Been There Done That (Leffersbee #1) - Hope Ellis Page 0,23

eye away during examinations. I can show you the capture station when we leave.”

I turned to see Zora’s eyes on my face, her gaze full of something I couldn’t identify. Then her eyes met mine and her expression blanked.

“I’d like that. To see it.”

Painful silence stretched between us. Zora didn’t seem to feel any obligation to fill it. She crossed her arms, kept her eyes averted from mine.

“So . . .” Damn. That’s the best I can do?

“Any questions?” The brittle, upbeat quality of her voice didn’t match her pinched expression. Her grip along her crossed forearms tightened.

I couldn’t do this.

“Zora. I’m sorry.”

Her expression didn’t change. “For what, exactly?”

I hesitated. If ever there was a layered question, it was this one. “For everything. None of this is ideal, it’s not the way I wanted things to happen, but . . . It’s so good to see you. I—I missed you—”

She held up a trembling hand. “Nick. I’m glad you’re alive. That you’ve been okay all this time. But I’m here in a professional capacity. It’s what you asked for and it’s what other people determined should happen. So, I’d be grateful if you would just . . . let me do my job. Let me give you the information you requested. Whether you really want it or not, I don’t know—and I don’t care. I said I would do it.” She met my stare full on and concluded, “And I keep my word.”

That barb hit its mark. And I remembered.

“We’ll get out this town forever, Z. You and me. We won’t even look back. And then it’ll just be us. Forever. I promise.”

I’d been young when I murmured those words into her hair. Eighteen and oblivious to everything that lay ahead. I hadn’t kept my promise in the end. And the shame of that never left me.

I nodded, clearing my throat of the continued tightness and working to school my expression. “I do want the information. We’re piloting this app for the first time and now we’re realizing all the blind spots in our competency team.”

She shifted her weight between both feet, coming to a lean against the side of the nearby sink. Her feet hurt, I realized. The heels had gotten to her after all.

“The actual programming of the app, working out security and identifying ways to merge the datasets is easy. It’s what we do, it’s who we are.” I settled into one of the visitor chairs and slid the little rolling stool in her direction, hoping she’d take the opportunity to rest her feet.

She ignored it, instead shifting to the side and now leaning against the examining table. I looked away, trying not to watch as the stretchy fabric of her otherwise staid black skirt crept higher above her knees. If that little shirt under her blazer rose up just enough . . .

I fought against the wish, frowning as I continued, “We thought we’d accounted for everything else and things would take their natural course. But now I’m aware of the deficiencies. We want our staff clinicians to have the same communication training you’ve developed for the docs here. I’m new to all of this. I’d be grateful if you could continue to lend us your expertise.”

“Fine.”

I eyed her grimace of discomfort. Why didn’t she just sit down? Still as stubborn as I’d remembered. “We should start from the beginning. Are there basic requirements that we need to be watching for? Rudimentary quality assurance?”

“A few. There’s the basics. Things one might think are basic, anyway, but are easily forgotten when you’re a doc running behind in a stressful, busy clinic. Maybe more so if you’re talking to someone through a screen.”

I leaned back. At least she was talking to me, and God knew the project needed her help. “Like what?”

She ticked off items on her fingers. “Greeting the person upon entering the room. Using their name. Not interrupting. Then, starting with collaborative goal setting. Not just asking the patient why they came and immediately launching into the diagnostic questions, but inviting them to decide what topics will be covered during the visit. Avoiding medical jargon. Responding empathetically to concerns. Including the patient in decision-making about the treatment plan.”

“Okay.” This was a good start and she was incredibly beautiful.

“You’ll get the hang of it. We have a team that manages our coaching here. Once you better understand the expectations of hospitals like ours, you’ll know what to expect.”

“Fair enough. But why the video cameras? Can’t you observe