Love Is in the Air by Carolyn McCray Read Free Book Online

get to the rounds,” Sal suggested.
    Stacy didn’t seem to have much fight left in her as she turned to the roster board without further argument. With a quick glance, Sal realized it had been an even lighter day than she had at first suspected. There were only half a dozen patients’ names up there, and not a single one was highlighted in blue, indicating critically unstable. Only one was in red, as a warning to the staff that the patient was critical but holding his own. Most were either an “about to be discharged” green or an “awaiting procedures” yellow with a few “to be admitted to another service” oranges sprinkled in for color.
    No wonder Manning looked so rested for being on duty for twenty-four straight hours. Twelve of them looked like they had been a breeze.
    As Stacy pontificated on and on about her outstanding work, Sal’s eyes wandered to the nurses’ desk. The main computer was still decorated with Maria’s Hello Kitty kitsch: a pencil sharpener, paper clip holder, and about a thousand stickers. Guess no one had the heart to take it down yet, Sal thought.
    “Are you paying attention, or are you going to wake me up fourteen times today asking me questions that I’ve already answered?”
    Without even looking at the board, Sal stated, “Curtain four needs an enema. We’re waiting on a surgery consult to clear the sprained elbow, and as soon as a telemetry bed opens up in the step-down bloodward, Trauma One will be transferred.”
    Clearly disappointed that Sal had been listening, Manning tossed a pile of charts onto the desk. “Well, since you’re so familiar, you can sign them all off.”
    Stuff it , Sal thought. Charting was the worst part of their job, tedious and boring, but Paul stood behind Manning with his hands clasped in prayer, silently begging Sal to agree.
    “Fine,” Sal acquiesced. “But if I get slammed, you’ve got to do mine tonight.”
    Stacy just walked off. Typical. Sal turned to the small sea of younger residents, interns, and medical students. “All right, Feldon, supervise—”
    “Dr. Calon?” a baritone voice asked from behind her. Startled, Sal turned to find the Chief of Emergency Medicine waving her over. “Would you mind stepping into my office?”
    Her muscles tensed in one painful second. Those were the most dreaded words you could hear from Dr. Bersher. No one went into that office and came out unscathed.
    You were either fired, or… Well, you were fired.

CHAPTER 15
    If you got a summons to Dr. Bersher’s office, you might as well call the unemployment department. Sal glanced around. The entire staff had the same stricken look. There the Chief stood, his office’s huge window looming beside him—a one-way glass that made it all the better for him to spy on the ER.
    Until she had come to San Francisco General, she’d never seen anything like it. At first the concept had been creepy, thinking that Bersher could be watching at any moment, but after a while it became reassuring to know that he was there.
    It certainly kept things moving. If more than five charts sat in the rack, he’d come barreling from his office, barking orders. No one wanted the Badger to leave his den, so the SFGH emergency room ran more efficiently than any she’d ever worked in.
    How she wished he’d been here last night.
    But now…
    He must have sensed the staff’s reluctance to have her enter the axing room. “Please. I don’t bite.” Yet his tone proved otherwise.
    Clearing her throat, she joined him. “Dr. Bersher, I didn’t realize you’d come back early from your vacation.”
    “I felt my presence was needed.” He urged her forward. “As is yours in my office.”
    As she entered, Sal realized that she had no idea what to expect. No one who still worked here knew what the interior looked like. To her surprise, the office was far more comfortably appointed than she would have guessed.
    An executive chair was placed behind an antique mahogany desk, with two