Because the sentence has a classic pronoun ambiguity ("she" could refer to either the doctor or the nurse), here are a few ways to continue it depending on who you want "she" to be, and what tone you want to set:

**If "she" is the Nurse:**
*   **Urgent:** "...as the emergency room was overflowing and they desperately needed her to assist with triage."
*   **Concerned:** "...worried that the overnight snowstorm might have caused an accident on her commute."
*   **Frustrated:** "...reminding her that this was the third time this week she had missed the morning rounds."
*   **Professional:** "...needing to know if he should ask another assistant to prep the patient for surgery."

**If "she" is the Doctor (female doctor calling the nurse to explain her own delay):**
*   **Instructional:** "...instructing the nurse to go ahead and prep the first patient, and to apologize for the delay on her behalf."
*   **Chaotic:** "...explaining that her car had broken down on the interstate and asking him to reschedule the 9:00 AM appointments."
*   **Apologetic:** "...hoping the nurse could stall the clinic's waiting room with coffee and magazines until she arrived."

**If you want a dramatic or thriller twist:**
*   **The Mystery:** "...but instead of a groggy apology, an unfamiliar, gruff voice answered the line."
*   **The Thriller:** "...only to hear the nurse's ringtone echoing from the dark, empty supply closet at the end of the hall."
*   **The Sci-Fi:** "...but froze when he looked up and saw her standing perfectly still in the doorway, staring blankly at him." 

Which direction do you want the story to go?
