“Okay, you jogged my memory. Natalie did in fact send me a message, but I was in the middle of surgery at the time… I do apologize,” Frank apologized right away. He rubbed between his eyebrows and said, “Come inside. I’m going to see how you are right now. How are you feeling…”
Elizabeth cut him off before he could complete his sentence, “Forget it. Dr. Watson, you sound like you’re ready to drop. Take a break and relax. I’ll see you next time.”
Elizabeth feared that Frank would tell her something she wouldn’t like to hear.
She had to summon a lot of guts to get herself here. Frank didn’t have the time for her, so everything was probably just meant to be.
Elizabeth immediately left.
“Hey…” Frank ran out of his office. He was just about to catch up to Elizabeth when he ran into Wade again. Wade’s toolbox was in his hand, but Frank knocked it off and everything inside was suddenly everywhere!
“Why have you come back, Wade?” By this point, Frank had no option but to go down on his knees and assist Wade with the tools.
“You owe me money. That’s why I’m here.” Wade, noticing that Frank’s gaze had wandered, looked at him with a grin and remarked, “So you denied that she was your girlfriend, right? Then I guess you can’t keep gazing at her like that, Dr. Watson. What a lovely young woman she is!”
With that, Frank pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and remarked, “The answer is still no, and she is not. Keep the change. If the door is damaged again, I’ll be sure to contact you again.”
He got to his feet and set off after Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was presently awaiting the elevator.
Natalie texted her to inquire about the outcome and whether or not Frank had recommended any course of therapy.
Elizabeth did not tell her that Frank didn’t have time for her at all. She had to reassure Natalie that she would take care of herself and then asked her friend not worry about her.
Elizabeth pressed the send button on the message and then entered the elevator. After her, two other nurses entered carrying papers.
“Have you been listening in? Our hospital was experiencing a medical dispute.” Because of their close proximity, Elizabeth could hear the short-haired nurse’s muffled voice even though she was speaking at a reduced volume on purpose.
Sighing, the shorter nurse said, “In a word, yes. I have an idol in the surgeon who performed the operation. Dr. Watson. He must be in horrible pain right now. He lost a seven-year-old child whom he had cared for for four years. I heard the kid had been sickly since birth and had spent much of his childhood in the hospital.”
“Sadly, there was no way around that. Yesterday, the boy’s condition deteriorated dramatically, and his death was to be expected. The boy’s mom, however, had a mental breakdown and had been harassing Dr. Watson, claiming the whole thing was his responsibility. What does any of this have to do with Dr. Watson, though? Everyone at our facility had done everything they could to help save her son’s life,” the short-haired nurse voiced her dissatisfaction. Her voice increased steadily as she spoke.
“Reduce your voice, please. It’s not just us here.” The nurse, who was noticeably shorter, tapped her on the shoulder and winked.
Elizabeth pretended not to hear anything as she continued to fiddle with her phone. She finally realized why Frank looked so down in the dumps when he returned to his office.
Elizabeth walked out of the elevator once the doors opened. She wanted to go upstairs to check on Frank once again, but she heard footsteps coming from the direction of the stairwell.
Frank came running down the steps, his breath coming out in gasps.
He was relieved to catch up with Elizabeth. He gave her the coat and told her, “You forgot to take your coat with you.”
Elizabeth took the coat from his hand. “Thanks,” she said with a nod.
“I should be thanking you,” Frank replied. “I just noticed all the documents on the table had been tidied up. Was it you who helped me pack things?” He stood still, trying to keep his breath steady.
“I’m sorry. I moved your things without your permission,” Elizabeth explained, flustered. “I’m a neat freak; I hate to see things in a mess.”
Her cheeks burned with shame.
“I was busy with a surgery today and my table was really messy.” “I thought you were a patient who’d snuck into my office without an appointment,” Frank said apologetically. “I’m sorry about my attitude.”
Frank seemed genuinely remorseful.
“It’s okay,” Elizabeth assured him. “I’m not looking for treatment anyway; I’m afraid of what the doctors might say. I’ve seen several doctors and they’ve all given me the same diagnosis. I was afraid it would be more of the same this time.”
Elizabeth finished speaking and prepared to leave. When she was about to put on her coat, she paused. There was a dirty black handprint where Frank had touched it.
Frank looked down at his hands. They appeared to be stained with machine oil.
“Well…” he said awkwardly, not knowing where to look.
“My hands must have gotten stained while I was helping Wade pick up his tools just now. He should have cleaned his toolbox!”
Elizabeth was amused by Frank’s sheepish expression.
Frank cleared his throat and took back Elizabeth’s coat. “I’ll have it cleaned and brought back to you,” he said.
“Okay,” Elizabeth agreed. “I’m not in any hurry to wear it now.” She didn’t know what else to say to ease the awkwardness.
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Pointing at an empty bench not far from where they stood, Frank said, “Let’s sit down and have a chat. I’ve seen your medical records. Most hand troubles are caused by nerve damage, and the chances of a complete recovery are high.”
Elizabeth looked doubtful. “But there are patients who never recover, aren’t there? Do their hands tremble for the rest of their lives?”
“Every b*ody works differently,” Frank replied, suddenly aware that Elizabeth was nervous. “I can’t say for sure. I would never give up on any patient, but sometimes it does depend on the patient’s own will to recover. The treatment process won’t be easy.”
Frank couldn’t tell whether Elizabeth had heard what he’d said.
She was staring at her injured hand, lost in thought. Elizabeth recalled the awful scene where Jorge had waved the knife at her. Her fingers trembled slightly, and the wound began to ache.
Suddenly, Frank’s stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. Emerging from her reverie, Elizabeth asked, “Dr. Watson, would you like to have dinner?”
Frank stood up, embarrassed. “You waited for me for a long time. Natalie sent me a message saying you’d come here straight after work. I guess you haven’t had dinner either. How about we get dinner together? It’ll be my treat, to apologize for offending you just now.”
At the mention of Natalie, Elizabeth’s mood wavered. “I’ve troubled her too much.”