Ruthless People
Chapter III
“We need to talk about this. You can’t just walk away.”
“I want you out of this house, now!”
“You don’t even want me to explain?”
“I don’t even want to look at you right now. I can‘t believe you‘d do this.”
“Karma, baby.”
“You’re not seriously bringing that up?”
“Well, you were the one that started this game. ‘I’m so sorry, it was a mistake. It didn’t mean anything. We were drunk.’ Katie Jackson, never at fault, the perpetual good girl….”
Kate shook herself out of her reverie as she glanced over her patients chart. She’d been in DC for a little over two weeks, the kids were as settled as they could be and the house was mostly unpacked. Her parents had been more than willing to have her and the kids move in until Kate had completely sorted the house, but she’d decided that she was doing things her way, so now they were living out of boxes and suitcases in a three-bed townhouse in Glover Park which was a serious downsize from her five-bed house in LA.
And she didn’t even want to think about her closet space, or lack thereof.
Within a week of meeting with Beth Donovan, chief of staff at Georgetown, Kate had learned the floors of each department, as well as several of the nurses names; she always knew it was best to have the nurses on her side. It hadn’t been easy to settle into the new routine and responsibilities that came with the job; but then it wasn’t every day that your former mentor, who just happened to notice your name on the list of candidates, recommended you for the position of Chief of Orthopedics.
The patient she was on her way to see had a reputation, from what the nurses had told her, of being a more than slightly disagreeable person. Kate hadn’t had a patient yet she couldn’t cajole into working with her for their own good, so she figured she would give it a shot and if she couldn’t get the man to budge then she’d agree wholeheartedly with the nurses. She wouldn’t have entirely believed what she’d heard if it hadn’t been for the commotion she heard coming from her patients room.
“You need this surgery.”
“Like hell! I’ve lived for fifty-odd years with this knee, and dammit, I’m gonna die with it.”
“For god sake man, when are you going to realise that the longer you leave it, the worse it’ll get? Mom always said you were a stubborn bastard.”
“And when was she ever wrong?”
When Kate stepped into the room, the two men stopped their arguing and focused their attention on her, which was how she liked things. Lying in the bed, and looking for all the world like a pouty five year old, lay her patient. He was older, but not considerably so in her eyes, with the most gentle blue eyes she’d ever seen. He looked her over, gave her a smirk and turned his head, obviously not impressed. The same couldn’t be said for the man standing at the end of the bed.
“Jethro Gibbs? I’m Doctor Kate Todd.”
“Doctor Todd. This is my son, Tony. Would you tell him this is completely unnecessary?“
Kate chuckled and consulted her notes again before flipping to the back and removing the x-ray films. Jethro Gibbs was long overdue knee replacement surgery and she was looking forward to telling him the good news.
“I’m afraid, Mr Gibbs, I’ll be performing your surgery. Today.”
“I don’t need surgery.”
“According to your notes, yes, you do. So you can either cooperate with me today and we do the surgery…”
“Or?”
“Or you leave right now and I don’t see you again until your knee is so badly damaged that surgery would be pointless. What would you rather have? Being able to walk unaided for the rest of your life, or have to rely on a frame.”
The part she’d overheard about this Gibbs being a stubborn bastard certainly was true. He looked as though he was going to take the second option and get out of there, but then he seemed to have a change of heart.
“So how long have you been doing this, Doc?”
“Probably more years than you think. If I wasn‘t any good at my job, I wouldn‘t be here. And if you didn’t think I was, you would‘ve walked out already.”
He smirked again and Kate took it as a sign to take the titanium structure from her coat pocket and run through the procedure. Tony, who hadn’t done anything other than eye her up and glare at his father, suddenly became extremely interested in what Kate had to say regarding his fathers health; Kate figured it had to do with the fact she was sounding like she was creating the Bionic man.
“So you’ll be up and walking, unaided, in roughly four to six weeks. And I see from your notes that you’ve had the required tests done already today, which means we can wheel you in shortly. Do you have any questions?”
“Are you really putting that thing in me?”
“Yes. Anything else?”
“Nothing I can think of.”
“Okay. I’ll be back to see you in a while, and then we’ll take you in.”
Smiling, Kate shut the file and replaced the model in her pocket before turning and leaving the room. She hadn’t got very far down the hall before she heard the sound of footsteps behind her and gaining speed. She turned slightly to see who was following and realising it was Tony, she slowed down until they were walking side by side.
“Doctor Todd.”
“Yes, Mr Gibbs?”
“And this is where I realise how rude my father can be.”
Kate stopped, confused by his statement.
“I’m sorry?”
“We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Anthony DiNozzo. Gibbs is my step-father.”
The name DiNozzo set off bells in Kate’s head. She was sure she’d heard the name before, perhaps in a passing conversation, but she knew it would be something that bothered her until she found out why it was so familiar.
“Oh, I just assumed.”
“I don’t mind. I do, however, have a question.”
“Certainly.”
“Have dinner with me?”
“I make it a point not to date patients.”
“I’m not a patient though.”
“You’re related to one; it’s the same in my book.”
Continuing her journey to her office, Kate sensed the man wasn’t going to give up, because what she’d seen in the eyes of her patient, she seen in his son; sheer determination. Focusing on getting through the next few hours without a hitch, she turned her attention to what she was making for dinner, and how the kids were getting on. Lucy would be going to a friends after school, so that just left herself and Kevin to worry about. And that’s when it hit her.
Anthony DiNozzo. Lucy’s prospective soccer coach.
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry for the delay, RL interrupted