Breaking the Doctor Read online

He motioned for her to choose and she headed toward the pizza. “Yes,” he said, following her. “I’ll make sure that your sister is taken care of, including her evaluation.”

  “I can’t afford it.” She selected the plain cheese slice.

  He doubled her portion when he handed her a tray, then picked up his own tray and took two mushroom and vegetable slices. “I’ll get your deductible written off.”

  Impossible. She narrowed her gaze. “How?”

  He took a milk and juice for himself and gestured for her to pick a beverage. She chose an iced tea as he said, “I’ll handle it. Will you consent then?”

  If she could help her sister get better, she’d do anything. Her landing in the hospital seemed like it was all her fault. She let out a breath and said, “Yes. I need to know how to help Rose.”

  “Consider it done.” He winked at her as they made it to the cashier.

  He swiped his card when his phone on his hip pocket of his green scrubs rang.

  He took out his phone and signed for the food. As he hung up he said, “Patti, there’s someone I need to attend to. Thank you for your company. See you during my rounds?”

  That seemed unrealistic unless he made the effort, but at least she saw why he was interested in her. Maybe she could offer advice on how to live with these new responsibilities. She smiled and hoped he came back as promised. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Chapter 2

  After seeing to his patients, Reza Moradi wolfed down his cold pizza with vegetables slices that hopefully had enough nutrition and carbs for energy.

  Tonight was one of those long nights where he wasn’t able to go home and check on his niece. He’d studied hard and put in the time to specialize in pediatrics. His niece needed twenty-four hour care and the nanny he’d gone through hundreds of interviews to hire had just turned in her resignation, right before he’d left this morning. The legal nightmare of adopting his niece wasn’t going to go well if he couldn’t prove a stabile household as well as income.

  Now he was back to the drawing board.

  An older nurse, Zahra, who had the same brown hair and plump stature as his mother, knocked and let herself into his office offering him a cup of tea.

  Perfect to have a sip of home and a moment of sanity. He accepted the glass cup and took a sip of heaven. “Reza, how is Sara?”

  His niece. He handed his cell phone to Zahra so she could see the latest pictures of Sara on the rocking horse he’d bought her. “The nurse is quitting on me, Zahra. There’s no childcare opening at the hospital for at least six months, and she’s still grieving for her mother.”

  His sister would want him to ensure that Sara had the world and so far he was falling short.

  Zahra flipped through the phone with an “aww” look on her face. “She’s four, and probably running circles around you.”

  He slumped onto his desk as he drank the saffron-infused beverage. The sweet taste was a bridge to sanity as he admitted, “I am at my wits’ end. Do you want to quit being a nurse and babysit for me?”

  She poured him more tea from the silver carafe she’d brought in. “I thought we were searching for a wife for you, an American one so the adoption court doesn’t think you’re going to take the child out of the country.”

  He shook off the image of Patti as the ultimate American beach bunny as he coughed on the brew. “That sounds so…permanent.”

  She served herself some more and smiled at him, placing the carafe on his desk. “It’s not a bad thing. You need a partner.”

  He took out his saffron sugar sticks from his desk for the tea and offered one to her. “I’m single, and I used to have a good time with my ex-girlfriends.”

  He recalled a few occasions he’d had free time to see a movie or go out for a nice dinner, not survive on pizza from the cafeteria.

  She made that tsk sound his mother made when he said something she didn’t approve of and followed the reaction with her opinion. “Ex-pretty girls with no brains between their eyes.”

  Flashes of the women he’d spent hours at bars with or the ones that hung out at medical school functions to meet doctors crossed his mind. “That’s not…” His cheeks were hot so he knew enough to stop. After a quick sip he said, “Okay, they all expected me to make the decisions. I don’t have a lot of time for dating and now with Sara, I have even less.”

  He hoped his gentle rebuttal would get back to his mother. He needed a nanny more than a wife.

  Zahra brought her phone from her scrubs pocket and opened up a dating app. “I’ll help you find a wife. I’ve been searching.”

  Adrenaline rushed in his veins. She’d probably talked to the Persians in town via their email chain and wanted to start setting him up. “Talking to my mother, you mean.”

  She tilted her head as if to say of course. “Your mother has a list of demands.”

  Patti’s sweet smile when they’d talked drifted in his mind, but there was no way she’d be interested in him. She was a fantasy that he couldn’t make possible and from a different world, even if they both lived in Miami.

  He had to stop Zahra’s matchmaking. “Number one being that my mother likes whoever I marry, but my mother is thousands of miles away. She’ll have to accept a woman that makes me happy.”

  Zahra shrugged, ignoring him like his mother would, and then flipped open another app like she was about to take notes. “Okay, so what’s on your list?”

  Reza shook his head. “Zahra, you’re impossible.”

  His phone went off again.Another patient with an emergency.

  He took his tea with him as he left his office, thankful he’d had the cold pizza. Zahra walked beside him down the hall, but as they passed the Davies’ room, Patti waved at him from her seat by Rose’s bed.

  He waved back.

  Zahra elbowed him as they paused outside the Smith room where he’d been called. “That’s Miss Davies you’re looking at.”

  “I’m not looking,” he answered fast as he read the patient’s chart in the hall.

  Zahra put her phone away and glanced back at Patti who still smiled at him from the open door of her sister’s room like an angel. “She’s single, like you.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Reza headed into the Smith room to help his newly diagnosed asthma eight year old patient.

  Over the next hour he checked on incoming emergency room transfers to the pediatric ward and instructed the nurses on dosage and possible complications. He and Zahra were just about to return to his office when he saw Patti with her messy pony tail with loose pieces that framed her face, comfortably worn jeans and t-shirt at the chocolate vending machine.

  Zahra made a tsk with her lips. “She’s struggling and trying to handle a new family, like you.”

  He briefly imagined Patti smiling as he walked in the door of his home but shook off the silly daydream. “She’s in pain and thinking her sister’s ill-health is her fault, when it’s not.”

  Patti returned to her sister’s room with a candy bar. Zahra said, “You’re paying for a psych evaluation out of your own pocket.”

  “Don’t tell her that,” he warned.

  Zahra took the empty glass of tea from him and then patted him on the back like she was his mother. “Well, get going and talk to her.”

  Right. He left the nurse’s station. The closer he got to Patti, the energy around him changed. He couldn’t quite explain it but her smile made his problems seem less daunting. She was still smiling despite how her parents had died and she had full custody of her little sister. Maybe he could bottle up some of her good-nature with how she handled it all. Her nearness made his skin break out in goosebumps like he was a boy when he absolutely wasn’t. He walked back into her sister’s room. “Patti, how was the pizza?”

  Seated next to the bed, opposite the IV, Patti finished chewing the piece of chocolate and swallowed. “Delicious, actually…I was hungry. Sorry we couldn’t enjoy our slices together. How’s my sister?”

  Right. He pick
ed up his chart and read the nurse’s notes. The chart check wasn’t for another few hours, but Rose’s progress looked great. They’d have to see the next round of tests before he gave any update so he kept that to himself and simply said, “The medicine is working. We’ll lay off the sedatives in the morning if her tests go well. Then we wait for her to wake.”

  She shivered like she had a chill and pressed her hand to her heart. “The pneumonia was that bad?”

  The last thing he wanted was for her to worry more. He’d seen a lot of patients in his short time as a full doctor after residency, and he had a good feeling about Rose. However training was clear to never give false hope. “She’s young, which is bad and good.”

  Patti shook like she was still cold. “What do you mean?”

  The urge to tell her that all would be well washed through him. He wasn’t here to protect her feelings, yet he kept his voice low like he’d speak to a child and explained, “She’s more vulnerable but she’s also able to bounce back faster than an adult.”

  Patti straightened in her chair like she was a little stronger. “Is there anything I can do?”

  He put her sister’s chart away. “Just be there when Rose opens her eyes.”

  She nodded like he was a general that had just given her a direct order. “I can do that.”

  “Would you like a cup of coffee, or tea?” His entire body stilled because he almost crossed a line.

  He hadn’t asked a woman out since college, where he’d actually worried she’d say no and walk away. Patti just might.

  She brushed against his arm as she picked up her pocketbook. “Love one. I’ll buy this time.”

  He had Persian tea in his office. Maybe she’d like the saffron flavor? He wasn’t sure. Americans generally just used tea bags, which to him tasted horrible. Perhaps he’d offer though he waved her toward the door and said, “Don’t be silly. Come with me?”

  “Sure.” She stepped beside him.

  As they walked down the hall, Zahra gave him a knowing wink.

  He knew that he’d hear from his mother on the phone about this tomorrow, but for now, he focused on the sweet girl in jeans and a simple white t-shirt beside him. She pressed the elevator button. “What is it you do, Patti?”

  “I work at the airport.” Her lips thinned.

  So she didn’t like her job. The elevator dinged as he asked, “Doing what?”

  “Baggage.” If he pressed floor six, he’d take her to his office. He debated but then selected one for the cafeteria. “Aren’t bags heavy? You seem pretty petite.”

  She shrugged as they headed down. “I get health benefits, and deals on flights.”

  Passengers joined them so he waited until they were walking beside each other on the first floor toward the smell of brewing coffee for the morning breakfast crowd that came soon. He liked the idea of being able to travel, and so must she. “Where do you go?”

  She bounced in her step like she was done with the conversation.

  Reza guessed she wasn’t happy with her job, or that it hadn’t been what she’d expected. He gently teased her as he went to the coffee line, “So nowhere?”

  She smiled at him. “Yeah, flights might be cheap but hotels still cost money and Rose has school, so travel is now rather difficult. Where’s the last place you went to visit?”

  Hawaii for a conference, alone. He’d met a nice woman there though he didn’t remember her name at the moment, and she didn’t shine in his mind half as bright as the woman beside him right now. “I don’t leave the states. I have a green card.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “But you’re a doctor?”

  He nodded. Certain professions qualified for faster green cards but he’d already had his so his degree didn’t change anything. Either way, it was nice to just talk without too much expectation as they made their way forward in the line. “Yes, which is why I am a permanent resident.”

  His sister died a month ago and Sara was only four. “Before my life changed dramatically, I wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise with my sister and niece, but I doubt we’ll do that this year.”

  They made their way to the counter and Patti ordered a simple, no-frills latte.

  He glanced at the tea bags and grimaced. This wasn’t what he wanted, so he ordered a dark roast coffee with milk and sugar. She asked, “How old is your niece? And what’s her name?”

  They moved over to the pick-up station and he took out his phone. Since getting custody of his niece, he’d concluded these were the main questions people asked. He handed over his phone. “This is Sara’s picture. She’s four and hates looking at the camera.”

  Her drink order came but she didn’t take it as she flipped through the pictures. “My sister was like that too, I guess.”

  “Rose is six.” The details from her sister’s chart came to mind as well as the fact that Rose wasn’t allergic to penicillin.

  His drink order arrived and he took both the cups, handing hers over as Patti said, “Rose asks questions like she’s a detective when she’s feeling herself.”

  She returned his phone and he pocketed it. “At least she talks. Sara stopped talking much to anyone after the accident. Therapists have said it’s normal, but I’ve been worried.”

  Patti pressed against his hand in a friendly manner. “Did she talk before?”

  Patti truly reminded him of an angel, though she wasn’t a nanny or anyone that he’d see again once her sister healed and left the hospital. He warmed from her touch. “I don’t know. She laughed more and babbled when I was just her uncle and not in charge of her.”

  She lowered her head and asked in a sweet voice, “When did your sister die?”

  The call in the middle of the night to come and get Sara replayed in his mind as the officers had said accident. His six months in the ER hadn’t prepared him for that pain. His sister and her husband were just gone. Patti’s easygoing smile also had the warmth of understanding. He was reminded of Zahra’s opinion on his previous girlfriends. Patti was different and made his pulse spike in a good way. “A month ago. When did your parents go?”

  They walked back into the hall, beside each other as she said, “Six months ago. It’s been Rose and me since.”

  Patti understood taking on family she’d never expected. Most people had no clue how much this changed everything. “Any words of advice?”

  Patti’s face glowed like she had some secret to stay calm that he lacked, and she came to an abrupt stop, so he did too. The people passing them in the hallway were a blur as she simply said, “Breathe, Doctor. We’ll never replace the ones we love.”

  No, there would be no replacing Naomi, or Joe. Reza relaxed and for one second wished he could see Patti again. “That’s wise, Patti.”

  “I try. I’ve read a lot of self-help books, but Rose is only six and I’m not sure it’s helping.” She shrugged, giving him a glimpse of uncertainty.

  “The therapists I’ve been talking to would say there is no wrong.”

  The noise of the people in the hallway returned to his senses as they strode toward the elevator, where he pressed the up button to her sister’s room. “Well, my shift ends at six in the morning. Would you like company while you wait for Rose to wake up?”

  “I would love that.” She smiled at him and the doors opened.

  He swallowed and glanced at her figure. Patti was beautiful, without a speck of makeup on her. She was a natural beauty, which seemed like a rare thing. “It’s a date then.”

  “Yes, it’s a date.” She stood a little taller beside him.

  As the elevator went to her floor, his phone went off. Duty called, two rooms down from Rose. He walked her to her sister’s room and then went to his next patient.

  Zahra had told him to get married. The idea of Patti coming home with him flashed across his mind, but he denied that possibility. She was from a different world in so many ways. Reza felt a sense of satisfaction when flipped his patient’s chart; surgery on a boy who had swallowed a plastic army m
an, and the operation had gone well.

  Tomorrow, he’d figure out what to do with Sara, and find a nanny. For today he’d imagine more of Patti’s encouraging conversation.

  Chapter 3

  Patti sat near the hospital window and watched the sun rise as palm trees waved outside. Dawn was usually when she dropped Rose off at daycare before going to work.

  She’d called her boss about taking the day off and then HR to let them know Rose needed hospital care, but employees often disappeared from the payroll shortly after using their medical insurance.

  Hopefully she wouldn’t lose her job.

  Her entire body felt so tired. She’d tried to doze off a dozen times, but she hadn’t slept more than a few hours in the uncomfortable recliner and her back ached.

  Somehow she’d figure out how to help Rose with grief and healing regarding the death of their parents, and recover from pneumonia. She’d read another self-help book last night that triggered an idea for a day in the park together, to build new, happy memories.

  A knock at the door brought her out of her worries and as she saw Reza’s brown eyes, she felt like a caterpillar tucked snugly in a cocoon. She might never be a butterfly, but as he handed her a glass, his smile sure made her feel like she was beautiful. “Here,” he said. “I brought you a cup of the tea I like.”

  Tea? She sipped it to be nice because she preferred coffee, but the brew tasted different than what she recalled. “Thank you. This is really yummy.”

  “Yummy?”

  “I live with a six-year-old. My vocabulary has started to deteriorate.”

  “I wish I could get my niece to talk—even slang.” He read her sister’s chart. “Did you get any sleep?”

  She shook her head, but then took his hand to lead him to the two seats in the room. Since he brought her tea, he might want to talk a little and she’d be a happy listener. “Reza, I’m happy you’re here.”

  “Your sister isn’t up yet.” He stared at the chair like it was a foreign object.

  Perhaps he was nervous about joining her in a non-doctor way? She tugged his arm to get him to sit beside her. Once he did, she said, “I need Rose to be better. She’s all I have in my life now. I shouldn’t have ever let her hear me say that she was too expensive when I first mentioned a doctor for her cough. My parents never said that about me.”