Page 9 of A Diagnosis Dark & Deadly

Chapter5

He was nervous.He was never nervous. He didn’t know why he was nervous. The confrontation he had put off would soon happen in a matter of twenty-nine minutes. He had no idea why he was early to work. He was never early, almost always late. And yet, here he was, making himself a cup of coffee before Neil Hayes could touch the machine. He was sitting at his conference table which was in his spacious office, staring blankly at the seat next to him. Her seat. Would things be awkward between them? Would she hate him for leaving her? What she hate him for usingher?

But he wasn’t usingher…

“I’m surprised to find you here,” a low voice drawled from the doorway.

Mason’s eyes blinked, her voice chasing away his doubts. Immediately he put up his defensive front, and looked at his boss, the Dean of Medicine and Hospital Administrator, levelly. He took a long drink of his black coffee – he needed something strong to prepare him for the day – before rubbing his lips together.

“I figured I’d throw you off if I showed up early,” he told her, setting his cup of coffee down on the glass table before interlocking his fingers and resting them in his lap. “Now your whole day is going to be off, much like your period.”

“Ha ha ha,” she mocked dryly, rolling her eyes. She walked into his office without an invitation and handed him a manila folder. “Since you seem to have so much free time, I could always assign you more hours in the clinic.”

“How for along until you hit the bitchy trimester?” Hadley asked, quirking a brow. “I would be incredibly appreciative because knowing you, I don’t think I’d be able totell.”

Dr. Carmen Garcia rolled her dark eyes. It was a wonder she hadn’t fired Hadley after his first day of the job, causing two clinic patients to complain, and an actual case-patient to transfer hospitals, despite being correctly diagnosed. How long ago had that been? Twenty years, maybe. Even his first diagnostician team had all quit, although granted, they stayed longer than anyone expected them to. Dr. Bert McGraw resigned after Hadley aborted a patient’s fetus without getting the consent of the patient, despite the fact that it was killing her. Dr. Carmen Duffy quit after she was caught breaking into someone’s home and had to endure a night in jail. And Dr. Erin Feinstein quit after realizing that despite her utter adoration for the man, he would never return her feelings of affection. Out of the three, Feinstein was the only doctor from the team to remain in the hospital as a surgeon, probably because she wasn’t quite over her formerboss.

“You know my husband could kick your ass, right?” she said, quirking a perfectly plucked brow. Garcia was always sharp-looking; incredibly professional. She was always wearing name-brand pantsuits, Chanel being her absolute favorite. Her dark, curly hair was always pulled out of her face, and her makeup was always light.

“Ah, but I’m faster,” Hadley told her with a grin. “Now, what do you have forme?”

“Patient,” Garcia answered, leaning next to Hadley so she could read the folder from over his shoulder. “A woman, mid-thirties, lawyer. She was in court, going over jury picks, when she couldn’t form sentences. It just came out in babble.”

Hadley said nothing, his eyes scanning the forms thoroughly. It did sound rather… interesting. Even he couldn’t deny it. Maybe it would even help take his mind off other looming things.

“Of course, if you would rather not waste your precious time, there’s a clinic that is in desperate need of doctors.” She tried to make her voice sound appealing, but she knew he wouldn’t give in; he neverdid.

“My team should be here any minute,” Hadley stated. “You go sit around, trying not to go into labor, and I’ll cure the patient.”

Again, Garcia rolled her eyes but had nothing but the highest confidence in him. She walked out with a disgruntled sigh; while Hadley was curing a patient, she still desperately needed a doctor to help the lone Dr. Summer in the clinic.

Neil Hayes was the first to walk in. He was surprised to see his boss already there, writing a symptom on the whiteboard. Specializing in neurology, Hayes was the second person hired to Hadley’s team. Hayes definitely favored suits when dressing for work, much like Hadley. Unlike Hadley, however, he shaved every other day. Currently, he had on a blue suit with black slacks and the shiniest loafers Hadley had ever seen. Every hair on the man’s head was perfect, brushed back and held there with gel. His grey eyes looked slightly tired, and he perked when his eyes rested on the coffee machine. However, they seemed to sadden when he realized the coffee had already beenmade.

Hadley watched the changing expression on Hayes’s face and walked over to his table, picking up his cup and taking a long sip. “Delicious,” he stated. “You should really trysome.”

Hayes gave Hadley a tired look before trudging over to the coffee machine with the hopes of creating nearly perfect coffee.

The next to enter with Alex Roberts. Roberts was quite a favorite with the female (and a surprising number of male) patients, who specialized in cardiology. He had a very soft, soothing voice tainted with a Southern accent. Staying true to where he was from, Roberts wore jeans, belts with abnormally large belt buckles, and plaid collared shirts. There were even occasions where he showed up in cowboy boots, but normally it was some kind of tennis shoes. He had shaggy blond hair and deep brown eyes, and when he smiled, a dimple popped up in his left cheek. He, too, was surprised to see his boss already present, but said nothing more, and took his normal seat next to Hayes.

Hadley glanced at the clock. She wasn’t late or anything, but he kind of wished she would show up so they could get this whole thing over with. And almost as though the universe heard, and granted, his wish, there shewas.

Goodson’s red hair was swept up in a fashionable messy bun, with stray strands of long locks framing her heart-shaped face. She was smiling as she entered, and he couldn’t help but be somewhat surprised. It was as though Friday night hadn’t even happened, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Yet, there was something different about her. An obvious observation would be her clothes. Granted, she was not wearing anything too provocative; a white collared shirt with bell-shaped sleeves and dark blue jeans with matching suspenders attached and black ankle boots. The body he had seen, had felt, had kissed was revealed tastefully in her current outfit. But even more than that, she walked with an air of confidence surroundingher.

She looked happy, genuinely happy.

“Well, Goodson,” he said in his gruff voice, “don’t you look like you just got laid over the weekend.”

“What makes you think it was just once?” she asked coyly, arching abrow.

This seemed to startle him. He was normally so quick with the comebacks, and yet here he was, staring at, completely speechless. Her statement seemed to bother him for whatever reason. She was single; she could fuck whoever she wanted. Even his rational left him unsatisfied.

“I heard about the whole Owen thing,” Hayes said as Goodson took her seat across from the two seated men. “Good for you, girl.” He gave her a playful wink. “Lord knows what you saw inhim.”

“If you ever need to talk-“ Roberts began, leaning toward Goodson, his dark eyes sincere.

“Speaking of talking, how about discussing our new patient,” Hadley interrupted quickly. While Roberts seemed incredibly charming, he was incredibly single and liked it thatway.

His team turned to glance at the whiteboard and Hadley relayed the information given to him by Garcia. When he finished, he looked at the three and asked, “Thoughts?”