Read Online Rescue Me (a quirky romance novel about secrets, forgiveness and falling in love) by Sydney Allan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sydney Allan
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and he continued to wonder if her argument with Margaret had been a cover, if the professings of friendship over the years had been a cover, too. He'd never questioned the truth of those words before, but for some reason he did now. Had it been that slight waver in her voice? Or the way she'd so quickly defended his actions?
"There you are!" she called out, interrupting his troubling thoughts. "Where have you been? You've never stayed away so long. I was beginning to wonder if you'd left me for another patient."
"Oh, God no. How could I do that?" He smiled a greeting at Heidi's mother. "Margaret," he said as he brushed past her toward Heidi's bedside. He gripped Heidi's cold hand in his. The skin felt dry, the bones fragile.
"So, tell me. What's the story?" Heidi tipped her head. "I know you. You wouldn't leave me if it wasn't important."
"I don't want to talk about that now, okay?" he asked.
His evasion wasn't well received, not that he'd expected it to be. "You're not going to get away with that. I'm stuck in this cubicle with nothing but ancient movies and 'How to Lower Your Cholesterol' videos to watch. What's going on?"
He chuckled. "You could learn a thing or two from that cholesterol program, you know your cholesterol levels were--"
"No way. No doctor-ese here. Friend-to-friend. Where have you been? I can see there's something going on."
He sighed and nodded, deciding a part of the truth couldn't hurt. "We found a potential donor for you."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Margaret said, beaming at him. Then she looked at Heidi. "See sweetheart? I told you they would find one."
"Now, nothing's for certain yet," he added. "We still have some blood tests to perform. We're doing that now."
"So the donor is here, at the hospital?" Margaret asked, stepping closer to him.
"Yes."
Margaret grabbed his arm. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'd love to meet her... or is it him? I'd love to thank them, tell them how much this means--"
"I'm sorry, but no one can meet the donor. That's standard procedure." Releasing Heidi's hand, he glanced from Margaret to Heidi and back. Both their raised eyebrows and scowls suggested they didn't like his response. "It's hospital policy. The donors and recipients may not meet for at least six months. And then, only if both parties agree."
"Why all the secrecy?" Heidi asked.
"To protect both the donor and patient."
Margaret nudged her way between Rainer and Heidi and reached for Heidi's hand, clutching it between hers. "I don't see any harm in meeting him or her. Can't you do something? Break the rules? Or just bend them a little? I'd love to thank them for giving my angel a new life."
"No, I'm sorry. That's not the way things are done." His pager buzzed, and he glanced down. It was the office. Grateful for the interruption, he said, "Heidi, Margaret, I'll be back later. That's the office. I need to be getting back." He leaned down and left a soft kiss on Heidi's forehead. "You get some rest. If this donor proves acceptable, you're in for a rough couple of weeks. You need to build up as much strength as possible."
After a nod to Margaret, he left the room and walked back. No sooner did he sit at his desk, than Sue stuck her head through the doorway and looped her stethoscope around her neck. "Hartmann, your donor's almost finished. Blood's being drawn now. How is your other patient?" she added with a smile.
"There was another patient, honest. You don't believe me?" Hadn't she noticed he'd been gone?
"Sure. Down in the cafeteria, no doubt." She rolled her eyes. "Although I admit, you've got some interesting taste. Don't get me wrong, she's absolutely stunning, and very funny, but she's not the kind I've always imagined you with." She plunked down in a chair and gave him a Cheshire grin. "She looks familiar, though."
"She's Heidi Jensen's identical twin, and she's nothing more than a stem cell donor."
"Say no more," Sue said, leaping to her feet and raising her hands in defeat. "She's nothing like
"There you are!" she called out, interrupting his troubling thoughts. "Where have you been? You've never stayed away so long. I was beginning to wonder if you'd left me for another patient."
"Oh, God no. How could I do that?" He smiled a greeting at Heidi's mother. "Margaret," he said as he brushed past her toward Heidi's bedside. He gripped Heidi's cold hand in his. The skin felt dry, the bones fragile.
"So, tell me. What's the story?" Heidi tipped her head. "I know you. You wouldn't leave me if it wasn't important."
"I don't want to talk about that now, okay?" he asked.
His evasion wasn't well received, not that he'd expected it to be. "You're not going to get away with that. I'm stuck in this cubicle with nothing but ancient movies and 'How to Lower Your Cholesterol' videos to watch. What's going on?"
He chuckled. "You could learn a thing or two from that cholesterol program, you know your cholesterol levels were--"
"No way. No doctor-ese here. Friend-to-friend. Where have you been? I can see there's something going on."
He sighed and nodded, deciding a part of the truth couldn't hurt. "We found a potential donor for you."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Margaret said, beaming at him. Then she looked at Heidi. "See sweetheart? I told you they would find one."
"Now, nothing's for certain yet," he added. "We still have some blood tests to perform. We're doing that now."
"So the donor is here, at the hospital?" Margaret asked, stepping closer to him.
"Yes."
Margaret grabbed his arm. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'd love to meet her... or is it him? I'd love to thank them, tell them how much this means--"
"I'm sorry, but no one can meet the donor. That's standard procedure." Releasing Heidi's hand, he glanced from Margaret to Heidi and back. Both their raised eyebrows and scowls suggested they didn't like his response. "It's hospital policy. The donors and recipients may not meet for at least six months. And then, only if both parties agree."
"Why all the secrecy?" Heidi asked.
"To protect both the donor and patient."
Margaret nudged her way between Rainer and Heidi and reached for Heidi's hand, clutching it between hers. "I don't see any harm in meeting him or her. Can't you do something? Break the rules? Or just bend them a little? I'd love to thank them for giving my angel a new life."
"No, I'm sorry. That's not the way things are done." His pager buzzed, and he glanced down. It was the office. Grateful for the interruption, he said, "Heidi, Margaret, I'll be back later. That's the office. I need to be getting back." He leaned down and left a soft kiss on Heidi's forehead. "You get some rest. If this donor proves acceptable, you're in for a rough couple of weeks. You need to build up as much strength as possible."
After a nod to Margaret, he left the room and walked back. No sooner did he sit at his desk, than Sue stuck her head through the doorway and looped her stethoscope around her neck. "Hartmann, your donor's almost finished. Blood's being drawn now. How is your other patient?" she added with a smile.
"There was another patient, honest. You don't believe me?" Hadn't she noticed he'd been gone?
"Sure. Down in the cafeteria, no doubt." She rolled her eyes. "Although I admit, you've got some interesting taste. Don't get me wrong, she's absolutely stunning, and very funny, but she's not the kind I've always imagined you with." She plunked down in a chair and gave him a Cheshire grin. "She looks familiar, though."
"She's Heidi Jensen's identical twin, and she's nothing more than a stem cell donor."
"Say no more," Sue said, leaping to her feet and raising her hands in defeat. "She's nothing like
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