Between Two Worlds by Kathryn Shay

Author:Kathryn Shay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: doctor, gangs, contemporary romance, gang violence, teachers in love
Publisher: Kathryn Shay

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“So,” John said to his six-year-old patient, Billy Samson. “You know your mom and dad have agreed to get you a new heart.”

“A transplant. They said I have one that doesn’t work right.”

“How are you feeling about the new one?”

“I dunno.”

From where he sat by the bed, John leaned in closer. “I’ve done hundreds of surgeries. Most people get scared.”

“I hate being sick. I can’t do anything anyway. Besides, you’re a super hero doctor.”

“Did your parents tell you that, too?”

“Yeah, but I did a search on you on the computer. Somebody said you could be the greatest surgeon in history.”

John had been given numerous accolades, won prizes for his skill already. But to hear a little boy, whose fate rested in his hands, call him that made his own heart swell. Of course, he was pretty happy these days anyway.

“I promise you, Billy, when a heart comes in, I’ll do my best.” He took out a pad from his white-coat pocket. “Let me draw out what I’ll do.”

“Cool.”

John left Billy and found his parents in the pediatric waiting area. “You can go in now, Mr. and Mrs. Samson. I explained everything to your son.”

Mary Samson sighed. “Now we have to wait for a heart.”

“That’s a difficult phase of transplants, but you’re way up on the list.”

“You said it has to be a child-sized heart?”

“Yeah, Billy’s big for his age, and maybe a little teenager could donate, but more likely, we wait for the smaller one.”

He had to be careful here. He couldn’t say we wait for a child to die. But that was what would happen. The realities of heart surgery were sobering, even if every time the people involved mourned the loss of another person.

“When can we take him home?”

“In a few hours.” Because he felt sorry for them, he squeezed her arm. “We’ll be in touch.”

John left the family and headed to the room off the nurse’s station to dictate notes. On his way to the OR, he bumped into someone.

“Why, hello, Dr. Battaglia.”

“Hi, Diana. Got a patient here?”

“I do. Recovering from a stent I put in yesterday.” She cocked her head at him in a flirty way. “I never heard from you after you got called away that Sunday morning.”

“We aren’t in a profession where we can control our lives.”

“When you have time, maybe we could go for a drink.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t tell her the only woman he’d be calling was Meg, afraid he’d jinx everything. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to scrub for an angioplasty.”

He took the elevator up to the OR. Before he’d seen Billy, he’d visited this patient. A forty-five-year-old man with coronary heart disease. The modern diet of fat and carbs caused significant heart damage that was too common. The AMA had asked him to give a lecture at a medical convention later in the year on how to convince patients to take better care of themselves.

On floor five, he entered the scrub room. He concentrated fiercely on his actions to make sure he spent five minutes cleaning his hands.

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