Mia gave me a smile. “That’s what Peggy said and what your notes say.”
I shook my head. “If I hadn’t left her to deliver the baby—”
“There was no one else to do it, and at the time that was more pressing. Procedurally—”
“Don’t.” I said more tersely than I should have. “Knowing I followed procedure doesn’t help. A woman died on my watch. A woman this town loves.”
“A woman in her seventies who smoked and took all day to get to the hospital. It’s possible it was already too late for her when she got to you.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose as emotions swirled through me. I wanted to know I wasn’t to blame or that there wasn’t anything I could have done differently, and yet, it wouldn’t change the fact that a woman who trusted me to care for her had died.
There was a knock on Mia’s door. She stood. “I’m not expecting anyone.” She opened the door. “Eli.”
Ah fuck, just what I needed.
“I just wanted … what’s he doing here?” I heard Eli say.
“We’re discussing work. Maybe we can talk when I stop by Dad’s later,” she said.
He came around the couch and pointed a finger at me. “How many people have you killed here, Foster?”
“Eli!” Mia snapped. She looked at me with an apology in her eyes.
I put my wine on the coffee table.
“Wine. You’re drinking wine while working.” He turned on Mia. “What is it about him that you can’t keep your hormones in check. Isn’t there a rule about nonfraternization?”
“You’re out of line, Eli,” I said, hoping he heard the warning in my voice. Former friend or not, I wasn’t going to let him disrespect Mia.
He stepped up to me, getting into my face. “You killed our mother, you son of a bitch.”
He certainly knew how to hit me where it hurt. I hadn’t killed her, but I had refused to treat her when she’d been brought into the hospital. She wasn’t my family, but we were close. Dr. Lassiter was there. He had years more experience and was a good doctor, so I didn’t have any problem letting him take over. While I didn’t treat her, I did stay with her, and was there as the assessments were done and the realization that she probably wouldn’t survive.
“Your mother’s treatment was done properly—”
“She’s dead. How’s that proper?” Eli snapped.
“Eli, stop,” Mia said, pulling him back and out of my face.
“She had massive internal injuries—”
“You could have fixed her. But you didn’t. She wasn’t worth it to you?”
“On the contrary, she was like family, that was why I didn’t—”
“And because you didn’t, she died.”
I inhaled a breath. Intellectually, I knew I’d been right to let Dr. Lassiter treat her. But deep in my heart, I wondered if maybe had I been in charge, could I have saved her?
“Nick, maybe you could just go.” Mia said, with exasperation in her voice.
I nodded. “See you at work.”
I left with her and Eli arguing. But their quarrel was nothing compared to the burning in my gut that had me questioning my ability as a doctor. Was Eli right? Should I have treated his mother? Was there something else I could have done for Ms. Mason?
That night, I took a sleeping pill knowing the dreams would come and hoping I could sleep through them without noticing. No luck. All night long I was assaulted with Ms. Mason and Jane Parker asking why I let them die. Eli showed up, threatening to put me in the morgue. I woke up when Mia stabbed me in the heart.
10
Mia
I stopped by my father’s house the next morning to talk to him about Eli. What was his problem, anyway?
Dad was at the kitchen table enjoying his usual toast with peanut butter. “Good morning. How’s my girl?”
“Morning, Dad.” I kissed his head as I went to his coffee maker and poured myself some coffee. “How are you?”
“Can’t complain.”
I brought my coffee to the table, studying him. There was a lot he could complain about. Losing his wife. His Parkinson’s disease. His kids. But he didn’t complain. Perhaps I should take a page from his book.
“What’s up with you?” he asked.
“Eli stopped by my place last night. Nick happened to be there.”
My dad’s graying brow arched. “You and Nick are spending time together?”
“It’s not like that,” I said blowing on my coffee. “He had concerns about the fallout over Ms. Mason’s death.”
“Is he going to be sued?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but I think he’s getting angry calls.”
My father shook his head. “The boy takes a lot of grief where it’s not warranted.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you talking about Eli? He seems to blame Nick for mom’s death.”
“He needs someone to blame and Nick is convenient.” My father wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“Why is he still so …” I was going to say crazed, but then didn’t want my dad to think I was picking on Eli. “Angry?”
“He thinks Nick took advantage of you. Then losing your mom. And like I said, Nick has the life Eli wanted but didn’t pursue.”
“Dad you don’t think Nick took advantage of me, do you? I promise you that it wasn’t like that. I actually had to pursue him. He was always good to me and at one time, we loved each other.” The more I spent with Nick, I had to wonder if my feelings were still there. At least stronger than I’d thought.
“I know you’re your own woman, and that if Nick treated you badly, you’d have dealt with it. I like Nick. Personally, I think you could do a lot worse than him, regardless of what Eli says.”
I sat back surprised by my father’s words. “You sound like you know Nick.”
“I’ve known Nick since he was barely able to walk. I watched him grow up. I’ve seen him grow into a pillar of the community. I don’t see him through the same lens as your brother.”
“What about
