schedule, potential settlement options, and identify issues to be addressed at trial.”

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