Impulse: A Doctors Obsession

Back to Basics

Sitting at his desk in his office, James pulled up Christine Millers file. He carefully went over every detail of that horrific accident. He not only had the written paperwork but pictures of the gruesome wreck that could've killed her. He stared at her photo. She was unconscious, bleeding from her ribcage where the glass was lodged. Her face was scraped and bruised, but still beautiful. He ran his fingers over her photo. "I saved you." He took out a pad of paper and wrote down her home address and phone number. He saw on her file, she goes to UCLA. As a doctor, and her studying to be a doctor he has connections. He sat back in his chair and smiled. He closed his eyes and drifted to the other day when he checked on her after the morphine injection. She laid there so peaceful and beautiful he could hardly keep his eyes off of her. He touched her face then gently kissed her lips. He was lucky that there was no one around or he could've been in big trouble. A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts. "Yes?" He said as a blonde nurse stood in the doorway, "You're needed in the OR." She said then turned to leave. 'The show must go on,' he said to himself and walked out.

 Wes kissed Christine passionately and slid his hand up the back of her shirt. She pushed him off and winced. "I'm sorry. I'm in pain. It's going to be a while before it heals." She said as she showed him the wound on her ribcage. Wes's eyes grew wide. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" Christine sat up and moved over a bit. "I don't know. I'm sorry Wes." She brushed her hair out of her face. "You know you can tell me anything. I love you." Wes grabbed her arm. "This is new." He said about the bracelet. "Your mom give it to you?" Christine could feel her face turn pink. "Uh, no. Doctor Gilman." Wes scoffed. "Why?" This was a new side of Wes she had seen. "I don't know. A parting gift maybe. Are you jealous?" She joked. "Hardly. He's like forty." He said kissing her again, softly. "You have nothing to worry about. He's a Doctor." They laid back on the sofa and watched a movie until they both passed out from exhaustion. 

When morning came Christine woke on the sofa alone. She didn't know Wes had left. She got up from the sofa to use the bathroom when she noticed a red stain on her shirt. Frantically she ran to the bathroom and took off her top. Her suture had started to bleed at one end. Panicking, she grabbed her phone and Doctor Gilman's card. It rang twice before he answered groggily. "Hello." "Doctor Gilman, it's Christine Miller. My suture was bleeding a little last night. Is it going to be ok? What should I do?" Doctor Gilman cleared his throat. "Christine. Don't worry. It will be alright. Have you been changing it like I instructed?" She told him she had, but last night she fell asleep too early and never got a chance. He told me to lightly damp the dried blood and reapply ointment and cover it. "And Christine," he paused. "Yes?" "It's James, remember?" "Thank you, James."

James set down his phone after Christine had hung up. He may only have gotten a few hours of sleep, but after hearing from her he was wide awake. Her voice like an angel, even in the early morning. He wondered what she was wearing right now. What she smelled like. He closed his eyes and pictured her. Then another image clouded his view. It was that Wes kid who kissed her at the hospital. Obviously, her boyfriend. He hoped that he would not become a problem. What was it about this woman that made him act like this? He felt like a kid in school with a huge crush on the pretty girl in class that was too afraid to tell her. He needed to win her over, to show her that he was a great man for her. Someone who could protect her and care for her like a real man should. He made a phone call to the friend he had at UCLA. 

"Mom, I'm about to go into class right now. Everything is fine." Christine said into the phone before hitting the end call button. She shoved her phone into her bag and walked into the medical building. It was her first day back since the incident and she really wasn't up for it, but she needed to do this. Her grade mattered. There were three weeks left before summer break and this was going to be the three hardest weeks ever. She had been working on a term paper on anatomy which is due next week. So far, she is about two-thirds complete. A few of her classmates welcomed her back before her professor greeted the class. "Class I have brought in for you a special guest. A man who is a great Doctor and friend. He will be co-teaching the class with me today. He will be showing you how to operate. Without further ado, please welcome from Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Doctor James Gilman." The door opened and in walked James. Into her class at her school. Of all the people and all the times. He walked by and caught her eye and waved. She sat there taking notes and listening as the class was being taught by the Doctor who saved her life. This was a strange coincidence. 

After class Christine grabbed her things and headed for the door. James and professor Wilson were talking so she didn't want to interrupt. She made my way to the quad when she felt a hand on my bare shoulder. She turned to see James behind her. "Small world." He said. She wrinkled her brow. "Yes, very." She stood there twirling the bracelet around her wrist not knowing what to say in this awkward situation. "I will be by in a few days to get checked." He smiled. "Great. Are you going to class?" He asked. "That was my only class today. I was going to head to my apartment now." James shoved his hands into his pockets of his jeans. It was weird not seeing him in scrubs. "Can I get you a coffee?" He politely asked. It caught her off guard a bit. "Sure, thank you." They walked over to the nearest coffeehouse and sat down at a table. "So, you know professor Wilson." Christine asked nonchalantly. He smiled. "Yes. He is a family friend. Marc and my father were college roommates." She took a sip of her coffee then asked. "How old are you? If you don't mind me asking." "Not at all. I'm thirty-nine. My parents had me when they were in their late thirties." "Oh." They chatted for a while about schooling and she told him she wanted to be a doctor like her father. "That is incredible." All she could do was smile. "So, what does your wife do?" He held up his left hand to show there was no band on his ring finger. "Don't have one." She felt embarrassed that she asked without checking first. "What about you? Not Husband obviously, but that boy from the hospital, he's your boyfriend I presume." Christine chuckled, "Well now doc, people get married young nowadays. But yes, he's my boyfriend. It's been three years." He sipped his coffee, eyeing her. "How come he never asked you to marry him?" That was a question that took her by surprise. In fact, she had no answer to that question because she didn't know. She just shrugged. After they finished our coffee she thanked him and made their way out. "Do you need a ride?" "No, it's nice out. I'm going to walk. Besides, it's not far." "Be careful, see you on Tuesday." He told her, before making his way over to the campus parking lot. 

James unlocked his car and got in. He sat there staring across the street, where Christine was walking. He turned over the engine and pulled his car out of the lot. He knew her address for a place in Beverly Hills, not in Los Angeles, so he tailed her. Her walk was a quick one. Not what he expected, even though she said she didn't live far. 'Atrium Court'. He muttered to himself. He saw no point to hang around. He would find her unit eventually.

Saturday morning Christine woke to the smell of one of her favorite breakfast dishes, blueberry pancakes. Christine made her way to the kitchen where her mother stood at the stove cooking. "Morning." Since the accident, and without a car, Linda decided that she would stay with Christine on the weekends. At least she can be there for her and help her when she needs it. "Morning mom. My Favorite!" She said inhaling the delicious scent of the pancakes. 

Once the elevator dinged, Christine stepped out onto the floor of the hospital where James's office was located. This was the first check up after being released. She stepped in front of his door which was closed and knocked. "Come in." She heard from inside. Christine gently turned the handle and opened the door. "Hey Doc." She called out. James looked up from where he was sitting at his desk. "Christine!" Christine stepped in and asked, "Do you want me to shut the door?" James stood up, "Yes, please." He walked around to the other side of the desk and sat on the edge. "How are you?" "I'm doing ok. Should I sit?" James held his hand out toward the chair, "Please." Christine took a seat in the chair, which was rather comfortable. James stood there for a moment looking at her, "Did you come alone?" He asked. "Yes. Why?" "How did you get here?" "Oh, I borrowed Wes's car. I know what you're thinking, and trust me, I'm fine with it." In most cases, people in a horrible car accident tend to divert from being behind the wheel for a while. But Christine is strong willed, and this won't change her thoughts. James smirked and thought to himself 'Oh you have no idea what I'm thinking.' "Just be very careful driving. Now, let's take a look." James slipped on a sterile glove. Christine lifted her shirt far enough for him to examine her. As he was checking he noticed the bottom of her bra, black, lacy. He closed his eyes for a second then refocused. "Looks good. Keep up the ointment and you can wash it now, but please be careful and only use unscented soap." Christine thanked him and made an appointment for the following week.