Page 1 of Quinton's Quest

Chapter One

Quinton

“He’s a total fucking asshole.” I paced back and forth in the staff room at my hospital.

My hospital.

Dr. Lucia Maroni sat at the table and munched on her apple. She swallowed. “Who precisely are we talking about?”

“Dr. Leopold Rodgers.” I put as much derision into thedoctoras I was capable of.

Lucia arched an eyebrow.

“Not all doctors,” I was quick to clarify.

This was an ongoing joke between the two of us. Nurses hated doctors. Doctors disliked nurses.

Until they like, married or something.

“Isn’t today Leopold’s first day?” Lucia examined her nails. “Excellent reputation—did really good work at Royal Columbian over in New West. Abbotsford was lucky to nab him.”

I waved her off.

She glared back. “Cardiothoracic surgeons are tough to find, Quinton. You know that.”

“As opposed to nurses.”

She tut-tutted me. “Nurses are critical to the functioning of the hospital. That said, nurses like you are extra special.”

“You’re just buttering me up.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you want an invitation to my Absolutely Amazing Valentine’s Shindig.”

She rose. “Quinton, darling, you already invited me. Considering Foster and Arnav got engaged at the New Year’s party, I can only imagine what’s happening next week.”

I pressed my fingers against my temples. “I can’t think of a party.”

“Because you’ve got a shift to work?”

“Because the best-slash-worst one-night stand of my life is now roaming the halls of our very hospital.”

“Ah.” She grasped my cheeks in her hands. “Get over yourself. Truly. You’re a good nurse. Hell, you’re a great nurse. You know a lot about a lot—which means you can rotate in where you’re needed.”

“Do you think I can ask to be taken off surgical rotation permanently?”

“One. No. Two…what would you do?”

“Oncology. Pediatrics—” I flip-flopped my hand. “Surely there’s something. I mean, I met you through your nephrology practice.”

“And you were great with my patients. But you grew bored.”

“Did not.” I jutted my chin.

“Sick kids make you sad.”

I pursed my lips. “They still need nurses.”