Page 10 of Healing Her (Pulse Medical #1)

The unspoken rebuke was clear in his awkward pause, and Ashley’s face burned once again.

The Chief hadn’t called her into his office to talk about her explosion at Dr. Colton in the week and a half since it had happened, but obviously he knew about it.

How embarrassing. “I appreciate your trust in me,” she said, drawing her shoulders back to stand up straight.

Somehow, she even managed to look him directly in the eyes. “There won’t be any problems.”

“Hmm,” was all he said, but before she could wonder what it meant, he had the door pushed open and was striding into the room with a wide, beaming smile on his face. “Ms. Rivera, how are you today?”

The answer, delivered by a throaty, sexy, whiskey-and-cigarettes voice that was shockingly familiar, was amused.

“Well, Steve, you promised to send me some strapping young men to help me with my sponge bath, but all I’ve gotten is a pinch-faced nurse named Gertrude.

” A deep, rich chuckle. “She was very thorough, though, I’ll say that for her. ”

“Well, we’ll see if we can’t adjust the situation to be more to your liking.

” The Chief, too, chuckled, and then turned to beckon Ashley into the room.

“Ms. Rivera, I wanted you to meet the surgeon that’ll be managing your care from here on out.

This is Doctor Ashley Proctor. She’s our best cardiothoracic surgeon. Doctor Proctor, this is Maria Rivera.”

Ashley stepped forward, unable to believe what she was seeing. Propped up in a plush, state-of-the-art hospital bed, surrounded by fluffy pillows, was one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses and her very first crush.

Maria Rivera’s huge, dark eyes, liquid with promise and able to speak as eloquently as she did on the big screen, danced with good humor.

Her arresting smile was still a magical spell that sent sparkly thrills down Ashley’s spine.

And not for Maria Rivera was the plain white cotton Oakridge hospital gown with blue polka dots, no; the two-time Oscar winner was wrapped in a stunning green silk velvet lounging robe that Ashley just knew felt like wearing a lapful of Persian kittens.

But once the initial thrill wore off, Ashley could see that the woman was in seriously advanced heart failure.

It wasn’t only the nasal cannula that gave it away, of course.

Maria’s skin, usually a healthy sun-kissed tan on screen, had taken on a pasty pallor.

Her nailbeds were faintly blue, as were her lips, despite the constant oxygen flow.

And while she was still an extremely beautiful woman at the age of 57, she looked drawn and tired, and her captivating sparkle was dulled.

Not in any way the picture of a healthy woman. Ashley’s own heart constricted to see someone she’d adored for so long in a state of clear suffering. “Ms. Rivera. It’s such an honor to meet you.”

“If you’re the doctor who can fix my heart and get me those sexy bathing attendants, then I am also honored to meet you,” Maria replied, with another of those smiles that made the whole world go weak in the knees.

She brushed her long, dark hair back over her shoulder before folding her hands into her lap. “So. Is it surgery, then?”

“I’ll need to review your records thoroughly, but I would say there’s a reasonable probability of it, yes,” Ashley advised gently. “What surgery it will be, I can’t say just yet.”

Maria let out a dramatic sigh and winked before falling back against her deep stack of pillows. “ Dios mío . Well, then, you’re definitely going to have to do something about those bathing attendants.”

“I’ll do my best.” Ashley caught Chief Sundstrom nodding towards the door. “Perhaps I’ll come back to you later this afternoon, Ms. Rivera.”

“I’ll look forward to that.” Maria nodded graciously, then picked up a book that had been lying face down on her lap, as they exited the hospital room.

The Chief clicked the door shut and ushered Ashley away in silence, waiting until they were in the elevator, alone, to speak. “It’s inherited dilated cardiomyopathy,” he began, his eyes fixed on hers. “Just about end-stage, as you can see.”

Ashley felt her eyes widen with shock. “An enlarged heart? Didn’t she notice earlier? How could she let it go this long?”

“You’ve met enough actors in your time here, you know how work-driven they can be.

And frankly, according to her records, Maria Rivera has been a model cardiac patient for years.

” He spread his hands wide and shrugged.

“She has almost religiously followed a low-salt, lean protein, vegetable heavy diet for a long time. Light, but consistent exercise. She says she’s particularly fond of tai chi and long walks. ”

“And medication?” Ashley couldn’t shake off her distress.

She felt the actress should have taken much more aggressive action, much earlier.

There were added complexities in heart surgeries over fifty, and heart surgery was already complicated.

A transplant or even device implantation should have been done long ago, in her opinion.

“The typical regime of beta blockers and diuretics to start. About three years ago she was put on an ARB, last year on Digoxin. And some blood thinners.” Chief Sundstrom looked at her closely.

“You know nobody can force a patient to get surgery if they don’t want it.

Ms. Rivera has been very dedicated to her career.

I think you know a little something about that. ”

It wasn’t like the Chief to get personal with her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “Maybe.” Then she remembered a tidbit from their conversation before entering the hospital room. “Wait, what was that about my surgical team you said before? I could pick most but not all?”

At that, the Chief’s face grew stern, and a pit opened up in Ashley’s stomach.

She felt like a nine-year-old being called on the carpet for making a ruckus in class.

Not that she ever had. She held her breath as he spoke.

“Doctor Proctor, we still have to decide on what kind of surgery is going to happen here, but you will be keeping Doctor Colton involved and updated.”

Oh, no . “Sir?—”

“That’s not a point that’s up for discussion,” he said, his voice as set as his face.

“Any surgery can go wrong, so whether we implant a device or have to do a transplant, Doctor Colton must be involved in an educational aspect. And besides that, she’s a world-renowned general surgeon with a great amount of experience in the cardiothoracic realm.

” The elevator doors slid open on the surgery floor, and he stepped out.

“Last of all, she was specifically requested by the patient. Seems they know each other. So there’s that.

” With a brisk nod, he turned and walked off, leaving Ashley standing open-mouthed in the elevator door.

She spotted Jen Colton peering out of her office, face wary.

As soon as they made eye contact, she whisked back in and the door slammed shut.

Swallowing, Ashley hustled off the elevator and made a beeline for the office she shared with a pediatric surgeon, who was thankfully not in this week.

She tossed her Hermés bag down with an uncharacteristic carelessness and slumped into her chair, cradling her face in her hands.

There was no way, clearly, that she was going to be allowed to get out of working with Jen Colton. The very thought filled her with fury, lust, and despair. This was such an important case, and the Chief clearly knew the two of them didn’t get along. How was this going to ever, ever work?