0373011318 (R)

by Amy Ruttan

  “No, but you could always pass on your case load to another neurosurgeon and appoint another as chief.”

  Dr. Brigham frowned. “I don’t like it, but I have to do what the Board wants and they agree with the HR representative.”

  Reece nodded. “So how can I help you?”

  “You know the other surgeons well. Could you name some good surgeons in other fields that would be good candidates?”

  “Off the top of my head, Dr. Dean, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Morris would fill the position well. They’re excellent.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Is that all?” Reece asked.

  “No, I want your opinion about Dr. Maguire. There have been some concerns raised.”

  Reece’s hackles went up, but he kept his calm. “Oh?”

  “She hasn’t figured out what’s wrong with Mr. Trainer.”

  “With all due respect, Dr. Brigham, that’s a tough case to crack. She’s been working hard, running tests and trying to find out what is causing his problems. She’s devoting all her time to finding a cure. Has Mr. Trainer complained?”

  “No, the patient is absolutely smitten with her. His management team is anxious about it, though. They’re threatening to take him to another hospital.”

  Reece’s stomach knotted. “They’re losing money and they’re worried, aren’t they?”

  “Yes. They’ve had to cancel sold-out shows. Mr. Trainer was supposed to go on tour in a couple of days.”

  He should’ve known. The management team had no concept of medicine and were geared by the almighty dollar. It didn’t matter if a man’s life hung in the balance. They were losing money. Gary Trainer was an asset and they wanted him to perform.

  Just like his father’s manager had forced his father to perform endless hours in that final year. Not caring that a lifetime of substance abuse had taken its toll. They’d worked him until he’d dropped in his grave and he hated to see it happening to Gary. Gary at least didn’t take drugs or drink heavily. He just pushed himself too hard. He never stopped working.

  “Well, if they force him to perform before we find out what’s causing the problem, he’ll die. Dr. Maguire and I can’t be at every one of his performances holding a defibrillator, waiting for him to collapse.”

  Dr. Brigham looked taken aback. “I’m sorry, Dr. Castle, but I can’t control if they move him to another hospital.”

  Reece scrubbed his hand over his face. “I understand, but I wouldn’t let this taint your judgment of Dr. Maguire. She’s a damn fine surgeon.”

  Dr. Brigham cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard you speak so passionately for one of your coworkers before or speak so frankly with me. I like it.”

  “She’s a good surgeon. That’s all there is to it.”

  Dr. Brigham sighed. “I brought her here to diagnose a medical mystery and she has yet to do that. Yes, she’s a brilliant surgeon, having worked in trauma surgery, but she seems distracted. I expected better of one of Dr. Mannheim’s students.”

  She was your student first. Only Reece bit back that comment. “It’s impossible to diagnose a condition that doesn’t show up on any tests.”

  “And what about the distraction aspect? I understand her mother is on your Alzheimer’s Trial. I hope that wasn’t because you felt like you had to do it for a coworker.”

  “No,” Reece said sharply. “It was purely a medical reason. I had an opening and her mother fit the category. Who wouldn’t be distracted by their parent suffering from a condition that has no cure?”

  “Exactly my concern.”

  Reece wanted to utter a few expletives but he decided it was best if he left. “I don’t have much more to say, Dr. Brigham. You have my recommendations.”

  “I do. Thank you, Dr. Castle.”

  “I have to check on the patients in my trial.” He got up and tried to leave.

  “I don’t understand why you won’t recommend yourself, Dr. Castle,” Dr. Brigham said. “Any other surgeon who had my ear would convince me that they and they alone were the only one to take over my job or my caseload, yet you won’t. Do you not want it?”

  I do.

  Deep down he wanted that recognition, but he didn’t think he had what it took to lead a team of surgeons, to lead a hospital on the cutting edge of medical discovery. He didn’t have what it took to speak to the press, to deal with management teams, to schmooze and wine and dine the people that had flitted in and out of his parents’ life.

  “No. No, I don’t.” And with one last nod of acknowledgment he left Dr. Brigham’s office, putting it and Dr. Brigham far behind him. He was angry that Dr. Brigham was being so easily swayed by people who didn’t know what they were talking about and he was angry at himself, because even though he’d stepped away from music to get out of his father’s shadow he was still on the sidelines. Standing in the shadows.

  Invisible and alone.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “SO, HOW DID my replacement do, Doc?” Gary asked her as she reached over and listened to his chest with her stethoscope.

  “You’re a sneak, you know that.”

  Gary looked shocked. “Why?”

  “You could’ve told me Dr. Castle was your replacement singer.”

  “Would you have gone?” Gary asked.

  “No,” Vivian said. “Probably not.”

  “Why?” Gary asked. “I can sense there’s something going on between the two of you and I have to say I’m a bit jealous.”

  Vivian rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing going on between Dr. Castle and me. We’re just colleagues and he’s a bit of a private person. He didn’t appreciate me showing up.”

  And she was positive, judging by the way he was avoiding her, that Reece was not happy about what had happened last night at the lake. She’d ended the kiss for both their sakes, but when she’d pushed him away she could see that same hurt and pain he’d had on his face the day she’d walked back into Cumberland Mills.

  Vivian kept trying to tell herself that what she’d done was for the best. She couldn’t give Reece her heart and she didn’t want to hurt him again.

  Only she had.

  It was clear from the way he was avoiding her and, when their work forced them together, barely even looking at her.

  “I think you’re lying to me, Doc. There’s something there. Were you two involved once? There is something that runs deep there.”

  “Is there?” Vivian asked, brushing the comment off.

  “Oh, yeah. I mean, I do write and sing country music.”

  Vivian smiled at him indulgently. “Is that a fact? I had no idea.”

  Gary snorted. “Come on, so what is it? Former lovers, scorned romance? Maybe you guys actually hate each other.”

  “That’s it. I hate Dr. Castle.”

  Gary snorted again and threw up his hands. “Fine. I give in. I doubt you hate each other. I’ve watched you two interact. I may have been slipping in and out of consciousness, but I can tell when two people care for each other and you two definitely do.”

  “So sending me to the Red Swallow Bistro was your way of trying to get us together?”

  He nodded. “Yep. I’m a phenomenal matchmaker. Do you know how many couples I’ve brought together with my songs? My platinum single ‘With Every Breath’ was the number one wedding song last year.”

  Vivian sighed. “I hate to disappoint you, but there won’t be any wedding in my near future. Dr. Castle and I are just colleagues...friends. That’s it.”

  “Oh, well.” Then Gary grinned. “Maybe I’ll go after you, then, ’cause you’re mighty pleasing on the eyes, Doc.”

  “Get some rest, Gary. I’m going to be sending you for a CT scan tomorrow.”

  He frowned. “Another?”

  “Sorry. Your body is hiding something from me and I aim to find it.”

  He leaned back and grinned a devious smile. “I can show you what I’m hiding, Doc. You don’t need to send me for a scan.”

  “Gary, if you don’t
shut up I’m going to file a harassment report against you,” she chuckled. “Get some rest.”

  “Yes, Doc.” Gary then sat up. “Hey, Andrew! What the heck are you doing here?”

  Vivian was surprised to see the songwriter from The Red Swallow last night, the one who’d made Reece so uncomfortable, walk into the room.

  Andrew recognized her. “Dr. Maguire, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Vivian said politely. “Yes, it is.”

  “You two know each other?” Gary asked.

  “Yes,” Andrew said. “I met her last night at the Red Swallow. She was sitting with Ray Castille’s son—Reece Castle I think he goes by.”

  Vivian’s heart fell as Andrew revealed Reece’s greatest secret as if it was no big deal.

  “Dr. Castle is Ray Castille’s son?” Gary was shocked, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. It all makes sense now.”

  Oh, God.

  “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I have some more rounds to get to.”

  She had to find Reece and she had to warn him that soon all of Cumberland Mills was going to know that he was Ray Castille’s son. For whatever reason, Reece wanted to keep it quiet and she respected that, but not everyone would be so respectful.

  She knew how much he hated to be the center of attention.

  Vivian left Gary’s room and placed his chart back at the nurses’ station. “Do you know where Dr. Castle is?”

  The nurse looked up and then glanced at her computer. “He’s in OR three. He’s doing a protocol for his Alzheimer’s trial.”

  Darn.

  She couldn’t invade his trial; if she walked in there without permission she could invalidate the whole thing. Approval had to be obtained beforehand and recorded.

  “Could you please page down to the OR and ask him to find me before he leaves for the night? Tell him it’s important.”

  “Of course, Dr. Maguire. Where will you be?”

  “I’ll be in the research lab.”

  “Not with your mother?”

  “No, I saw her earlier. Why?”

  The nurse shrugged. “She has another visitor.”

  “Oh, it’s probably a neighbor. Thanks.”

  Before she headed to the research lab again she decided to check in on her mother after all and see who had come to visit her. Since the protocol had been administered, her mother hadn’t had another major blip and Reece was going to release her from the hospital soon as he had administered the trial medications and done all the tests he needed. Vivian had already got a nurse ready to keep her mother company, because she could still have a lapse and until Vivian figured out what was going on with Gary Trainer she would have to spend all her available time at the hospital.

  As she approached her mother’s room she heard laughter and then a deep chuckle respond to her mother’s laugh. It sent a shiver of dread down her spine because she recognized that laugh. It had been a long time since she’d heard it, though.

  Please don’t be him.

  When she walked into the room her world was thrown off kilter by the sight of her estranged father standing by her mother’s bedside, holding her hand. An unwelcome apparition from her past. They were laughing and chatting as if no time had gone by. She’d convinced herself that the face she’d seen in the audience that night at the Opry couldn’t have been her father. He’d been gone for so long. But she’d been wrong...

  “Daddy, don’t go!” Vivian had clung to him.

  “Come on, Hank, we gotta go!” one of her father’s bandmates had whined from the station wagon they were all piled into.

  “Vivi, I have to go.”

  “No, Daddy. No. Please.”

  He’d pried her off him. “I’ll be back.”

  Vivian had stood there on the sidewalk, watching as her father climbed into that station wagon and drove away. She’d been able to hear her mother sobbing in the kitchen and she’d known he was never coming back. She’d never see her father again.

  Yet it was her father. He was standing there, comforting her mother as if he was a good doting husband, but Vivian knew better. She could see through the sheep’s clothing to the wolf that lingered below.

  He was probably here trying to glean money from her mother. He was probably looking for a handout and Vivian saw red. There had been so many times her mother had worked paycheck to paycheck, earning barely enough to buy food let alone keep a roof over their heads. He’d never been there to help them. He’d never provided for them the way a husband and father was meant to.

  “What’re you doing here?”

  Her father glanced up. “Vivian, it’s good to see you again.”

  She stepped in the room, shutting the door behind her. “I asked what are you doing here?”

  “Excuse me, Doctor, but I don’t think you should be talking to my husband in such a tone. He has every right to be here. I just had a baby.” Her mother’s eyes were wild; she was getting riled up.

  Vivian’s heart sank as she stared into her mother’s angry eyes. Her mother was living a moment in the past. The protocol hadn’t worked. She’d been holding out so much hope, but now, staring into her mother’s eyes, a stranger’s eyes, it was apparent the trial wasn’t working for her.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bowen. I’ll leave you alone now, but can I speak to your husband privately?”

  Her mother frowned and glared at her before turning back to her father. “Do you mind? Maybe complain to her superior about her rudeness.”

  “She’s just doing her job, Sandra. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her hand and Vivian repressed the urge to run over there and smack her mother’s hand out of his.

  Once they were in the hall she motioned to him to follow her to a consult room. Once inside she shut the door.

  “Have a seat,” she snapped, keeping her hands firmly in her pockets so that she wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and throttle him.

  “Vivian, I know that my return is a shock.”

  “So why are you here? If you’re looking for a handout you won’t get one. I’m her power of attorney.”

  “I’m not here for money. I’m here to make amends,” he said.

  Vivian scoffed. “I’ve heard that one before.”

  “I mean it this time, Vivi.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Vivian snapped. “I’m Dr. Maguire.”

  “You changed your name?”

  “I did.”

  Her father looked crestfallen. “I guess I deserved that.”

  “Why are you here?” Vivian asked. “She has Alzheimer’s. You do know that, don’t you?”

  “I do.” His voice trembled, but she was used to that. He was a good actor. “It’s why I came back. I came back to take care of her.”

  “She doesn’t need you. You just confuse her. I’m taking care of her, like I’ve done since I was ten years old.”

  “I want to make things right, Vivian. Please give me a chance.”

  Maybe he was sincere, but she’d heard him perform this song and dance before. Like those times once he got what he wanted he’d leave again. Off on another tour, singing in dives and drinking.

  Her father wasn’t only addicted to liquor. He was addicted to attention and he craved the attention of superstardom that he’d never obtained. Her father was a pathetic excuse for a man. So she didn’t answer him when he begged for another chance; instead she opened the door and motioned for him to leave. She was done listening to his sob story.

  He sighed. “Look, I’m singing down at the Dead End tonight. Please come see me after my set so I can explain myself. Please. I don’t want any money, I don’t want handouts.”

  “I’ll think about it, but don’t hold your breath.”

  He nodded, crestfallen. “Okay. I do hope you come, Vivian. I really do.”

  Vivian stood shaking as she watched him walk down the hallway out of the neuro wing. At least he hadn’t gone back to bother her mother.

  She took a deep calming breath and tried to f
ight back the tears of anger that were threatening to spill. When she got a hold of herself she headed back to her mother’s room to make sure she was okay.

  When she walked in the room, her mother was smiling expectantly, but then her smile disappeared and she glared. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “Mama, it’s me, Vivian.”

  She frowned. “What kind of game do you think you’re playing at? You’re not Vivian. Vivian is a baby.”

  “Yes, but Mama that was a long time ago. Don’t you remember?” She was trying desperately to shake her out of her setback, to get her mother back.

  “No, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Where’s my husband?” Then her mother looked around the room in a panic. “Where is my baby?”

  “Mama...”

  “Stop calling me that!” Her mother tried to rip the IV from her arm. “I have to get out of here.”

  Vivian rushed forward and tried to push her back down, but her mother slapped her hard across the face, knocking Vivian back.

  “Whoa, Mrs. Bowen. It’s okay.” Suddenly Reece was there, holding her mother down. “It’s okay. I’m Dr. Castle and I’m going to find your husband and baby.”

  “Get that she devil away from me!” her mother screamed.

  Reece glanced over his shoulder. “Get a sedative.”

  Stunned, Vivian went out into the hallway and accessed the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a mild sedative and a syringe. When she brought it to Reece he had her mother calm. He quickly injected the sedative into her IV line.

  “I want my baby and husband, Dr. Castle. They’re gone,” her mother sobbed, pleading with him. It broke Vivian’s heart.

  Curse her father for riling her mother up like that. Why did he have to come back?

  “I’ll find them, Mrs. Bowen. It’s okay.” Reece’s voice was gentle and soothing. “Just rest.”

  Her mother nodded and slowly fell into a sedated sleep.

  “What set your mother off?” he asked.

  “My father showed up.”

  “Your father?”

  “Yeah, he’s hasn’t been around for years. He left us when I was young. He came back and she just regressed to a happier time.”

  “What did he want?” Reece asked.