Their Miracle Baby

“He should be back in just a few minutes if you want to wait, Dr. Bradford,” the nurse had said when she stopped at the nurse’s station.

“I think I will. I’m off for a couple of days and I’ll rest easier if I can see him. He’s alone in the world so a friendly face might make a difference.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about Mr. Scott getting enough attention. He’s already got half of us wrapped around his little finger,” the nurse said, laughing.

“Well, that’s a good sign. Sounds like he’s back to his old self,” Venetia said, heading for his room planning to wait there for him to return.

After only a few minutes sitting quietly, sleep over took her. She’d underestimated just how tired she was and fell deeply asleep. A commotion in the hallway woke her up, but she was disoriented at first until she finally remembered she was waiting to see Mr. Scott before she went home.

Just as she’d expected, the commotion was Mr. Scott flirting shamelessly with the nurses on his way back to his room. He was wheeled into the room smiling from ear to ear, talking to a doctor she didn’t recognize. There was a quick flash of attraction when she looked at him, but she pushed it aside as a product of her exhaustion. But as she watched him giving Mr. Scott a physical exam, the attraction only got stronger.

Obviously several years older than her, his blonde hair just brushed his collar, slightly disheveled and curly; she wanted to run her hands through it. Shocked at her thoughts, she tried to pay attention to what was being said, but her exhaustion was getting the better of her. Finally, satisfied that Mr. Scott was on the mend and not in need of a pep talk, she quietly left the room.

It was all Lewis could do not to shout at Dr. Bradford to stop when she quietly left the room. When he’d seen her standing in the room, his heart had soared, finally a chance to talk to her. But his plans were again derailed when she’d slipped away, clearly in need of some well-deserved rest. It was beginning to look like he was going to have to plan a meeting between them, chance just wasn’t providing the opportunity he needed.

Lewis didn’t have to arrange a chance meeting after all because only a few days later he and Venetia literally ran into each other. Venetia was coming through the doctors’ entrance, her arms loaded down with patient files, her laptop, and several presents for her patients who were still in the hospital.

She wasn’t watching where she was going and ran straight into Lewis as he was leaving. Everything she was carrying scattered across the floor, including the contents of her purse. Venetia just stood there looking at the mess for a second, hoping that this wasn’t going to be the way her day was going to go. Still exhausted, even after her time off, she heaved a great sigh and began to collect her things.

“I’m so sorry,” Lewis said, bending to help her, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn’t believe how nervous he was, but the meeting he’d been wanting had finally happened.

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have been trying to carry all of this,” she said, gesturing to the pile of her things.

“Let me help you then,” Lewis said, handing her the patient files.

“That’s okay. I can manage,” she said, but stopped when his hand brushed hers and a shimmer of awareness passed between them.

“I don’t mind. I’ve been wanting to meet you anyway.”

“You wanted to meet me?” Venetia said, meeting his eyes as they stood up.

“Yes, I’ve been hoping we’d run into each other. I’m Lewis Zeihr, one of the neurosurgeons on staff, as well as a member of the award committee. I was very impressed with the work you do.”

It took Venetia a second to form a reply, she was lost in his blue eyes which had seemed to pull her in. “Thank you,” she stammered, still unable to look away.

Lewis could feel the attraction between them but wasn’t sure if Venetia was feeling it too. “I’d love to take you for coffee and talk about your work. I seriously considered going into pediatrics at one point, but the lure of neurosurgery was just too strong,” he said, stammering over his words, suddenly more nervous around a woman than he’d ever been.

“I’m awfully busy, but I could make some time at lunch today.” Venetia was just as surprised to hear the words as Lewis was. “We could meet in the cafeteria around noon,” she added, suddenly nervous.

“That would be wonderful,” he said, hardly believing his luck. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

Venetia walked away from Lewis wondering what had just happened. Had she just made a lunch date or was it simply two colleagues meeting professionally? Either way, she shouldn’t have agreed to meet him, there was no time in her life for lunch meetings, especially if it wasn’t a professional meeting.

At times, she missed having someone in her life, but her work left little time for romance so she’d been alone for a long time. She didn’t really mind; after all, what man would put up with her work schedule? There would be plenty of time for romance later, she was still young and in no hurry to have a family of her own. Her patients were her family, every child she treated became hers in some small way.

Her first impulse as she walked into her office at the clinic was to call Lewis back and cancel their lunch appointment, but she hadn’t gotten his number. Of course she could find him in the hospital directory but decided that it was too much work. Then had to admit to herself that she actually wanted to meet this mystery man for lunch, he’d sparked something in her she’d never felt before.

It wasn’t that she’d never been attracted to a man before, but this had felt different, felt more intimate than a simple attraction between two people. Venetia had never been an especially romantic person, her past relationships had been based on mutual need and convenience. Usually ending when the man became annoyed that she had many other priorities than their relationship.

She never minded and in fact had usually been relieved to be free again. Romance had never been high on her list of important things and still wasn’t, but she found herself a little excited to be meeting Lewis for lunch. It was stupid to feel that way, but she’d seen the spark of attraction in Lewis’ eyes and liked it.

When Bernice came in, she knew that she’d have to tell her about her lunch plans since they often took patients on during lunch. “I’m going to meet another doctor for lunch today,” she said, trying to make it sound like no big deal.

“Oh, yeah? Who would this mysterious doctor be?” Bernice asked, suddenly suspicious. Venetia never took time out for lunch. “It must be someone important if you’re actually going to take a lunch break.”

“He’s a neurosurgeon from the 5^th floor. He was on the award committee and just wants to talk shop,” Venetia said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Hmm, I’m trying to believe that, but the fact that you’re blushing tells me differently,” Bernice said, giving Venetia a long look.

“Well, he is kind of good looking, but I’m sure it’s just professional interest. We’re not exactly from the same world.”

“Since when does that make any difference? You like him I can tell.”

“I don’t even know him,” Venetia said to Bernice as well as herself.

“Seems to me that a lunch date is a perfect way to get to know someone,” Bernice said over her shoulder as she disappeared into one of the exam rooms.