SH Medical 09 - The M.D.'s Secret Daughter

by Diamond, Jacqueline

  Brady scuffed at the stage floor, discouraged. Kimmie stared at the tall man as if her willpower could win the day.

  “However, I’d hate to be the most unpopular guy at Safe Harbor,” the urologist continued. “So I’m going to hand this hot potato over to the man who deserves this honor as much as I do. Zack Sargent, come on up here!”

  Jan caught her breath. Didn’t Cole understand he was pitting Zack against his own daughter? Sturdy as she might seem, Kimmie still had only a new and fragile bond with her father.

  As Zack mounted the stage, Jan noted the rigidity in his shoulders. This was hard, being put on the spot in front of his colleagues. Not to mention the press and public via the internet.

  After the doctors shook hands, Cole left with a light step. Zack gave Kimmie and Brady a tight smile, then faced the room.

  “I had no idea they were planning this,” he began.

  No one stirred, not even Rod Vintner, Jan noted. Kimmie clutched Mischief to her chest.

  “I wasn’t raised around animals and until recently I didn’t allow pets in my house,” Zack said. “My daughters and a couple of cats have made some inroads, however.”

  “Smidge is a kitten,” Kimmie corrected. Although only a few feet from her father, she stuck close to Brady. As if for protection, or am I reading too much into this? Jan wondered.

  “A cat and a kitten,” Zack conceded. “As a result of their influence, I visited the Oahu Lane Shelter. I admire their animal-rescue work. It would be a shame if they had to close.”

  On the stage Dr. T and Dr. Rayburn regarded him speculatively. Chandra Yashimoto stared straight ahead, staying out of it. Wisely, in Jan’s opinion.

  “Since I’m being asked to display the wisdom of Solomon, I’m going to follow his example and split the money,” Zack said. “Not in half, though. I’d like to allocate twenty thousand dollars to repair the shelter’s plumbing and air-conditioning systems, and eighty thousand as seed money for a grant program to defray patients’ fertility expenses.”

  Jan felt a weight lift from her. How could anyone disagree with that?

  She hadn’t considered her daughter’s stubbornness. Kimmie’s high voice cut through the applause. “No fair! People can earn their own money. Animals don’t have a choice. You should give them the whole thing.”

  Brady poked Kimmie in the side. She ignored him.

  Jan saw Bailey and Patty frowning. Kate glanced at Jan apologetically. Apparently none of them had considered they might be sparking a public showdown that could cause real harm.

  On the stage, father and daughter formed a study in contrasts. Small, dark-haired and rebellious, Kimmie faced her tall, blond, disapproving father. Their green eyes flared with matching intensity.

  Jan knew Zack well enough to read his reaction. He’d been sensible and fair, and Kimmie was too demanding. Furthermore, his daughter shouldn’t be challenging him in front of others.

  Please don’t snap at her.

  Much as Jan wished to run up there and pull Kimmie aside, that would only add to the awkwardness. She clamped her lips and waited.

  * * *

  JUST WHEN ZACK HAD started to earn the respect of his coworkers, his seven-year-old daughter was making him look like an idiot. His instincts urged him to put a stop to this now.

  Through his mind flashed comments his colleagues had made to or about him. Dr. Rayburn had encouraged him to develop a sense of humor. And when Paige was still single, Zack had heard her tell Nora while she and Zack might be friends, he was too serious for her taste.

  In the rear of the auditorium, Rod Vintner rolled his eyes. Trying to figure out why, Zack recalled that once, during a heated discussion, the anesthesiologist had said, “For Pete’s sake, lighten up.”

  See yourself as others see you.

  It wasn’t in Kimmie’s power to make a fool of her father—but it was in his own power to do that by overreacting.

  Zack reflected wryly that Berry would have welcomed his compromise with a heartfelt, “Thanks, Daddy!” But Kimmie wasn’t Berry.

  She was as stubborn as he was—and the way to deal with a stubborn person, as he ought to know, was with reason, not force.

  “You can’t speak for your whole group,” he told her. “Why don’t you talk to your friends?”

  A flicker of uncertainty broke through her defiance. Brady tipped the scales by saying, “Exactly.”

  “Okay.” Down to floor level Kimmie went, with Brady tagging behind. The children huddled by the stage, whispering urgently. With a grin, Patty lifted a couple of stuffed animals from the wagon and put their fuzzy heads together, too.

  “While the children are holding their powwow, let me talk a little about why this grant program is so important.” Zack had prepared a statement in case he won. Might as well use it. “Here at Safe Harbor, we aren’t just concerned with statistics. We care about individuals and their families.”

  While the kids continued muttering among themselves, he cited recent advances in surgery and embryology, as well as the upcoming launch of the egg-donor program. When Zack pointed out the price tag for a baby could easily rise to tens of thousands of dollars, many of his colleagues nodded in agreement.

  Below, the huddle broke up. Her face set with determination, Kimmie climbed to take her place beside him.

  Please don’t let her demand the whole amount. Zack had no idea how he’d respond to that.

  Still, his daughter looked so little and cute he wanted to hug her. Under the circumstances, however, that struck him as disrespectful. “What’s your decision?” he asked formally.

  Kimmie stood on tiptoe and he lowered the mic to her. “The shelter gets twenty-five thousand. Twenty for the plumbing and five to help with other stuff.”

  “Done,” Zack responded. “Let’s shake on it.” Solemnly, he held out his hand. As she gripped it the auditorium erupted with approval. The stuffed animals added their happy noises.

  Kimmie grinned. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  Scooping his daughter into his arms, Zack felt as if he’d won a hundred contests.

  * * *

  JAN WAS PROUD OF THEM BOTH. And of Berry, who along with the other children swarmed onto the stage for their share of congratulations.

  The excitement lessened only when Chandra Yashimoto arose and moved to the microphone. Although considerably shorter than Zack, she had a commanding presence.

  She held up a placard. “Dr. Sargent, it’s my honor on behalf of Medical Center Management Inc. to present you with this copy of the winning check. We’ll send twenty-five thousand dollars to the Oahu Lane Shelter and the rest to the grant program once a bank account is established.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Yashimoto.” Zack beamed at her and accepted the blown-up image of a check.

  “In addition—” from her briefcase, she produced a second placard “—we believe a grant program for fertility patients is such a good idea we’re contributing an additional hundred thousand dollars in matching funds. We hope this will encourage the public and corporate donors to support this wonderful project.”

  Zack nodded gratefully but was unable to speak. Happiness for him swelled inside Jan. What an unexpected vote of confidence.

  Dr. Rayburn stepped in, thanking the corporation and assuring everyone that more information would be available shortly on the hospital’s website. “We hope to begin accepting patient applications by next summer,” he said.

  Zack had won. Everyone had w
on. Well, not quite.

  After the meeting broke up, Jan said congratulations to Zack and the girls, and waved away the other moms’ apologies for springing such a surprise. “It never occurred to me it might backfire,” Kate admitted.

  “Yeah. Careless of us,” Patty chimed in. “Glad it turned out well.”

  “So am I.” Leaving Zack surrounded by well-wishers, Jan excused her way out of the auditorium and retreated to her office.

  After what had just happened she loved him more than ever. But she didn’t want to live from crisis to crisis. Even though her advice to Dr. Forrest hadn’t torpedoed Zack’s plans, what if the center had survived and the corporation hadn’t donated additional funds? She’d still done the right thing by helping Sam.

  Thank goodness she didn’t have to worry about his relationship with Kimmie. No matter whether they lived in the same house or not, the two would find a way to keep it on solid ground.

  Slipping through the door of the outer office, Jan was startled to see Caroline at her desk, typing intently. “I thought you were out sick.”

  The secretary peered up with red-rimmed eyes. “I promised to finish entering some data for Dr. Rattigan this week. I didn’t want to let him down.”

  Jan had never seen the young woman so subdued. Taking a chair beside the desk, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Caroline stared at the keyboard. “My parents had a big fight last night and my dad moved out.”

  “I’m sorry.” Although reluctant to pry, she asked, “How’s your mom taking it?”

  “She cried all night. I’m trying to persuade them to get counseling.” Caroline took a deep breath. “If my friends saw me like this, they’d get the whole story out of me. It’s too personal. Maybe later I can talk about it, but...”

  “But having a bunch of people poke into your personal pain makes it worse,” Jan said.

  “Yeah.” The secretary clicked her tongue, as if disgusted with herself. “Is this how you felt about my gossiping? Don’t bother to answer. It’s obvious.”

  While this might be an overdue lesson, Jan took no pleasure in the circumstances. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

  “You might be living down the street from us,” Caroline said. “You’ll meet all the neighbors.”

  “They won’t hear a word from me,” Jan promised.

  “I’m sure the shouting carried down the block.” Having relished dishing the dirt on Jan, Caroline seemed hypersensitive to the effects of gossip now. “They might ask you questions.”

  “They should have better things to do than stick their noses into your family’s business,” Jan replied. “If not, I’ll encourage them to volunteer at the animal shelter. That’ll put their time to good use.”

  Caroline managed a thin smile. “Maybe I’ll sign up myself. By the way, what happened with the contest? Or would that be gossiping?”

  “Not at all. It’s public information.” Jan relayed the events of the past hour. Caroline resumed typing in slightly better spirits.

  Jan didn’t see Zack for the rest of the day. He had patients scheduled, and she was grateful to be busy with her own tasks.

  No doubt at dinner they’d celebrate his victory. But while she hated to spoil the mood, tonight she had to explain why she and Kimmie were going to move out.

  * * *

  “I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

  All afternoon Zack had been riding high. The establishment of the grant program came with an unanticipated bonus: the respect and approval flowing from his colleagues had erased his lingering sense of being an outsider.

  A couple of nurses had high-fived him in the hallway. Dr. Sam had assured him she was thrilled. As for Cole Rattigan, he’d emailed his thanks for taking him off the hot seat, adding, “By the way, Jack, I’ll never get your name wrong again.”

  After dinner Zack had accompanied the girls to Ilsa Ivy’s house, where she’d cried with joy at the good news. He’d praised both girls equally, and been pleased to see them giggling and joking on the walk home.

  They’d gone upstairs to play an educational video game. Then Jan quietly took him into the den and dropped this bombshell.

  “Is this because I snapped at you?” Zack couldn’t believe she intended to leave after how far they’d come these past few months, with each other and with the girls. He loved having his family around, with Jan at the center. “I already apologized, but I’ll do it again. I know I’m unfair sometimes. Still, I’m learning.”

  “I can see that.” Her mouth quivered.

  “Let’s at least give this a few more months.” Surely she’d change her mind by then.

  Dark hair cascaded over her face as she shook her head. “I should have told you about Dr. Sam, but the fact is that around you, I’ve begun to doubt my own instincts. It feels like I have to censor myself and that’s not right.”

  “I’m willing to doubt my own instincts. It’s part of growing.” Zack wasn’t giving up without a fight.

  “And I’m willing to acknowledge when I’m at fault,” Jan agreed. “But, Zack, you’re more forceful than you realize. Maybe you’ve got some old anger issues—I don’t mean to psychoanalyze you. It’s just that I feel myself becoming more uncertain, like I was years ago. Being willing to fold even when I might be right. I can’t truly be myself while I’m living here.”

  He switched tactics. “Today, Kimmie called me Daddy. She and Berry act more like sisters every day.”

  “We’ll be living less than a mile from here.” Jan clenched her hands in her lap. She’d chosen an armchair facing Zack instead of sitting beside him. “Kimmie can come here for overnights, and Berry is welcome to stay with us when you have on-call duty.”

  He needed a persuasive insight to show they belonged together. Frustrated at not finding one, he blurted, “This is crazy.”

  “Crazy?” Jan repeated.

  Accusing her of being irrational wasn’t going to help. “We’re a family. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I hope you don’t expect that of me.”

  “Certainly not.” She stood up. “I love you. I’m sorry I can’t live with you.” Glancing at her watch, she added, “I’d better go tuck in the girls. We can tell them about this tomorrow.”

  If she loved him, how could she leave? The irony was infuriating. With an effort, Zack held his peace.

  He’d learned to think things over before snapping at her. That was a plus, anyway.

  She went upstairs alone. They took turns reading aloud at bedtime so each could bond with both girls. Now they’d be destroying that new tradition along with many more.

  Restlessly, Zack wandered into the hall. Upstairs, girlish voices echoed as they put on their pajamas and brushed their teeth. Among the chatter he distinctly heard Berry say, “Okay, Mommy.”

  More proof that Jan belonged here. For heaven’s sake, what did she expect from him?

  Rather than risk an argument, he went into the kitchen, grabbed his jacket and lifted his car keys from the hook by the garage door. A short drive might help him cool off.

  Zack headed north, rolling through side streets. Christmas lights shone from eaves and wound around tree branches. In some yards, displays of Santa Claus and reindeer, nativity scenes or comic-book characters enlivened the darkness.

  Aside from a small tree each year Zack had never decorated for the holidays. This year, he’d been thinking it might be fun. But without Jan, the prospect saddened him.

  His unplanned path carried
him past a small industrial complex. Although the Oahu Lane Shelter sign wasn’t lit, his headlights glittered off its reflective paint. The animals would have a merry Christmas, thanks to the children. Despite his initial dismay, Zack was glad they’d stood up for their cause, and that he’d been able to bend.

  Damn it, he’d done nothing wrong. Why was Jan punishing him?

  The van cruised onward, past yard after yard of homes and trees entwined with colored strands. Jan and I ought to be buying our own decorations. Going caroling. Planning a special meal. He’d struggled to make the holidays joyous for Berry since her mother’s death, but always there’d been a sense of something missing. How could he have found it—found Jan—only to lose her again?

  He had to persuade her to stay.

  Ahead, a brightly illuminated yard showed no trace of festivities. In the glare of a portable floodlight a middle-aged man was hauling a large trash bag to a Dumpster, the kind residents borrowed from the city when they had to dispose of extra material. A woman followed, wrinkling her nose as she tossed another bag onto the heap.

  With a start Zack recognized the ranch-style house as the place Jan had shown him on her phone. The one she planned to rent. Obviously the owners were clearing it out.

  As he rolled past he spotted a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk talking to the woman. Caroline Carter.

  To Zack’s annoyance she glanced over and gave a start of recognition. Terrific. On Monday it would be all over the hospital that he’d driven past, gaping at Jan’s new home like a lovesick teenager.

  The receptionist waved him over. Since ignoring her would be pointless Zack pulled to the curb. He lowered the passenger-side window and regarded her questioningly.

  “Hi, Dr. Sargent,” Caroline said. “What’re you doing here?”

  “Just driving by.” That didn’t sound very convincing. “I recognized the place from Jan’s photo.”

  She must have noticed his wary expression, because her next words were, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to shoot my mouth off. Didn’t Ms. Garcia tell you I learned my lesson?”