table from the lead surgeon and it made him grind his teeth just a bit.
At least Flo had let him into her OR, because she was correct—she had every right to tell him to take off. She was the head of transplant surgery, he was just the patient’s doctor from out east. Nate was very aware that he was in Dr. Flo Chiu’s territory.
Scrub nurses and residents alike all respected and admired Dr. Chiu. Even though he should be bitter about the fact that she was working on his patient, he couldn’t help but admire her surgical skill. Her tiny, delicate hands handled the heart with precision as she carefully sutured in the device. A device that would allow Kyle to live a bit longer.
“It’s amazing how this can sustain his life,” Nate remarked.
“Yes. It is. Medical research such as yours, Dr. King, is definitely valuable.”
“You know, for a long time LVADs couldn’t be used on children or women.”
“I know, Dr. King.”
“I know you do, Dr. Chiu, but maybe some of your residents in this room can tell me why LVADs couldn’t be used on women and children in the past.”
Flo shot him a look. “There are no residents here. The Hollywood Hills Clinic isn’t a teaching hospital. All these surgeons are transplant fellows.”
“Well, a fellow still has to learn under a seasoned surgeon.” Nate glanced around the room. “Come on, someone has to know the answer.”
“Would someone answer Dr. King, please? And maybe after this Dr. King would stop subjecting us to his pub quiz on cardiothoracic surgery.”
There was laughter and Nate had to laugh to himself, as well.
Oh, she’s feisty.
He liked that in a woman. Strong and not afraid to stand up for herself.
Flo wasn’t afraid of much.
“The LVAD device was too large for the chests of women and children, that’s why it couldn’t be used on them in the past,” a surgeon finally said.
“Right, thank you.” Nate turned back to Flo. “See, this is why I’m doing my research and maybe this young doctor here would like to assist me while I continue with my research here in Los Angeles.”
“Thank you, Dr. King,” the surgeon said, stunned.
Flo shot him another look that said, Are you kidding me?
“I never questioned why you were doing your research, Dr. King. I admire it, but since Mr. Francis here will be stabilized, albeit bound to this hospital with his LVAD, maybe you could return to New York. I’ll let you know when UNOS has a heart and lung ready for Mr. Francis.” Flo continued with her work.
“Ah, but that’s the thing. They won’t be calling you, Dr. Chiu. UNOS will call me. I’m the one who put Mr. Francis on the transplant list.”
Her head snapped back up and she fixed him with a stern look over her surgical mask.
That got her attention.
“You are persistent in your need to stay here, aren’t you?” she said, with a hint of admiration in her voice.
“When it comes to my patients I am very persistent.”
She looked up at him briefly and he knew by the way her eyes crinkled in the corners that she was smiling behind that mask. “Me, too.”
“Dr. Chiu, I don’t see why we both can’t work together on Mr. Francis’s care. We don’t both have to stay at this hospital twenty-four-seven, waiting for a heart and lungs. Surely you have a life outside this hospital?”
“What’re you implying, Dr. King? Are you implying I don’t have a life?”
“On the contrary, I’m sure you have a life. Someone special.”
“What?” she asked, not looking at him.
“A boyfriend.”
There were a few titters in the crowd and Flo quickly shot them all a dirty look, which silenced the laughter.
“Not that it’s any of your business, Dr. King, but I don’t have a boyfriend. My work is my life.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
Flo groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those kinds of men?”
“What kind of men?”
“Men who think that a woman is worthless if she doesn’t have a boyfriend or a significant other.”
“No, I’m not. It’s just...” Then he trailed off as he thought about Serena. “Life’s too short.”
She looked up at him, her brown eyes warm and tender as if silently agreeing with him. As if she knew personally how fragile life was, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in her life. Had she lost someone she’d cared about?
Nate certainly hoped not. That was a pain he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.
“You’re right,” she said. “Life is too short. At least with this operation he won’t be one of the ten to fifteen percent who die while waiting. It will give him a chance to beat the odds.”
Nate nodded, but didn’t say anything further as they worked together to attach Kyle’s left ventricular assist device. Kyle was lucky that they’d brought him to Dr. Chiu, in light of the fact that he himself was based in New York.
There was talent here.
There was skill.
Together they could save Kyle’s life. There were always variables when it came to heart and lung transplants, but maybe together they could succeed.
No. You can’t. Not together.
Flo was the type of woman his old self would have pursued in a heartbeat and that thought scared him. If he had to work closely with her, then he would be tempted.
How could he not be tempted by a woman like Flo?
He had to keep his distance from her. It would be hard, but he had to put a wall between the two of them. It had to be professional. It had to be businesslike. That was all there was to it. Nate couldn’t risk his heart again.
Risk was a dangerous thing and he wasn’t willing to play around with that.
Look where his life of risk had gotten him.
Don’t think about Serena now. You don’t deserve to mourn her.
After the surgery was successfully completed, Nate didn’t say much. He just scrubbed out and then tried to find his way off the surgical floor. He needed air. It took him a few minutes, but he found his way back up to the roof, to the helipad. Maybe the height would get him out of the LA smog.
It was hot out, different from
