Chapter 5: Epilogue
Sean picked up the scalpel blade and poised it above their patient's the under arm area for his breast reduction. He took a couple of little sponges to blot the leaking blood, then working through the incision, he started to remove the excess glandular tissue from around the areola and from the sides and bottom of the breast.
Christian matched his movements and pace exactly, working on the other side, "it's your turn for the music choice, partner," he reminded him in the uncharacteristic silence.
"How about some Cheryl Crow?" Sean looked at Liz.
"Right away," she stood up, switching a few buttons on their music centre. Hearing the beeping indicative of an increase in heart rate, she glanced over at the monitors. Eighty beats per minute, "giving more diprivan," she reacted, focused back from the music to the iv port.
"He's just responding to adverse stimuli. Let's wait a minute for him to get deeper before proceeding," Sean suggested.
"So what's the score with the that expensive piece of watch you keep in your cabinet at your office and no one is allowed to see?" Christian asked him, "you still haven't told me who gave you it."
Sean looked at him disapprovingly, "someone I…met. Briefly."
"Briefly? And she gave you a five thousand dollar antique?"
"Who said it was a she?" Sean glanced at the monitor and resumed work on his patient.
"Why else would you hide it. So?"
"Watch it Christian, you are on dangerous grounds. Besides, it was before I got back together with Julia."
"Do I know her?"
"You just don't know how to give it up, do you?…hm, yes, you know her."
"Patient?"
"Ex patient."
"Young or middle aged?"
"Why not older?"
"You don't do older."
"Young. You could say she's young."
"Come on, more information. Dark?"
"Blonde. Natural."
"Of course. What else? Eyes?"
"Two."
"Sean!"
"Why? It could be less or more…okay, okay. Brown," he inserted a cannula through the incision for the liposuction.
"I'm not getting anywhere like this. Reason she asked for surgery?"
"Ah, you got me. It was a unique reason. And she didn't ask. We offered. The carver."
"Yes! I remember! The model…Naomi something?"
"Gaines. She was trying to show her gratitude after she was on the cover of cosmo."
"With the watch? Or not just with the watch?"
"Grrr! Please just let me concentrate, okay? We are performing an operation if you didn't notice."
It was the moment when their receptionist barged in, "I'm sorry, but there is a situation out here. Dr. Troy's wife is wrestling on the floor with somebody who came in for an appointment, Ms. Kimberly Henry. You gotta come and do something cause neither of them will have any hair left. Or should I call the police?"
Sean shook his head in amusement as he watched Christian ran after the panicky receptionist. Everything was different since Christian returned. His own marital life with Julia has improved considerably. Of course he knew that Julia was thinking of Christian when they had sex and that was the reason their encounters improved, reaching almost perfect status, but he didn't care. Julia was his, and they always needed Christian somewhere in the background for their happiness. The practice was once again flourishing, especially with female patients, and the surgery was once again under constant risk of lawsuits for one of the surgeons sleeping with the patients. Christian bickered during surgery and they forgot to count the sponges again. People were having fist fights in the waiting room. All was at it should be. Oh, yeah, life was back to normal.
The End.
