idea.”
“Okay.” Mike went with the flow. These women had better intelligence than CENTCOM. “So what do you think?”
“I think it’s an awesome idea.” Sara showed a flicker of her typically cheery self. “Danielle loves Emily, and Emily loves her and Bob. I think it helps Emily to be with someone she loves, and they want to help.”
“Right, they are amazing.”
“I also think it’s better for you. You can finish your deployment and not worry. If it’s a stranger, you know you’re going to worry, and so are Danielle and Bob.” Sara opened her palms. “Besides, look at this house, and it’s even better to have her live here, so she’s not thinking about Chloe. If she’s home, she’ll be looking for Mommy. If she’s here, she expects Danielle.”
Mike felt a tug, wondering if Emily would forget Chloe. He knew it could happen, because Emily had forgotten him.
“What’s the matter?” Sara asked, frowning slightly.
“Nothing.” Mike couldn’t say it without getting emotional.
“So, what do you think about Emily staying here? It’s a no-brainer, right?” Sara shrugged. “What’s better than family?”
Chapter Twelve
Mike walked down the carpeted hallway to his office. He wanted to stop by, since his group partners had been emailing him about changes in the practice, and he could see immediately what they meant. The sign at the glass entrance read:
S UBURBAN F OOT & A NKLE, LLC, S PECIALIZING IN F OOT & A NKLE R ECONSTRUCTION
D R. J AMES D. H AGGERTY , DPM, FACFAS
D R. A NTHONY M. M AZZACARO , DPM, FACFAS
D R. M ICHAEL J. S CANLON , DPM, FACFAS
D R. D AVID M. W ATERMAN , DPM, FACFAS
But underneath was an addition:
L YON & H AGGERTY , LLC, S PORTS M EDICINE
D R. R ICHARD A. L YON , DPM, FACFAS
D R. J AMES D. H AGGERTY , DPM, FACFAS
Mike opened the door, which led to an entrance hall that had been redecorated, even since he’d deployed. The walls had been painted bright orange and plastered with felt banners from Lower Merion, Haverford, and Great Valley High Schools. Underneath was a yellow ribbon that read, WE HONOR OUR ARMY RESERVIST, DR. MIKE! HOME SAFE SOON!
He walked through a new door into a reception area that had been completely reconfigured, almost half the size. The reception desk was still there, though he didn’t recognize the receptionist, a young girl with a ponytail. “May I help you?” she asked, looking up attentively.
“I’m Mike Scanlon.”
“And who do you have an appointment with today?” The receptionist started hitting keys on her keyboard, her attention shifting to the computer screen.
“I’m the Dr. Scanlon on the door. Call me Mike.”
“Oh no, sorry. Awkward!” The receptionist grimaced, giggled, and covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m Julie Mura.”
“Hi, Julie. Are Jim or the others around, or in surgery?”
“Dr. Haggerty’s in. Let me get him or see if there’s somebody over there that can help you.”
“That’s okay, I know where I’m going.” Mike opened the door to the examining rooms, but he’d spoken too soon. The hallway used to lead to a circle of examining rooms, but only two were left, then there was a new wall, but he had no idea what was on the other side. The construction must have been recent because he could practically smell the drywall.
“Mike, is that you?” asked a voice behind him, and he turned around to see one of their nurses, Susie. “Mike, I’m so sorry about Chloe.”
“Thanks.” Mike gave her a brief hug, glad to see a familiar face. She looked like she’d lost weight, slimmer in scrubs covered with pink ribbons. “You got so skinny, didn’t you?”
“Thirty pounds off, thanks.” Susie released him with a teary smile. “I’ll be there tomorrow night, with everybody.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Mike didn’t want to dwell. “What’s going on here? Everything looks different.”
“I know, right? It’s a brave new world, now that we started with the sports.
“Okay.” Mike went with the flow. These women had better intelligence than CENTCOM. “So what do you think?”
“I think it’s an awesome idea.” Sara showed a flicker of her typically cheery self. “Danielle loves Emily, and Emily loves her and Bob. I think it helps Emily to be with someone she loves, and they want to help.”
“Right, they are amazing.”
“I also think it’s better for you. You can finish your deployment and not worry. If it’s a stranger, you know you’re going to worry, and so are Danielle and Bob.” Sara opened her palms. “Besides, look at this house, and it’s even better to have her live here, so she’s not thinking about Chloe. If she’s home, she’ll be looking for Mommy. If she’s here, she expects Danielle.”
Mike felt a tug, wondering if Emily would forget Chloe. He knew it could happen, because Emily had forgotten him.
“What’s the matter?” Sara asked, frowning slightly.
“Nothing.” Mike couldn’t say it without getting emotional.
“So, what do you think about Emily staying here? It’s a no-brainer, right?” Sara shrugged. “What’s better than family?”
Chapter Twelve
Mike walked down the carpeted hallway to his office. He wanted to stop by, since his group partners had been emailing him about changes in the practice, and he could see immediately what they meant. The sign at the glass entrance read:
S UBURBAN F OOT & A NKLE, LLC, S PECIALIZING IN F OOT & A NKLE R ECONSTRUCTION
D R. J AMES D. H AGGERTY , DPM, FACFAS
D R. A NTHONY M. M AZZACARO , DPM, FACFAS
D R. M ICHAEL J. S CANLON , DPM, FACFAS
D R. D AVID M. W ATERMAN , DPM, FACFAS
But underneath was an addition:
L YON & H AGGERTY , LLC, S PORTS M EDICINE
D R. R ICHARD A. L YON , DPM, FACFAS
D R. J AMES D. H AGGERTY , DPM, FACFAS
Mike opened the door, which led to an entrance hall that had been redecorated, even since he’d deployed. The walls had been painted bright orange and plastered with felt banners from Lower Merion, Haverford, and Great Valley High Schools. Underneath was a yellow ribbon that read, WE HONOR OUR ARMY RESERVIST, DR. MIKE! HOME SAFE SOON!
He walked through a new door into a reception area that had been completely reconfigured, almost half the size. The reception desk was still there, though he didn’t recognize the receptionist, a young girl with a ponytail. “May I help you?” she asked, looking up attentively.
“I’m Mike Scanlon.”
“And who do you have an appointment with today?” The receptionist started hitting keys on her keyboard, her attention shifting to the computer screen.
“I’m the Dr. Scanlon on the door. Call me Mike.”
“Oh no, sorry. Awkward!” The receptionist grimaced, giggled, and covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m Julie Mura.”
“Hi, Julie. Are Jim or the others around, or in surgery?”
“Dr. Haggerty’s in. Let me get him or see if there’s somebody over there that can help you.”
“That’s okay, I know where I’m going.” Mike opened the door to the examining rooms, but he’d spoken too soon. The hallway used to lead to a circle of examining rooms, but only two were left, then there was a new wall, but he had no idea what was on the other side. The construction must have been recent because he could practically smell the drywall.
“Mike, is that you?” asked a voice behind him, and he turned around to see one of their nurses, Susie. “Mike, I’m so sorry about Chloe.”
“Thanks.” Mike gave her a brief hug, glad to see a familiar face. She looked like she’d lost weight, slimmer in scrubs covered with pink ribbons. “You got so skinny, didn’t you?”
“Thirty pounds off, thanks.” Susie released him with a teary smile. “I’ll be there tomorrow night, with everybody.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Mike didn’t want to dwell. “What’s going on here? Everything looks different.”
“I know, right? It’s a brave new world, now that we started with the sports.
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