The Doctor's Secret

by Heidi Cullinan

  “I’ve looked forward to this all week, and now I have to watch this.” Simon stabbed an overboiled sausage and gnawed the tip ferociously as he glared at Ram.

  Maddy bumped her son’s arm. “Hush yourself. People have ears.”

  Simon was so sick of people’s ears. “I don’t think I can take this much longer, Mom.”

  Her cup of coffee halfway to her mouth, Maddy paused and regarded him solemnly. She spoke in a low tone the people around them couldn’t hear. “What do you plan to do, then? End it? Quit?”

  Simon’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. I don’t want to do either. I suppose I could go work in Ironwood. I’ve thought about it a lot.”

  “I don’t like you driving in the winter.” She touched his shoulder. “Do you want to leave, go talk somewhere for a bit? We can. I don’t mind.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  Simon said it, but he really wasn’t.

  He gave up on his food and mingled with the crowd, ending up chatting with Rebecca and Kathryn and a group of people from the chamber of commerce. They were animatedly discussing the vacancy on the hospital board and wondering who would take the open seat.

  “I mean, we know it’s going to be another one of their cronies,” said Jacob Moore, the owner of the bookstore on Main Street. “They don’t have many left, though.”

  Simon felt Hong-Wei’s familiar presence, smelled his aftershave as he approached. Hong-Wei touched Simon’s elbow briefly before he spoke. “You do know someone else could run.”

  The rest of the group sputtered and protested, and as they did so, Hong-Wei leaned in close.

  “Are you all right?”

  What was Simon supposed to say? There was no reply he could make, not here. “I’m fine.”

  Hong-Wei squeezed his elbow again, and then they were apart once more.

  Simon hated this. He wanted to lean on Hong-Wei the way Kathryn did with Rebecca. He wanted people to know Hong-Wei was his.

  “You could run,” Hong-Wei repeated over the murmurs of the others in the group. “Any of you could, except Kathryn, since she’s a hospital employee. Why don’t you? New blood would be good for the board.”

  August Taylor, who ran the coffee shop, nudged Rebecca. “You’re the one who should run.”

  Rebecca laughed so hard she coughed. “Oh my God. No.”

  Kathryn seemed intrigued. “Baby, Gus is right. You’d be amazing.”

  They continued to argue, but Hong-Wei motioned for Simon to follow him away from the group, and they ended up leaving the event entirely, walking outside to meander along the ridge overlooking the bay.

  “I have a meeting with John Jean Andreas on Monday,” Hong-Wei said as soon as they were out of earshot of the crowd.

  Simon’s eyes widened. “You do? Why?”

  “Ostensibly it’s to talk about how St. Ann’s can better support me as an intensivist, but what I want to do is find a way to get out of this dating policy.”

  Simon stopped walking and faced him. “You’re still fighting that? After all this time?”

  Hong-Wei frowned. “Of course I am. It’s taking a while, but I’ll figure it out. I wish I could get Erin Andreas to meet with me one-on-one. It’s been months now, and he still won’t do it.”

  “But what do you think this is going to accomplish? Do you honestly believe you can change their minds?”

  “I think I’m going to find a way to be with you and let us keep our jobs, yes.”

  Simon looked out over the bay, watching the wind kick at the waves. “They’re not going to fire you.”

  “If they attempt to punish only you, I’m going to have a lot to say about it. And if they force you out, I won’t stay.”

  The ground beneath Simon’s feet shifted, and he had to shake his head to get his balance back. “But you can’t do that. You signed an agreement to stay—”

  “Agreements can be broken. All I have to do to leave here is pay a penalty. Tell me where you want to go, Simon, and we’ll leave tomorrow.” When Simon swayed, Hong-Wei took his arm. “It’s all right. I know you don’t want to go. I’m not actually suggesting we do it. I want another way. It’s taking me so long because I have to be patient while I suss out a way to leverage the board. I have the feeling I only get one shot to make a demand, so I want to make sure I know how to phrase what I’m asking for.”

  Simon stared at Hong-Wei, so handsome, confident, and caring, standing against the backdrop of Copper Point’s Main Street, a breeze gently whipping his hair. Simon brushed a hand along his arm. “It’s moments like this that make me crazy. Because right now what I really want is to pull you close and kiss you senseless.”

  Hong-Wei smiled, the gesture tinged with regret. “Give me a little longer.”

  Simon gave in and ran a hand down the front of Hong-Wei’s shirt, a brief touch, but he loved how it made his lover shiver. “Take as long as you need.”

  HONG-WEI HAD met with John Jean Andreas countless times since coming to Copper Point, though his dinner after the Firefighter’s Breakfast was the first time he’d been alone with the man.

  They went to the same steakhouse the administration had brought him to when he’d arrived at St. Ann’s. Though he’d garnered plenty of stares that day, tonight he was received as a local celebrity. He had to shake several hands in the lobby area and admire many babies on the way to his table, hearing stories of former patients in recovery.

  John Jean stood patiently as Hong-Wei waded through his admirers, and whenever he was addressed, usually in apology for making him wait, he always said not to worry, he understood St. Ann’s star surgeon was in high demand.

  Once they were seated and the server had brought their drinks, Hong-Wei inclined his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Andreas. Thank you for your understanding as I greeted my patients.”

  As Hong-Wei had hoped, John Jean ate up this deference with a proud nod, acknowledging Hong-Wei with a gentle toast of his wineglass. “Not at all. It’s good business for St. Ann’s that you’re so popular with the community. They think highly of you, both for your professional and pleasant demeanor and for your impressive skill as a physician. As do all of us in the administration and on the board, for the record.”

  How convenient they’d leapt right into the conversation Hong-Wei wanted to lead them to. “Outside of the incident with Mr. Zhang, my performance has been quite standard.”

  “Nonsense. You solved Mrs. Mueller’s case as well, and several others that I have it on good authority no one else could do much with besides refer them beyond St. Ann’s. I know you’ve consulted with clinic doctors on their cases, helping them send their patients to the proper specialists. If we had some of those specialists here at Copper Point, you’d be consulting with them as well, and we’d be keeping those dollars here.”

  Hong-Wei sipped his drink. “You keep a close eye on the hospital.”

  The server came to take their order, and Hong-Wei panicked, thinking he’d lost the moment. Once they were alone, however, John Jean stretched his arm across the back of the booth and began to speak.

  “Have you heard much of the history of Copper Point?” When Hong-Wei said he hadn’t, Andreas nodded and continued on, settling in for a story. “It was one of the first cities founded in the Wisconsin Territory, a settlement established by Spanish, French, and English explorers. Like so many places, it started as a fur trading outpost, but then they discovered the copper veins, and the boom began, lasting all the way to the Civil War. After the war, interest in mining declined, and the town nearly died out. The timber industry saved Copper Point in the late 1870s, but trees can be harvested faster than they grow, and clear-cutting devastated the industry and blighted the landscape by the 1960s. By the turn of the century, tourism began to replace the timber loss, but ironically enough, mining has made a comeback, this time for sandstone. Of course, that industry is at odds with tourism, and so which direction our economy will take for the next few decades isn’t entirely secure.”

&
nbsp; Andreas smoothed his hand over the tabletop. “My family has been in Copper Point since the fur trading days, and we established the first hospital as soon as the first houses were set up in town. We were part of building what would become St. Ann’s during the 1880s. We’ve been part of every incarnation of health care in this city, through fire, blizzards, and devastation. So yes, I make it my business to know what goes on. It’s more than my duty as president of the board. It’s my responsibility as head of the Andreas family.”

  Hong-Wei let the story ring in his ears a few moments longer, longing to find a museum with photos and relics of all those ages past. He swirled his wine gently in his glass. “My grandparents would like you.”

  This seemed to surprise Andreas. “Your grandparents came with your family to America from Taiwan, am I remembering correctly?”

  “Yes.” He hesitated, then decided this wasn’t about politics right now. Something about this moment was simply about sharing. “You told me the history of Copper Point. Are you aware at all of Taiwan’s history?”

  John Jean folded his hands on the table, quietly curious. “I’m afraid I’m not. There’s some conflict with whether or not China owns it now? Or China wants to?”

  “People have fought over Taiwan since the thirteenth century. Mainland China, Europe, Japan—everyone has had their hand on us at one point or another, all the way into the previous century. Those who were on Taiwan before the supporters of Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek and other Nationalists fled to the island have a different cultural and economic background than the mainlanders, and that still affects the nation today.”

  John Jean nodded, listening intently. “I remember bits of this from history class. Of course, it’s much more personal for your family, isn’t it?”

  “For my grandparents especially, yes. They’ve seen so much change, both in their country and their family. They’re not mainlanders, so they grew up under Japanese rule, then had that exchanged for Nationalist rule where they were penalized for not being immigrants from China. Their method of coping was to keep to their ways. They always said the most important thing was keeping traditions alive, keeping the memories. Keeping our family together. When we first arrived in Texas and she could barely speak English, my grandmother didn’t blink, only took my sister’s and my hands and went out to the grocery store, declaring we would figure it out between the three of us. We could do anything so long as we stuck together and were respectful to others.”

  John Jean smiled. “What a lovely story. And now here you are, so successful. Your family must be so proud.”

  It was a blow John Jean couldn’t know struck him so deeply. Hong-Wei recovered with the encouragement Jared, Owen, and Simon had given him, and Hong-Su’s vow. “I’m striving to show them coming to St. Ann’s was a decision worth making.”

  There was no question John Jean hadn’t meant his comment to be a barb, because he looked genuinely taken aback. “You’re doing amazing work here for people who deserve to have a good surgeon, and you’re making yourself at home within the community. What more could your family want for you?”

  How could he possibly explain to someone who had just sat here telling him how his ancestors had taken over and held this land so long ago? “It’s been some time since your family had immigrants in it, Mr. Andreas. I can tell you from firsthand experience, not only does the first generation work itself to the bone, it does so dreaming of the second generation reaching for the highest point of the brightest star.”

  “We consider you our star, Dr. Wu, and we’re going to get you the specialty clinics and support teams you need to make your own highest point right here at St. Ann’s.” John Jean winked. “From what I hear, we need to make sure we keep Simon Lane on your team at all costs.”

  Hong-Wei stilled. Surely he was imagining things. Andreas hadn’t intimated he and Simon…

  Had he?

  John Jean set down his wineglass and filled it from the bottle on the table, tipping some more into Hong-Wei’s glass as well. “I’ll admit, you had me distracted by Dr. Gagnon at first. You don’t need to worry, though. While we’re normally quite strict on the no-dating policy, we’ll make an exception for our intensivist. Provided you continue to remain discreet, of course.”

  Hong-Wei’s heart pounded in his ears. How? What had given them away? They’d been so careful. He tried to follow the plan, to resist the urge to panic, but John Jean was good.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Why exactly do you think I’m breaking some kind of policy?”

  John Jean waved a hand at him. “Don’t worry, like I told you. We’re not going to enforce it with you or Mr. Lane. Continue to produce the wonderful results you’re giving us, help us put the hospital on the right track, and there’s nothing at all to worry about. Oh look, our food’s here. Now let’s talk about what specialty doctor you think we should recruit next. Did you have anyone particular in mind?”

  Hong-Wei felt as if he were moving through a fog. He needed to press on John Jean, to ask him why they had this dating policy at all, to follow through with his whole reason for coming here. Except he couldn’t say a word, could only watch this man who had lured the story of his grandparents out of him, then threatened Simon and smiled kindly at Hong-Wei as if he hadn’t just pinned him to the wall.

  John Jean had come to this dinner expressly for this purpose, Hong-Wei realized. He’d known all along about Simon, and he’d waited until now to drop the bomb because he was trying to show he had leverage.

  By God, he damn well had it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  WHEN THE car pulled into the drive, Simon was at home, watching Miss in Kiss. Jared, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen, peered out the window. “Oh, it’s Hong-Wei. I thought it was some possessed delivery kid, the way he was driving.”

  Simon looked up from the couch. “Is something wrong?”

  Drying his hands, Jared grimaced. “I think so, given the way he’s tearing up the steps.”

  After pausing the show, Simon rose and went to the door. He opened it as Hong-Wei appeared, and his heart stopped at the look on his boyfriend’s face.

  Then it dropped to his feet like lead as he said, “They know, Simon.”

  Battle mode engaged, Owen got up from his computer. “Come inside and close the door.”

  Simon could only stare at Hong-Wei, his body abruptly turning to jelly. “You mean they know… about us? The… the board knows?”

  Hong-Wei nodded. He seemed lost, confused, and exhausted, as if he’d worked a twenty-four-hour shift full of surgeries that didn’t make sense. “I still don’t know how. I’ve racked my brain trying to figure it out, but I can’t find any moment we gave it away.”

  Owen was still and laser-focused, quietly dangerous. “Did you confirm it to him?”

  Hong-Wei grimaced. “No, but it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t play that kind of game. He basically said he won’t fire Simon so long as we keep being discreet and I play lapdog surgeon.”

  Covering his mouth, Simon staggered backward.

  Jared put a hand on his shoulder, then Hong-Wei’s. “Everyone take a deep breath. Both of you need to sit.” He marched them gently to the couch, then sat on the edge of the easy chair across from them. “Can you give us a recap of what happened, Jack?”

  Hong-Wei ran a hand through his hair. “We went to the steakhouse. I got waylaid by patients all the way to our seats, so I apologized for that, but he said it was fine, that I was good for business. He did this thing where he talked about how Copper Point got formed and the Andreas family has always shepherded the hospital.” He smiled miserably. “He was humble and human. He drew me in, got me to tell stories about my grandparents and Taiwan. I had my guard all the way down. For a moment I thought he might be the weak link, that I could talk to him openly. Then out of the blue he starts talking about Simon like he’s my boyfriend. I was so stunned I didn’t know what to do. Then he breezily let me know I didn’t have to worry because I was
St. Ann’s star. I got special treatment, and my significant other did too, as long as I performed. It was so smooth and unexpected I didn’t know how to respond. He played me the entire meal. He never raised his voice, never made a direct threat. He didn’t have to.”

  This was exactly the sort of thing Hong-Wei had left Texas to get away from. Now here it was, uglier and magnified.

  I’m the weapon they’re using to manipulate Hong-Wei. Simon felt sick.

  Seated on the edge of the coffee table, Owen looked ready to start punching people. “This has to be illegal. They can’t prove Simon and Hong-Wei are dating. We need to get Rebecca. She has to know a legal loophole or something.”

  Jared shook his head. “They aren’t actually firing them, though. And if they do, then Simon and Hong-Wei would have to sue to insist they’re not dating. Which they are.”

  Owen threw up his hands. “What do we do, then? We can’t let this stand. Goddamn I want the union right now.”

  Jared tapped his finger on his knee. “Calling Rebecca and Kathryn isn’t a bad idea. I’m not sure how much there is for Rebecca to do as a lawyer at this point, but she’s a cool head, and Kathryn is good in a crisis. In any event, friends are needed right now.”

  Swallowing the sick feeling in his stomach, Simon turned to Hong-Wei, though he couldn’t quite bring himself to look his boyfriend in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

  Startling, Hong-Wei touched his leg. “Why are you sorry? I was sitting here trying to find the words to apologize to you.”

  “I’m the one who’s trapped you. It’s because of me the board is manipulating you.”

  “I’m the one who’s failed to protect you the way I said I would. I went in overconfident like a fool and got slapped down so easily it’s pathetic.”

  Shutting his eyes, Simon took Hong-Wei’s hand and leaned into his shoulder. “I hate this.”

  Hong-Wei stroked his hair. “Me too.”