Christmas with Dr. Darling–Excerpt
The woman at the front desk looked up as Victoria stumbled through the electronic door. Thank goodness the waiting room was empty. “Jingle Bell Rock” played over the sound system. She was not in a holiday mood. Christmas had just gotten her into a heap of trouble.
The entire waiting area was glassed in. Feeling like she’d been dropped into a fishbowl, she slumped into the chair across from the receptionist. No way did she want anyone seeing her on their way to pick up milk at Piggly Wiggly.
Why in heaven’s name did people make healthcare facilities with so much glass when they really should focus on larger mirrors in the ladies rooms?
Not that she wanted one tonight.
“Fill out the first page, dear.” The woman handed Victoria a clipboard. “We can take care of the rest in the room.”
“It’s my eye.” She squinted at the woman whose nametag said Audrey.
“Oh my goodness. Looks like you need to be seen right away.” Taking the clipboard gently from her hands, the woman’s expression changed––or what Victoria could see of it from her left eye.
"I sure would appreciate that, ma’am.” Grim images flooded her mind, but she would not cry. Important issues came to mind. Could they match fake eyes to your original color?
Standing up, the woman crooked a finger. “Follow me, please.”
“Thank you.” Unshed tears thickened her voice. Buck up, Victoria. Wasn’t that what her friend Josie always told her? Tonight she felt alone and desperate.
Audrey showed her to a blindingly bright room. “You can lie down right there, miss. Someone will be right with you.” She pointed to a bed with wheels.
Very slowly, she sat down and swung her legs over and up, the white paper covering crinkling under her body. Should she have taken off her boots? Mama would have a fit if she put boots on a bed at home.
The bright overhead lights bounced off scary equipment hanging from the wall, giving her a headache. A nurse entered the room. “Can you turn down these lights?” Victoria asked.
The nurse came closer. “I've got this, Audrey.”
“I’ll be right back to finish registering her.” With a swish of the curtain, Audrey left.
“Hi, I’m Betsy,” the nurse said in a kind but no nonsense voice. “We need the bright lights, so we can see what’s going on.” Getting closer, Nurse Betsy studied Victoria. “So what happened?”
“I was sawing...my Christmas tree.” That came close enough. No way would she admit that she’d been vandalizing their beloved square.
“‘Tis the season,” Betsy muttered under her breath. “We get plenty of people in here who’ve fallen off ladders. So you were sawing down a tree?”
“Kind of.” Victoria couldn’t even go there.
“We used to cut our own tree,” Betsy said, making a face. “Then it got too messy.”
Your “messy” is nowhere near as messy as mine. A fresh paper sheet like the one her dentist used was draped under Victoria’s chin.
Audrey returned, pushing a laptop on a stand. “Ready for bedside registration?”
“Okay. Sure.” The holiday music playing in the background mocked her. Holly, jolly Christmas? I don’t think so. Betsy left the room while Audrey helped Victoria find her insurance card. While the registration clerk typed everything up, Victoria’s mind rambled. “I put drops in my eyes. But I couldn’t get it out.”
“Dr. Darling will fix you right up. He’s very good.” And with that, Audrey wheeled the laptop away.
Dr. Darling? Victoria must be hearing things. Maybe the splinter had embedded itself in her brain.
Returning in her squishy white shoes that looked like marshmallows, Betsy helped her off with her jacket to take her blood pressure. “Hmmm,” she said. “A little high but understandable.” Then she took Victoria’s temperature, looked at it and smiled. “Okey doke. We’re good.”
Going to the end of the bed, she hung up the chart. “All set. Let’s get Dr. Darling in here.”
That can’t really be his name. As Victoria lay there, questioning her sanity and shivering because the room was icebox cold, the hottest man she’d ever seen swished through the drape.
With one large whoosh, her breath left her.
Why hadn’t she taken up nursing? Tall with broad shoulders and movie star features, Dr. Darling was way more than, well....darling. The man was flaming hot.
After glancing over her chart, Dr. Hot Stuff bent over her. “Looks like you got into some Christmas mischief.”
Don’t I just wish. “I–I was sawing off some pine branches. No big deal until this happened.” She tried to inject a saucy tone. How she wanted to be that girl, someone like Emily or Josie who just grabbed hold of projects and got them done.
Without injuring themselves. That part was important.
Dr. Hot Stuff shined a light in her eyes and she blinked. Why hadn’t she checked her eye makeup before leaving the apartment? Oh, right. Her right eye was streaming with tears. “I’m just going to open your eye a little bit. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
“Okay.” She felt helpless under his hand.
And why did that feel good?
Very gently, his fingers opened her eye wider. “Look left, please.”
She did as she was told. His breath smelled like mints. Maybe spearmint, her favorite.
“Now right. Hope this doesn’t hurt.” His tone softened.
“Oh, no.” This guy was the best pain medicine she’d ever had. Victoria tried to smile bravely while questions exploded in her brain. Was Dr. Darling married or seeing someone?
When he backed away, she checked his ring finger with her left eye. Nope. Turning her gaze to his dark hair and gray eyes with blue flecks, she felt woozy. Good thing she was lying down. Betsey had appeared at his elbow.
“Let’s give her some drops, and I’ll need a tweezers.”
“Will I need surgery?” That fake tree hadn’t been bad. Victoria had to learn to leave well enough alone.
But not when it came to her dating life. One touch of Dr. Darling’s fingers and she knew this. To read more about Victoria Pomeroy and Dr. Derek Darling, click here.
The entire waiting area was glassed in. Feeling like she’d been dropped into a fishbowl, she slumped into the chair across from the receptionist. No way did she want anyone seeing her on their way to pick up milk at Piggly Wiggly.
Why in heaven’s name did people make healthcare facilities with so much glass when they really should focus on larger mirrors in the ladies rooms?
Not that she wanted one tonight.
“Fill out the first page, dear.” The woman handed Victoria a clipboard. “We can take care of the rest in the room.”
“It’s my eye.” She squinted at the woman whose nametag said Audrey.
“Oh my goodness. Looks like you need to be seen right away.” Taking the clipboard gently from her hands, the woman’s expression changed––or what Victoria could see of it from her left eye.
"I sure would appreciate that, ma’am.” Grim images flooded her mind, but she would not cry. Important issues came to mind. Could they match fake eyes to your original color?
Standing up, the woman crooked a finger. “Follow me, please.”
“Thank you.” Unshed tears thickened her voice. Buck up, Victoria. Wasn’t that what her friend Josie always told her? Tonight she felt alone and desperate.
Audrey showed her to a blindingly bright room. “You can lie down right there, miss. Someone will be right with you.” She pointed to a bed with wheels.
Very slowly, she sat down and swung her legs over and up, the white paper covering crinkling under her body. Should she have taken off her boots? Mama would have a fit if she put boots on a bed at home.
The bright overhead lights bounced off scary equipment hanging from the wall, giving her a headache. A nurse entered the room. “Can you turn down these lights?” Victoria asked.
The nurse came closer. “I've got this, Audrey.”
“I’ll be right back to finish registering her.” With a swish of the curtain, Audrey left.
“Hi, I’m Betsy,” the nurse said in a kind but no nonsense voice. “We need the bright lights, so we can see what’s going on.” Getting closer, Nurse Betsy studied Victoria. “So what happened?”
“I was sawing...my Christmas tree.” That came close enough. No way would she admit that she’d been vandalizing their beloved square.
“‘Tis the season,” Betsy muttered under her breath. “We get plenty of people in here who’ve fallen off ladders. So you were sawing down a tree?”
“Kind of.” Victoria couldn’t even go there.
“We used to cut our own tree,” Betsy said, making a face. “Then it got too messy.”
Your “messy” is nowhere near as messy as mine. A fresh paper sheet like the one her dentist used was draped under Victoria’s chin.
Audrey returned, pushing a laptop on a stand. “Ready for bedside registration?”
“Okay. Sure.” The holiday music playing in the background mocked her. Holly, jolly Christmas? I don’t think so. Betsy left the room while Audrey helped Victoria find her insurance card. While the registration clerk typed everything up, Victoria’s mind rambled. “I put drops in my eyes. But I couldn’t get it out.”
“Dr. Darling will fix you right up. He’s very good.” And with that, Audrey wheeled the laptop away.
Dr. Darling? Victoria must be hearing things. Maybe the splinter had embedded itself in her brain.
Returning in her squishy white shoes that looked like marshmallows, Betsy helped her off with her jacket to take her blood pressure. “Hmmm,” she said. “A little high but understandable.” Then she took Victoria’s temperature, looked at it and smiled. “Okey doke. We’re good.”
Going to the end of the bed, she hung up the chart. “All set. Let’s get Dr. Darling in here.”
That can’t really be his name. As Victoria lay there, questioning her sanity and shivering because the room was icebox cold, the hottest man she’d ever seen swished through the drape.
With one large whoosh, her breath left her.
Why hadn’t she taken up nursing? Tall with broad shoulders and movie star features, Dr. Darling was way more than, well....darling. The man was flaming hot.
After glancing over her chart, Dr. Hot Stuff bent over her. “Looks like you got into some Christmas mischief.”
Don’t I just wish. “I–I was sawing off some pine branches. No big deal until this happened.” She tried to inject a saucy tone. How she wanted to be that girl, someone like Emily or Josie who just grabbed hold of projects and got them done.
Without injuring themselves. That part was important.
Dr. Hot Stuff shined a light in her eyes and she blinked. Why hadn’t she checked her eye makeup before leaving the apartment? Oh, right. Her right eye was streaming with tears. “I’m just going to open your eye a little bit. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
“Okay.” She felt helpless under his hand.
And why did that feel good?
Very gently, his fingers opened her eye wider. “Look left, please.”
She did as she was told. His breath smelled like mints. Maybe spearmint, her favorite.
“Now right. Hope this doesn’t hurt.” His tone softened.
“Oh, no.” This guy was the best pain medicine she’d ever had. Victoria tried to smile bravely while questions exploded in her brain. Was Dr. Darling married or seeing someone?
When he backed away, she checked his ring finger with her left eye. Nope. Turning her gaze to his dark hair and gray eyes with blue flecks, she felt woozy. Good thing she was lying down. Betsey had appeared at his elbow.
“Let’s give her some drops, and I’ll need a tweezers.”
“Will I need surgery?” That fake tree hadn’t been bad. Victoria had to learn to leave well enough alone.
But not when it came to her dating life. One touch of Dr. Darling’s fingers and she knew this. To read more about Victoria Pomeroy and Dr. Derek Darling, click here.