So much thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. My eyes
are, sadly not better yet. I am currently awaiting a call from the
clinic I was seen at on Saturday about new drops. *crossing my
fingers* On a good note, though … my fever is down and I am
not as all-over-achy as I had been, so the antibiotic must be
helping with the sinusitis.
Everyone seems to feel these two made some real progress. I am
glad you enjoyed their conversation. As to what she was going to
say before the phone interrupted her … the world may never know!
Hehe
Oh, and don't go chasing any red herrings in this chapter. Some were
freaked out over English doctors the first go-round.
Much thanks to Fran.
-LWTC-
Chapter 17
Four hours later, Edward held her hand as Bella Stood at the United Airlines counter. Her office assistant had called ahead, and purchased the ticket to Manchester Airport. The call was for a patient whose surgery was not scheduled for another three weeks, but he had suffered a massive heart attack in the wee-hours of the morning. The doctors at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield had managed to stabilize him, and were awaiting her arrival to perform the surgery to replace the valve in his right atrium, and remodel of his right ventricular branch. The staff at Northern General were excited to witness her new procedure as they are a teaching facility, and the surgical theater was booked within an hour of her confirmation.
"So, you should be back on Tuesday?"
"That's the plan," Bella squeezed his hand and smiled at him, "of course, there's no guarantee. It all depends on how the surgery goes."
"You'll be great, Bella," Edward encouraged her, lifting her hand and pressing his lips against her knuckles.
"There's so much more I was hoping to discuss tonight," Bella leaned into Edward, resting her ear over his heart, and relaxing against him.
"Me too," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest.
Edward held her tight, hating that she had to fly 3,683.64 miles away from him … he had looked it up on his iPhone as she packed her bags. He hadn't waited for her to ask for a ride; instead, he had offered by taking her keys, and telling her that her Durango would be safer kept in the driveway, than at the long-term parking at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.
He was surprised when she readily agreed.
Saying goodbye was difficult. They had covered so much ground that night, but they were denied the chance to draw any conclusions. He could feel the love radiating off her with every touch between them—he could hear it in every word, and he could see it shining in her beatific smile. However, no solid declarations had been made. He hated to let her go without telling her he loved her, but he knew it would be unfair to blurt it out at the security line, and expect her to have an answer ready for him. Besides, she was not just jumping on a plane to go gallivanting through the UK; she was getting ready to board a flight to save a life.
Edward contented himself with a lingering hug, and a kiss to the side of her mouth, which she returned. He stood and watched until she disappeared into the distant terminals.
-LWTC-
"Dr. Swan?"
"That's me," Bella stepped forward to the smartly dressed man, holding a sign with her name on it.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Davies," he reached to shake her hand, "Dr. Andrew Davies."
"I'm Dr. Isabella Swan, but please, call me Bella," she shook his hand firmly.
"Only if you'll call me Drew," he smiled at her. "Is there someplace you needed to stop before going to your hotel?"
"Yes, I could stand to stop by a Boots. I didn't bother to pack toiletries; it's far less bothersome just to buy some lotion and mouthwash once you've arrived at your destination these days, than to try to get through security."
"That is the truth." Drew chuckled at Bella's comment. He looked her over several times, noting her lovely profile, good posture, lovely smile, and the lack of a ring on her left hand. Suddenly, being asked to fetch the Yank Doctor from the airport at nearly nine o'clock at night didn't feel like such a bad thing. He grabbed her only suitcase and led her to his waiting MG6. They stopped by Boots, and Bella managed to get everything she needed.
After dropping her at the Hilton, Drew left Bella his personal number, and made sure to tell her to call him if she needed anything. Bella thanked him, and told him she would see him at the hospital later that day.
After checking in, Bella took a quick shower, and then called Edward to let him know she had arrived safely. She had promised to do so, and after how well things had gone the night before, she didn't want to let him worry about her.
"Hey, you made it."
"Hey, I did."
"I miss you already."
"It's only for a few days, Edward."
"Bella, if you got back on the plane, and flew home right now, it would be too long."
"Now you're just being overly dramatic. I'll text you after I've slept a bit before I go to the hospital."
"Okay, Princess. Sleep well."
"Miss you."
"I miss you, too."
Bella hung up, plugged her phone into the charger, and crawled into the soft, king-sized bed, and was out moments after her head hit the pillow.
-LWTC-
She awoke with a start six hours later, when her phone alarm started blaring The Circle of Life from The Lion King. She was committed to being at the hospital by nine, and she had an obligation to her patient to be fully apprised of his current condition, so she had set her alarm to wake her at five in the morning. She got up, showered, and dressed in an attractive pantsuit in charcoal, with gray pinstriping. The blazer was attractively cut, with a shawl-necked collar, and a one button front closure; she paired it with a crisp, teal blouse, and a pair of comfortable, black, low-heeled, ankle boots that would do well in the wetness and cold of the climate.
She wore her hair in a simple French braid, which she tucked and pinned so that she didn't have hair hanging down her back. She glanced in the mirror and nodded; Alice had been right about the outfit. The clean lines and tailored style were attractive, and slimming. She decided she looked nice, even attractive.
Bella called room service to order breakfast, and a carafe of strong coffee, and then sat at the desk to read the file that Drew had handed her the night before. She immersed herself in the detailed information about her patient's condition.
-LWTC-
Meeting her surgical team was nerve wracking. She worked with unfamiliar teams before under emergency situations, but it never got easier. She liked working in familiar conditions, with people she already knew, and skill sets she could anticipate. She spent two hours with the team, discussing plans, and informing them of what to expect. They all seemed prepared to follow instructions, and eager to work with Bella, which helped to alleviate some the apprehension she had been feeling. In spite of any feeling of trepidation at working with a foreign team, she felt positive about the outcome of the surgery. The team had managed to stabilize the condition of the patient, in spite of his recent attack, which she deemed to be a good sign.
-LWTC-
Bella handed off the closing stitches to the local specialist, as she smiled in relief and triumph. The five hour procedure had been stressful, but throughout the entire surgery, her team had been top-notch, and had kept close watch on his oxygen levels, and stayed ahead of any signs of distress.
They had restored blood flow to the heart, and the sutures held. Everything had gone perfectly according to plan. The surgery was a success. It was a good day.
-LWTC-
Bella cleaned up, and returned to her hotel room, having discharged the patient's care to the attending Cardiologist. Thankfully, the surgical staff understood her desire to skip out on the backslapping and glad-handing. She had agreed to go back the next day to talk to a few of the surgeons about the techniques she used, and to answer their questions. Officially, however, her role in this was complete.
It's done, and I am back in my room. All went well. (B)
I'm glad to hear that, Princess. I'll pass the news along to the family. x(E)
Good, I know Esme has been praying. Tell her I said thanks. x(B)
So, are you going to trade that ticket in, and come home tonight? #missingyou x(E)
Sorry, handsome … I still have a follow-up meeting tomorrow, and an old friend to meet for supper. #missingyouback x(B)
And old friend? In England? Small world. x(E)
Do I detect a note of jealousy? You, sir, should be happy for me to be having supper with her … in fact, if you knew what she unwittingly did to benefit us, you'd be paying for the meal! ;) #serendipitousbenefactor x(B)
Wait; is this the friend you were to have met at the Café? x(E)
She is. She's also one of my few real friends in life. x(B)
Well, tell her I said "Hello," and "Thank you." :) x(E)
Will do, gotta go for now, the phone is ringing. x(B)
Call me when you can. I'd like to talk about us. Well, about what I hope is an 'us.' X (B)
Just got out of work. It was a long day, and I missed my breakfast date. #keepingthecoffefresh x(E)
Off to bed. Hope all is well. Txt or call if you need anything, Princess, and don't worry about the hour. x(E)
Good morning, beautiful. I know you're ahead of me, and have prolly been up for a while; but I still hope you had a good night's sleep. x(E)
Just ate a piece of spinach quiche with morels and Swiss. #thinkingofyou x(E)
How'd that meeting go? X(E)
Today was a long day. We got six more inches of the white stuff, and as usual, it was fairly dead. Mom and Dad say "Hi," and Ali says call her soon. Hope you had/are having fun at dinner. I miss you, Princess. x(E)
Are you okay? x(E)
Princess? x(E)
-LWTC-
WHAT? Another cliffie? Well, I am just shocked. OMG and WTF? LOL
Be blessed, dear readers. I appreciate you all!
*huggles*