Marrying the Playboy Doctor - By Laura Iding Page 0,51
long had the potential to harm the patient.
Seth was going strong at chest compressions when the paramedic crew showed up. She was pleased to see that they carried the same hypothermia unit she’d just trained her team on.
She slid out of the way so the paramedic could place an Ambu bag connected to an oxygen tank over the man’s mouth, to provide him with more effective breathing. Falling into the rhythm of her job, she helped place ECG electrodes on the man’s chest.
“Seth is an ED physician,” Kylie explained to the paramedics as they turned on the defibrillator. “So go ahead and use the manual mode.”
The paramedic nodded. Seth stopped compressions and they all stared at the monitor.
“V-fib. Let’s get ready to shock at one hundred joules,” Seth ordered. The paramedic pushed the button, and when that shock wasn’t enough to help change the underlying rhythm Seth ordered a second shock. This time the treatment worked, converting their patient into a normal sinus rhythm.
“Nice job,” Seth said. “I think you’d better get him ready for transport.”
Kylie helped connect the hypothermia machine as the paramedic spread the cooling blanket over the patient. After all the excitement, watching them wheel the patient away was rather anticlimactic.
“My first time using the hypothermia unit and I’m not even at work so I can follow the patient’s progress,” Kylie said in a dejected tone. She hoped their quick response, along with the new hypothermia protocol, would help increase the guy’s chances of survival.
“Is that man going to die?” Ben asked.
Oh, dear. She’d almost forgotten about her son. She bent over to give Ben a reassuring hug. “No, Ben, he’s not going to die. In fact, thanks to our quick work, he should do pretty well.”
“Really?” Ben didn’t look convinced. She glanced helplessly at Seth, seeking advice. Had this been too traumatic for him?
“Your mom is telling the truth, Ben.” Seth took Ben’s hand and led him back to their table. “We were able to save that man’s life because we offered help right away. This is what doctors like me and paramedics like your mom do all day. We help people get better when they’re sick.”
“Like when I was hurt?” Ben asked.
“Exactly.”
Kylie’s heart did a funny little flip when Seth smiled at Ben. She reminded herself not to read too much into Seth’s actions. He was nice to everyone. “Don’t be upset about what happened. Let’s just finish our dinner.”
The restaurant manager came over and offered to bring them fresh meals, since their food had grown cold. He also thanked them profusely for their help. Embarrassed, Seth brushed off the gratitude, but he did take the offer of fresh dinners.
The extra wait, though, meant they had to rush to the train station.
In Chicago they took a taxi cab, thrilling Ben with a novel experience, and they arrived at their hotel much later than they’d planned. Ben was yawning from all the excitement, keeping his eyes open with an effort.
Kylie opened the door to her room, glancing over at Seth, who occupied the room right next door. “Good night, Seth.”
“Good night, Kylie, Ben.” He stood in the hallway, watching as they entered the room. “Just knock if you need anything,” he added in a low tone.
Kylie suspected Seth was subtly suggesting she could sneak out and come over to his room once Ben was asleep. And she had to admit the idea was tempting—at least on a personal level.
If she were honest, she’d admit she’d used needing to get ready for Ben’s first week of school and all the errands she’d needed to do as an excuse to avoid facing him. Not just because it had been proof he didn’t fit into her life, but because she cared about Seth too much. She couldn’t have an intimate relationship with a guy like Seth when it wasn’t just her heart but her son’s that she needed to consider.
But then Seth had showed up in a new car. Was she overdramatizing his motives? Maybe Seth had simply grown tired of Charlene? Choosing a sensible sedan might not mean much.
It wasn’t as if he’d declared undying love for her.
And that was the problem, she realized. She’d made love with Seth and she didn’t even know how he really felt about her. Sure, he cared. But what did that mean? Did he think they’d just keep seeing each other when they had time, sharing spectacular sex without any plans for the future?
Maybe. Since Seth had told her from the beginning