Here are a few ways to continue the sentence, depending on the direction you want the story to go:

**Focusing on what the doctor needs (Assuming the doctor is late):**
*   "...and asked her to apologize to the waiting patients."
*   "...and instructed her to start taking the first patient's vitals without him."
*   "...to ask if she could reschedule his early morning appointments."
*   "...and needed her to prep the operating room while he fought through traffic."

**Focusing on the reason (Assuming the doctor is late):**
*   "...after getting caught in a massive pileup on the interstate."
*   "...due to an unexpected emergency at the other hospital."
*   "...having completely lost track of time while reviewing a complex case."

**Plot twist / Ambiguity resolution (Assuming "he" refers to a male nurse who is late):**
*   "...and demanded to know why he hadn't shown up for his shift yet."
*   "...to check if he was stuck in traffic or simply forgot about the schedule change."
*   "...worried that he might have been in an accident on his way to the clinic."

**Dramatic / Suspenseful:**
*   "...but the line went dead before he could explain the real reason."
*   "...only to hear a strange, unfamiliar voice answer the clinic phone."
*   "...completely unaware that she was already standing in his driveway." 

*If you want to use one of these, you can seamlessly add it to your prompt! For example: "The doctor phoned the nurse because he was late and asked her to apologize to the waiting patients."*
