Tempted By The Brooding Surgeon. Karin Baine

he’s in congestive heart failure. Luckily, we still have an old echocardiogram machine here, and it showed deep and wide waves. Seems to be ALCAPA.”

      “Damn.” If Luciana was right, there was a real risk of sudden cardiac death for the child. “I need to get there. We’ll leave as soon as possible, but it’s at least a three-hour drive. I’ll bring the anesthesiologist we have here. You have the equipment we need?”

      “No. There’s nothing here right now.”

      “I’ll see what we have that we can bring. Expect us no later than eleven, and be ready to assist.”

      “Got it.”

      “We need to get to Huancayo tonight?” Annabelle’s question was asked in a matter-of-fact tone. Her angry expression and clear frustration with him was gone, replaced by a calm professionalism, and he had to give her credit for that. For putting work and patients before the emotions that kept flaring up between them.

      “Yes.” They both started moving down the path toward the hotel. “The nurse opening the clinic said there’s a baby that needs surgery as soon as possible. We’ll have to take the equipment from here. I’ll do an inventory of what we have, to see if we have any extra that I can leave there.”

      “Already done. I took a full inventory the first day I got here, including what I’d brought with me.”

      “Good.” He felt a stab of shame at his ongoing doubts about her not being quite good enough at her job for him to feel confident in her. Noting all the equipment available was something usually done by nurses, not the anesthesiologist, not to mention she’d had the foresight to bring more. Then again, being organized in that way was a totally different thing than delivering anesthesia to the sickest patients during long and serious surgeries. “That will save us time, but I can’t imagine it’s enough for both places, is it?”

      “Probably not. If only the stuff I shipped had gotten here already.”

      “Yeah, that’s unfortunate. But from what you’ve said, it should be here soon, right? So it’ll be good to have on hand here after we get back. With more equipment coming, we can leave whatever we take to Huancayo. And I’ll see what Eduardo can provide when he gets there.” He stopped at the fork in the path. “Let’s start at the OR, getting stuff together, before we pack and take off.”

      He shoved open the OR door and snapped on the lights. Annabelle quickly began pulling together the necessary anesthesia items as he gathered the surgical ones.

      “Dare I suggest we take the monitor, or will you have another fit about it?” Annabelle asked.

      “I don’t have fits. You make me sound childish.”

      “Well, you know the saying, if the shoe fits...”

      The little smirk she sent him took any sting from the words and he couldn’t help but grin back. “A part of me doesn’t want to see you gloat, but the mature part of me says to take the monitor. If it’s really ALCAPA, it’ll be a long, tricky surgery.”

      “Acknowledgement that it’s handy to have is all I wanted to hear, Dr. Ferrera.”

      It was on the tip of his tongue to say she still should have shipped it instead of being so late because of it, but hadn’t he decided to stop being so rigid and critical with her? So he kept his mouth shut and concentrated on making sure he had all the surgical supplies he’d need. He and Annabelle packed things so efficiently together he couldn’t help but think they were like a well-oiled machine, and neither interrupted their work even when the door swung open again.

      “You guys are back fast,” Jennifer said, walking in with a big box in her arms. “Good news! Your package came, Annabelle. I’ll go through it tomorrow to see what all’s in here.”

      “Can you do it now? We have an emergency surgery in Huancayo, and it would help to see what we can leave up there.”

      “No problem. What should I tell the little girl and her family who were expecting her to get treatment tonight?” Jennifer asked.

      Before Daniel could say anything Annabelle briskly and efficiently went through her mental roster of the next morning’s surgeries and suggested the best way to fit the young patient in. He couldn’t blame her for the look of triumph there, the slow curving of her mouth. “See, Dr. Ferrera? I’m not worthless at all. Maybe you’ll actually come to appreciate me.”

      “Never said you were worthless, and as for appreciating you? It might surprise you to hear that just might be happening already.”