Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Then finally Recommendation—action requested or recommended.”
“Dr. Patel and Dr. Musa are a year ahead of you in the foundation program. They’re going to be providing handover today. Who’s first?”
Jacob was so in charge of this handover it was almost dizzying. He was blunt and to the point without being rude and best of all, he was teaching. Testing. Making us better. If I hadn’t already slept with him, I’d be imagining what it would be like right around now. His manner was intoxicating.
The two foundation doctors in their second year started to give us a rundown of the patients and any changes overnight. I tried to focus by making copious notes.
We would be seeing four patients during the course of the shift when various test and scan results came in.
“Sounds like you had a good night. Thank you for your work. Go and get some rest,” Jacob said. The weary doctors filed out like they were half asleep already.
Jacob’s pager started to bleep. “Accident and Emergency need a consult. Let’s let things get settled on the wards while we go down to A&E.”
Moving at the speed of light, he swept through the door, forcing us to scramble after him again like chicks following their mother.
“How often do we get called down to A&E?” Gilly asked Jacob as we caught up to him at the lifts.
“It depends how often they need a peds consult,” Jacob answered and frowned as if he just couldn’t bear such an inane question.
The lift doors opened to reveal at least six people already in the lift. They shifted over to make space, but it was tight. Gilly dipped into a space on the left, leaving a slightly bigger space for Jacob and me. He stepped about halfway in and I slotted in in front of him, careful to stand as far forward as possible so there was no danger of us touching.
The lift doors closed and it was like something in the air shifted; all I could think about was the fact that Jacob was right behind me. I could feel his body heat, the sounds of his breathing filling my ears. I just wanted to spin around and push him against the wall and kiss him.
I was losing it.
I needed to focus. I took a deep breath in and tried to recall some acronyms.
We only travelled one floor down and the lift stopped. This lift was completely full now, there was no way there was room for anyone else.
The doors opened to reveal an elderly lady using a frame, alongside six or seven other people. Everyone in the lift shuffled backward to make room for her. Someone slipped in front of me, causing me to stumble backward—right into Jacob’s chest.
He emitted a growl that vibrated between my legs.
“Sorry,” I said as he took hold of my shoulders and set me back on my feet. His hands were larger than I remembered. They were warm and firm and I wanted to sink back and have them roam all over my body so I could memorize their feel.
The lift started moving again. We made it another two floors before the doors opened again. This time the lift was so full that the people waiting just tutted and eye rolled and let the doors slide shut again.
Jacob sighed and his breath reached the back of my neck. Instinctively, I tilted my head to the side, like my body wanted more and was positioning itself to bask in the slightest whisper of his sighs, like a flower shifting to face the sun.
Finally we made it to the bottom floor. When we got out of the lift, Jacob charged ahead. I’d walked all these corridors, trying to memorize the layout of the place, but each floor was set out differently. My spatial awareness was on a scale of bad to horrendous. I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag without Google maps.
We arrived at the nurses’ station and got pointed in the direction of Bay 3.
The curtains were open and a very young woman sat in an orange plastic chair. Next to her was a baby dressed in a baby grow, kicking his legs and smiling. He looked happy enough, except his head was turned to the side. “I’m Jacob, one of the pediatric doctors here at the hospital,” he said, introducing himself to the woman. “Can you tell me your name?”
“I’m Amy. And this is John,” she said, nodding at her baby.
Jacob stepped over to the baby. “Good morning, John. I’m Jacob.” When Dr. Off Limits was being sweet, I could melt all over the floor like ice cream in a heatwave.
Jacob stepped back and addressed Amy. “As we’re a teaching hospital, I have two new doctors with me today. Is that okay?”
Amy nodded.
“If at any time you feel uncomfortable, let me know and Dr. Peters and Dr. Scott will step out.”