Chapter 28 A DOCTOR'S DUTY

Chapter 28 A DOCTOR'S DUTY
“Blaine? We don’t have to do this.”

The tension in the patient's room was really thick; it felt like something was pushing against the walls. Xavier stood firm, his hand still out for the charts that Blaine was holding tightly like he was ready to fight.

"Blaine, let us not do this here, " Xavier said, his voice getting really low. "There is a sick man on this bed. His heart is getting worse by the minute. Stop acting like a kid. Give me the charts. I have a job to do. So do you."

Blaine stepped into Xavier's space, his eyes looking really tired and angry. He did not look like a doctor, he looked like a man who was about to break down.

"A kid?" Blaine hissed, leaning into Xavier so close that Xavier could smell the coffee on his breath. "You come into my fathers hospital, you find a way to get a residency and you have the nerve to call me a kid? Blaine Thorne is what I am. Not a kid.”

"I do not know what you are talking about Blaine," Xavier said. “I’m just here to do a job.

Inside his mind a blue light started to flicker.

\[THREAT DETECTED: ADRENALINE SPIKE OBSERVED IN TARGET.\]

\[SYSTEM ADVISORY: HOST PULSE INCREASING. MANUAL OVERRIDE AVAILABLE.\]

\[WOULD YOU LIKE TO NEUTRALIZE THE OBSTACLE?\]

‘No,’ Xavier thought. ‘Get back, not now. Blaine and I need to focus on the patient.’

"This patient is mine," Blaine growled, ignoring the monitor that was beeping really fast. "I am in charge here, you are just a guest, a temporary problem. I am not giving you these charts and I am not letting you touch this man. Leave before I have security throw you out in front of everyone."

Xavier's eyes got narrow. "Blaine… the patient's vitals are getting worse, look at the monitor. If you keep acting like this he is going to get worse while you're busy trying to show off to me."

"I said leave!" Blaine shouted, pushing Xavier's shoulder.

Before Xavier could say anything, the door opened hard. Dr. Craig was standing there looking really angry with two doctors before him.

"What is going on here?" Dr. Craig yelled, his voice loud in the small room. "The surgical team is waiting for the patient who needs an emergency operation. I come here to know what the hold up is just to find you two acting like kids? Are you doctors? Or are you kids?”

Blaine stepped back, finally putting the charts on the bed. "Dr. Craig I was just explaining to Alexander here that…"

"I do not care what you were explaining Blaine!" Dr. Craig said, stepping between them. "The patient is all that matters. Now both of you focus! Alex, what is going on with the patient, tell me?"

Xavier did not miss a beat. He picked up the charts, looked at them very quickly and carefully. "The patient has a blockage in the left anterior descending artery. His blood pressure is 90 over 60. It is getting lower. We need to make sure the pressure in his lungs is stable before we move him to the operating room or he will not survive."

Blaine stood back giving Xavier angry looks as the nurses came in to adjust the medicine that was being given to the patient.

"Blaine what do you think?" Craig asked.

"I think Xavier is right, " Blaine said quietly, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I think we should give the patient more heparin first."

"If you do that it will cause bleeding in the place where the patient had surgery a week ago," Xavier said, without looking up. "Check the patient's history, Blaine. It is on page four."

Craig rubbed his temples. "Alex is right. Blaine pay attention. Alright lets move the patient now!"

The room suddenly became very busy as the nurses took the patient out. Xavier stood there still feeling the excitement of the moment. He looked at Blaine, then at Craig.

"Dr. Craig I would like to step away from this case, " Xavier said, his voice firm. "I do not feel comfortable working with Blaine now. It is not safe for the patient."

"Fine," Craig said. "Go. Take a break. I will handle this."

Xavier nodded then walked out without looking back at Blaine. As soon as the door closed, Craig got very angry with Blaine.

"What is wrong with you?" Craig asked, his voice low and serious. "Why are you acting like an immature?"

"I am not acting like an immature!" Blaine said, finally losing his temper. "I just do not like him okay? There is something about him that I do not like. He is too perfect, he is too fast. He looks at everyone like they are not important."

"Whether you like him or not, his performance speaks for itself," Craig said, stepping closer to Blaine. "In fact he is a great doctor that cares for his patients. If you have a problem with him then you have a problem with me. I am the one who asked him to work on this case. Now because of you I have to take him to another case."

"Oh come on Craig," Blaine said, rolling his eyes. "My father owns a lot of this hospital. You are talking to me like I am a student."

"Just because your father has a lot of power here does not mean you can do whatever you want," Craig said, raising his voice. "This is a hospital, not a place for you to play. If you interfere with a patient's care again because of a meager problem of you not liking the doctor by your side, I will make sure the board reviews your behavior. No matter who your father is."

"You would not dare, " Blaine said quietly.

"Try me," Craig said. "Now get out of my sight. Go somewhere and pout. You are done for the day."

Blaine let out a sigh and clenched his fists. He knew he couldn’t do anything to Craig so he grumbled then walked out.



Xavier went to the doctors break room, sat down in an old leather chair then put his head in his hands. He took deep breaths to calm down. The room was quiet except for a vending machine humming in the corner.

\[SYNC LEVEL: 78%\]

\[SUGGESTION: ELIMINATE BLAINE THORNE. TARGET IS A CONSTANT OBSTACLE TO MISSION SUCCESS.\]

\[PROBABILITY OF INTERFERENCE IN ISABELLA’S MOTHER’S SURGERY: 92%.\]

"I am not going to kill him," Xavier said to himself. "He is a problem. Not a reason to kill him. You do not have to kill someone to stop them."

\[HOST EMOTION IS CLOUDING JUDGMENT. ELIMINATION IS THE LOGICAL PATH TO CURE COMPLETION.\]

"That's the way I deal with my own problems," Xavier said loudly. "Leave it alone."

There was a knock on the door as Xavier looked up to see Dr. Craig standing in the doorway. He looked tired.

"Are you okay Alex?" Dr. Craig asked quietly.

"I am fine sir,” Xavier said, sitting up straight. "I am just frustrated."

"You cannot walk around the hospital like this," Dr. Craig said, walking over to Xavier. "You are really upset. You have done a lot today. You have helped three patients. Go home and rest."

"I have to make my rounds at six,” Xavier said.

"No you do not," Dr. Craig interrupted. "I am taking you off the schedule for tonight. I will talk to the board about Blaine. He needs to calm down. Go home. That is an order."

Xavier nodded, feeling thankful to Dr. Craig. "Thank you Dr. Craig. I appreciate you helping me."

"Do not thank me," Dr. Craig said. "Just be ready for that meeting week. I am putting my job on the line for you."

Xavier watched him leave before he stood up, changed into his normal clothes and went to the parking lot. 

The evening air was cool and nice. He got into the Bentley, started the engine and listened to it hum quietly and smoothly.

He sat there for a moment looking at the steering wheel. He needed something to take his mind off things. He needed to feel like a person, not a doctor or a target. He pulled out his phone.

"Isabella?"

"Alex," she said, sounding happy and surprised. "You called early.”

“I get to take a break tonight. I am free. Do you still want to go out?"

"Yes I do," she said, laughing. "I was just thinking about calling you. Where do we need to meet?"

Xavier put the car in gear. "I will send you the address. It is a quiet place downtown.”

"Sounds great," Isabella said. "I will see you there in thirty minutes."

"See you then."

He hung up the phone then focused on driving.