Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

“I know that now, Liz, but when this started I was grieving just as much as you. Grieving for my health, for the future I’d wanted for us, grieving because of what I believed was the right thing—ending our relationship because I knew you’d never walk away from me if you knew I was ill.”
“I can’t believe you were going through all this and didn’t tell me.

“I have MS, Liz.”
“No,” Liz gasped. Adam had MS? It couldn’t be true, but there was no denying the truth written on his face. “Oh, Adam.”
He’d been dealing with all this and hadn’t told her?

t.”
“It’s been almost a week. Any danger I was in passed long ago. He could have stopped by.”
Dr Bell ran his finger down the edge of her air cast. “He’s been by.”
Liz scooted up, swatting his hand away from her leg. “What? Adam’s been by? When?”
“He’s come by to see you on several occasions. You just weren’t awake.”
“How do you know that?”
He shrugged. “Word gets around.”

Which was what he kept telling himself the next day as he sauntered through the hospital hallway at four in the morning.
It didn’t surprise him to find Liz sleeping. He should be sleeping, too, since he was supposed to be getting rest, but he’d been unable to sleep and had opted to come in to the hospital.

“HELLO, May,” Adam said to the woman he’d operated on the previous day. He’d spent the night at the hospital, waiting for news on Liz, hoping she’d send for him. She hadn’t. To pass the long hours, he’d checked on May a couple of times. He’d ordered her another unit of packed RBCs, but otherwise she’d had a good night.
Adam couldn’t say the same about his own night.
After sneaking into Liz’s room a second time, just to make sure she was still OK, he’d lain down in an empty patient room for a couple of hours.

“You could sleep in the doctors’ lounge,” Larry suggested. “I’ll wake you if there’s any change or if she asks for you.”
The doctors’ lounge. Would there be any point? How could he possibly sleep after tonight’s events?
“Or if I think she needs you,” Larry added perceptively. “Rest, Adam. I can give you a mild sedative if you need something to take the edge off.”

SEVEN hours in the operating room and still going, Adam paused long enough for the nurse to swab his forehead. He was sweating like hell. Tired as hell. Numb as hell.
His fingertips had little feeling left in them, to the point he battled whether or not he should close May up and call it quits.

Did he have a headache? After he finished with Mrs Guess, she’d offer to drive the truck back to his place, run him a hot bath, maybe give him a neck rub. Goodness knew, he hadn’t been getting enough rest with the hours he was pulling at the hospital.

Adam ignored the fatigue clawing at his body and carefully removed another section of Beverly Gilley’s left breast.

Maybe if he checked on Liz, knew she was OK, maybe then he could catch a few hours before going to the hospital.
Who wanted a doctor taking out their gallbladder or repairing their hernia when he hadn’t slept much for three nights straight?
OK, so he hadn’t been sleeping much for the past couple of weeks, which probably explained why he was having the episodes of blurred vision, fatigue, and paresthesia in his fingertips.
It was apparent he couldn’t sleep until he knew Liz was OK. He’d sneak in, reassure himself, then he’d be able to get some shut-eye.
A few hours’ rest and he’d be as good as new. A few hours sleep, and he’d probably be able to laugh away the fear he’d been squelching for days.