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Chapter two: Run This Town

~~~Edward~~~

"Mrs. Stewart, how are you feeling?" I asked with a fake smile plastered on my face.

To be honest, I couldn't wait to get out of here. I was in desperate need of a cigarette. It had been a long day. Yeah? So what if I smoke? I am a doctor, not perfect.

Caroline Stewart was our last surgical patient of the day. She was a 59-year-old female with acute cholecystitis. My father and I just removed her gallbladder laparoscopically. Everything went great and she was now in the recovery room. Laparoscopic surgery was my favorite. All those years of playing video games finally came in handy.

"I'm fine, handsome; just a little uncomfortable. Call me Caroline," she smiled back. I winked, proceeding to give her discharge instructions and a prescription for pain medication.

"Okay, Caroline, you feel better," I said as I gave her hand a squeeze. "You'll need to rest here for a while and then you'll be able to go home. Remember to call the office and schedule your follow-up appointment."

"Will do. Thank you, both of you." She looked at both me and my father. I nodded and turned away while my father continued the conversation.

I quickly ran into the locker room to grab my white lab coat, and then dashed to the elevator, just to wait. This thing was ancient. It literally took forever. I saw someone else waiting, as well, some blond dude wearing scrubs.

"Excuse me, sir, where are the stairs?" I asked.

"Right over there," He pointed to his left, where there was a door with a huge 'Exit' sign on top. Duh! I should have looked around before I opened my mouth.

"Thanks," I said over my shoulder, as I walked away.

"You're Carlisle's son aren't you?" I turned back around, studying his badge closely. "Michael Newton M.D," it said and underneath read "Medical Staff." He was stocky and little shorter than I was, however, he looked to be around my age.

"Yes, I'm Edward. Pleasure to meet you," I said as I extended my hand and shook his firmly.

"I'm Mike. Same here. So, where are you headed?" I didn't want to disclose my shameful habit. I lied.

"I was going to check out the cafeteria. It's a little late for lunch, but I haven't eaten yet," I shrugged. He nodded.

Apparently, he was also headed to the cafeteria and offered to accompany me. By this time, the elevator had arrived. Mike pressed the button for the first floor. I would have to remember that for the future. The door was about to close when a hand waved and made the doors open again. I was staring at the floor, seething. I just wanted to make it to my car for five minutes, that's it. Was that really too much to ask? Just five fucking minutes. Nicotine cravings are a bitch. I really should just quit or get the patch.

"Good afternoon Bella," Mike said.

I lifted my head then to see the brown-eyed beauty from the O.R.. She was also wearing a lab coat and had wavy mahogany hair that trailed down her back. The girl was gorgeous, even earlier wearing that stupid hat. Don't get me wrong, it was cute, but it looked more like a chef's hat than a scrub cap.

Then again, she would need a big hat like that to hide those beautiful locks. Did they have to have cartoons on them, though? Wasn't that a little immature? What was I saying? She couldn't be more than twenty or so. This is coming from the guy that has every lightsaber replica known to man; the same guy who still collects Star Wars action figures?

No wonder you're still single.

-Leave me alone. Nicotine withdrawal. Hello?

Bella nodded in acknowledgment. She was silent the entire ride. When all three of us exited on the first floor, Mike tried to engage her in conversation.

"Bella, were you guys busy today? Isn't it a little late for you to be eating lunch? Don't you go home soon?"

Geez, what'd he do, stalk her?

-I'd stalk her.

"No, not busy; just a little understaffed. There was no one who could give me a break." She shrugged, going straight for the hot lunch line. I silently trailed behind her.

I scanned a few items and picked up some chicken fingers. Bella did the same, while Mike was heckling the lunch lady about nonsense.

Once we were all in line to pay, Mike invited Bella to sit with us. She respectfully declined, stating that she would rather eat in the O.R. lounge. She waved and headed back to the elevators, while I stared after her.

Mike chatted animatedly about, oh, I don't know... everything? I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. He was a gastroenterologist and worked daily in the endoscopy suite. I thought it best to be polite and cordial. He would probably be referring patients my way soon enough.

When I was finished eating, I excused myself. I couldn't listen to his mindless chatter anymore.

"It was great to meet you on your first day, I probably won't be seeing much of ya," he said with a mouthful.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. This place was so small, I was sure I would run into him daily.

He saw my confusion and quickly explained. "I mean, the operating room personnel; they usually keep to themselves. I was surprised when you didn't follow Bella back upstairs. The guys up there are pretty close knit, you'll see. Like I said, it was a pleasure," he said, putting his hand out for a shake. I shook his hand.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you," I smiled. "We'll probably have a patient or two in common."

"Right. Take care," he said.

I turned to throw away my garbage and retreat to my car. I found the stairs and headed down to the garage level. I ran down those steps as fast as I could, trying my hardest to get back up to the OR without being missed. As a physician, we don't exactly get breaks, as there is no one to cover for us. This place was pretty quiet though and very small. Surely I would enjoy it. I mean, my residency was hell. There were times where I would work seventy-two hour stints, and being that it was a busy inner city hospital, we often saw a lot of trauma. I wonder what kind of trauma we'd see here? Probably none.

"Dr. Edward Cullen, extension 7222. Dr. Cullen, extension 7222."

Goddammit, I was being paged overhead. I exited the stairs on the lobby level and reached a wall phone. I dialed 7222 and waited.

"O.R., Jessica," I was greeted.

"Hi, this is Dr. Cullen. I was paged."

"Oh yes, please hold," she replied. I waited and looked at my watch. It was already 2:40 P.M.

"Edward?" my father said.

"Yeah, Dad, what's up?" I asked, breezily. I would never hear the end of it if he found out I was smoking.

I'm a 30-year-old man for Christ's sake what did I care?

-I did care. Gah!

"Just wondering if you were lost. I wanted you to do afternoon rounds with me. You'll get to see the patients you were supposed to meet this morning," he said. That's it, Dad rub it in, I was late this morning. Sue me.

"I just needed a break. When I was trying to find the cafeteria, Dr Newton accosted me for a while," I explained.

He chuckled at that. "I see. The cafe is on the first floor. Meet me on the third floor when you're done," he said.

"Okay, and Dad? Can you just call my cell next time? I hate being paged overhead." I may have whined a bit at the end there.

"Okay." He sighed.

I hung up and went back to my mission, running down that last flight of stairs, and sprinting to my car like a maniac. I breathed a sigh of relief, when I finally reached my car. God, I loved this car. It was a silver Volvo XC60 T6 AWD. Did I mention it was a 2010 model?

In the city I didn't have a car; I mostly rode the subway. But, out here in Hicksville, I mean, Port Jervis, I needed a good four-wheel-drive vehicle. I've visited my family over the few years they lived out here and I honestly loved the area, but the winters could be brutal.

I fumbled around my center console until I found my Marlboro Lights and my lighter. I lit one and savored the burn as I inhaled. Oh, thank the nicotine Gods! I started my car to roll down the windows and listen to some music. My Jay-Z CD was still in, so I just left it and sat back to relax.

As I was growing up, my father was rarely home. Being a surgeon is time consuming, I know. I just spent the last few years working eighty-hour weeks at Mount Sinai. This was different, though. I was shadowing my father. When it's time for him to leave for the day, I'll leave, too, until I have my own patients. I joined his practice and I was also contracted by the hospital. Only time would tell how busy I would be. Today was a stressful day even if everything went exceptionally well. It was stressful because everything was so new to me; new hospital, new people, and a new routine.

I decided that I needed to get riled up for the second part of my day.

Turning up the stereo a little louder, I nodded along with the song.

Feel it comin' in the air

And the screams from everywhere

I'm addicted to the thrill

It's a dangerous love affair

Can't be scared when it does down

Got a problem tell me now

Only thing that's on my mind

Is who's gonna run this town tonight

Is who's gonna run this town tonight-

I flicked the butt of the cigarette out of the window and glanced in my rear-view mirror.

And fuck me running, did I get a rear view!

I gawked at the ass of a petite brunette. She was wearing gray sweat pants that looked like they were painted on her ass. She headed to her car a few rows behind mine, dropping her keys along the way. When she bent down to get them, I got a better view. My over-eager, sex-deprived self mentally shouted, "Yes!" as I fought the urge to fist pump the air.

Edward Cullen MD, total ass man.

Miss Bubble Ass turned quickly, I guess to see if anyone saw. Her top was just as form fitting as her pants, but that wasn't what caught my attention. My brown-eyed O.R. beauty was a hottie with a body, and my God, that ass! That was a long name, even if I only call her that in the confines of my horny brain. I guess I can just call her Bella, since that is her name. I groaned to myself, still staring.

She got an ass that'll swallow up a G-string

And on top, uh, two bee stings

Bella reached her Jeep, started it, and exited the lot. I glanced at the clock 3:00 P.M. So she gets off at three? Shit, now I sounded like Newton. I would see her again on Thursday as we had a few procedures that day. I was hoping to see her around before then – gawk at her before then. Maybe I'd even talk to her?

I slumped back in my seat, adjusting my cock.

You're hard because of that? Sad. That is just fucking sad.

"Fuck you," I told my psyche, or the evil sex demon that possesses my brain. He's a deviant little fucker that makes me think of perverted, evil things, and they come out of nowhere. It's either an evil sex demon or my cock has developed a mind of its own.

Classic.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder if she would give me that doe-eyed innocent look if I bent her over the hood of my car, and peeled down those painted-on sweats, just to take a bite out of an ass cheek?

It's a demon.

Shaking my head clear of the thought, I berated myself. It was not the time or the place.

I rubbed in some sanitizing hand gel and spritzed on some cologne. I was ready for the rest of my day and had a fantasy stored in the beat bank for later.

Yes, Edward Cullen MD. Is a fucking loser.