Unfortunately, Robert had already lost his heart to her. He was stunned by how much he hurt, by what a fool he felt, and he found it difficult to get her out of his mind. The words and kisses that meant so much kept replaying in his head, and he’d have to tell himself again and again: it’s over. He was just starting out, learning life lessons every day. This lesson, so painfully learned, was don’t let a patient get into your life. Too embarrassed to take his problems to his mentor, Dr. John Meyer, he spent many hours with Maggie and Debbie, talking. His friends helped him work through his broken heart.
Maggie was soft-spoken, kind, and showed great empathy toward him. As psychologists are taught, she let Robert do most of the talking. He told her he felt abandoned, thinking he had found his mate for life. How could she so easily just walk away?
“Robert, I believe you know why she was so attracted to you. In her eyes, you saved her life. You’re a hero. Many of your patients are going to feel that way. Rescue fantasies are common among young women anyway, and traumas to the brain often leave the patient confused and disoriented. I’ve seen your bedside manner; you’re wonderful with each of your patients. Ava is young, impulsive; I’m sure she thought she was going to die. But she didn’t, and she recovered. You should be proud that you helped her get back to her normal life.”
Debbie was more stoic, blunt, and to the point, seeming always to have a chip on her shoulder.
“Robert, what were you thinking? I tried to warn you, you were getting too attached. And I knew it wouldn’t end well. We’re a team and we need to protect each other; it’s called trust. Just so you know, I know how you feel—rejected, like you’re not good enough. Get that out of your head. You’d be a catch. It’s her loss, not yours.”
He agreed with both women and was grateful for their friendship and caring. Debbie was right, the most important people in his life now were his team, and they would look after each other.
Debbie and Lisa had had an on-again, off-again relationship over the past four years. Lisa struggled with whether she was straight or lesbian. It was hard on Debbie, never knowing what the next week would bring. But Debbie loved her and each time when Lisa came running to her unhappy or heartbroken, she let her come back. Sometimes there was concern, sister helping sister. Other times, Debbie would test Lisa to see if she truly enjoyed their sexual acts. Every time, Lisa was as involved in their intimacy as Debbie. She loved being touched; she responded to any sign of affection or desire. Many times, Debbie felt distressed by Lisa’s neediness. I’m not selfish—I’m being so nice to her; why is she treating me like a love object? she thought. But none of that mattered; every time, she welcomed Lisa back to her home, to her bed. Debbie was in love with Lisa, and nothing was going to change that. She hoped that someday Lisa would realize she was as deeply in love with Debbie. All Debbie could do was be patient.
One of the men Lisa had dated was named Lenny Jones. He owned a plumbing company and won most of the bids on the hospital expansion projects. Lisa first met him in the cafeteria one day. They ended up talking for some time, and he invited her to dinner. She hid their seeing each other from Debbie for a while, but finally, Lisa confessed she liked being with him.
Debbie had to admit she liked Lenny. He was older and seemed to somehow ground Lisa, who was always looking for something but never able to find it. Debbie could tell he was fond of Lisa, and on more than one occasion he stated he’d like to have a family. Lenny knew the two ladies were intimate, but somehow it didn’t matter that much to him. He liked being with Lisa, even if she was undecided where she wanted to go in her life romantically.
Even Curtis returned and tried to woo Lisa back. At one point, Debbie was ready to throw in the towel and let Lisa ruin her life. But she knew Curtis was a bad person, and he would truly destroy Lisa. It took everything Debbie had to talk Lisa out of going back to him. Even Lenny had a hard time understanding what was going on.
During the time that Lisa was involved with men, Debbie dated other women. She went to the local gay bars and she met some online. But the relationships went nowhere; she wasn’t sure why. She had even reached out to Micky a couple of times, leaving messages. Micky returned one call, but the conversation was short because she had to attend a meeting at a conference. It was obvious to Debbie that Micky no longer had any interest in being with her.
Debbie wasn’t much for self-analysis. She decided she was content living her life single or sharing a bed with Lisa when she returned home. Debbie’s work was what kept her going. She was especially fond of Robert. He was so gentle with his patients and genuinely cared for each one of them. She took note of his kindness even
