Heartbreak Brings Mr. Right novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Night I Chose

Rafferty came in with a tall woman in a white coat, and the woman did not look pleased.

"I'm the attending on this floor," she said, to the room in general. "I'd like to know who ordered a capacity assessment on my patient without telling me."

Sherilyn drew herself up.

"I hold his proxy. His wife is entitled to..."

"His wife is entitled to ask. His doctor decides." The attending took the clipboard out of Sherilyn's hand, read the top page and then flipped to the back. "This form says he is unable to answer simple questions. He answered mine at six this morning and asked what day it was."

"He's heavily sedated," Hollister put in.

"He is." She turned to the bed and checked the monitor. "Which is odd, because cardiology ordered a light dose, and the chart shows three additional comfort doses overnight on the proxy's authority."

A silence fell.

Out in the corridor, I could hear a trolley rattling.

"Those were requested by Mrs. Denning," said the administrator with the lanyard, in a thin voice.

"Then I'm suspending the proxy order until my patient wakes and tells me himself who may speak for him." The attending looked at Sherilyn with polite, flat dislike. "In the meantime, only his cardiologist's orders stand. Mrs. Denning, I would like you to leave the room."

"You can't..."

"I can have security help you, if you prefer."

Sherilyn's scarf trembled at her throat.

By now the corridor outside had filled.

Two nurses, an orderly and a family from the next room stood in the open doorway and watched.

Sherilyn saw them, and I saw her do the sum.

She lifted her chin, turned and walked out with her heels clicking on the tiles.

Hollister hung back for a moment.

He leaned toward me, so close I could smell his cologne.

"You think this changes anything?" he whispered. "You've made an enemy of the wrong people."

"I know exactly which people," I said. "I've got a list."

He went after Sherilyn.

The tension of the past week finally broke, and my knees started to shake.

Rafferty's hand came up under my elbow, steady and warm.

"There's a board meeting at noon," he said quietly. "Hollister's father just cancelled it. He didn't want his name near a Caldecott's today."

I laughed, a cracked sound, and put my face against his shoulder for a moment.

It was the best decision I'd made in days.

By nine that night, the adrenaline had burned out of me, and the penthouse was dim and still.

I stood in the guest room doorway in his grey T-shirt with my arms wrapped around myself.

The emerald caught the light from the hall.

Down the corridor, a lamp shone under his bedroom door.

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