LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter One

      “That was unbelievable.” Exhilarated, Dr. Jack Ryder stripped off his surgical gown, folded it inward to contain the soiled part and stuffed it into the specially marked laundry receptacle.

      He wished his mentor, Dr. Owen Tartikoff, hadn’t already left the operating suite so he could thank the man for letting him take the lead in today’s microsurgery, a procedure known as pain mapping. Instead, he shared his high spirits with the anesthesiologist, Dr. Rod Vintner.

      Rod quirked an eyebrow at the younger man’s excitement. “Don’t let it go to your head. In the Middle Ages, surgery was performed by barbers. By the way, I could use a trim.” Pulling off his cap, he displayed a shock of graying brown hair.

      “Getting a little thin in the middle,” Jack responded. One of the techs, obviously new at Safe Harbor Medical Center, seemed startled at this exchange, so Jack explained, “Rod’s my uncle.”

      “Barely,” said the anesthesiologist, removing his glove from the edge, inside out to protect his skin from the contaminated surface. “We’re the same age.”

      “Except that you’re eight years older,” Jack corrected mildly.

      “Anything less than ten years is negligible.” Rod slid his bare fingers inside the second glove and pulled it off, also inside out.

      “In your fevered brain.”

      “I have much more interesting things in my fevered brain.” Rod replaced his surgical cap with a fedora. The look, combined with his short beard and sharp eyes, reminded Jack of a college professor he’d once studied under, a fellow who’d also been quick to pounce on a student’s vulnerability but was kind at heart.

      As he washed his hands, Jack mentally replayed the surgery. The minimally invasive microlaparoscopy technique involved making an incision about the size of a needle stick. Then the patient had briefly been brought out of anesthesia, and he’d used tiny instruments to touch the organs, allowing her to react so he could identify the exact source of her pain.

      After she was again under anesthesia, he’d removed the endometriosis, excess cells from the uterus lining that had spread to the abdominal cavity. The small amount might not have troubled another patient, but each individual perceives pain differently, and this patient had been in agony. Hopefully, she would now feel much better and be able to pursue her goal of having a baby.

      “I can’t believe I hesitated to apply for this surgical fellowship,” he commented to Rod as they left the suite. “Thanks for nudging me.”

      “You’d been away from Southern California long enough,” his uncle said. “Anyway, I needed a roommate and I like your cooking.”

      Jack took a quick glance around the second-floor hallway. A couple of young nurses must have been watching for him because they immediately made eye contact and flashed him warm smiles. He gave what he hoped was a friendly but distant nod in return. “Could you keep your voice down?” he murmured.

      “Why is it such a big secret that you cook?” Rod strode alongside him toward the twin elevators.

      “I learned a long time ago that if women find out I have domestic skills, they’ll

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