Journey (3)

Chapter 8

"Tessa, I have another favour to ask you." I roll my eyes as Dr Lanik talks. "There's another patient that needs a diagnosis. I don't want to make these delays any worse so we need to get that patient out of here quickly." 

"No way," I say, shaking my head. "After last time? You have to be kidding? Ask someone else. If you just want a diagnosis, ask one of the student doctors to do it."

"Is this because of what happened with Connor yesterday?" he asks, a strange expression on his face. I can't believe he's still going on about this, especially when it's nothing to do with him.

"That doesn't matter," I tell him, firmly. "And for future reference, don't listen in to my conversations."

"He really screwed up, didn't he," Lanik says, grinning. "What did he do, to make you break up with him."

I raise an eyebrow. This can't be happening. "He broke up with me," I say, in a monotonous voice. It's not exactly something that I want to announce. 

I hate that Dr Lanik is asking all of these questions. We're definitely not friends, so I don't know why he's taken this sudden approach. 

"Really?" he asks, seeming surprised. "Well...I guess...he still..." he trails off, stuttering. 

"Do you have nothing better to do than comment on my personal life?" I ask, scornfully. "I have to go. I need to ask Ms Goodwin to sign off on something."

"What about the patient that needs to be diagnosed?" Dr Lanik calls after me, loudly. 

"As I said, you should just get a student doctor to do it. They'll do anything if you pressure them."

I walk away, leaving the ED completely. I have to go to Ms Goodwin's office, and quickly. I know that she has a meeting soon, so I have to get there fast.

I'm rushing through the hospital so that I can get to Ms Goodwin's office as quickly as possible, when someone stops me in my tracks. 

"Tessa? Dr Miller?" he says. Oh God. No. Anyone but him. Seriously?

In front of me, with his usual condescending look, stands Cornelius Rhodes, his arms folded. Great. Why did I have to run in to him of all people? Really?

"Mr Rhodes," I say, trying not to sound too deflated. "It's great to see you."

"Please, it's Cornelius," he says. I'd really rather not, but he seems almost expectant of it. 

"Okay, Cornelius, it's uh..really great to see you again," I lie, smiling. I really have to go. I have somewhere to be. 

"I haven't seen you in a while," he says. "Connor has been attending all of my charity events alone recently. Did you decide that the scene wasn't for you?" he asks, laughing slightly. 

"No, uh...we-" I pause for a second. Does Cornelius still think that we're together? Why would Connor not tell him about it? 

"It's fine," he says, his face softening into a small smile. "My late wife, Elizabeth, was just the same. She didn't care for all of that."

I nod, politely. I'll have to take his word for it as I don't know much about Elizabeth. Connor didn't talk about her often. 

"You know, I haven't seen my son in a while," Cornelius remarks. "I hope he isn't avoiding me again."

Is he still talking? I try to listen to him, politely. "He's been busy," I say, taking a guess. I wish I'd just come clean and told Cornelius that Connor and I split up.

"Busy," Cornelius remarks, smiling. "Yes, that always was his excuse. He was always just too busy. Of course that always meant that he was out, somewhere deep in the city, out for hours." He stops abruptly. "But I guess it's a little different now that he seems to have settled down with someone, finally."