I hope the first chapter was satisfactory. I will be making another Brik fic the one I originally intended. This story is spontaneous and I just decided to go with the wind.
I let Franny sleep in and I decide I need to go to work to get my mind off of other things. I need to have a game plan ready for him. He isn't only a patient he is also my brother and a doctor at that. I need to be prepared with facts and a plan for him. I get Ben ready for the day and I leave Francois a note saying I will be at work. When I come into work I go straight to the operating board to see if Patrick is scheduled for any surgeries today and I see he isn't. I feel my my shoulders relax a little. Hopefully Patrick won't be too busy to see me without an appointment. I take the elevator and push Ben's stroller in there and I could put Ben in the children's daycare but after the last couple of days I need him with me where ever I go.
I make my way to Patrick's office and knock on the door. He opens the door.
"Britt." Its curt and short but it isn't overtly rude
"Drake I need you." He knows its serious when I call him by his last name. He opens the door much wider so I can get Ben inside and I sit at one of the chairs in front of his desk
"Britt please don't tell me its a kid. Is it Ben?" He looks at Ben like his heart might break and I feel ashamed again for trying to pass off Jerry Jack's kid as Patrick's. I know Patrick would have been a great father to him if he had the chance.
"Britt please don't tell me its him I don't think I can handle that."
"Patrick it isn't Ben. Ben's healthy Patrick he is healthy and hungry all the time. Ben's good I promise." I would never play with Ben's health and Patrick knows that. He looks convinced that it isn't about Ben.
"Are you hear as a Pediatrician or an Ob/Gyn?" He wants to know what he is dealing with.
"I am here as an Oncologist. I have a patient with a Brain tumor. I would really like you to consult with me regarding this case. You are one of the best and the geography is best suited to come to you. If you don't feel comfortable working with me it is understood but I am sure we can find a reasonable way to keep distance if that's what you need." I need Patrick the next best neurosurgeon with credentials like Patrick is in Germany and that's way too far too travel especially with my baby.
"Relax Britt I know the next best option is Von Hauser and you can't just drive to Berlin. We never had a bad working situation and you are an amazing oncologist Britt I would be honored to work with you. Besides it only furthers my genius by collaborating on cases with the best in their fields. We may have some bad personal things among us but they don't make you any lesser as a doctor in my eyes. I moved past that and I think we can work together to help this patient. Now that we have that out of the way give me the facts."
I start to tell him about my research papers that were published two years ago and my patients for those trials and their results. I then tell him about my new patient and how I would like to expand on my research and use this treatment on him. I tell Patrick of how compatible this patient is with my two test subjects from before. Although that is an extremely small number (because its not like I go around wishing people get brain cancer) it is vital that their results are widely known because similar people health wise can potentially be helped with similar treatments.
We talk for about three hours. The folder contents is all over his desk. I know I have to feed Ben soon and damn he looks so zonked out its probably from hearing all the scientific mumbo jumbo. He looks so peaceful and I stop listening to Patrick and I just look at my baby.
"Sometimes I wish he was mine." The sentence cuts through the room.
"I know Patrick sometimes I wish that too. Patrick you are such a good dad and I know one day you will have another and you will do just as good a job you are doing with Emma." It makes him smile and I am only telling the truth. Patrick's a good man and anyone would be lucky to have him as a father.
We get back to discussing the case and Patrick tells me who is fully on board and he can devote time with me to do further research and it makes me feel so at ease and I feel the tension in my shoulders dissipating a little.
"Why is this case so important to you?"
"I am a doctor and its my job to make sure my patients get the best care possible."
"Britt it seems like than that. I can read it in your body language."
"Its my little brother. Well he isn't so little but you know what I mean."
"That cop has brain cancer and he is on duty. Britt I don't need to explain to you how bone-headed that is."
"No! Nathan doesn't have cancer and its my surrogate brother. I didn't even know Nathan existed until recently. My mom was a shotty mother and someone else picked up the slack. I have two other brothers Benjamin and Francois and Franny is the brother with cancer. He's a medical doctor and knows what kinds of precautions he needs to go through to maximize his survival rate." Before I can continue my verbal diarrhea there's a knock at the door.
Its a rude kind of knock because the person just opens the door themselves instead of letting the Patrick open the door and ask them what they need. Patient information and conversation about patients between doctors is confidential. I turn and I see it is probably the last person I ever want to see...
"Wicked Britch, How are you? I'm surprised you haven't melted yet." I roll my eyes this kid has the lamest of jokes.
"What can I do for you Felix?" Patrick voice has an edge and I suppress the urge to smirk because diva extraordinaire looks affronted at the tone.
"Well I was hoping to speak to you in private."
"Is it important? Can it wait Britt and I have things to do." Felix eyebrow raises comically and he scowls at me.
"Why are you even talking to Britch? Is she trying to find a way to con you into something." I really do hate this dude. He is such a sanctimonious piece of shit who thinks he can talk to me anyway he likes.
"Hey Felix, I am going to say this once and only once because I am so tired of you. My name is Britta not Britch not Dr. Westnile or any of your other petty lame names. I think it would be in your best interest to call me Dr. Westbourne. You can keep your comments to yourself and your friends. You won't be calling me pathetic lame names and expect me to answer them. If you keep with calling me anything other than my given title I will have harassment accusations filed with Human Resources. Do you need to speak with Patrick about something important or can it wait because we have better things to do then waiting for you to finish gossip. If you spent as much time being a nurse as you are a gossip you would get better peer reviews." I am only stating the truth. He thinks he can fucking call me by some lame name and I will answer he is stupid. I am done with all of this bull shit. I ain't taking anymore shit from any of them especially not some gossip queen or Elizabitch.
He seems not too like this but guess what Felix I don't give a fuck. I am not in the mood for anyone to try to get under my skin and especially refuse to let him win. He just walks away without saying anything. I guess whatever he had to say wasn't important. Patrick just closes the door and laughs and looking at him laugh just makes me lose control and I start laughing too. We get back to work soon though and we create a plan and Patrick tells me he doesn't have any surgeries planned for the new future and that he is doing some minor consulting on cases but other than that he is all mine. I am super happy that I got Patrick on this case. The last time I conducted trials I didn't really have any input from surgeons on the research side of it and I feel this trial is going to be so much better.
"Britt I would be honored to help you on this case and I can only hope we are successful."
"Thank you so much Patrick, it means a lot for you to help me especially considering our history but I am happy you can over look my past transgressions to help me especially on this case."
"I forgave you a long time ago Britt but I should have probably told you that a long time ago. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early. Will I be seeing Ben there as well?"
"Yeah probably the last couple of days have been hard and he makes it easier so I have probably been a little smother bugger but the root word in smother is mother right? He probably won't be with us after a week. I just need a little time to adjust and I will be back to being badass in no time."
"Well I think its nice to have been attend some field trips even though he won't know anything we are talking about."
"Yeah all we can do is put him to sleep." I get up from the chair and my butt feels numb and tingly when I get up I hate when that happens. I need to remind myself for Patrick to get better chairs.
He comes over and hugs me and I am shocked but I welcome it. Small things like this makes you believe that people can truly care even when they don't have too. He tells me its going to be okay and we will do this together and I believe him because I have too. I can't afford to think about failure because its not just some patient on a piece of paper. Normally its a conflict of interest for me to be involved in the care of family but no one can help Franny like I can and with Patrick helping me I know I have a fighting chance.
Patrick opens the door for me and I carefully steer Ben in his stroller he is going to be waking soon so he can get fed.
"Britt..." Of all people in the world to see of course it would be "...Patrick."
"Nikolas." Patrick just says curtly. I never understood the underlying tension between the two. Is it my fault? Was it always there beforehand? With Nik being there it makes me feel so frazzled I want to run but I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.
"Why were you in Patrick's office? Is Ben okay?" Nik face goes from stoic to concerned and it warms my heart a little that he is so concerned for Ben.
"No, Nik it isn't about Ben. Not that is any of your business but Patrick and I are discussing work."
"Britt you are always my business." Is it weird that it makes me hot when he gets all possessive and he just looks into my eyes and I kinda feel like I am becoming a puddle of mush. And it gets awkward when Patrick clears his throat. I thank Patrick for the help and I bid Nik adieu and I hightail it out of there like a bat out of hell because I am wearing the wrong kind of bra and my nipples are hard and completely visible in the company of two guys I have had sex with and my baby.
So yeah I am done with this chapter. Britt has finally told Felix off for good and I think this time it will stick. Sorry I don't like Felix at all. He is the kind of person I ever avoid of having social interaction with in real life. He is the type of best friend that tells everyone your business and he is incredibly judgmental and a jerk who thinks he can justify his behavior because someone hurt his friend. If you like Felix that is your right but I won't be writing him any different if he appears. I never see him being a nurse. He is always spreading the local news like its 5:00. In other news Patrick and Britt teaming up is going to make Nikolas go a little green with envy. How will this effect him and Britt in the long run? Will this be the justification Nik needs to seek out Elizabeth for solace? Will Elizabeth be the bony shoulder for Nik to cry on? Let me know what you think!