care about the new policies being handed down to you by your boss or the board, you’re just going to do what you want.”
“That’s not it at all,” Alejandro snapped. “This is about saving that child’s life.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I understand that.”
* * *
She couldn’t believe that she was trying to talk him out of it. It was so unlike her. When had she changed so much? When she’d decided to become a pediatric surgeon she’d wanted to save them all too. She was just as idealistic as Alejandro. And then reality had hit her hard. She’d lost patients and had learned how cruel life was. She’d become jaded, but never had she shared those dark thoughts with another surgeon until now.
Strange emotions were raging inside her. Watching him fight so hard to save this little baby melted her heart, but also reminded her that he hadn’t been there to save theirs.
Not that there had been anything that could be done about that. She knew that, but he hadn’t been there and he’d made it clear he never would be.
It just hit so close to home.
When she’d seen that little baby in the dirty box, covered with newspaper and thrown away, it had cut her to the very core.
And it had ticked her off.
Alejandro had stepped up to take responsibility for the boy.
Would she have done the same as him? Kiri would like to think so, but she wasn’t sure if she could as head of the department.
So she envied him a bit, envied his bravery in doing such a thing.
“Look—” Her words were cut off as Alejandro’s cell phone rang.
“Hello? Yes, this is Dr. Valentino.” He listened to the voice on the other end. “Where is it? I see. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked as he hung up the phone.
“Yes, but I have to go.” Alejandro stood up.
“Who was that?” Kiri asked.
“A liver for José. It’s in New Orleans and I’m going to retrieve it.”
She was shocked. “Do you always do your own retrievals? Why don’t you send a resident?”
Alejandro shook his head. “I want to make sure that our piece of this liver is done right. I want to make sure everything goes smoothly for José’s new liver. This is his last shot.”
Kiri nodded. “I’ll make a call to the airport and charter a plane.”
“Thank you.”
Kiri stood. “Can I go with you?”
He was surprised. “You want to go with me? Why?”
“I want to see you in action,” she said. “I was planning on observing this surgery once a match was found. And right now I’m still getting my footing.”
“I’d rather you stayed here,” Alejandro said. “To make sure they don’t ship that baby off to County.”
Kiri smiled at him. “I’ve already put a stop to that. The baby is having tests. I have to be the one to release the baby to County. No one else. The baby is safe.”
She waited while he mulled that over. He dragged a hand through his dark curls, making them wild and unruly. Sexy as hell too.
“I can’t go,” he shouted in frustration.
“Why not?”
“No other doctor speaks fluent Spanish and I have to prep José. I’m going to have to leave the recovery to a transplant team in New Orleans and a resident.” He cursed again. “I don’t want to do it, but I don’t really have a choice.”
“I’ll go and retrieve José’s liver. You stay and prep José,” she offered.
“Are you sure?” Alejandro asked. “Have you done a retrieval before?”
She shot him a look and he chuckled. “What am I talking about? Of course you can. You sure you don’t mind?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded. Prep José and I’ll call you when the liver is retrieved. Also, call the charter. I want to leave as soon as possible,” she said.
Alejandro nodded. “I’ll see you at the ambulance bay in fifteen minutes.”
“Okay.” Kiri stood and then let herself out of his office. She’d be missing a board meeting, but she didn’t care. She was a surgeon and this was her job. To help little José out. It would be better for the parents and for the boy if Alejandro prepped them for what was going to happen.
Kiri changed out of her business attire and into scrubs. She grabbed her new identification and a Buena Vista jacket, which would let the Parish Hospital in New Orleans know where she was from, since they were expecting Alejandro.
Fifteen minutes later she was in the ambulance bay. An ambulance was waiting to whisk her to the airport. Alejandro was standing there, waiting for her, holding a cooler that would transport José’s liver.
“Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s no problem. Look, I know I’ve been a bit of a hard ass and dropped quite a bomb on you yesterday and then we had our public disagreement, but part of my vision for the pediatric team of Buena Vista is working together as a team.”
He nodded. “I like that vision. You’d better go. Call me when you have the liver.”
“I will.”
Kiri glanced back once more to see Alejandro still standing there, watching her climb into the ambulance, an unreadable expression on his face. She knew that look. He wanted to do the retrieval himself and he’d be pacing until she called him with the news that it was okay.
She understood that. She respected it.
“You ready to go, Dr. Bhardwaj?” the paramedic, Mike, asked.
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