Page 8 of The Doctor's Promise
She was on the road before she could talk herself out of it. Rafael’s mansion was well-known, nestling as it did along the shores of Lake Washington. Noemi didn’t know if she would be able to get past the gate, but she needed to try. She needed to see him, to ask him if he was just interested in torturing her. She knew she was overtired and stressed, but she didn’t care.
To her surprise, the guard at the gate waved her through. “Mr. Genova has been expecting you, Dr. Castor.”
His words merely fueled the anger that was building up inside her. She parked her car in front of the house and stormed up the steps. The door was open and she went in, but her courage abandoned her when she saw him.
“Hi, Noemi.”
Rafael Genova was waiting for her.
5
Chapter Five
The sight of him made her stop and think about what she was doing. Noemi passed a hand over her eyes, her adrenaline deserting her. “I don’t know why I’m here.”
Rafa came to her and offered her his hand. “To talk. If you don’t mind, can we go to the other side of the house? Bepi is sleeping and if you need to scream…”
Noemi didn’t feel like screaming, but she let him lead her into another room. The room was obviously a study, his den, filled with bookshelves and battered old couches, it belied the opulence of the rest of the mansion.
She turned to study Rafa. He had aged since she had last seen him, his handsome face now seemingly always masked in sadness, his green eyes ringed with dark lashes were wary and exhausted. Noemi knew instantly that Rafa wasn’t trying to take his revenge on her or the hospital; he was merely trying to find meaning in Thomasina’s death.
Rafa made her some hot tea. She thanked him and took the cup. “They said you were expecting me.”
He sat down opposite her, nodding. “I was. I have been. Actually, I expected you to come at me as soon as you found out.”
“I thought you were tormenting me. Now, I feel stupid—and ashamed.”
“Don’t. The whole reason I’m doing this is so that you will stop blaming yourself. Tomi would have hated it. The accident wasn’t your fault; Tomi’s illness wasn’t either. It’s just dumb bad luck.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I wanted to see you. That day at Tomi’s grave… I should have told you then that I didn’t blame you. I called Lazlo the next day, but he told me where you’d gone. I should have… God, I don’t know, Noemi. I’m still trying to figure all of this out.”
“How is Bepi?”
Rafa smiled then and his face lit up. “My joy. He’s so resilient, you know? I wish we didn’t lose that as we got older. Got old. I got old.”
Noemi wanted to touch his face. “You’re not old.”
“I feel old. After Tomi died, I had to focus on Bepi, getting him through the grief…”
“… and who helped you get through the grief, Rafa?”
He didn’t answer. “Bepi is the priority.”
Noemi, calm now, drew in a deep breath. “Rafa, what is it you want the clinic to achieve? I mean, we can treat cardio patients, research new methods and new protocols, but none of it will bring Tomi back. Why? Why is it your job to fund this?”
“Because no one else is able to, at least not to the extent that I am. Look, I know nothing—nothing about medicine. What I know is shipping—as dull as that sounds. What I do have is money, and if I keep it all…. why? What else could I possibly want? As long as my son is happy, healthy, and secure?” His shoulders slumped. “Noemi… No. It won’t bring Tomi back. But it might prevent the kind of pain that—” He trailed off and let out a shaky breath.
Noemi felt her heart go out to him. “I just don’t know if I’m the right person to lead it. I’m just a resident, Rafa.”
“I just want you involved. Tomi loved you. She trusted you, and her death doesn’t change that.”
“Do you trust me, Rafa?” The question came to her, and she already knew the answer. He smiled sadly.
“I’m trying. But know this—I do not blame you in any way for Thomasina’s death. Perhaps, between us, we can make it so it wasn’t such a damn waste.” Rafa looked at Noemi with those startling green eyes and something deep inside her awoke. Hope. Reason. That’s what it is, she told herself, nothing more.
“I can’t promise we’ll make any progress.”
“Let’s just try. What do you say?”
And looking deep into his eyes, Noemi knew she couldn’t say no.
