Right As Rain (Complete)

Chapter 17

Maelee

I am blown away by the medical advancements taking place inside this hospital. I met with our patient, a single mom of four, right before her surgery. She had no apprehensions and no anxiety about our unorthodox means of transplant. It struck me as odd until she explained she hadn't left Los Angles in eight years. When she learned about the innovative, less-invasive, surgery, she jumped at the opportunity. She said every night when she went to bed –hooked up to a dialysis machine– she dreamt of the day she could take her kids on vacation. Prior to being placed on the transplant list, even a weekend trip to the Grand Canyon was a pipe dream. This morning, right before I met with her, she booked a cruise to Hawaii for her entire family.

I'm proud to say everything went perfectly. If all goes to plan, she will be ready to go home in the next few days. I want to tell Hudson. He was there when Dr. Green asked me to scrub in. He would want to know it went well. At least I think he would.

"You're back!" Noah yells when I walk in.

The clock on the wall says it's almost noon. Jack and Cal are here but Hudson is disappointingly absent.

"Of course I'm back!" I kick myself for making my visit to his room about Hudson. Noah is my patient. Nothing in here should ever be about Hudson. Ever. "How are you feeling?"

Noah scoffs. "Don't ya play dumb!" He points an authoritative finger at me. "I know good and damn well what happened this morning!"

There is no question Hudson filled Noah in on our entire excursion. He told Jess too –the thirty-five missed calls from her this morning proves that. I try my hardest to seem oblivious. I even go so far as to ask how he found out about my early surgery. Naturally, Noah doesn't buy it and tells me to cut the shit. Apparently, his best friend is "in love," and wants to know what happened.

"Your best friend is not in love," I say, brushing off the remark. I pick up the iPad at Noah's bedside to review his most recent labs. "Did Ashley get your labs this morning?"

Noah doesn't answer. He and I both know Ashley runs like clockwork, there is no way she didn't get his labs. I can feel the eyes of all three men watching me with amusement. Playing innocent isn't going to work for me in here. My cheeks burn and no matter how hard I fight it, I smile.

"Ha!" Noah yells, pointing at me. "I knew it!"

"You know nothing," I say, keeping my eyes on the tablet in front of me.

"Oh yes I do! I can read you like a book!"

I glare at Noah, trying to force him from the conclusion he has made. But, my mock insistence is short lived. Noah grins his bright smile and I crack, giving into my unwanted blushes.

Cal laughs. "Sorry, Doc. That boy left here a changed man. I don't know what ye did, but ye did somethin'."

"You made things a lot harder for yourself, that's for sure," Jack adds.

I hold to the fact that I, in no way, did anything to Hudson, but they don't buy it.

Ashley walks into Noah's room, shaking an ice bucket. "Lunch time!" When she sees me standing at the side of Noah's bed, her eyes widen. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," I tell her. "What are you doing here?"

She shakes the bucket again. "Bringing Noah his zero calorie, zero carb, zero sustenance, lunch." Noah groans and throws his head back in the pillow. Ashley chuckles and promises him he's fine. She sticks a spoon into the bucket and hands it to him. "Twenty hours down, only fifty-two to go. Pretend it's ice cream."