Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7

“DOCTOR JACKSON?”

“Huh?”

A nurse he didn’t recognize stood at the nursing station in the trauma center, hand stretched out.

“Oh, right.” Bran handed over the patient charts. Four days back at Seattle University Hospital, and it still felt surreal. It was like walking through fog, knowing where things should be, how things were supposed to go, but not seeing things clearly. Something felt off.

“Are you okay?” Her worried look grounded him back to reality.

He took a long blink and shook his head. “I’m fine. Just trying to get back into the swing of things after being away.”

She smiled. “I understand. Would coffee help? We’ve got the good stuff back here.”

“That’s okay. I’ll get some from the break room. Ease into my caffeine coma.”

Bran walked around the desk and down the hallway to the break room. The lights flickered on after opening the door, no one else inside. The coffee pot lay empty on the counter, so he rinsed it out and started a fresh batch. The maker whirred to life as he leaned against the counter, looking out into nothing.

Four days like this. Of being a zombie. Something had to give. He needed to get his butt in gear. Trauma surgery was not a specialty to practice on autopilot. Not to mention how he had to be doubly alert. This second chance was nothing to squander. He couldn’t give anyone a reason to report him again, even if he had been found to not violate the rules to warrant further probation or a worse punishment. And the next time would be worse. Causing the expenditure of money and time was not a good look on any doctor regardless of innocence.

The brew died down to a trickle at the end of the cycle. He lifted the mug, blowing on the surface, when the break room door opened.

The blonde-haired, curvy nurse sparked recognition in Bran’s mind fog.

“Doctor Jackson.” She smiled, closing the door behind her.

“Sharon.”

“I heard you were back. Figured we’d cross paths sooner or later.”

If that were true, she wouldn’t have texted him on his first day. She would’ve waited until they actually did cross paths.

Bran stared into his coffee. Sharon stood there as another reminder of his years of reckless behavior, him not caring how his actions affected others. Or how they affected him.

She walked over to him, pointing to the coffee pot.

He took a step to the side, giving her leeway as she poured. “I’m sorry, for not messaging you back the other day.”

“No worries.” She poured a sugar packet in her mug. “You and I were never ones to call or chat.” She stopped her coffee prep and stared at him. “We’ve been casual. And mutually so. I just wanted to congratulate you on the dropping of probation. I know that was a big deal for you. And Doctor Hycliff had it coming.”

“Do you think he was forced out?” Upon return, he’d heard Sebastian Hycliff had transferred to Minneapolis, or Milwaukee. Somewhere with an M that he associated with cold. It would’ve been much tougher to return with a chance of seeing Sebastian’s face every shift. A reminder not only of the fact there were absolute jerks out there, but that Bran couldn’t hold back his anger regardless of who had thrown the first punch or its justification.

Sharon shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, his career here wasn’t going to be as easy as it had been.”

“I guess family donations only go so far.” Bran sipped his coffee. “That’s not right of me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t say things like that. Doctor Hycliff had talent.”

“Yeah, but what he had in talent, he lacked in social graces.” Sharon raised her eyebrows. “What happened to you?”

Bran swallowed hard, the coffee still hot enough to burn. “What do you mean?”

“You hated Doctor Hycliff. And now you’re saying he’s talented?”

“I didn’t hate him.”

Sharon threw her arm on her hip, glaring at him.

“Okay, let’s just say I really disliked him.”

They both chuckled, and Sharon touched him on the shoulder. Bran looked at her manicured nails, a deep purple this week. He stepped away, biting his lip.

“I’m sorry, Sharon. I know I promised you dinner before I left. I—”

“No, it’s okay. It’s a lot to process, coming back.”

“No. I mean, yes, it is. But I should’ve never promised you that. And before, I really did see this as a casual thing, and I honestly didn’t care how it made you feel. I was terrible for doing that and feeling that way. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh.” She gulped from her mug, Bran trying to read her eyes. “That’s a lot of apologies in the last five minutes.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in how I treat people. I want to do the right thing from now on.”

She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze before letting go. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What do you mean by ‘before?’ You mean before your trip?”

He sighed. It was crazy how he saw his life as before Aubrie, and now, after Aubrie. Whether she was still in his life or not. “I, uh… I met someone.”

“She’s here in Seattle?”

Bran shook his head. “No, back in my hometown.” He chuckled. “Actually, I don’t even know if she knows how I feel. I was going to tell her, but things didn’t work out as planned.”

“I see.” She paused, and Bran let the silence go on. Her mouth broke into a smile. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you light up like that, talking about a woman.”

Bran cleared his throat, thankful for the coffee mug to busy his hands in holding it. “I uh… yeah.”

Sharon giggled. “I’m happy for you. Really. You have your job back, you’ve found someone you care about. Those are good things, Bran.”

“Yeah.” He nodded in agreement, except those weren’t good things. They sounded good in theory. His job was back, and he should be happy about it. So, why did it feel mundane and awkward? And it was true he cared about Aubrie. But he didn’t fulfill the promise he made to Doc Bernie in telling her his feelings. He had planned to that day in the apartment. Then, his phone rang, and she all but told him she was over “them.” If there ever was a “them” to begin with.

“Look, I’d better get back, but it’s good seeing you, Bran.” She raised her mug in a brief toast.

“You, too, Sharon.” Bran stewed a minute longer in the breakroom, drinking half of what was left in the mug, then proceeded to his follow-up down the hall.

“How are we doing, Mister Laramie?”

“I keep telling you, Doc, Martin.”

“And I keep telling you, I’ll call you Martin when you call me Bran.” He smiled at the patient in the bed. Mr. Laramie came in with a collapsed lung from a chest injury, and Bran wanted to check his latest x-rays. He flipped through the chart, then logged into the computer and checked out the x-rays.

“The team already looked over those, Doc.”

“Good. As they should have.” He scanned the images once more and swiveled the chair around to the patient. “Just wanted to see with my own eyes, that’s all.”

“So, how many years until you’re chief here?”

Bran chuckled as he stood. “One year at a time.” He shook the man’s hand.

“I hope I live to see it.” Mr. Laramie’s eyes watered up. “At least I have a chance now, thanks to folks like you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without coming here. Poor Nancy, thought she was going to have a heart attack after my fall. She refused to take me anywhere other than here. I just didn’t think it was worth the drive, but I wasn’t exactly in the state to argue.” He gave a hearty chuckle. “Boy, was I wrong.”

“Have you told your wife that?”

“I will.” He nodded. “I will every day.”

It was why Bran had become a doctor. To help people live longer, better lives. As he walked out of the patient room, the thought of Aubrie sprang back up. She, too, knew the feeling of having that desire, that passion, and the satisfaction of what it was like to actually do it. To help someone, and have them recognize you’ve done that.

She had wanted to do it in Maiden’s Bay. For Maiden’s Bay.

Although Bran was happy things worked out well for Mr. Laramie, there was something missing. The joy that would normally bring didn’t hit him right. Maybe it was because Mr. Laramie already received the good prognosis from rounds this morning. Or because Bran just wasn’t himself these past few days.

He looked back at the patient through the window in the door. It was only an hour’s drive for Mr. Laramie to come into the hospital. But how naive to think only an hour. That was a lot for some people. For those like Grace Donchik, living out in the rural parts of Washington, with little access to experts needed.

And then it hit him.

The lingering feeling grew definition. What ailed him wasn’t that it was a hard return, or that he might not be needed here. It was that his purpose here no longer gave him satisfaction. He needed a new purpose, one that used his skills, challenged him every day. That gave back to the people he loved and cared about.

He thought about Mrs. Donchik, Mr. Laramie, the fishing crews. Doc Bernie. But most of all, he thought about Aubrie Turnbridge.

The spark ignited a new excitement. An idea that would encompass everything he had learned the past month. Something Doc Bernie would have to be on board with. Heck, it would benefit the whole town. Was it something the hospital would even consider?

More importantly, would it be enough for Aubrie to stay where she truly belonged?

Bran shook his head from the thought. This was something he had to do for himself. And he was going to tell Aubrie how he felt, whether his idea kept her in Maiden’s Bay or not.