No one had ever stood up to either Bella or Remington the way Sky had. Instead, of being pissed, Remington was actually impressed.
Chapter 9
World-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Thomas Henson exited a black limousine as Dr. Shaw and Noah looked on. Noah was supposed to have the day off but received the call about the visit and came rushing to the hospital specifically for his consult.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Noah had stars in his eyes as they shook hands.
Dr. Shane Shaw echoed Noah’s sentiments. “It is a great honor to have you in our hospital. Please follow me to my office where we can discuss in more detail the Kneeland case.”
They were twenty minutes into the briefing when Dr. Henson asked a question. “Where is the surgeon who performed the spinal cord procedure?”
Shane and Noah looked at each other. “We thought it best that we brief you on the details.”
Thomas Henson crossed his legs and looked at them suspiciously. “Interesting. Thank you for the special attention. However, I want to talk to Dr. Kirby. Unless she is in surgery or out of the country, I expect to see her.” He stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the facilities. Do you think you can have her here by the time I return?”
Dr. Henson’s question wasn’t really a question at all. It was a stern request.
Dr. Shaw nodded. “Of course.
*****
Sky walked into Dr. Shaw’s office, and the first face she saw was Remington Kneeland. He was surrounded by her all male and white counterparts.
It was clear they had been there for a while. It burned her up inside. How many times did she have to walk into a room and be the only woman and the only black person, male or female? It was so frustrating. However, she kept it together.
“Dr. Kirby. Glad you could make it.” Shane feigned enthusiasm to see her.
She did not return his fake warm welcome. “Turning down a summons by the Chief-of-Staff might be called insubordination. We can’t have that on my record can we, gentleman?”
Remington liked her spunk. She had fire in her eyes.
Thomas attempted to hold back a grin. “I’ve had an opportunity to examine Charlie and review her medical records. I have to say, you performed a procedure less than ten people in the country have attempted successfully, including myself. From what I can tell, it was damn good work. Congratulations, Doctor.” He extended his hand to her.
“Thank you, Dr. Henson. It means a lot coming from you. I’m a great admirer of your work.” Sky finally brandished a tiny smile and shook his hand. Respect. It was all she ever demanded from her peers. He seemed to want to give it without Sky having to demand it.
“I was just informing Remington that I couldn’t have done a better job. I’m not even sure I could have done the job you did. I knew there was something special about you when we met at that conference in New York.”
“You remember that?”
“Of course. It’s not every day you meet a brilliant surgeon.”
“Again, thank you, Sir.” Sky glanced over at the man to whom Dr. Henson had recently referenced. His expression was guarded. He didn’t give anything away. He seemed to be taking it all in.
“Well, let’s not go that far.” Dr. Shaw spoke. “We don’t know yet if the procedure will be successful, so we might want to keep the champagne on ice.” He seemed to have forgotten then remembered that Remington was in the room. “However, we are very hopeful, Mr. Kneeland.”
Sky hadn’t realized how much she detested Dr. Shaw until now. She turned accusatory eyes at him. “Maybe someone should tell that to the person who leaked how groundbreaking the first successful bypass spinal cord surgery performed at St. Lucia’s hospital was.”
His face tightened.
Sky relished in his reaction and decided to add more fuel to the fire. “I’m pretty sure that’s how they worded it when I saw it in the papers today. Funny how there was no mention of the surgeon who performed it.”
Remington’s eyes narrowed. Up to this point, he hadn’t shown any emotion. He glanced between Dr. Henson and Sky but leveled most of his suspicions at Dr. Shaw. “I really hope for the sake of St. Lucia’s that someone from this institution isn't leaking private medical information.”
Dr. Shaw moved quickly to reassure him. While Dr. Henson may have been more well-known, Remington Kneeland was much more powerful. “Of course not. Sky is just being . . . Well, Sky. She gets emotional sometimes. Your privacy is our utmost concern.”
“I would hope that my daughter’s health is your utmost concern.” The edge in his voice could cut through rock.
“Well, yes. Of course. That goes without saying.”
Dr. Henson tried to de-escalate the growing tension in the room. “Dr. Kirby?”
She snatched her eyes away from the Chief-of-Staff and back to him. “Yes?”
“Dr. Franklin Johnston is your father? Is that correct?”
“Yes, he is. How did you know?”
“He and I attended medical school together and have kept in touch over the years. Even though you don’t use his last name professionally, he has always been very proud of you.”
“You are too kind.” Professionally, Sky felt the same about her father. Too bad personally, he was a walking disaster.
Dr. Henson clapped his hands together. “I think we’ve talked enough about the case. I would love to take a tour of the hospital before my flight this afternoon.”
Dr.
