Bridget's Hidden Troubles

The ding of the elevator alerted its occupants that they'd arrived on the fourth floor. Allowing Bridget to step off first, Harvey and Graham both couldn't help but glance down at the way her ass filled her jeans. Still viewing her as a surrogate relative of sorts, Harvey felt guilty for the glance. On the other hand, Graham wondered about the what-ifs of life.

Reaching the section of the hall that turned into a circular wing of rooms with a nurses' station in the center, Bridget halted. "Oh, no."

Outside of Whitney and Sean's room, an agitated Frida appeared to be in the middle of interrogating an uncomfortable Summer. Knowing that dealing with emotional people could be called one of Summer's greatest weaknesses, Bridget rushed forward to interrupt the questioning.

"Harvey! This doctor is talking about horrible, hidden injuries for Whitney. Brain damage! Oh, my gawd," Frida wailed in despair.

"Calm down, Frida. What's the issue?" Bridget tried to soothe the upset woman.

"Calm down?! Not if my little Whitney is going to have brain damage!"

"Frida, take it down a level," Harvey ordered her. "Let Bridget and Dr. Mayfield talk."

"Summer, did something new develop?" Bridget asked her friend.

"No," the strawberry blonde replied, shaking her head, rattled by the conversation. "This woman wanted to know about the patient's injuries. I attempted to explain what occurred and what possible ramifications could occur from drowning and hypothermia. However, she became emotionally unstable--"

"Unstable?! Why you--"

"Frida, enough!" Graham cut off his close friend. "Let Bridget handle this."

"It's okay. Shhh, I know this is upsetting, but listen, okay," Bridget soothed Frida. "Whitney's going to be fine. Dr. Mayfield can be a little too technical at times. She's my friend, and I'm working on her not doing that so much. All she wanted to do was inform you of Whitney's injuries and what might have possibly happened. But they did not happen."

"B-But, she said brain..."

"Dr. Mayfield is on her way to becoming a brilliant neurosurgeon, but part of that is checking for every possible area of concern. That's something she shouldn't have relayed to you in confusing medical terms," Bridget further explained. "Whitney's still not fully out of danger, but if Dr. Mayfield said she is in this area, then I trust her."

"I'm sorry if I needlessly concerned you, ma'am," Summer apologized, unsure and uncomfortable when dealing with distraught loved ones of patients.

Frida nodded while Graham escorted her back into the room. Harvey paused before following them. "I'm sorry, Dr. Mayfield. Frida wears her emotions on her sleeve on a normal day. But, when it comes to Whitney, she's her little princess, one she's protective of and spoils rotten."

"I think I'll go for a walk with Summer, Harvey. That will let you three have a few minutes together before visiting hours end," Bridget explained her plans.

"Sure, I'll let Graham and Frida know you left. Thank you again, Dr. Mayfield," he responded, heading into the room.

"Are you ready to head home, Summer? Good. I'll walk you down to your locker," Bridget said, moving toward the elevator with her. "Consider Frida's reaction a form of training for dealing with upset family members."

"Yes, I believe you are right with your advice about using more layman terms with non-medical individuals. That woman turned aggressive at a sudden pace."

"Oh, don't think that was all your fault. I remember Frida as a hothead even as a kid."

"You've known her that long? I don't recall you ever mentioning that name, and I have made an effort to take note of people's names around me," Summer asked. Her comment also referencing her weakness in remembering people's names and their personal details. Areas that didn't seem necessary to a child prodigy rocketing through school with older classmates.

"Only slightly. Harvey dated my sister Beverly for a few years in high school. Graham, his brother that you just met, would sometimes accompany him to our house or a trip to the park or carnival. Occasionally, Frida came with too," Bridget recounted. "Her grandmother was their grandparents' longtime maid."

"That...that sounds very Dynasty-like," Summer remarked, surprising Bridget.

"Well, look at you! Are you actually watching soap operas?"

"Yes, Peyton has made an effort to--I believe she described it as working to lighten me up--by encouraging me to try some televisions shows," Summer revealed. "I admit I may have been wrong when I was younger. They appear to be excellent icebreakers for engaging in conversations with others here at the hospital."

"So, do you like the show? I'll admit I haven't watched this version, but I used to watch the original occasionally as a little girl. There were fewer channel options back then," Bridget stated, chuckling.

"I--they do have a certain escapism appeal," the usually serious doctor admitted.

"Just stick with Peyton's recommendations and avoid Lana's. We don't want to lose you as a doctor," Bridget joked.

As the elevator opened and they exited, Summer remembered to ask, "How are you doing, Bridget? I'm referring to the emotional trauma with Sean's incident."

"Better. I had some concerns when we first found him, but I had to focus on helping Whitney. I thought his blood loss was greater than it turned out to be. That's what worried me the most," Bridget said. "Thank you for asking. See, you're getting better at relating to people."

"Uh, yes. My mother's the one that told me to ask," Summer admitted, feeling embarrassed at the revelation. "She sent several text messages telling me to ask after I informed her of Sean's incident."

"I still thank you for asking, and tell your mother I said thanks too."

Reaching the locker area, Bridget gave a one-sided hug to the socially awkward doctor. "I think I'll stop in and talk to Leonard before he comes back upstairs."

"I believe Dr. Tarver already left for the night. He was about to leave when I went back upstairs," Summer informed her.

"He better not have left. He promised to stop back up and see Sean again." Feeling a surge of anger, Bridget worked to keep it under control. "That's what fathers do when their children are in the damn hospital."

"I'm sorry, Bridget. Perhaps I should have reminded him," Summer said, uncomfortable at her friend's issue with her mentor. "He has been under pressure with this upcoming surgery."

"Yes, what is the deal with this special patient? Leonard has been quite secretive over the details," Bridget asked, fishing for details.

"It is an exciting opportunity. The patient's tumor has been inoperable for a significant period of time. The survival rate under any existing procedure is under five percent. Leonard hopes to double those odds. I've never seen him as excited as he was when the patient's regular physician called Leonard after Thanksgiving. The patient's motor skills have decreased to the point he is ready to attempt the surgery."

"Wait, Thanksgiving? Leo's known since Thanksgiving about this?" Bridget's voice shot up.

"Yes, the patient wanted to wait until after Christmas," Summer answered timidly. "Did I do wrong?"

"No, you didn't. Leo said the other day that something came up out of the blue, and that's why he couldn't go with us to the cabin. You did nothing wrong," Bridget reassured the young woman again, seeing her reaction. "My husband is the one that did something wrong."

"Oh, I'm sorry to have upset you, Bridget."

"Don't be. If you have a moment tomorrow morning before Sean is discharged, I know he'd be thrilled to see you again."

"Of course, Sean is so sweet." When Bridget gave her a second hug, this time, Summer attempted to hug her back.

Leaving her friend, Bridget waited quietly for the elevator to return. Once it did and the doors closed behind her, she slammed her open palm into the wall.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Ah, you're back," Harvey greeted Bridget as she walked into the room. "Sean was awake long enough for the nurse to help him make a trip to the bathroom. Yeahhh, it's probably a good thing you missed that. Sean's comments were quite colorful.

"Oh, that's great," Bridget responded in a distracted voice, slamming her purse down on the counter.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Leo's an asshole; that's what's wrong," Bridget spat, dropping down onto the chair.

"What did he do?"

"Where to start; did he stop in again to see Sean? No. Well, there's Exhibit A," Bridget remarked, seething. "Wanna hear Exhibit B? That last-minute patient that caused him not to come to the cabin? Yeah, not so much last minute as planned since last month."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Summer just told me."

"Maybe a new factor happened at the last minute," Harvey suggested, earning a glare from the blonde. "Look, I'm not defending Leonard, but perhaps you should wait to find out more. He did seem tense earlier."

"That's nothing new. He's been a jerk for years."

"Um, it's none of my business, so you don't need to answer, but is everything okay between you two?" Harvey inquired, unsure if he wanted to get involved. "You two seem distant."

"Honestly? I don't know anymore," she said, sliding down in the chair and leaning her head back. "Sometimes, I wonder how we even got together."

"Um, that Dr. Mayfield is quite beautiful..."

"You think Leo and Summer are having an affair?" Bridget finished the implied question, then immediately started laughing madly. "Th-Thanks, I needed a good laugh. Leo's been having an affair for years, not with any woman, but his career. The man's interest in sex is non-existent these days. Not that it was anything special when we started dating."

"How did you two start dating?"

"I was the girl that liked to have fun. Too much fun at times, I'll admit. But I also dreamed of becoming a doctor since I was a little girl. Although I kept that secret and expected to become a nurse like my mother. Either way, I can blame that on my dad," Bridget revealed with a tiny, fleeting smile. "Working as a private investigator can be a rough job, especially the way he went all-out in his cases. You know that's how he met my mom. Well, Beverly and I spent a lot of time here whenever he ended up in the ER. Bev hated it and would stay in the waiting area, talking to various non-medical staff. I loved it and would often sneak in to see the doctors and nurses stitching him up or setting broken bones."

Harvey shook his head at how two sisters could be so different. He recalled the stories Beverly told him about their awful experiences at the hospital, and here was Bridget wistfully remembering the same events.

"The guys I dated weren't interested in my brain, but other body parts. Then I met Leo. I knew of his family and that Rachel went out on a single date from hell with him. So when we started talking, I was amazed to have someone with the same interests. He had such confidence," Bridget recounted. "We had several great months, but then that flu hit Arbor Corners. And the antibiotics prescribed caused a lot of birth control to fail. I should have realized by his reaction then that children were far down the list of his priorities."

"He didn't want to keep the baby?" Harvey questioned.

"Leo never mentioned not having Peyton, but he was furious. Once he calmed down, he shocked me by proposing. I'll tell you, being married and raising a kid while in college wasn't something I ever expected to do. It was hard, but I had Cassie, Tinny, and Rachel in the same situation, so that probably saved us."

"I'm sure a lot of people were shocked that I made it through college before Whitney came along," Harvey joked, hoping to brighten her mood. "I believe there was a pool among my friends about when I'd have a kid out of wedlock."

"I'm sure plenty of people thought that too," Bridget chuckled. "But at least you wanted to stay in Honey Hollow. Our second major fight happened when it came time to apply to medical schools. Leo expected to go to an elite school. Well, we had a toddler, and I still had to finish out my undergrad degree. I think his father pressured him to do the right thing by going to Arbor Corners. It's a good med school, but not the quality Leo wanted. That and Sean coming along around the same time added to his resentment."

"I have a world of respect for the two of you. I can't fathom how hard it must have been to attend medical school and raise two kids," Harvey remarked, shaking his head.

"One word? A nightmare. There was never enough time," Bridget said, recalling many sleepless nights. "Leo's parents helped us buy our home down here. That provided a sense of normalcy for Peyton and Sean. But also a hell of a lot of commuting to Arbor Corners. Or spending numerous nights in a row there. I still can't believe we did it. If it wasn't for my family and friends babysitting all the time, it wouldn't have been possible. Beverly might knock Brandy for still acting like a kid, but that's such bullshit. She wasn't even a teenager yet, and she was babysitting."

"I'm shocked they turned out okay, let alone survived with Brandy in charge."

"Me too, Harvey, me too. Those friends and family mean the world to me. That's why I refused to leave. Leo wanted to do his residency elsewhere, and when that ended, take a job across the country. I think if Honey Hollow didn't have a hospital well above what a town this size normally has, then we might not have lasted. The money your family, the Pierces, the Wynwicks, the Nobles, and the rest donated here, made this a damn fine facility."

"Many of those well-off families might not get along very well, but we'll all agree on Honey Hollow. It's our home, and this hospital is for all of us," Harvey noted. "That and probably the school district are areas we set aside our differences to make them the strongest in the area. And on a personal aside, I'm happy that our donations have kept you and your family from moving away."

"It's been close several times, I'll tell you. Every four or five years, Leo makes noise about taking a position at a larger hospital or a research one. We had a blow-up five years ago when he informed me that we were moving without any discussion. I have my practice here, and the kids' lives are here, so I put my foot down. He sulked for weeks until Merton got wind of the offer and freaked out. Leonard Tarver is his star. That's when his fundraisers went into overdrive, and the neurology wing was born."

"At least with that here, I would assume Leonard is content to stay here. Or am I wrong?" Harvey asked, glancing to make sure neither of the teens was awake.

"Honestly, I don't know. You can see how much he shares with me about his work. What was once a confidant college student turned into an arrogant doctor at some point early in his residency. I'm happy for him if this procedure works, but I'm concerned his borderline god complex will explode."

"Leonard's developed a god complex?" Harvey asked, more amused than shocked.

"It's more common than you think with neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons. So much of their work is life or death. And they look down on others. I might bring life into this world, but try telling Leo how that's equally important," Bridget remarked, her voice equal parts sadness and bitterness. "Back to your earlier question: I think Sean's impending graduation is making Leo restless."

"Ah, it does sound like Sean's future is weighing on Leonard's mind," Harvey agreed, based on comments he overheard since the cabin stay started.

"Nearly all the Tarvers go into medicine of some sort, whether it's med school, pharmacy school, administration, or research. Sean's not interested in any of those areas. That drives his father nuts," Bridget continued.

"I would think Peyton following in his footsteps would placate him a bit."

"Yes and no. He's relieved that Peyton's always wanted to be a doctor but not happy that she's stood up to him as well. It's been made abundantly clear to her father that she will choose her specialty when the time comes, not him," Bridget recounted, proud of her daughter's individuality. "But Leo wants a son to carry on the family name. He assumes that Peyton will drop hers someday when she marries. The whole issue is ridiculous. He has relatives all over the country practicing medicine as Dr. Tarver."

"I can't help much with this problem. Whitney's always wanted to run Diamond Corp in the future. My problem will probably be keeping her from demanding that Dalton retire as CEO. If you hadn't noticed, my girl can be quite forceful when she wants her way," Harvey remarked, cracking a smile.

"Really? I haven't noticed," she joked back before returning to her issue. "I won't let my little boy get forced into being someone he doesn't want to be. I might not have taken after my father in many ways, but when it comes to backing down from pressure, I'm Seamus Fallon's daughter."

"I wouldn't underestimate yourself either, Bridget. I see a lot of your father in you, far more than Beverly had," Harvey said."Not that I think Sean needs anyone to tell him what or what not to do. You raised a remarkable young man. One to be proud of."

"Meeooww!" came from the bed behind the two parents.