Page 9 of Fourteen of a Kind
“Hello.”
“Is this Dr. Ella Kind?” a man’s voice asked.
“Yes. This is she.”
“Dr. Kind, my name is Dr. Carter Bainbridge. I’m the director of education at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. I would like to invite you to give lectures to two groups of our finest medical students who will be entering the cardiothoracic and neurosurgery programs. With your knowledge and expertise, I think you would be a great asset to the students.”
“Thank you, Dr. Bainbridge. What are the dates?”
“Next Thursday and Friday.”
“I’m scheduled to work those days at Cedars. Let me talk to my Uncle Christian and get back to you.”
“Excellent, Dr. Kind. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a nice day.”
“You too, Dr. Bainbridge.”
I set my phone down and smiled. Getting out of Los Angeles for a few days would be great therapy. After changing out of my bathing suit, I threw my hair up in a ponytail, put on some makeup, and headed to the hospital. When I walked into my Uncle Christian’s office, he was on the phone but waved at me to come in.
“Hey, sweetheart. Why are you here? It’s your day off.”
“I received a call from Dr. Carter Bainbridge earlier.”
“From Mount Sinai in New York?” His brow arched.
“Yeah. He wants me to give a lecture to a group of medical students who are entering the cardiothoracic and neurosurgery programs.”
“That’s excellent, Ella.” A smile crossed his face. “When does he want you out there?”
“Next Thursday and Friday.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure your shifts here are covered.”
“Thank you, Uncle Christian. I really need this. I think getting out of L.A. for a few days will do me some good.”
“A few days? The lectures are only two days.”
“I’m off next weekend, so I’m turning it into a mini-vacation. It’s been a while since I’ve been to New York, so I want to visit some museums and Central Park.”
“I’m not sure how your dad will feel about you doing that alone in New York City.” His brow arched.
“I’m not a child, Uncle Christian. I can take care of myself.”
“You don’t need to convince me of that. It’s your dad you need to convince.” He smirked.
“My dad will be fine.” I stood from my chair, walked over, and hugged him. “Thanks for covering my shifts. I’m really excited about this.”
“It’s an honor to be selected to give the lectures. You’ve made quite the impression at hospitals nationwide, young lady.”
“I’ll see you later. Oh, by the way.” I stopped before I reached the door. “Thank you for having my back.”
“If you mean taking care of the situation with Dr. Piazza and Nurse Penelope, you’re very welcome. You know I’ll always have your back, sweetheart.” He winked.
After I left the hospital, I drove to the medical center to see my dad. When I stepped out of the elevator to the second floor, I saw Ava heading toward me.
“Ella, how are you?” She hugged me.
“I’m okay, Ava. What are you doing here?”