files, reading over notes from other attendings, reports from other doctors and patients.
Dr. Samuel Napier was well respected, admired and most if not all of the surgeons who worked with him commented on his bedside manner with pediatric patients and his skill in the operating room. Though he dealt more with older children than babies.
She’d earmarked him as one to watch, but hadn’t intended to choose him as her first resident. Her process was to weed out the weaker members of the herd. Mindy had had another resident in mind, but when she’d walked into that meeting and learned that her hot, brooding one-night stand was none other than Dr. Samuel Napier she had been absolutely furious.
No wonder he got good reports.
He probably slept with all his attendings. Not a hard thing to do when most of the surgeons in Pediatrics at this hospital were female. He’d used her. She knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down, because she couldn’t trust anyone.
And now he’d frog-marched her into this exam room to give her a talking-to? And she was his superior? No, this wasn’t happening. Mindy refused to be pushed around again.
“I’m not changing my opinion of you just because you say that I should. Why should I trust you? You didn’t even tell me you worked at the hospital, that you were a surgical resident.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed, those delectable lips which she could still feel imprinted against her body, were pursed together.
“You didn’t tell me you were a surgeon either.”
“I did too.”
A diabolical grin spread across Sam’s face. “No, you didn’t.”
Mindy opened her mouth to argue further and realized through those hazy, jangled memories of their meeting in the bar that all she’d told him had been her first name and that she’d moved to New York to start a new job, but not what that job was.
“You know that I’m right.” His grin turned smug and he leaned against the door.
“You could’ve still looked up my CV online once you learned about the new head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and our meeting was just an opportune moment.”
The grin disappeared. “I did not sleep with you for personal gain. I’m extremely good at my job, so if you need to test me, so be it. I will take whatever challenge you have for me, and gladly. Though it’s a waste of time.”
Mindy snorted. “You think that maternal-fetal medicine and working on my service is a waste of time?”
“I do. My plan is to work with Dr. Chang and become a pediatric surgeon. Infants go to the NICU or the neonatologist. You’re just a glorified obstetrician.”
Mindy shook her head. “You’re a bit arrogant, aren’t you?”
“You have to be in this line of work. You have to be tough for the patients, for the parents and you have to be that tough to swim in this shark tank.”
“You think surgery is a shark tank?”
“I do. Don’t you?”
Mindy couldn’t argue with him on that. It was. She’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t trust other surgeons, especially not when you had ten or more residents competing for OR time, competing for attendings’ attention and competing for only a couple of spots in a small fellowship pool.
When she’d entered surgery she hadn’t been a shark. Dean and Owen had been sharks, but she hadn’t. All she’d had had been raw talent. It used to infuriate Dean when she was chosen over him when they’d been residents. That should’ve been a clue.
Well, now she was one and she wasn’t going to let an arrogant resident think that she wasn’t. She needed to be tough. When she’d taken this job and uprooted her life to start fresh in New York City, she’d known she was going to have to be a shark from the get-go.
“Well, I guess I’ll be wasting your time, but know this, some of those pediatric patients’ problems start in utero. You think my specialty is a waste of time? Let me tell you something. The more my specialty advances, the more genetics advances and the more likely your job as a pediatric surgeon will become obsolete. Operating and taking care of those issues while the baby is still in utero will save them countless surgeries later in life. Dr. Chang is an excellent pediatric surgeon, but she doesn’t have the skill to operate in utero. If people like me have our way, all pediatric problems will be taken care of while still in the protective walls of the womb and there will be less children on the pediatric floor.” She moved closer to him. “Soon pediatric surgeons will be like the dinosaurs. Extinct.”
Sam didn’t say anything. In fact, for a moment he looked at bit shocked.
“So you think my specialty, my service is a waste of time? Well, I won’t hold you to your rotation on my service, but I can tell you, Dr. Napier, that I won’t be basing my vote on a resident who isn’t willing to graciously learn all the specialties that are involved with taking care of children.”
Mindy tried to move past him, still shaking.
“Wait.” Sam grabbed her arm to stop her.
He was so close. Only a couple of hours ago he’d been in her bed. When she’d woken up and he’d been gone, it had stung, but she had been almost euphoric and definitely relaxed when she’d got into work. Until she’d seen him standing with the residents.
It had been like a slap to the face.
Just reaffirming to her that she couldn’t trust men. They were all users.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Walker.”
Mindy was stunned. “Thank you, Dr. Napier.”
“I’ll gladly work on your service and I’ll prove to you my merit as a surgeon, but please know that I didn’t sleep with you because you were my attending. Had I known, I would’ve kept as far away from you as possible. Nothing will taint my career at this hospital, or my chance to become a fellow in Dr. Chang’s program. Nothing.”
As Mindy looked up at Sam she wanted to believe him, but couldn’t. “Okay. I’ll give you a fair chance, Dr. Napier, but one toe out of line…”
“The implication is clear.” He let go of her arm and stepped away from the door. “I look forward to learning from you, Dr. Walker.”
Mindy nodded. She was pleased that she’d gotten through to him, but she could see the barriers, ones that had come down just a teeny bit last night, were building again. Walls that were meant to keep people out, from knowing the true Sam.
She didn’t know the true version of him. Maybe if circumstances had been different, if something more could’ve stemmed from their night of passion, she might know the real Sam who remained locked behind those protective walls.
There could’ve been something more there.
Whatever he was protecting, it ran deep and Mindy would never know.
It was for the best.
She was his boss; he was a resident. That’s all it could
