Page 34 of Mercy
“Is she going to-?”
She doesn’t finish her sentence, but I know what she was going to ask. Ivy has become important to her. They have a special bond; I've seen it many times.
“I don’t know, baby. It could go either way to be honest with you. Xander is very good at what he does but the infection is spreading like fucking wildfire.”
“Where is the surgery?”
“Her left arm. The concern is that it’ll spread to her heart.”
“How are you so calm?”
“I am not calm. Ivy is a special patient to me. Of course, I always want all of my patients to survive. But she has burrowed a little space in my heart.”
She sighs loudly.
“I’ll repeat what you’ve heard me tell patients' families over and over again. It’s important that we stay positive for her. She can’t see us filled with panic. Her spirit needs to stay high. If you have a weak moment, you’ll need to leave her room.”
She nods, but I can see how much she’s struggling with this. I take her hand in mine, and to my surprise, she doesn’t recoil.
“Her birthday is in three weeks, I hope she’s better, I was planning on throwing her a party,” she says with her shoulders hunched and her gaze fixed on her lap.
I can’t help but smile as I pull into the parking lot, “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
She gets out of the car before I can open the door for her. Again, I go to take her hand, but this time, she pulls away.
“I’m here for Ivy, Liam. This changes nothing between us, please don’t think it does.”
“Of course,” I say with a nod, but obviously, this isn’t what I wanted her to say. I don’t say anything further because this isn’t about me. This is about Ivy, she’s completely right. How did I fuck things up so badly? And why did I just assume she’d be waiting for me when I got my shit together?
After scanning my badge at the doctor's entrance, I hold the door open for her.
She says, “Thank you,” but her expression is one I can’t read at all. Her lips form a tight line as if she’s holding herself together best as she’s capable of. Is it me that’s causing it? Ivy? It’s probably Ivy, I tell myself. After all, she’s done with me.
We walk in complete silence to Ivy’s room, but she isn’t back yet.
“Take a seat. I’ll call and get an update on the surgery.”
She nods and sits in the chair that normally is placed beside Ivy’s bed.
“I’ll be back, I’m going to call from the nurse’s station.”
The truth is I’m concerned, she should’ve been back from recovery by now. I don’t want Mercy to hear what I say during this phone call in case it’s not good news. If I can shield her from whatever report awaits me, I will. I know she didn’t die; someone would’ve called me but that doesn’t mean things haven’t gone wrong.
I sit in a chair at the nurse’s station and place my call to the OR.
“Hi, it’s Dr. Lexington. I’d like an update on Ivy Reynolds please.”
“Yes, doctor, of course,” the nurse says. “She’s stable now but there were some complications. Her blood pressure bottomed out after she lost too much blood. She was given two units of blood. Miss Reynolds is on her way to recovery.”
“Thank you.”
I hang up the receiver, get up, and walk back into Ivy’s room.
Mercy stares at me as I sit in the chair beside her.
“She’s stable and on her way to recovery.”
Crossing her arms she glares at me, “Why are you rubbing your jaw? You do that when you’re upset. What aren’t you telling me Liam?”
