I came closer and fell into one of the armchairs facing his desk. “Dad—”
“Cancer doesn’t discriminate, Daisy. Give it any reason to get you, and it will. Look at your mother.”
“Please don’t bring that up.” I didn’t want to think about that time in our lives ever again.
“Maybe I have to—because you’ve clearly forgotten.”
“I said I wouldn’t do it again—”
“You have to outlive me. If you don’t…” He raised his chin and looked at me, heartbreak in his eyes. “I would never recover, Daisy. I just wouldn’t. You’re a doctor yourself so you know the risks, and if that isn’t enough for you, just remember how those risks affect me and your mother, your brothers, your nephews, your niece.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I’m just…so disappointed in you.”
He had never said that to me, not once, and I couldn’t even look at him. My chin dropped and I looked at the floor, my chest tightening, the sadness making my eyes immediately tear up. Father’s Day was ruined—because of me.
“I don’t have a father to honor today…because he’s dead. I know you never met him, but you know how his death has affected me my entire life. With the birth of each of my children, I wished he were there to hold each one of you.”
“Dad, I’m sorry… I don’t know what else I can say.”
His eyes narrowed on my face, and when he saw the wetness in my eyes, his anger dimmed.
“I really am sorry, and I promise I won’t do it again.”
When Bear saw my sorrow, he came to my side and rested his chin on my thigh, his sad eyes looking up at me.
My hand immediately went to his head, and I dug my fingers into his fur.
Dad dropped his gaze before he left his chair and sat beside me in the other armchair. “Alright. Let’s go back out there and have some cake.”
I wiped away the tears and continued to look at Bear.
“I’m sorry…for being so harsh.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “I know you mean well.”
His hand moved to my shoulder, and he squeezed me before he got up and faced me.
I felt him stare at me for a while before I rose to my feet and met his eyes.
His arms enveloped me, and he rested his chin on my head. “You’ll never understand how much I love you, sweetheart.”
Alyssa entered my open doorway. “Labs just came back.”
“Gimme, gimme.” I reached out my hands and took the papers, but I was disappointed by the results. “Hmm… Damn.”
“What are your orders?”
“Wish I knew. I’m stumped.”
“You’re never stumped, Dr. Hamilton.”
“Okay, I’m stumped at times. Give me some time to think about this.”
“Alright. What would you like for lunch?”
“A sandwich is fine.”
“Got it.” She left my office.
I took the labs I’d just gotten and pinned them to my board, the array of papers growing bigger and bigger as I investigated the patient’s medical history. It was impossible to diagnose if you didn’t understand the patient’s overall health. He already had heart disease, a cancer survivor, renal disease…the list went on and on. They could be related to his current symptoms, but maybe not.
“You’re quite the poker player.”
My arms were crossed over my chest, my chin propped on one, and my fingers brushed over my lips as I examined the sea of information I had.
“Daisy?”
When I heard my name, I turned to see Atlas standing beside me. “Sorry…I didn’t realize you were there.”
He looked me over before he stared at the results I had pinned to the wall. “Still enjoying the challenge?”
“Not at the moment. What do you think?”
With his hands in his pockets, he turned to me, a quizzical expression on his handsome face. “You want my input?”
“Don’t gloat.”
He smiled and looked at the wall again. In silence, he combed over everything, taking his time.
Together, we stood and stared, minutes passing, the silence growing longer.
“Cardiac syncope is the first thing that comes to mind, but his problem is more extensive than that.”
“I thought it could be a symptom of his heart disease, but my brother ruled that out.”
“That’s nice—having the world’s best heart surgeon in your pocket.”
I shrugged. “He would help anyone who had a question.”
“These numbers here are borderline.” He walked to the wall and tapped the paper. “I’d re-test this.”
“Alright.”
“I think we need a little more information before we post it to the network. I try not to inundate the system with too many cases, not unless every single option has been considered and they can have all the information possible.”
“I agree.” I released a sigh and sat down in the armchair. “I hate being stumped, but when I stop being stumped, the high is incredible.”
With his hands in his pockets, he turned to me, wearing a t-shirt and jeans that hung low on his hips. When he wasn’t being an asshole, he was quite attractive, especially when he wore that partial smile. “You kicked ass at your tournament.”