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Cori plopped down behind her desk and leaned forward until her forehead hit the hard wood of the desktop with a thump. She groaned and lifted her head up, only to drop it again with another loud thump. What was she thinking? Had she let her dislike of surgeons come before her patient this time?
Raising up, she propped her head on one hand and looked over Kokoris' diagnosis. Everything was stitched up right and he was right. She knew it too by looking at the x-ray, her own exam of Scott's wrist and re-reading the surgical consult. Sighing softly, she closed the file up and picked up the phone.
"Operator."
"Yeah, can you page Dr. Nick Kokoris for me?"
"Your extension?"
"Yeah, have him call me here."
"What did you need to speak with me about?"
Cori screeched and jumped, dropping the phone. As she sat back in her chair, trying to catch her breath, Nick crossed over to the desk and picked up the phone.
"Please cancel that page, I'm right here. Thank you."
"You… You…"
"Sounds like 'you'. We've been here before Dr. Cori. Would you like to calm down and discuss Scott Philders' like adults and professionals?" He smiled as he eased down into the chair opposite her.
Cori eyed him for a moment before she relaxed and eased back in her chair. "I'm sorry for yelling in the hallway. That was unprofessional and uncalled for. I was the one who had asked for a consult from you."
"Thank you, apology accepted. Now, about the kid…"
"If you're one hundred percent certain that surgery is the only way to go-"
"I'm not. Dr. Cori-"
"Just Cori, please. We're professionals, right?"
"Cori, then. I'm not a physical therapist. But, I do know a case for surgery when I see it present itself. I still do not think that therapy will cure the problem, but if you are that sure, then I'll be willing to hold off on the surgery for, say, a week? Just to see if it will work."
Cori blinked. He was negotiating with her on treatment? "6 weeks of daily intensive therapy including range of motion and deep tissue massage to get the blood flowing back down into the muscles. Hopefully with the muscles contracting back into their normal shape, the tendons and ligaments will re-shape themselves."
"But 6 weeks is too long to wait to see if it will work. By then if it's not, it will be too late for surgery to fix the problem and he could be crippled for the rest of his life. One week and the therapist's own consultation."
"4 weeks and the therapist's consult."
"Two."
Cori squinted a moment, eyeing him like a hawk. "Three weeks. Daily therapy, deep tissue massage, therapist's consult and an evaluation week by week to both you and me."
"Deal. And if he's not responding to therapy at the end of the first week?"
"I'll book the procedure myself."
Nick blinked. He was starting to like this woman. She was nothing like what Slingerland had said she was. She wasn't even as evil as some of the other surgeons had suggested she was.
Cori chuckled. He looked like he was about to have a kitten. "I'm not a completely unreasonable woman, Dr. Koko. I-"
"Kokoris. The name is Kokoris."
"I like Dr. Koko myself. Makes you sound like you don't have that stick up your butt. As I was saying before you interrupted me. I'm going out for a drink after work. Would you like to join me?"
"As much as the offer is appealing, not tonight. Perhaps another?"
"Sure. Good Night Nick."
"Good Night Cori."
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