Free Neighbors by Ashleigh Royce Page B

complaining of chest pains.”
    “That would be Mr. Vargas,” I say in my professional nurse’s voice. “Right this way.”
    Greg pulls the chart from my hand and follows me to the curtain where Mr. Vargas is laying on the gurney.
    “Mr. Vargas, this is Dr. Lampert. He’s the cardiologist who will be examining you.”
    Greg wipes the end of his stethoscope on his crisp, white lab coat. Without regard for Mr. Vargas, he places it on the older man’s chest. He listens for a while. I know not to make a sound while he’s in doctor-mode. Greg once scolded another nurse for sneezing, saying she “interrupting his attention to the greatest organ in the human body.” Odd that he regards the heart so fiercely, being that he doesn’t have one.
    When Greg is satisfied, he grabs Mr. Vargas’s wrist in his hand and checks his pulse. He examines the EKG and blood test results from when the EMTs brought him. He compares them to the results I’ve been gathering since Mr. Vargas came into the ER. Then he engages in the regular question and answer volley that doctors do to gather more information.
    Upon c ompletion of the exam, Greg says, “Okay, send him upstairs.” Then he walks to the nurse’s desk to fill out some paperwork to complete the request.
    I help Mr. Vargas back into his hospital gown as I explain that he’ll be moving up to the cardiology floor so they can run some more tests and monitor his condition. “I’ll be right back with your paperwork and an orderly will come to take you upstairs.” Mr. Vargas smiles and thanks me.
    At the nurse’s desk, Greg quickl y drops his business-like demeanor. “So when’d you get a boyfriend, Mel?”
    “That’s none of your business, Greg.”
    “Well, you are my wife. I think I have a right to know.”
    “I’m your EX-wife and you aren’t entitled to know anything about me. Just like I didn’t know anything about any of the girlfriends you had while we were married. The only difference is, I’m no t committing adultery.” I sign off on the paperwork and then step away to find John, one of the ER orderlies, to transfer Mr. Vargas.
    As I walk back to the nurse’s desk, I see Greg flirting with Sandra. It wasn’t unusual for someone to be flirting with Sandra, or that Greg was the one doing the flirting. When he realizes I’m there, he lifts his hand to Sandra’s cheek and gives it a light stroke. For some reason, he thinks it bothers me. Actually, I don’t care what he does any more. When I get closer, he raises his voice so I can hear him put the moves on Sandra.
    “So, I’ll pick you up at seven on Saturday. I have a reservation for seven thirty. Sunday is a barbecue so bring something comfortable to wear.”
    Sandra nods and smiles. She’ s reeled in by Greg’s good looks, charm, and doctor status. A twinge of sympathy flashes through me, but it dissipates quickly. It’s none of my business. I’m sure Greg doesn’t care who he takes to the barbecue, it’s the possibility of him getting laid somewhere in the day that motivates him. I know he chose Sandra because he thinks it bothers me, or maybe it’s his fantasy about the submissive Asian woman. Either way, I don’t care.
    Greg gives Sandra a small kiss on the side of her cheek. The only thing I think of is how unprofessional he’s behaving .
    Sandra blushes and returns to her chore. Greg saunters to the elevator bank, presses the button, and waits. His immature behavior indicates that he thinks he’s fantastic. He turns to face me. I know it’s just to annoy me. I can’t let him know it’s working but not because he’s ensnaring poor, naive Sandra; it’s because he repulses me so much.
    My attitude changes from pissed to elated when I see Dylan walk into the ER.
    He scans the large, open room with his smoldering brown eyes. My heart speeds up and I wish he could detect it to find me. Then his eyes lock on mine. It feels as if the temperature in the room increases ten degrees. In a worn tee