Reunion with the ER Doctor
Author
Tina Beckett
Reads
15.5K
Chapters
12
In the first installment of the Alaska Emergency Docs duet, the doctor is reunited with the one who got away — when she becomes his new colleague! EMERGENCY! THE DOCTOR'S EX IS BACK… Having migrated from one foster home to another as an orphaned teenager, Dr. Eli wants only a forever family. But when his short-lived marriage ends, he simply craves escape… Anchorage Memorial Hospital should be his refuge, until Dr. Georgia arrives, his new colleague — and ex-girlfriend! Commitment-phobe Georgia broke his heart once. Is this an opportunity to let go of the past…and fight for a future together?
PROLOGUE
HER GAZE FOLLOWED the bright pink piggy bank as it sailed through the air and then crashed to the ground with a shattering sound that seemed to go on forever. Something hit her hand, causing her to jerk in pain as she stared at all the silver coins and sharp pieces of glass that lay all around her. Then she started crying, unable to stop, even though she knew it would only make things worse.
“Georgia, do not move.” Her mom’s shaky voice reached her, even as her daddy stood over her, looking bigger and scarier than he ever had before.
Georgia, still in her nightgown—her feet bare, started to take a step back to get away from him, except her mother reached her first and scooted in front of her, staring up at the man in front of her.
“Get out. Get out now.” The words were said with a soft hiss that made Georgia shiver, stopping her tears in an instant.
She had never heard her mom speak to her dad like that. Ever. Normally she was saying she was sorry to him over and over for things that Georgia didn’t understand. But not today.
She leaned to peer around her mom in an effort to see her father’s reaction, and it was strange. He no longer seemed mad. Instead he looked as if didn’t understand something before he seemed to notice Georgia. His arm came forward, beckoning her over to him. Her mother smacked his hand away, pulling her phone out and pushing some buttons.
Evidently that meant something to her father because he backed up a step, the anger coming back to his face. “You’ll be begging me to come back. You can’t make it on your own.”
There was a long silence, then her mom, phone still in her hand, seemed to grow taller right in front of Georgia’s eyes. “You just watch me, Gavin.”
Her dad threw his can of beer at the wall, and it made an ugly thunk as it fell, its contents spilling all over their only rug. Then he turned around and jerked the front door open and stomped out, not bothering to close it behind him. Snow began blowing into the room, turning it icy in an instant. Then he disappeared into the night.
Her mom rushed over and slammed the door shut, locking it and leaning against it for a second. Georgia wasn’t the only one crying—her mom was too. “A-Are you okay, baby?”
She nodded. “But my new bank... Santa brought it for me.”
“We’ll get you another one. We’ll...” She stopped, and her eyes went to a spot on the floor. “You’re bleeding.”
Georgia looked down and saw that something red was dripping from her hand. Startled by the dark color, she held it up and stared at it. A scary feeling went through her. “Mama, I think I’m hurt.”
Her mom quickly grabbed a blanket from the nearby sofa and threw it over the floor in front of Georgia. As she walked across it, the pieces of the bank made a dull crunching sound under her feet. Then she picked up Georgia and carried her to a clean spot on the plank flooring. Looking at her hand, her mom’s eyes closed for a second. Then she went into action, grabbing some tissues and the tape that she’d used to wrap Christmas presents before covering the place on Georgia’s hand. It hurt. “Let me get your coat.”
“But my bank...”
“We’ll take care of that later. Right now we need to get your wrist looked at.”
Within minutes, they were both bundled in coats and boots and they were driving through the snow. Georgia wondered if her dad would be back when they got home.
She didn’t think so. For some reason she didn’t think he’d ever be home again.
