Kynlee answered with a hug emoji and a heart emoji. How juvenile of me, but it gave me a warm feeling in my chest. This girl had a way of getting under my skin, no matter how hard I try to keep my feelings platonic. Regardless of how I feel, I simply cannot act on those feelings. She is in a vulnerable position, and if anything is going to happen between us, she needs to have a clear head.
No doubt she would currently feel indebted to me, and that is not want I want. I'd never want to date a woman or have her agree to go out with me because she felt she owed me. Kynlee needs a friend, and that's what I'll be.
I had texted Kynlee after my run on the treadmill, so showered, and headed toward home. It had been a long day with two scheduled surgeries and an emergency that came in. Not completing the third surgery would likely have caused the man his life. So, we hurried to save him, were successful, but it made for a long day. If I didn't get such good results from the exercise, I'd likely have skipped it today, but I yearned for the quiet in my mind after my run. So run I did.
I really enjoyed texting with Kynlee, but I was looking forward to seeing her Friday night. Texting just wasn't the same as seeing her body...language, and hearing her voice. I'd made it my personal goal to make her smile when we are together. Her life is so full of stress right now, the least I can do is try to give her some enjoyment, some happiness amongst the chaos.
Sammy came to greet me when I entered the house, but she looked none too happy. She was "meowing" more than normal. Likely telling me I'm late and she is hungry. My spoiled kitty is used to being fed twice a day, and is not patient when I'm held up at work. If only Sam understood that I'm late because I saved someone's life. Alas, she doesn't know, and wouldn't care even if I told her. "Yes Sammy baby, I'll get your food."
I had checked on Wanda and Halian between my first and second surgeries, and both continue to improve. In fact, if all goes well, we should be able to wake Halian tomorrow. I cannot wait to see my nephew's smiling face again. I pray his injury is minor and he won't have lasting effects from it. Of course judging by the mechanism of injury, it could be worse than I'm hoping. I have to admit I'm more emotionally invested in Halian's case than normal. Of course, I don't usually know the people personally prior to a trauma and surgery, like I did my nephew. Not yet having children of my own, I tried to be a good uncle and spend as much time as possible with family. Holidays were always a good time with our large family. Admittedly, I tend to spoil the kids with all the things we didn't have as children.
After feeding Sammy and apologizing profusely, I washed my hands and found myself some supper. I settled for a BLT made with Turkey bacon, whole grain bread, a cup of vegetable soup, and two bottles of water. It's important to hydrate after I've worked out, so I always drink an extra bottle of water afterwards to prevent lactic acid buildup. It's difficult to drink while in surgery, so I always attempted to drink some form of liquids between surgeries too. The vast majority of people simply don't drink enough water. My one vice is coffee. I need it to get moving in the morning and help me focus on the tasks at hand. I rarely allowed myself to drink coffee after 2pm though, because it messes with my sleep if I do. Many people don't realize, but caffeine is a diuretic. Therefore, the more caffeine you consume, the more you urinate. That can negate any benefit you may get from drinking the liquids since you expel more fluid from your body.
I try to hold myself to strict guidelines I'd set for myself. After I finished my residency, I no longer needed two pots of coffee to survive my twenty four hour shifts. Those long shifts were brutal, but they certainly weeded out a few weak links that might otherwise have become physicians. Being doctors, but especially surgeons, was not for the faint of heart. If one wasn't dedicated, they'd never make it.
I of course was dedicated after what happened to Winona. I had planned to be a doctor before her death, but after, I decided on a neurologist, and then specialized in neurosurgery. The brain was such a puzzle to me, and I loved puzzles. There was few things that compared to finding and patching or fixing brain issues for patients. Whether it was a congenital abnormality, a brain tumor, trauma, or drowning, I took it as a personal challenge to help the individuals reach their optimum level of functioning. That's part of why I was so willing to help Kedron long term. Of course I did it for Kynlee too, but the puzzle all on its own may have been enough.
As I'm putting my dishes in the dishwasher, my cell phone begins to ring. Without checking the display, I pick it up and answer, "Dr. Teton speaking."
A sickeningly sweet voice comes across the line, one I was not expecting. I thought I'd been clear during our last conversation, but evidently not. "Good evening Wam."
"Dr. Adams, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I ask in a less than friendly manner.
"I was calling, Wam, to let you know we shut off the sedative on Kedron Knutson this morning, but so far, no signs of him regaining consciousness. I was wondering if you had ideas on what steps to take next?" Dr. Kelly Adams said in her most innocent voice.
"Dr. Adams, you know as well as I do how to check for consciousness and that it can be a waiting game. Try the normal things tomorrow if no change. Do a neuro exam, attempt a sternal rub, and if that fails, try smelling salts. Anything else would be contraindicated this early on."
Dr. Adams cleared her throat before speaking, "yes, of course Wam."
I took a deep breath and rubbed my neck with my free hand, trying to gather patience for this obviously unnecessary phone call. Sam began to rub against my legs, likely thanking me for feeding her, as I asked gruffly, "now, why did you really call Dr. Adams?"
Dr. Kelly Adams remained silent for a bit before she finally said, "please call me Kelly Wam. We are way past formalities." She stopped talking momentarily, but when I didn't respond, she continued, "I'm having a get together for members of the Neurology Department on Saturday evening at 7pm and I wanted to invite you. It's casual, will you please come?"
I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my mouth as I considered her offer. If it was truly a department gathering, could I afford to say no? There would hopefully be plenty of others there to run interference between Dr. Adams and I, so it should be safe. Regardless, I had no interest in spending my weekend with work colleagues outside of work. I talked to and saw enough of them during on-call hours and work time. I decided a maybe was the safest way to go. "I kind of have plans already, but if my day ends earlier than expected on Saturday, I will try to attend. Don't count on me though. Thank you for the invite Dr. Adams."
"Oh, of course Wam. You are a valued member of our team, after all." Kelly giggled "after all."
I rolled my eyes at her attempt to be cute and flirty. I was so over her blatant attempts to win her way back into my bed. I was not tempted in the least. I decided this conversation had gone on long enough and let her know, "well I hope you have a good party if I don't make it. If you have any work related questions in need of consult, let me know. Good night Dr. Adams."
"Uh, good night Waaaammmm," she drew out the syllable in my name, and I pushed end.
I tossed my phone on the counter and bent down to stroke Sammy's soft fur. "Sammy, I'm not sure I'll ever understand some women. Of course, who needs women when I have a beauty like you to come home to. Right baby?"
As if she understood what I said, Sam's "meow" was my answer. I couldn't help but smile. I finished up a few things, completed my bedtime routine, and went to bed.
As I settled in, I heard Sam "prrrt," and then felt her jump on the bed and walk toward me. I scratched her head after she cuddled against my side. Her purr was loud and lulled me to sleep. Visions of a particular, dark haired, young beauty floated through my head as I drifted off.