The Doctor Who Has No Closure - Victoria Quinn Page 0,8

word traveled fast. “Who was the surgeon?”

“Dr. Qual.”

“She’s good. Really good.” I’d met her a couple times, and I’d witnessed a few of her operations.

“She’s not you.”

I never knew what to say when a patient preferred me over a colleague, especially a colleague I actually respected. “I’m flattered by the confidence, but she’s just as good, I assure you. I’ve just done more surgeries than she has, but her education—”

“Then you are better. And she’s not in the room, so who gives a fuck. I want you. I’ve still got music to make, I just had a daughter two years ago, and people may think I’m old, but I’m just getting started.”

I smiled. “I like your outlook on life.”

“Attitude is everything, man.”

Did Dylan Dubois just call me man? “Then shall we proceed?”

“Fuck yes.”

I turned to Sicily. “Get him on the schedule.”

“On it,” Sicily said, typing.

“Thank you so much.” Dylan got to his feet. “I fully trust you.”

I shook his hand. “I will do everything I can to take care of you.”

“I know,” he said as he walked away. “Why do you think I came to you?”

I’d just stepped out of the shower after my session at the gym when my mom called.

I’d had a long-ass day, and all I wanted to do was scarf down a snack and go to sleep. I was with the residents at the hospital tomorrow morning, and I needed to get plenty of rest. But it was my mom, and I couldn’t ignore her.

With the towel wrapped around my waist, I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge with the phone to my ear. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?” I squinted my eyes when I looked inside, seeing groceries I hadn’t bought. There was deli meat, cheese, a rotisserie chicken, almond milk, and a couple other things.

“I just wanted to see how things were going. Sicily says you’re quite the superhero.”

“Well, she’s the rock star. She hustles hard and gets stuff done. I wouldn’t be able to do as much without her help, and I probably wouldn’t eat if she didn’t feed me throughout the day.” I grabbed the meat and cheese and stood at the counter to make a sandwich. I put her on speaker and set the phone down so I could wipe the mustard on the bread. “You’d be proud.”

The smile was in her voice. “I already am.”

“So…Sicily showed me the apartment.”

Mom was quiet.

“It’s nice.”

“Do you like it?”

“Mom, come on, I love it. But you didn’t need to do that.”

“We know how stubborn you are, and getting you closer to work is going to make your life so much easier. Your father has to drive out to New Jersey every single day, and trust me, he wishes he could just walk across the street.”

“Yeah, Derek complains about it too.”

“Well, I’m glad you aren’t mad.”

“Oh, I’m mad,” I said quickly. “I just can’t be mean to my mom.”

The smile in her voice returned. “That’s sweet.”

“I just booked an all-cash patient, so I’ll pay you back.”

“You really don’t have to do that—”

“It’s gonna happen.” I knew my parents pitied me because I lost so much of my money in the divorce. Catherine knew exactly what she was entitled to as a lawyer, and she didn’t hesitate to bleed me dry. It was hard to believe she ever loved me when we sat in that courtroom and converted our beautiful life together into dollars and cents. But my parents wouldn’t pay for my stupidity, and I would make my own way in life. I could pay my parents back with a couple big clients, and then my apartment would be paid off. It would take some time to pay them back for the office.

Mom didn’t fight it. “Okay.”

My parents already did so much for me, paid for my education all the way through medical school, and I wouldn’t take another dollar from them. It didn’t matter if my dad was worth billions and that money was nothing to him. That wasn’t the point. I loved my parents because they were my parents—not because of their piggy bank. “I’m pretty exhausted after my day. Can we talk later?” I built the sandwich then carried it to the couch, still in my towel.

“Sure, baby. Just wanted to check in. Love you.”

I took a bite and chewed, and then spoke with my mouth full because I was starving. “Love you too, Mom.”

3

Sicily

When I arrived at the apartment with the moving truck, Dex’s possessions had been placed in boxes