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and
mouthed a ‘sorry.’
    Ivy smiled back at them.   Then she glanced out the window, trying
to appear lost in thought.
    If only she still had her phone to check.   Anything to give her an excuse to keep
to herself.
    Finally, she picked up a magazine and
paged through it, even though she was unable to focus enough to actually read
any of the articles.
    This feeling was more than just nervous,
she realized.   A terror was slowly
growing inside her belly, growing and taking over until she was nothing but a
bundle of nerves and anxiety.
    She tried to picture Cullen in the
operating room, head down, calm, doing his work and everything going perfectly.
    But over and over again, all she kept
seeing in her mind’s eye was spurting blood, machines beeping frantically as
nurses and doctors scrambled to save the life of a dying patient.
    Get
hold of yourself.   He’s going to be
fine.   The surgery’s going to be
successful .
    She kept repeating those words to
herself, like a mantra, while over and over again, her brain kept showing her
images of blood and horror and death.
    She hated herself for being so
weak—for not being able to believe in him.
    And then, strangely, Cullen was coming
back into the waiting room, still wearing his surgical scrubs.   He looked relieved, as if he’d just come
through the fight of his life and was simply happy to be able to tell the tale.
    Ivy blinked, standing up, confused.   “Is everything okay?” she said.   “It’s over, already?”
    Now Peg Woodhouse and her father were
standing as well.
    “What happened to my daughter?” Peg’s
father growled, but his voice was trembling.
    Cullen looked at everyone at once.   “The surgery hasn’t begun yet,” he
said.   “There will be a short delay.”
    “Why?   Why the delay?” Peg asked.
    “She needs to be operated on now,” the
father said, and his voice cracked from the strain.
    Cullen put his hands out in a ‘stay calm’
gesture.   He smiled
reassuringly.   “Folks, I promise
everything’s going to go ahead as scheduled.   But just sit down and relax.   It’s going to be a few more minutes.”
    “Why?” Peg demanded.   “Tell us why.”
    Cullen sighed, but he replied without
hesitation.   “We’re just waiting for
the surgeon to arrive.”
    There was a long, stunned silence.
    “Is this your idea of a joke, asshole?”
Peg’s father said, and stepped forward in a threatening manner.
    “Dad, please,” Peg said, trying to
restrain him.   She glanced over her
shoulder at Cullen, her eyes wide and helpless.   “I don’t understand, Dr. Sharpe.”
    Cullen nodded.   “I know, it’s confusing.   But the fact is, there is a surgeon more
qualified to do this particular procedure and I’m going to let him take over.”
    “What surgeon?” Ivy asked, trying to keep
her voice even.   Already, she had an
awful dawning suspicion.  
    And as the words left Cullen’s mouth, she
was proven right.
    “His name is Doctor Xavier Montrose, and
he’s the best around,” Cullen told them.   He was relaxed, almost affable, like he was discussing the weather.
    “You monster,” Peg said.  
    “Get out of here before I clean your
clock,” Peg’s father said.  
    The two of them were hugging one another
like they were trying to survive a storm at sea.
    Cullen nodded again, turned and motioned
for Ivy to follow him.
    As they were exiting the waiting room,
Peg called after them.
    “You’re going away for this, Sharpe!   For a long time!”
    And then Cullen was pulling her through
the double doors and into the hallway.   He didn’t speak until they reached an office, which he opened and let
her inside.
    There was a desk and a few chairs,
bookcase, computer, window.   It was
a nice office.
    Cullen looked at her.   “I know you’re probably confused,” he
said, as he checked his watch.  
    “I’m completely confused,” she said.   “What happened?   Why did you change your mind?”
    He sighed, walking to