Katie Ashley - The Pairing

Pesh didn’t have to think twice before responding, “She is going to make an incredible nurse.”

Aidan grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. Not that I ever doubted her abilities. It’s just good to hear her praises sung by a doctor.” Popping Pesh on the chest teasingly with his hand, Aidan asked, “How’s it going between you and Megan?”

Pesh almost laughed out loud at Aidan’s forthrightness. It was not in his nature to be so blunt, and after Megan turning him down yet again, he wasn’t really sure how to answer.

“I truly respect and admire Megan.” He considered that the most diplomatic way to answer her uncle’s enquiry. Despite feeling glad that he obviously had earned his friend’s respect, he wouldn’t say anything untoward about Megan in front of him. It is her business who she did or didn’t date.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I didn’t imagine it was.”

Aidan eyed him before saying, “Look I know you got off to a rocky start, but it’s not hopeless. Are you planning on asking her out?”

“You’re not letting this go, are you?”

“Nope. Not a chance.”

Pesh shoved his hands into his lab coat. “I have asked Megan to accompany me on a date, but at this point, we are at a stalemate. But, I am not planning on giving up anytime soon. Does that satisfy your inquisition?”

Aidan laughed, but then his brows furrowed. “What do you mean? You two looked pretty cozy and comfortable together when we walked up.”

With a regretful shake of his head, Pesh replied, “She doesn’t want to date me.”

“I call bullshit. I may have been bonked in the head, but no one could deny the way she was looking at you. Maybe if you—”

Although it was against his character, he let his anger override his better judgment. “She wants me for sex but not for a relationship, okay?”

Aidan’s mouth gaped open. “You mean, she’s acting like…a dude?”

“If you mean that she has pretty much refused to go to dinner with me or any other honorable event that a man and woman can partake in on a date, and instead, she would rather pursue a strictly physical relationship, then the answer is yes.”

“My God, it’s like she’s turned into the old me,” Aidan muttered. He ran his hand over his face before he looked at Pesh again. “I’m so sorry.”

With a shrug, Pesh replied, “She’s still very young. I suppose in her eyes, she’s been deprived of fun the last two years. This is a way for her to make up for that. Regardless if we agree or understand it.”

“Well, I still call bullshit on the whole thing.” He gave Pesh a long, hard stare. “You have to keep trying, no matter what.”

“I didn’t say I was giving up, did I?”

“No, but I know from personal experience how hard it is to keep trying when it feels like you aren’t winning.”

“What occurred with you and Emma is totally different than with Megan and me.”

“You still have to try.” Aidan hopped off the examining table and wobbled for a moment on unsteady legs. “Megan has been hurt before, and I don’t think she really knows what it is to be loved. Not deeply where her needs were considered. Hell, she was only twenty-three when she got knocked up. I want her to find someone who will cherish her, man. I want my girl cared for.” He patted Pesh’s shoulder. “I think that someone could be you.”

“We’ll see.” When Aidan started to argue, Pesh shook his head. “Time to see about your head.”

“Whatever,” Aidan mumbled.

When Pesh opened the door for Aidan, Emma and Megan stared expectantly at them. “So what’s the verdict?” Megan asked.

“I think he’s going to be just fine, but to be on the safe side, I’ve ordered him a CT scan.”

Emma’s eyes widened in fear. “You think he has some brain injury from the fall?” she asked in a panicky voice.

Pesh smiled to try and put her at ease. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong besides a slight bump on the head, but I want to make sure there is nothing wrong with him.”

“Okay then,” Emma replied.

An orderly appeared with a wheelchair to escort Aidan to his scan. Before he sat down, Aidan leaned over to kiss Emma. “I’m fine, babe. Stop worrying. It isn’t good for you or the baby.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll try hard not to.”

He winked at her before collapsing down in the wheelchair. “Nothing can keep me down—you should know that by now.”

Megan snorted. “At least we know the bump didn’t do anything to your ego.”

“Of course not,” Emma agreed.

Kristi poked her head out of one of the examining rooms. “Dr. Nadeen, I need you.”

He nodded before turning to Megan. “Why don’t you show Emma to one of the family waiting rooms?”

“Sure,” Megan replied.

Emma reached up to hug him. “Thanks for taking care of Aidan.”

“It was my pleasure.” He gave them a final wave before disappearing into the waiting patient’s room. But after talking to Aidan, he definitely had a little more determined bounce in his step.

Two days later when Megan came in for a later shift, she found the emergency room in a state of chaos. “Whoa, what happened?” she asked Kristi, after she’d clocked in and put away her things.

Kristi rolled her eyes. “Every month or so we seem to have a day where everything is madness from start to finish. You can never anticipate it—you kinda just have to go with the flow.” She grinned at Megan. “So get ready to be on your toes today.”

Megan laughed. “Okay, sounds good.”

As they started working their way through patients, things continued to escalate into overwhelming territory for Megan. Kristi seemed to be experiencing the same feeling since the tops of her cheeks had a shine of perspiration beads on them. The moment they finished with one patient and disinfected the room, another patient was waiting to enter it.

Megan followed behind Kristi as she went to poke her head in to the registration area. “Hey Janet, could you not call anyone else back? We’re getting swamped.”

Janet shook her head. “It’s just as crazy out in the waiting room. Like we’re almost overflowing.”

Kristi rolled her eyes. “Fabulous. It’s probably another full moon, which makes things absolutely insane.” She turned back to Megan. “Listen, since we’re so swamped, can you take the man in exam B?”

Megan couldn’t help her eyes from widening. “Really? On my own?”

Kristi smiled before patting Megan’s hand. “I’ve seen you in action the last week. I have faith in you.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m positive.”

Megan couldn’t contain her smile. “Thank you.”

Taking her iPad, she flipped open the registration details on the patient awaiting her. When she pushed open the door, she eyed the man on the examining table. “Good evening Mr. Robertson, I’m Megan. What—” Before she could even get out the standard “What seems to be the problem?” question, the man started shaking his head furiously. “No, no. I won’t let you examine me. I want a doctor. A male doctor. You understand?”

“Sir, I understand, but I have to follow protocol, which is to ascertain your issues before the doctor comes in. I see on the chart that you’re experiencing some abdominal swelling?”

He refused to meet her eye. Instead, he gazed over at the wall before holding up one finger to her. “I meant what I said. I demand to see a male doctor.”

“Yes, but we’re very backed up this afternoon. I’m not sure how long it will be before you are able to see a doctor, least of all a male doctor.” When it appeared the man’s resolve was fading a little, Megan took a tentative step forward. “Please, if you would just let me take a look at your abdomen.”

“It isn’t my stomach,” he mumbled.

“Then what is it?” When he didn’t respond, she sighed with frustration. “Mr. Robertson, you cannot ignore abdominal swelling. It can stem from many issues and have many repercussions.”

He shifted uncomfortably on the table. Just when she thought she was making headway with him, he threw his head back and began screaming at the top of his lungs. “GET ME A MALE DOCTOR!”

Megan rolled her eyes. The first time she had the chance to see a patient on her own, and he had to be a stark raving lunatic. Refusing to give into him or accept defeat, she stalked over to him. She was going to exam his sexist ass if it was the last thing she did. “Keep screaming, and I’ll call security,” she warned before snatching the sheet off him.

His screams cut off to a shriek as he clawed for the sheet, but the damage was done. She had seen more than enough.

“Oh. My. God,” she murmured. She gazed wide-eyed and open-mouthed at what had to be the poster child picture to go along with the warning labels on Viagra and Cialis for four-hour erections. “That’s going to have to be aspirated.”

“Excuse me?” he demanded.

She cocked her head at him. “The excessive blood in your penis?” He nodded. “It’s not just going to go away on its own. It has to be aspirated, which means drained out.”

Mr. Robertson swallowed hard. “Like with a needle?”

“Yes, with a very large needle.” When he started to protest, she brought her hand up. “Lucky for you, I cannot do the procedure—it is to be handled strictly by a doctor.”

“A male?”

“If it came to your penis exploding from the pressure by waiting for a male doctor, would you seriously be that picky?” His blue eyes widened in horror. “Yeah, I thought so. I’ll be back.”

When she whirled out of the room, she ran right into the last person she wanted to have to deal with at the moment.

“I’m so sorry. Are you all right?” Pesh asked.