Downtown dani, p.26
Downtown Dani, page 26
Fuck yeah! Finally, an attending saw what Victor did behind the scenes. However, my triumph quickly turns to apprehension. Oh crap, I hope I didn’t say anything stupid like fuck or cock or some other inappropriate word that often comes out of my mouth. I try to replay in my mind what happened in the OR but can’t remember the exact details of what I said given the shitshow that went down.
My attention returns to Dr. Weinstein as he continues, “Dani, my job as an attending at an academic institution is not only to take care of my patients, but to also prepare the next generation of urologists. Surgery can be very unpredictable, and residency is the time to learn how to deal with complications so that you are ready to handle any situation that comes your way when you are out on your own. Today you proved to me that you are indeed well trained. Under extreme pressure, not only did you make the correct decision to convert, but you did all the right things to stop the bleeding. At the end of the day, the patient got his tumor removed and is stable.”
I am stunned into silence.
“I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in Victor. I know he continued to operate beyond the point I had asked him to stop and was the one responsible for tearing the lumbar vein. We doctors work and live by a strict code of ethics and to hear him say that he would rather let a patient die than take an action that he thought would hurt his career is unacceptable. To have such a wanton lack of respect for human life and inadequate judgment to recognize that the bleeding was life-threatening is deeply troubling.”
I can’t help myself and ask, “What does that mean for Victor?”
“Due to his unprofessional behavior here and in other situations, I am going to recommend that Victor be asked to leave the program. I cannot in good conscience continue to train a person whose priorities are so misaligned that they are a liability to our department and to the medical community in general.”
It feels like it’s my birthday, Christmas, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. With fireworks taking flight in front of my eyes, I strain to keep a straight face to hide my elation at the sound of those words. It’s fucking divine retribution.
“And don’t think I wasn’t skeptical about the whole assault fiasco. I have seen the way you conduct yourself in this hospital and I felt confident that you didn’t do anything egregious to hurt Victor. I’ve been involved in academic medicine long enough to know that it is a pit of vipers, and people will stoop to unbelievable levels to undermine colleagues. I can sniff out a weasel a mile away and Victor did not escape my detection."
This is all music to my ears.
Dr. Weinhurst continues with, “It is common knowledge that you and Victor are both very interested in my fellowship after graduation and I figured Victor was creating some havoc to try to impair your credibility. However, I couldn’t ignore Victor’s accusation and was obligated to report it to the Office of Graduate Medical Education. Per Victor’s description of events, you had broken hospital policy. Their decision to institute corrective action was out of my hands. I was confident that you would rise above the extra stressors, which all surgeons need to be able to do, and continue to perform at the same high level that I have come to expect of you. Also, a witness of the incident came forward recently and corroborated your version of events.”
“Really? Somebody saw what happened?” I’m astonished. “Who was it?”
“This person wishes to remain anonymous, but I can tell you that it was an OR staff member who had entered the back hallway when you and Victor were engrossed in conversation and neither of you were aware of his presence.”
Damn, I wish he would have let me in on that juicy tidbit of information a little earlier.
“I haven’t told you before now because I was in the process of sorting things out with the GME office. I am happy to inform you that you no longer need to participate in the corrective action measures and this entire incident will be expunged from your record.”
It feels like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. Finally, the truth comes out. “Thank you so much, Dr. Weinhurst.”
“Another thing, Dani. I want to take this opportunity to talk with you about the rectal injury on Mr. Parov. I know you took it really personally, and I understand this, but complications happen in surgery. Even to the best of us. It’s unfortunate when they do occur, but that is the nature of the beast. We surgeons are human too, as much as we don’t want to admit it. You have to learn from your mistakes and move on. You showed me again today that you are a very competent surgeon. I appreciate your hard work, dedication, and especially your good medical intuition, which you cannot teach somebody. They either have it or they don’t. You still have things to learn, but you are on the right track. Keep up the good work.”
“That really means a lot coming from you,” I say sincerely.
As I get up to leave, Dr. Weinhurst says, “Let me know what our patient’s hematocrit is when you get his post-op labs back. He lost a lot of blood and we might need to transfuse him again.”
“Yes, sir.”
I virtually skip out of his office, duck into one of the empty exam rooms down the hallway, and shut the door behind me. I lean my back against the wall and try to process what Dr. Weinhurst just said to me. I am emotionally exhausted after the debacle in the OR and then the ping-ponging of my emotions from such highs, to lows, to highs again. Victor is outta here, Dr. Weinhurst thinks I’m a good surgeon, and I’ve got nobody in my way now to get that fellowship. Once I’ve collected myself, I open the door and leave the department offices with my head held high.
I am on cloud nine on my way home and I have the urge to tell somebody about my day. It surprises me that the first person who pops into my head is Adam. That’s kind of strange since I normally would immediately reach out to Liz. Maybe it’s because I just saw him last night. More likely it’s because I know Jeff has plans for Liz tonight, it being her birthday weekend, and I don’t want to bother her.
However, the situation resolves itself on its own when a text comes through to my phone. It’s from Adam. His ears must have been burning.
Adam: How did your day go?
Dani: The usual then crazy then terrible then great!
Adam: Sounds exciting. Glad it ended on a good note.
Dani: Indeed
Adam: Would love to hear about it. Late night tonight at work but taking quick break for dinner. Want to join me?
Seriously? This is my lucky day. Maybe I should buy a lotto ticket while I’m at it.
Dani: Sure. When and where?
Adam: Mind coming to my office? Not far from you.
Dani: No problem
Adam: 52 W 39th St. Between 5th and 6th Aves. Near Bryant Park. 8 pm
Dani: Got it
Adam: Excellent
I’ve got about an hour. After my shower, I throw on a pair of jeans along with my Krispy-Kreme t-shirt, and put my hair back up in a ponytail. I decide to wear my sneakers and walk over since it’s not too far away and it’s such a nice night.
I text Adam when I get to the front entrance of his building.
Dani: I’m here
Adam: Be right down
A couple minutes later Adam emerges from the glass doors of his office building looking sharp in a pair of blue slacks, a white button-down dress shirt, silver tie, and shiny black wingtip shoes. When he spots me, his face lights up, and he comes over and gives me a hug. “I’m glad you dressed up for our dinner tonight,” Adam says while taking me by both shoulders and moving me away from him so that he can read my t-shirt.
“I thought we’re just going to grab a quick sandwich or something. I didn’t think I needed to pull out a formal gown for the occasion.”
“I’m just teasing you. At least I know what to get you next if I ever need to make another apology.”
“What?”
Adam points at my chest. I look down at my t-shirt. “Yes,” I say and nod my head fervently. “Krispy Kreme is another personal favorite.”
Adam smiles and laughs. “Okay, so what are you hungry for? I’ve only got about thirty minutes before I have to get back to work.”
“Oh, I’m pretty easy.”
Adam raises his eyebrow at me.
“When it comes to food,” I clarify. “You know what’s around here better than I do.”
“There’s a great burger place a couple of blocks over. Are you in the mood for some beef and fries?”
“When am I never?” I scoff. “Sounds good to me.”
“That’s my kind of gal. So, you’re not going to order just a salad and water?”
“Not if you’re buying,” I say as I flash him a megawatt smile.
“I guess I’m buying then.”
“Awww, thanks. That’s so nice of you to offer.”
Adam chuckles and then presses his hand against the small of my back to get me started walking in the right direction.
“What are you working on that is keeping you at the office so late on a Friday night?” I ask.
“We’re prepping for a trial. There’s a lot of work involved, but I won’t bore you with the details.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind hearing about what you do all day.”
“Nah, trust me, you don’t. What I want to hear about is your day. Your text made it sound like it was very eventful.”
“That it was.”
“Everything worked out in the end?”
“You could say that. Far better than I ever could have imagined.”
“All right, then. I’m very curious.”
Just then, we arrive at SuperBurger! It’s the type of place where you order at the register and try to find some seating afterwards.
I order a single patty Awesomenator with cheese, Attack Fries, and a Vigilante Vanilla Milkshake.
“Strong order,” Adam commends me. He then proceeds to order a Burgergeddon, Sidekick Tots, and an Epic Coke Float.
When we get our food, we spot a solitary open table and snag it. As I dive into my meal, Adam inquires, “So, tell me what happened today. The suspense is killing me.”
I proceed to give him all the gory details. I have to go light on the description of what happened in the OR because Adam apparently gets queasy at the mention of blood. No need to ruin his dinner.
When I get to the end of my story, Adam exclaims, “Dani, that is really mind-boggling that you saved somebody’s life today. Wow. And how awesome that Dr. Weinhurst finally gave you some major kudos. You deserve it. Liz always tells me how hard you work and what a great doctor you are. Under unfortunate circumstances, I can personally attest to that as well.”
“Well, thanks. I have to admit, it was satisfying to hear Dr. Weinhurst say all those nice things to me. It was a real confidence booster.”
“I can’t believe that Dr. Weinhurst had a recording of Victor in the case today and that a witness came forward confirming he lied about the assault accusation. That is some serious bad shit. He should be fired.”
“Don’t I know it. When I got back to the resident workroom this afternoon after I met with Dr. Weinhurst, I’m sure Victor thought I was going to collect my bag and leave, never to be seen again. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him that Dr. Weinhurst had viewed a recording of the whole surgery. I think he almost pissed in his pants.”
“Did you tell him about the witness to the ‘assault’?”
“Nope. I figured I’d let Dr. Weinhurst drop that bomb on him out of the blue.”
“Good plan.” Adam then leans across the table with a napkin and wipes at something on my left boob.
I look down and see him smear a dollop of ketchup from my shirt. “Son of a bitch. I swear, you can’t take me anywhere with these hungry boobs of mine.”
“Hungry boobs?”
“Yeah, they’re not that big, but they sure do seem to attract a lot of food to them. I rarely can get through a meal without getting something on my shirt.”
“I’m sure they’re the perfect size,” responds Adam.
Has he been checking out my jumblies?
Adam checks his watch. “Shoot, I’ve got to get going. I have to meet with a couple of the associates to see what they’ve put together.”
“Okay. Thanks for dinner. It was a nice treat. I thought I was going to have to spend the evening alone with my study questions.”
“Dani, I think you need to get out more often.”
“Probably. At least I’ll be there tomorrow night for Liz’s birthday party.”
“You’d better be.”
When we walk back out to the street, Adam promptly says, “Bye. See you tomorrow night.” He turns and leaves with no goodbye hug or anything. I’m left standing there a little confused. That sure was nice of Adam to ask me to spend his short dinner with him, but I guess I’m just his buddy. Damn.
CHAPTER 24
I’m super psyched about Liz’s birthday party tonight. She is turning thirty, so it’s a pretty big deal. Jeff reserved a room at Songstress, a karaoke bar over near the Empire State Building, which is convenient because it’s pretty close to my apartment. I haven’t been to this one yet, but Jeff said it’s great. It supposedly has a full bar instead of the typical paltry karaoke selection of beer and crappy wine. He also said the equipment and private rooms are top notch.
Liz has been waiting with bated breath for her birthday party because she is a karaoke fiend, despite the fact that she can’t carry a tune even if her life depended on it. The irony is she thinks she’s a freaking amazing singer. She even surprised Jeff at their wedding and serenaded him with a super sappy love song. She thought it was so touching and emotional. Unfortunately, it sounded like she was beating a bag full of kittens. I honestly don’t know how Jeff kept a straight face through the whole ordeal. She was so proud of herself that nobody had the heart to tell her that it was god-awful. Ignorance is bliss, right? It was her day to do with it what she pleased.
Needless to say, the karaoke stage is one on which no musical talent is necessary or expected. In my book, the worse you are, the funnier it is. Now, I’m no Celine Dion, but I have been known to perform a song or two in my karaoke adventures after a couple of adult beverages.
Jeff is taking Liz out for dinner and then we’re meeting at Songstress at 9:30 pm. After sleeping in this morning, I go for a run and then actually clean my apartment. There are dust bunnies the size of small rodents lurking in every corner. I can’t take it any longer. I’m afraid I’m going to inhale one of them in my sleep and die by dust bunny asphyxiation. It feels very cathartic to suck them up with my vacuum cleaner. Shwlooop! Shwlooop! I even get in a couple of hours of studying, so I feel like I deserve to go out tonight and enjoy myself.
I know there is going to be some dancing to accompany the singing, so I want to wear something comfortable tonight. I decide to go with my faux leather black leggings and silver sleeveless top. I select a big purse and pop in a pair of heels. I slip on my flip flops since I’m going to walk over to the karaoke bar.
When I get to Songstress, it’s 9:25 pm. I walk up to the hostess and say, “Hi, I’m here for the Pierce party.”
“You’re going to be in room four, but it will be a couple of minutes before we can get you in there. Some of the guests with your party have already arrived and are having a drink at the bar while we finish getting the room ready.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I wonder if Liz has gotten here yet. I scan the bar area and don’t see her, but I do spot Adam talking to one of the bartenders with his back to me. He sure has a nice tight ass. I’m feeling a little playful tonight, so I come up behind him and give his right butt cheek a little pinch.
Adam’s body tenses with surprise and turns around quickly. When he sees it’s just me, he squints his eyes in mock anger and warns me with a, “Watch it there, little lady!”
I hold my hands up in surrender.
“I just opened a tab. What do you want to drink?” Adam asks me.
“Are you sure? I can get my own.”
“You can get me one later,” he says knowing he will never take me up on that offer. “There’s a drink menu if you want a cocktail.”
“I think I’m gonna stick with beer tonight.”
Just then the bartender slides him a Coors Light. “Sorry, no Shiner here,” Adam says apologetically.
“I’ll take one of those too.”
“Really?” Adam says, shocked, while he hands the beer bottle to me. He flags down the bartender and orders another one.
“Oh sure. This has been my go-to beer, besides Shiner, since I was in college.”
“Damn, you sure are my kind of gal.”
I wish. I smile and take a sip of my beer. “Is Liz here yet?”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t seen her. I know Jeff took her to dinner down in Tribeca, so it may take them a little while to get over here.”
“Makes sense. So, how did work go last night?”
“I was there until about midnight. I had to go in this morning too, but I think we’ve made some good headway with the case. I should have the rest of the weekend off, but this upcoming week is going to be a bitch.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It just means that I have to make tonight count.” He lifts his drink and gives me a toast.
I can think of a couple of ways to help you out with that, big guy.
Just then, I hear a commotion by the entrance and turn to see Liz talking boisterously and giving hugs to her friends that have just arrived as well. Jeff is next to her holding a large white bakery box in his hands. The hostess says something to him and leads him down the hallway where the karaoke rooms are located.
I say to Adam, “I think our night of glory is ready to begin.”
“Do you know what you’re going to sing tonight?”
“Oh, I’ve got a couple of favorites I like to break out on these types of occasions. What about you?”
“I’ll have to look through the song book and see if I get any inspiration. Don’t worry though. You won’t be disappointed,” Adam says and gives me a wink.
“Looking forward to it.”
