“There is feedback from other doctors that we don’t have enough rest areas, so clean up the storeroom so it can be used, and do it by today. Also, sort out every file on every patient we had over the last month.”
Abigail gaped. “There’s so much stuff in the storeroom. I don’t think I can-”
“Add in the time you spent sleeping in, and it would be enough,” Stephen said mercilessly and left.
He had always been demanding toward Abigail, and basically made her do everything.
Naturally, cleaning up the storeroom and sorting the patients‘ files was her punishment.
She would never finish that in one day, but he told her to do it anyway.
He was crazy!
However, Abigail was all too willing to receive her punishment because she admired Stephen for his exceptional ability.
Still, she only managed to clean up the storeroom around 4 p.m.
She was exhausted and did not have lunch, but she did not stop to catch her breath–she wanted to head home before midnight, and so quickly left to sort the patients‘ files.
Still, Stephen suddenly showed up at the door. “Come with me. Leave that to someone else.”
“Chief.” Abigail quickly put down everything and followed.
Stephen may be uptight and demanding, but he was really trying to teach her. He would always bring her along during his surgeries, and he had her come along this time as well since the patient had an atypical medical history.
As they entered a patient’s ward, Stephen handed Abigail an MRI scan. “What do you see?”
Abigail started studying it when someone called out to her.
“Abigail Bernstein?”
She turned to find Harvey Gooding standing by the patient’s bed, and asked in surprise, “Why are you here?
“That’s my mother,” he said.
As Abigail turned toward the woman lying in bed, Harvey continued, “I heard that Dr. Bernstein is a specialist on heart disease, so I brought her here.”
Abigail understood then, and turned back to the MRI scan. “Ventricular fibrillation and aortic stenosis, leading to heart failure. It’s potentially dangerous.”
Stephen nodded in satisfaction–her observation was quick and precise. “I suggest an operation as soon as possible,” he told the patient, “or there would be danger if this is allowed to continue.”
“What are her chances, doctor?” Harvey asked.
“Fifty–fifty.”
Harvey was clearly dissatisfied with that answer. That would be no different from flipping a coin!
“The odds may swing either way, but she won’t survive if she doesn’t take the surgery at all,” Stephen calmly said. “You can think about it, but don’t take too long–there are no other options given your mother’s condition.”
With that, he left with Abigail, and suddenly asked as they strode along the walkway, “What do you think. about this surgery?”
“It would be ideal if she undergoes it as soon as possible,” Abigail answered without hesitation. “Ventricular fibrillation is potentially dangerous already, but with aortic stenosis as well, that’s a heart failure at any moment.”
Stephen nodded. “Good. Are you acquainted with the patient’s family?”
Abigail nodded. “Yes.”
‘Make it very clear to him, if he asks.”
Abigail knew that. “I will.”
“Abigail?” Harvey called out, suddenly appearing behind them..
Stephen seemed to have expected that and said flatly, “Go on.”
Abigail nodded and walked toward Harvey, saying, “Shall we talk somewhere else?”
Harvey was certainly willing since he had questions, and they headed to the small garden behind the hospital, which was a good spot.
Staring at Abigail for a while, he then asked, “I need you to be honest… Can we keep the surgery risk–free?” Abigail shook her head right then. “No.”
“Look, my father has passed away, and it’s just me and my mom. She’s very important to me, and even though I get annoyed with her sometimes because she’s very stern, I understand that it’s for my own good.
This was the first time Harvey had ever laid bare his soul and spoken about his family, and Abigail certainly understood. Even so, she said, “If you want her to stay with you, the surgery is your best option. I’m sure you came because you heard about Stephen, and I think you can definitely trust him.”
Harvey stared at her for a while at that and Abigail became uncomfortable, so she excused herself, saying, ” I still have work to do. I need to go.”
Harvey caught her wrist. “Could you stay with me for a while?”
Abigail refused and tried to shake him off. “I still have work to do.”
Harvey was going to let go, but tightened his hold when he saw a certain man approaching and pulled her into his arms!
Abigail was left stunned for seconds, before coming to her senses and firmly pushed Harvey away, snapping angrily, “Are you crazy?!”
Why did he suddenly wrap his arms around her? Who did he take her for?
However, because she had her back to him, she could not see the reaction on the other man’s face–he could only see Harvey smirking despicably.
“Sorry.” Harvey then quietly apologized.
Abigail glared at him. “Just agree to your mother’s surgery already.”
With that, she returned inside Melville Hospital through the back door, never looking back as she did–or she would have noticed Diarmuid glowering.
Harvey naturally did that on purpose when he saw Diarmuid there, and hugged Abigail to annoy Diarmuid.
After all, Harvey never managed to get the better of Diarmuid, and just wanted to annoy him a little just then. Naturally, Diarmuid’s glower left Harvey feeling cathartic, and the latter smiled for the first time since his mother was taken ill. Even then, he pretended to be sympathetic and told Diarmuid, “Don’t misunderstand- I’m here because my mother was just hospitalized, and Abigail was just trying to reassure me. You’re not going to be that petty that you’d be upset, right?”
Beside them, seeing how Harvey was in need of a beating just then, Stan raised a fist right then.
Nonetheless, Diarmuid raised a hand to stop him. “You’d just cheapen yourself.”
Stan lowered his hand then and snorted. “Audacious, aren’t you? You know she’s married with a child, but you’re still being so clingy. It has to be either because you’ve never met women, or there are issues with your upbringing… Or maybe that’s how your momma has educated you? To mess around with married women?”
“What was that?!” Harvey scolded right then–he would never be this upset if Stan only mocked him…
But not his mother!
Stan, however, was not worried about upsetting him. “What, you couldn’t hear? Are you deaf?”
Harvey promptly charged at him and grabbed his collar, growling furiously, “You asked for this.”
“Oh, yeah? You think you stand a chance?” Stan was not afraid at all, and actually looked as if he had already won–he had training, after all.
Nonetheless, Harvey was not going to take it from him, and promptly launched a jab in his face.
He would be no man if he did not defend his mother’s honor!
Stan was actually surprised that Harvey would do it, but was only left stumped for seconds before retaliation.
As the two grown men wrestled, Diarmuid wrinkled his brow as he stood watching nearby. “Stan, we have work to do.”
In other words, they should not be wasting time on something as inconsequential as this.
Stan quickly knocked Harvey to the floor right then–being born into privilege and leading a comfortable life, Harvey stood no chance in the first place anyway.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply