Heaven Sent Husband. Gilbert Morris

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СКАЧАТЬ as a licensed practical nurse, but soon she would be registered and certified and a genuine nurse in every sense of the word. She was eager to complete this certification, but realized that at age twenty-four she was right on track.

      Turning into room 417, she glanced quickly at the boy in the bed who was lying flat on his back staring up at the ceiling. Her heart went out to him as it always did. Ten-year-old Denny Ray Kelland was a very appealing boy. He had fine blond hair, light blue eyes and did not appear to be sick. Ket knew that his heart problem was more severe than Denny Ray guessed, but as always, she greeted him with a bright smile.

      “Denny Ray, I brought you a visitor!”

      Denny Ray quickly raised his head. When he saw the dog Ket held out, his eyes lit up at once. “Gosh! Is that your dog, Ket?”

      “Sure is. His name’s Bedford. Here, you’ll love him.” With this she tossed the Yorkie on the bed. Bedford never met a soul he didn’t love or didn’t want to lick. Before Denny Ray could put his hands up, the Yorkie had both feet braced against him and was licking him right in the face.

      “Hey!” Denny Ray yelled. “You’re going to swallow me!”

      Ket laughed at the sight. “As you can see, he likes you. Don’t let him drown you, though. Let me know if he gets to be too much.”

      But Denny Ray seemed delighted by the dog’s attention. Finally, he grabbed Bedford and held him up. “Gosh, this is a great dog,” he said. “What kind is it?”

      “He’s a Yorkie.”

      “He’s not very big, is he?”

      “Not very big! Why, he weighs a thumping seven pounds!” Ket smiled. She came over and sat down on the bed, then reached out and pushed Denny Ray’s hair away from his eyes. “You need a haircut. I may do that myself.”

      “His name is Bedford? Why do you call him that?”

      “I named him after one of my heroes, Nathan Bedford Forrest.”

      “I never heard of him.”

      “Well, you will when you study the Civil War.”

      “Was he a Rebel or a Yankee?”

      Ket laughed. “Would a Southern girl like me have a Yankee as a hero? No, he was a general in the cavalry. One of the finest in the whole war. I’ll bring you a book and read to you about him sometime.”

      Ket sat beside Denny Ray, watching him play with Bedford. He smiled and laughed more than he had in days, she noticed, but his face was thin and his skin looked almost translucent. You can almost see that heart wearing him down, she thought. Something must be done. Lord, he’s too fine a boy for us to lose. Don’t let this be the end of him.

      Finally, the nurse on duty came in. Sally O’Brien was one of Ket’s best friends, and Sally smiled briefly at Ket before giving Denny Ray and the dog an indulgent look. “My, my. Who let that little guy in?”

      “His name is Bedford. He’s Ket’s dog,” Denny Ray said.

      “Somehow I had a feeling.” Sally walked to the other side of the bed and patted Bedford’s head. “Sorry, Denny Ray. I can see you’re enjoying your furry visitor, but it’s time for your medication and then a bath.”

      “No, not yet. We’re having fun,” Denny Ray pleaded.

      Ket sighed. It was hard to go, but she didn’t want to push her luck breaking hospital rules. “Sally’s right. I have to go, Denny Ray.” She stood and reached for Bedford, who was frantically stealing a few more licks off the boy’s face.

      “Will you bring him back sometime?” Denny Ray asked.

      “I sure will. When you get out of here, we’ll take him to an open field and watch him go. You ought to see Bedford go after a squirrel. He’s really something.”

      “He sure is,” Denny Ray agreed, gazing longingly at the dog who now sat alertly at his bedside. “My dad says he’s going to get me a dog when I come out of the hospital. Maybe I’ll get one like Bedford.”

      “Maybe.” Ket forced a hopeful smile. She hoped with all her heart Denny Ray would be running around with a dog of his own someday.

      “Well, got to go. See you tomorrow, pal.”

      Sally had started checking Denny Ray’s blood pressure and looked up at Ket. “Maggie and Debbie went down to the cafeteria for a break,” she offered, mentioning their other close friends. “You could probably still catch up with them.”

      “Thanks, Sally. I think I’ll try,” Ket said.

      Just outside the room, Ket snapped on Bedford’s leash and kept him close beside her as they moved down the hall. In order to avoid anyone who might object to Bedford, she took the stairs down to the second floor. As Sally had predicted, she spotted Maggie Stone and Debbie Smith having coffee at a table near the door. Ket plumped herself down in an empty chair.

      “Hi. What’s going on?”

      Maggie stared at her. With short sandy hair and large brown eyes, Maggie was quite attractive. But like so many young women Ket knew, Maggie was always worrying about her weight. Needlessly, too, Ket thought.

      “What are you doing here today?”

      “I came to see Denny Ray. I thought a visit from Bedford would cheer him up. Can I have a bite of your doughnut?”

      She reached out, but Maggie slapped her hand away. “Get your own doughnut.” Then she gave Ket a grin. “I shouldn’t be breaking my diet, but this is my reward for working a double shift, and I intend to eat every crumb.” With that she took a large, tantalizing bite.

      “What an adorable dog.” Debbie leaned over and gave Bedford a pat. She and Ket had gone to college together and had felt lucky to find themselves together again at Mercy Hospital. Debbie was sweet and upbeat, with auburn hair and gentle gray eyes. She rarely had a harsh word to say about anybody and had always been a loyal, supportive friend.

      “Look. I think he likes me,” Debbie said as Bedford tried desperately to climb into her lap.

      “He likes everyone,” Ket explained. “Here, hold him a minute, will you? I just want to get some coffee.” Without waiting for her reply, Ket handed Debbie Bedford’s leash and bought herself two doughnuts and a cup of decaf coffee. When she returned to the table, she could tell that Debbie and Maggie were on to their favorite topic again: eligible young men. Or, the lack thereof.

      “So, what’s going on in your love life, Ket?” Maggie asked. “Anything interesting to report?”

      Ket took a huge bite of doughnut and shook her head. “Not too much…but as a matter of fact, I do have a date tonight.”

      “Who with?” both young women demanded simultaneously.

      “I’m not telling. You two are the worst gossips in the hospital. Anyway, I’m not too excited about it.”

      Debbie said, “I know a fellow that works for the state government. He’d be perfect for you, Ket. Why don’t you СКАЧАТЬ