“Why did her heart stop?” I whispered.
She shrugged. “She might have been on bypass too long, but he didn’t have a choice. He had to cut it close.”
Dex and the nurses put her back together, and they prepared to send her to the ICU. Dex stood there with his arms raised, his eyes on her vitals as the nurses slowly undressed him and removed his gloves and other protective gear, like his cap and lenses. Instead of turning to wash his hands and leave, he continued to stare. “Just let me watch her for a couple minutes, make sure she’s alright…”
The nurses stepped back and waited to make the transport.
He stared and stared, his eyes glancing down to watch her breathe. With his arms over his chest, he watched her body rise and fall, taking deep and even breaths. Then a slight smile moved over his lips. “Breathe, sweetheart. Breathe.”
I intercepted Dex in the hallway on the way to the waiting room. “Are you okay?”
He continued to walk, his head glancing my way. “Just a little shaken up, but I’ll be alright.”
“Are you going to tell her parents what happened?”
He didn’t ask how I knew. He was probably used to the fact that I just knew everything all the time. “Not right away, but I will.”
“You think she’ll be alright? She won’t…have a heart attack, right?”
“No. It was just a complication from the bypass, but she’ll be fine. She’s little, but she’s strong.”
I smiled and grabbed him by the arm, giving him an affectionate squeeze. “Thank you…for being you.”
He stopped and gave me a pat on the back before he walked toward the parents.
Both of them were out of their seats so quickly, rushing to him with their arms wrapped around each other, bracing for the impact. I couldn’t hear their words, but I knew the moment Dex told them Ginny was okay, because they both burst into tears…and sobbed. Mr. Tompkins held his wife against his chest and cradled her as they both cried tears of joy. Now their daughter would have a long and normal life because of this man—who didn’t even ask for a penny in compensation.
Mrs. Tompkins then moved into Dex and hugged him tightly, sobbing into his scrubs.
Dex, not sure what to do, gave her a gentle one-armed hug.
Then Mr. Tompkins shook his hand.
When they broke apart, they shared a few more words, then Dex turned away.
“Wait, Dr. Hamilton.” Mrs. Tompkins came after him and pulled out a necklace from her purse, which had a cross with the Virgin Mary hanging from it. “I got this from the Vatican, where I asked the Pope to pray for my daughter… I want you to have it.”
Dex, always overwhelmed by their gratitude, had no idea what to do. “I can’t take this—”
“Please.” She grabbed his hand and placed it inside. “You’re a man of God. He works through you…every single day. Bless you.” She kissed his hand and stepped back, her eyes still watery.
Dex tightened his hand around the necklace before he gave a nod. “Thank you.” As with all the others, he unclasped it and put it around his throat, along with the other two that were already there, including the one she had given him already. Then he moved to the hallway and joined me once again.
I walked with him back to his office. “Is that common? For doctors to receive crosses from their patients?”
He shrugged. “My colleagues don’t get them.”
He already had three, like it was a custom or something. Or maybe people really felt God when they were in his presence. “It’s sweet that you wear them.”
He reached under his scrubs and pulled out the chains, the three of them hanging together. “Just not sure what I’m going to do if I get any more.” He stepped into his office, where dinner was waiting for him, and he immediately moved into his chair and started to scarf everything down.
I took a seat beside him, but then my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see that Dom had called me three times because I was an hour late for our date. “Shit.” I quickly sent him a text. So sorry. Work emergency. Can I meet you in thirty minutes? I doubted he even wanted to see me at this point.
Hope everything is okay. See you in thirty.
I was not expecting that response. Thanks. Sorry again. I put my phone back in my pocket.
“Everything alright?” he asked in between bites.
“Yeah, everything is fine.”
His look lingered on my face for a couple seconds, but he didn’t press me on it.
I wanted to stay with him, to make sure he was doing alright after that intense scene, but I’d already been on the clock for sixteen hours and I needed to go have a life of my own. “I would love to stay, but I have to get going. I’m sorry.”