“We ought to watch her here for a few hours,” Flann said. “If she deteriorates in transit, that’s going to be a bigger problem than what might happen in the next few days. Harp?”
“Transfer will take at least a few hours. We’ll have to send her to the ICU until then. If she remains stable, no reason to move her. But it’s Abby’s call.”
Abby appreciated Harper backing her up and considered the compromise. Right now, the patient showed no signs of requiring urgent neurosurgical intervention, but if she did, they would not have very much time to transfer or treat. “You must have some kind of neurosurgical backup here.”
Harper said, “We do. We’ll call a consult now and get someone in here within the hour. If they’re worried about her head, we can transfer then.”
Abby blew out a breath. “All right, that sounds like a plan.” She paused, looked at Flann. “Dr.
Rivers? Are you comfortable with that?”
Flann nodded. “I’ll be in the OR. I can break if I absolutely have to.” She spoke to Harper, more out of routine than anything else. Abigail had been right in all of her assessments, and Flann didn’t doubt she would keep an eye on the patient. All the same, her sister had been her backup in everything her whole life—when they were kids, in college, in med school. Even sometimes when she’d gotten herself into a relationship problem. Harper had always been there to talk her through or talk her out of trouble.
Harper said to Abby, “I’m going to make rounds now, but I’ll stop down to the ICU as soon as she’s settled and keep an eye on her all morning.” “Good enough,” Abby said.
“The nurses will get her settled in the ICU,” Harper said.
“I’m going to check in with Presley,” Abby said. “Hopefully I’ll have a beeper before long, in case anyone needs me.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” Harper said. “The page operators can always find you.” “How?” Abby asked.
“Welcome to Small Town, USA.” Harper grinned.
Abby must have looked a little panicked because Harper and Flannery laughed at the same time. For just an instant, Abby was jealous of their camaraderie and their obvious affection. She had done so many things alone in her life. True, David had helped her when he could with the baby, but mostly she’d been a single mom, a commuter student the last two years of college, and a med student who didn’t have time for the end-of-rotation parties that bonded everyone else. She had Blake, but Blake was her child and needed her to be strong, now more than ever. It would be good to see Presley again. A friend was exactly what she needed.
She followed Harper and Flannery into the hall. Flann pointed to the left. “Administration is that way. Presley has the big office with the big sign that says President.”
Abby laughed. “I always knew she would be someday.”
“As long as she isn’t interested in DC.” Harper’s pride was obvious. She sketched a wave and headed away.
An awkward silence descended and Abby met Flann’s dark, penetrating stare. She held the gaze, realizing she hadn’t been on the receiving end of a woman’s appraisal in a very long time. She felt heat creep into her cheeks. Damn it. Not a woman, a colleague, and one not so happy to meet her.
“Welcome to the Rivers, Dr. Remy,” Flann finally said.
She turned and jogged away, leaving Abby wondering what Flann had seen in her face and praying her uneasy attraction hadn’t been obvious. Because she wasn’t really—attracted, that is. Flannery Rivers was easy on the eyes and sexy in an all-too-knowing way, but even under ideal circumstances, not Abby’s type.
As it was, she had to figure out how they could work together without rubbing up against the sharp edges of competition between them. And she had no plans to start anything with anyone while she and Blake were still getting settled in a whole new chapter of their lives. One thing was for certain, even if she were desperate for company, Flannery Rivers would be dead last on her list of candidates.
Satisfied she’d put that distracting issue to bed, Abby set off to find her once-best friend, who, like so many things in her life, she’d let slip away. The administrative wing was deserted except for a few of the offices where doors stood open and early arrivals worked at desks, sorting papers and checking computer screens. The contrast to the seething energy of the medical wing was momentarily disorienting, a lot like her life these days—swinging from high to low with the sweep of the minute hand. Hopefully, she and Blake would find a little stability here.