When We Meet Again

“Oh it is going to take a lot more than ‘I’m sorry mother’ for me to forgive you for this. You could have been killed and nobody would have known. I had to hire a PI to track you down! Honestly Dean.”

Dean had the grace to look shamefaced. He sighed and opened his mouth then closed it again. He might be a twenty seven year old man but sometimes his mother made him feel like he was still a naughty baby who’d soiled his underwear when he was supposed to be potty trained.

At that moment, Meaghan walked in accompanied by a nurse. She stopped short when she saw that Dean wasn’t alone.

“Er, hello ma’am, I’m sorry but visiting hours are not until noon,” the nurse hastened forward to say putting her hand on Poppy’s arm. This was a mistake. Poppy turned on her eyes blazing.

“Excuuse me young lady, kindly do not manhandle me. I am this boy’s mother and I have every right to be here. I want to see the doctor that treated him.” She demanded.

“That would be me,” Meaghan stepped forward with a smile. “Mrs. Wesson I would like to assure you that-“ she began.

Poppy turned around to face Dean. “You couldn’t get yourself to a decent hospital with real doctors Dean? Honestly do I have to do everything for you? I’m having you moved today out of this….” she looked around in feigned bewilderment. “What is this? A free clinic?”

The nurse was taken aback by Poppy’s behavior and even Meaghan was surprised by the overt rudeness but she ignored it in order to do her job.

“Mrs Wesson, Dean cannot be moved for a few days yet. I believe he means to transfer to a hospital closer to home as soon as it’s possible. In the meantime we are taking very good care of him.” She said. Dean was impressed with her equanimity; most people who his mother spoke to in that tone were either gibbering or crying by now. They certainly never contradicted her. Dean almost smiled but then noticed his mother was watching him so he schooled his features. Maybe he did behave rather like a little boy around her.

“Dean, could you explain to this…person that you will be leaving with me this afternoon,” Poppy said deigning to ignore Meaghan.

Dean looked from his mother to Meaghan. He could see in Meaghan’s face that she expected him to comply with his mother on this.

“Actually mother I’m inclined to take the doctor’s advice. If she says I can’t be moved for a few days, I’d rather stay here.”

Meaghan and Poppy looked nothing alike but the identical shocked expressions on their faces gave them a superficial resemblance. Dean almost laughed.

“Go home mother. I’ll see you in a few days. I’m in good hands here,” Dean said.

Poppy turned to glare at the so-called doctor whose side her son was taking over hers. Her eyes narrowed as she looked properly at her.

“What is your name?” she demanded.

Meaghan was surprised to be addressed directly but not so much by the tone with which she was being addressed, “I’m Dr. Meaghan Leonard”, she said.

“Leonard you say? Aren’t you that scholarship student who stole valedictorian from my son at Dalton?” she demanded. She turned to Dean, “She is the one isn’t she. Isn’t she also the wh*re that tried to seduce you away from Samantha?”

The nurse blanched and turned away, Dean was looking grim but Meaghan felt absolutely cut off at the knees.

‘What the…?’

“Excuse me?” she demanded in shock.

Dean cut in before his mother could say anymore, “Meaghan I’m sorry about this, could you give us a minute so I can speak to my mother alone?” he pleaded.

Meaghan glared at him and then at his mother and then she walked out. The nurse slipped out discreetly after heading in the opposite direction as that taken by the doctor. Meaghan knew that news of what Dean’s mother had said to her would be all over the medical center by end of lunchtime. She didn’t know if she was furious or embarrassed.

‘Definitely leaning towards furious…extremely furious. I-will-kill-that-woman-if-you-don’t-get-her-away-from-me mad’ she thought walking quickly to her office and slamming the door behind her. She had other patients to see but first she needed to calm down.

“Angry rock music. That should do it,” she said aloud as she crossed to her iPod. She put in some Nickelback and listened to ‘Just For’ at top volume mouthing along with the lyrics.

I want to take his eyes out
Just for looking at you
Yes I do
I want to take his hands off
Just for touching you
Yes I do

And I want to rip his heart out
Just for hurting you
And I want to break his mind down
Yes I do

By the time she’d imagined ripping Poppy’s heart out for the third time she was feeling much better and more disposed to conducting the rest of her rounds in a professional manner befitting the resident surgeon of this fine establishment thank you very much. She texted Bain first though to tell him what a pompous bitch Dean’s mother was.

He texted back his absolute and total agreement with an admonition that he needed all the details later.

“But of course,” Meaghan murmured as she made her way to the surgical ward. She glanced around to see if people were looking at her differently already but so far everyone was going about their business as usual. Meaghan sighed inwardly, suddenly she felt like she was right back in Dalton again with a bulls eye on her back.