Not Your Doormat Anymore novel Chapter 17

I dialed Kourtney's number. I had never felt a phone call drag on this long. Even the dial tone was making me anxious.

"Hello?" Her soft, sweet voice came through the line. I tried to suppress the frustration bubbling inside me.

"Do you realize that checking yourself out of the hospital before fully recovering puts extra strain on your heart? It could easily cause complications. You're finally getting better—this hospital stay could've freed you from the burden of your heart condition. Why didn't you follow the doctor's advice?"

My tone was harsher than I intended. There was silence on the other end for a while before she stammered a reply. "I-I'm sorry, Dr. Ranford. I just can't stay in the hospital right now."

Her voice was muffled, and I could hear the stuffiness in her tone. Something inside me dropped. Was I too harsh just now? Did I scare her?

"What's going on? Is something wrong at home?"

She started to sob softly, and guilt surged through me. I really should have spoken to her more gently.

"My parents…" she began, her voice trembling with grief. "I'm sorry, Dr. Ranford. It's my fault. I've let you down."

Just like that, she hung up. I tried calling again, but she would not pick up.

As a doctor, once a patient was discharged, they were technically no longer my responsibility. But right now, I could not help feeling compelled to go check on her. I just wanted to see how she was doing. Maybe it could count as a follow-up.

After pacing around my office for a bit, I finally made up my mind to go. I pulled her address from her file and chose a free day to make the trip.

But when I got there, I was told she had already moved out. The move happened on the very same day I had called her.