Artes leaving Tandon’s office, Ingrid didn’t bother looking at Jasper. Instead, the changed into her scrubs and headed straight do thi handover with the previous trat A few muj ses were whispering
“Wan’t Mr. Geppard off–duty tonight? Why is he suddenly here??
11 know, right? And he doesn’t even have surgery scheduled”
“Normally, everyone tries to avoid night shifts, but now we’ve pri people lighting to take then
“sty. Clifford switching tonights
Before they could finish, so
Everyone
“Ingrid”
obvious. His priorities aren’t exactly about work at Mr. Geppard”
spotted Ingrid approaching andikkly changed the subject. She caught snippets of their conversation but showed no reaction.
prested her with a smile, then finned the handover and said their goodbyes. Ingrid had barely sat down for panminutes when someone called her martin.
Hei headunapped up
Jasper was dressed in his white cot, standing a few feet away. He was the kind of man
no matter hat many time you sam
sam him, could still take your breath away
way in an unguarded
The looked straight at her. “Comer with me
Ingrid sod up under the curious gates of her coworkers. Before they even left the hallway, she couldn’t help but ank, “it Clifford, what do you need?” She made it clear she had no interest in private conversations–especially not about personal matters.
But Jasper simply said, “A patient in Vy was just transferred in at 11.10. They had a failed lumbar decompression su
“I suspect incomplete cauda equina syndrome. We can’t wait until mening. We need to operate immediately.”
surgery at another hospital and are now experiencing erinary incontinence.
The OR is already prepped do to V3, bring the patient upstairs, and make sure the family beings all medical records and imaging from the previous hospital.
“Oh, and notdy the attending physicians in the office. I need them in the as well i have something to take care of. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Ingrid had assumed Jasper had just called her over for some pointless nonsense like Branden. She hadn’t expected it to be actual urgem work
Hen expression shitted from panded to focused. “On it”
She can to the doctors office and knocked briskly. “Dr. Trown, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Carfardared you in the OK”
Four attending physicians looked up. There had master’s degrees, and one had a F. But a soon as they heard they could observe Jasper in surgery, they can faster than the patient’s ow
After notifying the doctors, Ingrid went to hande the patient. Everything moved quickly but efficiently.
The patient was wheeled the DR while the anxious family members hovered outside Ingrideassured them, “Don’t worry, Mr. Clifford is highly experienced”
The patient’s mother eared. Really? He looks so young”
Ingrid smiled. “Toscan test suured He’s one of the beat in orthopediem.”
The woman’s septicism deepened. “The even ja?”
Ingrid hesitated. “Almost two more years.
just as she was about to list Jasper’s surgical achievements to ease the mother’s doots, the woman suddenly changed the subject
“My daughter in 26 and still single. Does your Mr. Clifford a galliend
Ingrid paused Ah. There it was.
She kept her polite smile. “uldn’t kno
The woman pressed on. “You work in the same department and don’t know!+
Ingrid gave a textbook response. “He’s the director. I’m a nurse. We don’t interact that much outside of work”
The woman’s eyes gleamed “What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Ingrid: “No
os and no boyfriends
“A girl in pivity as you
“Work keeps runbury.”
The woman brightened. “Perfect! My nephew is 52, owns his own company, and is over five feet nine inches. He’s handsome too—but picky. He’s still single Want to introduce you two?” Ingrid kept up her polite art. “Thank you, but for sounds too good for me. Besides, I work nights and sleep during the day, so gur schedules wouldn’t match.”
“Oh, that’s no problem! My nephew a night owl too. He never sees prople with regular jobs anyway…”
The surgery lasted nearly live hours. Since the patient was 80 years old, aside from treating the incomplete cauda equina syndrome, they also ended up stabilizing the L4–L5tebrae and inverting a few solent
When Jasper finally wheeled the patient out of the Of, he spotted Ingrid still standing there. Surprise flickered in his eyes. His first reaction was to ask, “What’s wrong? Looking for me?” Maybe it was the exhaustion from the long surgery, but his voice wasn’t just gentle–it was soft, almost tender.
Ingrid’s heart skipped. She instinctively looked away. She hadlinerally just told the patient’s family that the and jasper weren’t close.
He pressed, “Then why are you here?!
Ingrid quickly composed herself was keeping the patient’s mother company. Her family is all out of town”
Jasper exhaled, noting. Then, he turned back to the
The surgery had gone well. The family was grateful.
calm and post op cate with the family.
Before leaving, the patient’s mother song aking look and whispered,
Ingrid nodded
(whispered, “Don’t forget to ask for me.”
When only she and jasper remained, he glanced at her with a curious smile. “Did you love her belove?
Chapter 22 All–Inclusive Boyfriend santriend Everyining
His smile deepened. “Then you’re really good at patient relations. What did she ask you to
Ingrid met his gaze. “Her daughter is 26. Still single. She wants to introduce you two”