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Luke
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I DIDN’T WANT TO MOVE again. Three moves, no, four in the same number of weeks was killing me. There was a rolling stone and then there was me. I stuffed the last of my clothes from the drawer into the suitcase that I’d barely had time to unpack and hauled it out to my car. I told myself it was a good idea, but in the back of my mind, I wasn’t so sure.
Paul wanted me to live on the premises. Apparently, he had a busy couple of months coming up and he felt it would be easier and more convenient for all parties involved if I lived on there. I had explained to him that Bree and I were not going to pursue a relationship just yet. I made it clear I still cared about her, but until things were more settled, we were going to be strictly professional.
To say the man was happy was an understatement. I had rejected the idea several times, coming up with numerous excuses, but Paul Sullivan wasn’t the kind of man that said no. I was sure he wanted me close to keep an eye on me and use me as an emergency babysitter. I didn’t mind, but dammit, I didn’t want to fucking move again. I needed to find a place that I could settle into.
I was still struggling to break ties with Texas. If I didn’t settle in soon, it was going to be all too easy to quit and go back. I couldn’t do that. I refused to go back. My last visit to my mother’s house told me it was a bad idea and confirmed my belief I had done the right thing by getting away. But if I didn’t put down some roots very soon, it was going to be harder to resist the pull to go back.
I took another look around the guest house that had been my home for a couple of weeks and mentally said goodbye. I was technically off for the day. I already had a key to the small cottage on the Sullivan property. Their idea of a cottage and mine were very different. It was essentially a house situated near the back of the property. There were two full bedrooms and a bathroom along with a decent sized kitchen and living room. My idea of a cottage was a tiny studio.
I left the house, feeling a little guilty for abandoning the elderly owner after such a short period of time, but my need to take care of Bree outweighed any guilt. I was about five minutes from the Sullivan estate when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t surprising. I had a lot of applications and resumes out there.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Luke,” I heard Ellis say. I looked at the phone as if I could somehow see her face.
“Ellis?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me you forgot me already.”
“Not at all. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you had some time to grab coffee. I would love to catch up.”
I thought about my grand plans for the day which included unpacking my meager belongings and then nothing. “Sure. When?”
“I’m free right now if you are.”
I smiled, looking forward to talking to a friendly face. “Absolutely. Where?”
We quickly arranged a place halfway between us. I turned the car around, anxious to see how Ellis had been doing. She had always been somewhat of a hero to me back in med school. She was one of those proteges and just to be in her presence was inspiring.
Walking into the coffee shop, I quickly spotted Ellis at a table, her head bent down as she read from her tablet. She was always reading which was probably why she was so smart. “Reading again?”
Her head popped up, a big smile on her face. She got up from her chair and gave me a firm hug. “I am. I was just reading up on the result of a new technique being performed—” she stopped talking. “I’m sorry. I get so carried away.”
“I don’t mind a bit.”
Taking a seat at the table, I sipped the iced mocha I had ordered. “You look good,” she said. “I don’t think you’ve aged a bit.”
I laughed. “I hope I’ve aged a little.”
“You know what I mean. How have you been?”
“Really good. And you? Have you been in California for long?”
She smiled, her gray eyes brightening. “Not too long. I was in India for a while. Then the UK and then New York.”
“Wow!” I said thoroughly impressed. “Working?”
“Yes. Gaining as much experience as I can. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greatest doctors in the world.”
I smiled, happy for her success. “Sounds like you’re well on your way to joining their ranks.”
She waved a hand. “I have a lot to learn.”
I wanted to ask her about Bree’s surgery, but didn’t want to violate any privacy laws. I was sure that was one of the underlying reasons for her invitation to coffee. “So, the surgery you proposed, have you done it before?”
She grinned. “I was hoping you would ask. I was involved in the trials. It isn’t an overly complicated surgery, but it is new and sadly, so many doctors are afraid to be the one to make it a standard.”
“But you’re not?”
Her eyes flashed. “I’m a pioneer. At least, that’s what one of my mentors told me.”
“Is it risky?” I asked, knowing we weren’t technically violating any laws since we were talking about a procedure, not a patient.
She shrugged. “Every surgery has risks. However, a person that has had surgery before without any complications is going to have fewer risks. We already know they aren’t going to have a bad reaction to the anesthesia, and all.”
“Good point.”
“Is your client interested?” she asked, getting right to the point.
I shrugged, shaking my head. “You offer something she didn’t think she could have. She’s been turned down a lot. She’s been given high hopes, only to have them dashed again and again.”
“I understand,” she said thoughtfully.
“She’s been through a lot,” I said, feeling like I needed to defend her.
“Yes, she has, but this surgery could change her life.”
“And it might not,” I countered. “She has been told by every doctor she’s gone to that there is no chance. You are offering her something that has only been done on a handful of people. She’s understandably a little worried.”
“There are no guarantees, but I can tell you the patients that took the risk are very happy they did. They can see. Some can see better than they did before their accidents.”
“That’s amazing.”
She leaned forward, her long brown hair falling around her shoulders. “It is amazing. If she allows me to do this, she could be a pioneer right alongside me. She could be the hope other people in her same situation need.”
I wished Bree felt that way. I knew she was too scared to even consider the possibility she could regain her sight again. “I talked with her a bit and I had an idea,” I said, not sure if it was something Ellis would do.
“What’s your idea?” she asked with a smile.
“I was wondering if the two of you could talk but outside of the hospital. She has some PTSD from the accident and the hospital is a trigger. The sounds and the smells. She wasn’t in the best shape when you met her. I think if you could talk at a place like this or even at her house, she might be a little more receptive and able to hear what you are saying.”
“Absolutely,” she answered without me getting down on my knees and begging her.
“Really?”
“Yes. I think that is a great idea. She can ask me questions and I will be honest with her. I need her to trust me after all.”
I nodded. “Good. Great. That’s awesome.”
“Will she agree to it?”
“To the surgery?”
“To meeting with me?”
I grimaced. “I’m not sure. I’ll need to talk to her again.”
“Luke, I know you understand how important a person’s mental health is to a full recovery. If she doesn’t want to do this, there is nothing you or I can say to make it happen.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ve talked to her several times about it. She’s scared, which is why I think you could talk to her and allay her fears.”
“I’m not going to say it’s a guarantee and I’m not going to tell her there are zero risks. There are risks, but I’m confident she’s a good candidate. I’ve looked at her tests and I believe I can do it.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you can,” I said with a laugh. “You are one of those people that could do anything you set your mind to.”
“I do try.”
“I’ll talk to her again and then give you a call,” I told her.
“She’s going to need to be in the right headspace before I’ll do it,” he said, getting very serious. “This surgery could be great, but if she doesn’t want it, there is such a thing as mind over matter. She could hinder the results.”
I blew out a breath. “Trust me, I know all about a person keeping themselves sick.”
“I don’t want to pressure her into doing something she doesn’t want. If she is truly not interested, it’s okay.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to her. Is there a timeline?”
She shrugged. “Not necessarily, but I am looking at a new position at a hospital in Scotland. They are doing some new things there that I would like to learn.”
I laughed. “You really are a go-getter.”
“I love learning! I love all the new techniques and practices that are coming out. It’s hard to get the training here in the US. I have to travel the world and pick it up where I can.”
“I get it. I’ll talk to her. I think if she can talk with you, it might help her feel better about the situation. I know she wants her sight back, but I think she would prefer it if there was a magic wand option.”
Ellis laughed. “Maybe by the time I retire, that will be an option. Until then, it’s scalpels and lasers.”
I winced. “Might not be such a great idea to tell her you’re taking a scalpel to her eyes.”
“Talk to her. Let me know.”
I nodded. “I will.”
We talked for another thirty minutes, catching up on what we had been doing the last few years. She had lived a big life in a short time. We said our goodbyes with my promise to call and let her know either way. I left the coffee shop and drove back out to the Sullivan place.
I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with Bree without sounding too pushy. I knew she was frustrated with me and her father talking to her about it. I hoped she understood we both cared about her a great deal and were only trying to do what was best for her. I was confident in Ellis, especially after talking to her and listening to the experiences she had. I knew she wouldn’t attempt to do the surgery if she wasn’t confident it could work.
Now, I just had to convince Bree of that. I had the benefit of knowing Ellis and seeing her in action. Bree didn’t and I didn’t get the impression she was willing to just take my word Ellis was good. I decided I would do some research on Ellis and then present it to Bree. She needed all the facts to make the best decision.
