Page 40 of Doctor's Bossy Match
“Do you think your dad will give it to him?”Greer asks, looking at me now.
“Well,” Somer says.“I can’t speak much about other candidates.I’m sure they’re knowledgeable.But when it comes to personal experience?It has to be Brant.”
Something in the way she says personal experience my ears prick up.I look at Brant, then back at Somer.Her face makes me curious.“What do you mean?”I ask.
“You know… Brant’s condition.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him tense.His fingers grip the crystal glass, and he downs the rest of his drink in one go before putting the glass down on the table with a soft thud.
“No,” I say carefully, feeling uneasy.“I didn’t know…”
A condition?I scan him quickly, noticing nothing in his color or breathing, so I wonder if it’s chronic.Something he’s living with now or something from the past?
“I just had something when I was a kid,” Brant says quietly, glancing at me.“Complete atrioventricular canal defect.”
I sit back, stunned.“That’s a congenital heart defect,” I murmur, almost to myself.A hole in the center of the heart.It’s serious, usually caught in infancy, requiring lifelong monitoring and sometimes multiple surgeries.
“Open-heart surgery,” I ask softly.
Brant nods.“Yeah.”
“Do you still see a cardiologist?”
“I do, but I go back to the city for it.It’s just easier that way.”His lips flatten, and he glances down at his plate.Is he regretting how much he shared?
“You know, patients seeing you take care of your own health could actually help them feel more comfortable taking care of theirs,” I tell him carefully, my chest suddenly tight.“It normalizes it.”
Scarlet chimes in, “Yeah, I agree.I never thought of it that way.”
Milton adds, “Maybe you could transfer to Pulse Point.We’d have to ask.”
“I’ve been with the same cardiologist since I was a kid,” Brant says.“Unless he retires, I’m sticking with him.”
“I respect that.”My cheeks feel hot, and I can’t help but worry I overstepped.Of course he has a relationship with his doctor; they’ve been through his entire journey together.I shouldn’t have implied he should change that.It wasn’t my place.
We sit with that for a beat as Somer refills her wineglass.Milton reaches for more bread.
When Brant exhales and seems more relaxed, I ask, “Is that why you chose to work in pediatrics?”
His eyes lock onto mine, and something in his gaze softens as he leans back in his chair.“Yeah.Having gone through it myself, I know what those kids are feeling.All the poking, the surgery, the fear, it’s a lot.But now I can relate to them.I can tell them how perfect my heart is now.How strong I am.”
“Wow,” I whisper.“Your story’s… incredible.”
“Well…” he says, smiling faintly.“Now you understand why I might deserve the job over Dr.Gould.”
“Yeah,” I say, recognizing his teasing but knowing he’s serious.“I do.”I know Mason’s a candidate, as he’s very vocal about it.But hearing Brant compare himself makes it real.This isn’t just ambition; this is personal, as he’s lived it.And there’s no one better suited for the chief role than Brant.
As the conversation shifts back to other topics, I fall quiet, my thoughts spiraling.I find myself scanning memories, looking for signs.Have I noticed any fatigue?Any clues?But I wouldn’t see any because he’s been managing it his whole life, so he’d know how to hide them.
Dusty’s voice carries across the yard.“Brant!Come play with me.”
But Brant’s deep in conversation with Milton, talking shop and probably still dodging the fact that he’s got a soft side under that crisp shirt and those harsh opinions.I glance between them and Dusty, who’s standing out there, kicking the ball around, hopeful eyes locked on us.
I push up from my chair.“I’ll play,” I call out, already walking toward him.
Dusty lights up.“Yes!”
I slip off my shoes and step onto the grass.“I haven’t played in years, but prepare to lose.”
