Ty had avoided Amy all day, not really knowing how he would explain to her that he couldn't do her surgery. Waiting until visiting hours were over and the hospital was settling down for the night, he stopped to pull her chart from the nurse's station. The night nurse asked if he needed anything. He smiled but shook his head.
Walking towards her room, he wondered if she would still be awake. How was he going to tell her? He'd made a promise, and now he was going to break it.
He entered her dimly lit room, walking quietly up to her bedside. She looked so peaceful sleeping. He didn't want to wake her, but he needed to tell her so she had time to absorb the news.
His hand reached to brush her cheek, stopping in midair when he realized what he was about to do. He took a step back, turning to leave when her eyes fluttered open, a smile lighting up her face.
"Hey, where have you been, Dr. Borden? " Her blue eyes mesmerized him again. He stood speechless, his mind completely blank.
"Earth to Dr. Borden! Are you okay?" she asked, frowning.
"Ah, yes, Amy—I mean Ms. Fleming. I need to . . . " His voice trailed off as he couldn't recall what he wanted to say. His phone vibrating in his pocket snapped him out of the trance, and he backed out of the room.
He took the call, which was nothing important. He stood in the hall, trying to pull himself together and collect his thoughts. He told himself to be a professional; he hadn't crossed the line with this patient, so he needed to suck it up and do the right thing.
Entering the room again, he stayed at the end of her bed, knowing the halo she had on would restrict her line of vision. Clearing his throat, he began by explaining the procedure, keeping his demeanor very professional toward her.
Amy listen intently, getting concerned with his abrupt change in bedside manner. When he was done talking, he asked her if she had any questions.
"Just one," she said. "Everything okay? You sound so serious. Did I say something to upset you?"
He looked up to see her eyes focused on him. He felt bad, but he had to keep his emotions in check. "No, Ms. Fleming, you didn't. I just want to make sure you understand what's about to happen to you tomorrow, is all."
"Believe me, I do, doctor," she said bluntly, closing her eyes, not wanting him to see the fear and her tears.
He groaned, knowing he'd upset her. She needed his support right now, and he was acting like a doctor who didn't care about the patient's needs at all.
Walking up to the side of her bed, he touched her hand, hoping she would look at him. When she didn't, he begged, "Amy, please open your eyes and look at me."
Her eyes opened, starring into his.
Ty took a deep breath, knowing he could jeopardize everything. "Amy, I can't explain what it is about you or the way you make me feel. But I could lose my job or worse, jeopardize your health, if I allow my feelings to take control. I have to remain professional. Are you sure you want me to do your surgery, Amy?"
Amy nodded slightly, her eyes softening. "Ty, your eyes are the windows to your soul. They betrayed you the first time you brushed my tears away. I understand, but you're the only person I want to do this surgery. You made me a promise, and I'm holding you to it."
He smiled, knowing she was right. "Okay then, I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep, Ms. Fleming."
"I will be here. Dr. Borden." She smiled at him.
Dropping her chart off at the desk on the way out, he asked the nurse to make the change to Amy's surgeon.
She smiled. "Already taken care of, Dr. Borden. Have a good night."
He turned, giving her a questioning look, but was too tired to ask.
He had a hard time falling asleep, worried about the surgery and the promise he'd made. What if he couldn't make Amy better? Would it hurt their chances of taking their relationship further? Would she hate him?
When he finally fell asleep, it was anything but restful. The morning came early. Ty had to be at the hospital by 7, and Amy had to be prepped for surgery. He waited to see her until they brought her down to pre-op. She was a little groggy from the shot they'd given her.
"Morning, Amy. How you feeling today?" he asked.
"Wonderful!" she stated rather loudly. He laughed, knowing the drugs were affecting her. But she caught his eyes and whispered something, forcing him to lean down to hear her.
"No matter what happens today, I know you're the right man for the job, Ty. Oh, and don't stare too long at my ass, or everyone will know."
He blushed. "Amy!" He hoped no one had heard her. Standing tall and taking a deep breath, he moved the curtain back to walk out and hand the chart to the nurse. "Okay, let's get this show on the road," he said as they headed off to the surgical floor.
The next time he saw her, she was under sedation, lying naked on the table. His mask hid his smile as her words echoed in his ears. Clearing his head, he focused on his job.
The surgery was long and more involved than he'd initially thought. But it went well, and she was taken to recovery to wake up. He gave the nurse instructions to notify him when she was awake, which was not unusual for Dr. Borden. All the staff knew that with the type of surgery he performed, he wanted to know what the patients were feeling soon after they awoke.
It took Amy almost two hours to come out of the anesthesia—a little longer than normal, but not uncommon. She was moving her head more now that the halo was gone, and he was concerned. He had the nurse give her a little something to help relax her. He knew it would slow down her waking up, but he was okay with that. She was breathing on her own and responding to stimuli, so he wasn't concerned.
Standing next to her bed, he felt her hand touch his. He looked down to see her blue eyes open and a smile on her face.
"Hey, how you doing, Amy?"
She squeezed his hand, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can move my arm." Her voice was full of emotion.
"I see that. How about the other arm? Can you move that one for me?" He walked over to that side of the bed. He watched her struggle, and her smile faded.
"I can't. It won't move," she said, a look of utter devastation on her face.
"Amy, look at me." He got her to focus on him. "It's okay. Remember, I told you it might take some time. Your muscles are weak from not being used. You need to be patient, okay?"
She nodded, relaxing her arm. Patience was a virtue that Amy had little of these days. "Okay, I will try to be patient," she managed to mumble.
Ty laughed, taking her hand. "Can you feel my hand touching yours, Amy?"
Her eyes grew wide, the smile returning to her face. "Yes, yes! I can feel your hand! Oh, I love you."
He blushed, looking up at the nurse.
"Don't worry, Dr. Borden, it's the medication." The nurse winked at him.
"Get some rest, Amy; I'll be back to see you when they move you to your room."
He wasn't sure she heard him; her eyes were already closed.
It was several hours later when she was finally alert. She let her eyes adjust to the dim light before scanning the room for him. With the halo gone, she could raise and move her head, which made it much easier to see where she was looking.
"Dr. Borden? Ty? Are you here?" she asked.
He looked up to see her moving. Getting up from his chair he made his way over to the bed. "Hey, take it slow, Amy. How you feeling?"
Her words were slightly slurred. "Dr. Borden, has anyone ever told you that you are a fantastic surgeon?"
Ty laughed. "Well not so much in those words, Amy. But thank you." He checked her pulse.
She was using her right arm, her dominant hand, which he figured would work soon after the surgery. The left hand, he was somewhat concerned about.
"Amy, I need you to try using your left arm for me, please." He gave her an encouraging smile.
She nodded, taking a deep breath and concentrating on moving her left hand. It came off the bed about an inch before it dropped.
His smile never wavered, letting her know she was making progress. "That's good, Amy. With some physical therapy, it'll get stronger over time, and you'll gain more control over it. Try it one more time for me, please."
This time she moved it just a bit further before it dropped. "Sorry, it takes a lot to move it. It feels really heavy." Her eyes showed her disappointment.
"Hey, you're doing great for being out of surgery just four hours. Don't be disappointed. Everything comes with time and patience."
She kept her eyes focused on him and laughed. "You don't know me very well, Dr. Borden. Patience is something I have very little of."
"Really? I don't believe that for a minute, Ms. World-Class Horse Trainer. I bet it takes a lot of patience to get a 1,000-pound horse to listen to you."
She turned her head to look at him, surprise showing in her eyes. "How do you know I work with horses?
"I do research on all my patients, Amy. I want to know how they lived their lives before their accidents. That helps me understand how to best help in rehabilitating a patient. You're famous, and it didn't take me long to find that out." His Borden smile glowed.
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm famous. But I do have a reputation as a horse trainer—or horse whisperer, as some people refer to my talents." Her smile faltered. "At least, they did before the accident."
He took her hand in his. "You will again, Amy. It'll take hard work and determination, but I know you can do it. He hesitated. "I would like to be a part of that process, if you want me there."
"Yes, Ty. I'd like that very much."
"Just remember, patience, Amy. Slow and steady, okay?" She was going to be a difficult one to work with, but he was looking forward to the challenge. "Oh, and Amy, I want you to use that button for the pain, too. Don't be a hero. Your body needs time to heal, and you need to stay quiet." He kept himself from touching her cheek.
She nodded, closing her eyes. She was tired, and it didn't take long for her to drift off again. Ty stayed until he was sure she was asleep and then gave the nurse instructions to give her some more pain medication and to call him if she had any problems during the night.
"Yes, I will, Dr. Borden. Now take your own advice and go get some sleep."
Ty walked toward his office, thinking back to when he'd first met Amy. It had only been three weeks, and they hadn't even managed to go out on a date, but he knew he was falling in love with her.
There was something about her eyes and her ability to see into his heart and soul. He hadn't even seen her standing up, but it didn't matter. Even if she spent the rest of her life in a wheel chair, he would be there for her.
He decided to stay at the office, pulling out the sleeper sofa. Kicking off his shoes and removing his dress shirt, he lay back on the bed. The next thing he remembered was the sound of his phone ringing. It was the nurse telling him Amy was in trouble.
Grabbing his shoes and white coat, he headed for the elevator. When he reached the nurse's station, they filled him in on what was going on and what had been done up to this point. "She's having an allergic reaction."
He heard the code blue call. He sprinted down the hall to her room.
"Amy, don't you leave me," he yelled as he grabbed the paddles off the cart. "Charge to 360 joules."
Her body came off the bed with the jolt from the paddles, but the heart monitor continued to flat line. "Clear," he yelled and shocked her again. The faint sound of her heartbeat registered on the monitor. He sighed, handing the paddles to the nurse.
"Amy, just relax and breathe, okay? We're giving you a shot of epinephrine to help you. You're having an allergic reaction to the pain medication."
Her eyes were wide with fear, her pulse racing, and she was gasping for breath.
He held the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. "Amy, it's going to be okay." His hand squeezed hers.
"Please, don't leave." Her voice was just a whisper.
His eyes held her focus. "I'm right here, Amy. I'm not going anywhere."
