Patient Privilege Read Online Free PDF Page B

household—not to mention the fact that he is a patient of yours… well, it doesn't look promising."
    "What about being a foster parent?" Erik asked. "I can give him more love, attention, and help than most two-parent families. Could I be a foster parent?"
    "Dr Daniels," she said with a huff. Her face softened, features grave and frustrated, like no one had any hope for saving Chris from the system, and she almost felt bad about that. "I just don't see how that can work. You're his doctor, for God's sake. How can you be a good therapist to him and a good parent? Instinct and love can be blinding. You know that."
    "Right. Can I at least say goodbye to him?"
    She nodded and stepped aside so he could go back into Chris's room alone.
    With a heavy heart, Erik said goodbye to the boy and told him he would try to figure something out, but he knew there really wasn't anything more he could do. He hated that. The very system built to protect kids like Chris had failed him in a major way.
    He left the boy's room, went back to the nurses' station, and handed Chris's file back over—he didn't need it anymore. The state would take Chris away and nothing Erik could do would stop that. He asked the petite nurse for the phone so he could call back to West, and as he stood there with the receiver pressed to his cheek, all hell broke loose.
    Paramedics rushed by with a guy on a gurney. Erik clenched the receiver as he pulled it away from his ear, watching the mad rush of bodies. The kid on the gurney looked like he'd been on a week-long binge—body pale, eyes dark, bones pressing out against his thin skin. He had a line of track marks running the length of his arm. Nurses and doctors ran into a room with the kid and Erik couldn't help but watch.
    The thick wooden door slammed hard enough to give Erik a start. He turned back to face the nurses' station, and thankfully, one of his favorites walked behind the desk just as he sat the phone back down.
    "Hey, Pam," he said. "That guy they just brought in, he overdosed, right?" She nodded. "Is he headed to West from here?"
    "I don't know, honey. He's an adult, so I guess he makes his own decision."
    "Okay, thanks, Pam."
    "No problem, Dr Daniels."
    Erik headed out to the waiting room. He had his cell phone in his hand, waiting to clear the ER floor before he dared to turn it back on. There was no way he would have time to make his lunch date with Marshall now. Maybe he could try again tomorrow. Maybe he could catch him for dinner tonight. He didn't care as long as he didn't miss his chance to meet up with his ex.
    With the phone pressed to his ear, he waited and waited to hear Marshall's voice.
    "Hello?" Marshall said.
    "Hey, it's Erik."
    "Oh, hey." There was a long pause. "Are you okay?"
    "I'm fine, I just…" Erik pressed through the double doors and spotted the blond kid sitting on the floor, hugging himself as he rocked back and forth. Erik frowned. "I'm, um… at the hospital—"
    "What happened?" Marshall interrupted.
    "What?" Erik watched the blue-eyed boy on the floor. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Well, as fine as I can be. I had a thirteen-year-old patient try to commit suicide today."
    "Oh, no."
    "Yeah."
    "Are you okay?"
    Erik leaned against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm fine, just worried about the kid. Look, I called because I can't make it for lunch. I don't want to leave until I know where they plan to send him. He'll go to another facility, but I would like to know which one."
    "Completely understandable," Marshall said. "We can always reschedule."
    "Thanks for understanding."
    "Of course I do."
    "Well, I'll call you when I know something, okay?"
    "Sure. Go take care of your patient. I'll look forward to hearing from you."
    Ending the call, Erik slipped the phone back into the pocket of his khakis and he couldn't help staring at the guy on the floor. It wasn't unlike Erik to approach a complete stranger and ask if they were okay, even if they clearly weren't. He knelt