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Hospital, where I did my residency.” Ben appeared offended, but Jessie didn’t. She had kids the same age as Lily—Ben was a bachelor with no family.
    “Where did you go to medical school?” Bill asked her with an intense, aggressive glare, and Jessie could see Ben bristle at the question.
    “I went to Harvard,” she said quietly, as Ben objected.
    “This is ridiculous. Dr. Matthews is one of the most respected neurosurgeons in the state. People send their spinal cord injury cases here to consult with her. I went to UCLA, if you want to know that too. And I did my residency at UCSF in San Francisco.” He was furious at Bill questioning their credentials, but Jessie didn’t blame him. She would have wanted to know the same things if someone was going to operate on one of her kids.
    “I have a son almost the same age as Lily. I understand how you feel,” she said compassionately, but Bill wasn’t reassured. He was too frightened to be gentle or even civil with either of them.
    “How do I know you know what you’re doing?” he asked her, and Jessie didn’t flinch.
    “You don’t. You have to trust us. We don’t have a lot of choices here. I’d like to operate on Lily tonight, Mr. Thomas. If you’d rather wait until tomorrow to check out our credentials, I understand, but I think it will benefit Lily if we operate sooner. The swelling could get worse, which is liable to do further damage to her future motor function.”
    “What does that mean?” He narrowed his eyes at her, and he did not look pleasant.
    “We don’t know how extensive the damage is. She has a spinal cord injury, but the scans and X-rays don’t tell us everything we need to know, about nerve damage, for instance. If her injury is ‘complete,’ she won’t walk again.” She knew she had to be honest with him. He looked as though he might faint. “If it’s incomplete, we have a chance. I’m hoping it’s incomplete, but I won’t know until we get in and take a look. But we can wait until tomorrow morning if you prefer. I’d rather not, but I defer to your wishes.” She was putting the full burden of responsibility on him.
    “And if you don’t know what you’re doing, you cripple her for life, and she’s paralyzed. Is that it?” he said angrily. But he was angry at the fates that had allowed this to happen, the same fates that had betrayed him before, and now it was Lily. There were tears bulging in his eyes, so Jessie forgave him his harsh words. Ben didn’t and had a strong urge to grab him and shake him, which he resisted.
    “Let’s assume I know what I’m doing,” she said in a calm voice.
    “Is her life at risk in the surgery?”
    “We don’t have a choice here,” she explained simply. “The only variable is when. And that’s up to you, Mr. Thomas.” He nodded and ran a hand through his hair with a look of anguish.
    “I swear, if you kill her, I’ll kill you,” he said and seemed as though he meant it. Ben was about to intervene, but Jessie stopped her partner with a quelling glance. She was not afraid of Bill Thomas and could handle him herself.
    “I understand that’s how you feel,” she said firmly. She had a soothing voice, but Bill was beyond that now. He was crazed with fear for his little girl. “Why don’t you think about it for a while? I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.” She and Ben left the waiting room and went back to check on Lily, who was remaining stable in poor condition, and then they went to the cafeteria for coffee. Jessie had a feeling it was going to be a very long night. She wanted to call Tim and see how he was doing, but she also wanted to know her plans before she did.
    “How can you let that asshole talk to you like that?” Ben said in a fury, handing her a cup of coffee. He was incensed.
    “He’s a father, Ben. She’s his only kid, according to the chart. He lost his wife. He’s terrified he’s going to lose his kid, or that she’ll be paralyzed. Maybe you