reminder to focus ticker-taping through his mind kept his hands steady.
The soft casting of the girl’s leg hadn’t been challenging. Yet he felt exhausted. He’d flown all day, crossed three time zones and was coming down from the adrenaline rush of an emergency. It did feel good to be practicing medicine again, even if he had to start with a child. Still, he needed sleep.
Heck, he didn’t even know where he was to bunk. Scanning the compound, he didn’t see anyone to ask. The screen door behind him slammed, and Maggie stepped out.
They’d worked well together, despite his feeling that she didn’t like him. He’d been impressed by her efficiency in casting the girl’s leg regardless of the rudimentary exam room and equipment. She did everything with precision and care. In America, these facilities would be comparable to a back-alley clinic. Like the one he and his brother had been born in. The one without enough technology to help his brother. Now wasn’t the time to start dredging up those ugly, negative memories. He pushed them back into the corner of his mind where they belonged.
Even with the events of the past few hours, Maggie still had a fresh look about her. Her dark, wavy hair was pulled high on her head and brushed the top of her shoulders. What would it be like down? A dark flowing waterfall? In the dim light, he could just make out her quizzical expression. Had he voiced his curiosity out loud?
“I guess you’d like to settle in.” Her businesslike voice eclipsed the evening sounds. “I’ll show you to your bungalow. Someone will have already put your bags there.” She didn’t sound as if she welcomed the chore.
“I could use some rest. Long day and even longer evening.”
“I’d like to tell you a day like today is unusual but it isn’t.” She stepped away and headed down a winding path.
Her look implied she’d expected a negative reaction. “Have I done something to make you angry?”
“Your foundation has done something to these people.” She stopped. Her words were cutting as she spread her arm out in a dramatic arc. “The hospital requested support and we were denied!”
“Now, Ms. Everett, you know the foundation must make tough decisions. We would like to give—”
“Don’t patronize me and don’t give me the party line. From what you’ve seen today, can you think of another medical facility that needs help more?” Her voice rose with her ire.
He found Maggie even more interesting fired up and fighting. “To be honest, I need to spend more time here to answer that question.” He brushed his hand across his forehead slick with sweat, even in the night air. All he wanted right now was a bath and bed.
“Cop-out,” she huffed. The words hung between them for a second before she asked, “By the way, are you on the foundation board?”
He took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to like his answer. “Yes, I’m the acting CEO.”
Her shoulders squared and her back went straight as a pole. “So you knew the foundation had turned the hospital down before you came here.” She almost spat the words.
“I did. I also read your appeal letter. It’s why I’m here.” Her impassioned plea for the foundation to reconsider its decision had touched a chord in him. He’d decided to come and see for himself if all she’d written was true, if perhaps he could finally do some good. Still, he had no intention of telling her the other reasons he’d come to this desolate place. Like making a decision about whether or not to continue practicing medicine. “I thought I’d see what the hospital’s needs were for myself. The foundation receives numerous applications for assistance but we can’t fulfill them all. Not every request has merit.”
“I can assure you ours does.”
“I’ve yet to make that determination.”
She looked him square in the eyes. “Then I’ll have to convince you.” She glanced away, then said, “You don’t practice medicine?”
“I’m a trained pediatrician but I’ve taken a leave of absence. The foundation takes all my time right now.”
He’d stopped practicing when he’d allowed a little boy and his parents to suffer for his inattentiveness. The boy now lived with brain damage, just as Court’s brother had. Court should’ve gone when he’d been paged but he had been too busy with foundation business, trying to make points with his parents. Trying to fill some juvenile need to be noticed. Even thinking about it disgusted him. A grown man should’ve gotten over it by now. But he’d hurt a child. Everyone said that Jimmy’s reaction to the meds wasn’t his fault but they would never convince him. Either way, there was still a child living as his brother had because of him.
“Really?”
“Why the sound of surprise?”
“You were good enough with the girl today, but you don’t act like the typical ped doc.”
Ouch, Missy Maggie was way too perceptive. He’d thought he’d covered up how anxious he’d been while seeing to the child. “How’s that?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve seen all kinds of doctors come through here and I can usually tell by how they interact with a patient what field they’re in. I’ve not missed one in a long time.”
“Well, it’s nice to know that there’s still some mystery to me.”
Maggie shrugged before she started down the worn dirt path toward a copse of squat, low-canopied trees. “The bungalows are out this way.”
He watched the soft sway of her hips under her long cotton skirt. All the women here wore some type of flowing skirt or dress. Hers was too lengthy to give him any more than a glimpse of well-formed calf. She wasn’t waiting to see if he followed.
“Have you worked here long?” he asked as he caught up with her.
“I’ve been working in the Teligu Hospital for a little more than two years.” The words flowed over her delicate shoulder.
“And you’re already the head nurse?”
She chuckled low in her throat. “Yeah, and sometimes nutritionist, health inspector and ward housekeeper. Around here we do it all.”
Her dry mirth punctuated her earlier anger. “We all pitch in. Locals are hired to do some of the work but there’s always something needing to be done. Like today.”
“How many are on staff?”
She turned round, her eyes having gone serious. “Including you and me? Not enough.”
“Why not?”
“For the same reason you’re only here for a short while.” She looked out across the compound as if taking it in for the first time. “Lack of supermarkets, malls and night life …” Her voice trailed off into a soft, accepting voice, which told Court she’d run out of energy to fight.
He said nothing for a while. For some reason he wished he could commit to staying forever just to see her happy. That was an odd thought. “So what does the hospital need most?”
“Doctors.
