Doctor Right. Janet Tronstad

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      “I’m sorry,” he finally said. He looked over at Maryann. “I don’t mean to stand here talking about someone you don’t even know.”

      “But I feel like I do know Rocco a little,” Maryann answered gently. “I didn’t know his real name was Frank, but when he calls, I answer the phone. He always wants to know what the weather is like up here, so I look out the window and describe what I see. Once we saw a bald eagle fly by.”

      Alex was surprised. “I thought he just asked to speak to me and that you put him straight through. He doesn’t usually talk to strangers.”

      “I’m not a stranger, I’m your nurse,” Maryann said. “Besides, he seems nice. He likes what I say about the mountains. Why wouldn’t he talk to people?”

      Alex could hardly say it was because Rocco was bitter. His brother’s mouth might still work, but he was so self-conscious about his legs he’d managed to become a recluse in the middle of the largest city on the west coast. Granted, Rocco hadn’t sounded as grim the last few times Alex had talked to him, but something was wrong. Rocco kept saying he wanted to talk in person and Alex kept saying he needed to just speak on the phone for now. Alex would be in Los Angeles in three weeks anyway, so he couldn’t make a special trip down there now, not when he had so much to do to wrap up his practice here.

      “How long does he talk to you anyway?” Alex finally asked.

      Maryann shrugged. “It’s only a few minutes. He usually wants to know if we have snow on the mountain yet. And what the lunch special is at Lizbet’s Diner. And if you’ve been out on any tours lately as the guide. He’s very interested in Treasure Creek. You should invite him up to visit.”

      “Rocco? He never goes anywhere.” Alex’s voice sounded harsh to his own ears. He knew Rocco could go places, but he never even went to the grocery store anymore.

      It was silent again, but finally Maryann said, “Maybe he likes to stay home.”

      Alex grunted. “He has a choice. I’m not saying it would be easy. He’s in a wheelchair. My brother can only go out if someone is with him. I got him an attendant last year, to help him with this exercise program that could make him more independent, and if he wanted to go outside he could—”

      Timmy moaned and Alex looked down at the boy.

      After that, he and Maryann worked in silence.

      By the time they had Timmy ready to go back to the waiting room, the child was almost able to sit up. The boy was still disoriented, but his parents could take him home with crutches.

      This time Maryann wheeled the gurney back into the waiting room. Alex swore he could hear her singing a lullaby to the boy as they went down the hall, but he had to get the prescription written, so he sat at his desk in the examination room while she took Timmy back to his parents.

      Alex decided it was a good thing he was leaving in a few weeks. This whole thing about the ice man label and people worrying about him getting married had him feeling strange inside. He’d never told anyone about his brother. He didn’t know why he was opening his mouth about it now. Fortunately, he’d stopped before he told Maryann everything. Knowing her, she’d just feel sorry for him. Then he’d need to do more than stop her matchmaking, he’d also have to stop her from poking around in his heart to see what his guilt and sadness was all about. And then she’d move on to worrying about Rocco. He knew her kind. And his older brother wasn’t any more free with his emotions than Alex was. They’d never even talked about “that day” with each other. There were just no words for some things. Alex wasn’t even able to say he was sorry, not until he could do something to make up for the part he’d played in the accident.

      When he finished writing the prescription, Alex took it out to where the Fieldses were sitting. He reminded them to bring Timmy back if he developed a cough or high fever, and they agreed. Then they left.

      The second the door closed behind the family, Maryann turned to him. “I’m sorry. I had no business saying anything about you last night.”

      Alex felt himself relax. As long as she forgot about him and Rocco, he didn’t care what she wanted to discuss.

      “Just for the record,” Alex said to keep her talking, “what exactly did you say, anyway?”

      He wondered if what he’d heard was true. Maybe she’d said something completely different, and the gossip had turned it into something else.

      Maryann hesitated. Her whole face looked pinched by nervousness. “I said that you needed to be poleaxed by love.”

      “What?” Alex was amazed. “I don’t even know what ‘poleaxed by love’ means.”

      “It’s a Jenner family expression,” Maryann muttered. “You get sick. You want to die. All for the sake of love.”

      “Sounds awful.” Alex noticed that his nurse was getting her color back. He felt they had averted some crisis.

      Maryann smiled up at him. “I think it is actually. You should see my parents when they’re in love. Not with each other, of course. They’ve been divorced for years. But each time one of them is poleaxed, they stare into the eyes of their latest and get all disoriented just talking about it. They’re like children.”

      Alex was quiet for a bit. Maybe there had been no discontent in the words she’d spoken about him to her cousin after all. “And how about you? Did you ever fall in love like that?”

      “Me?” Maryann squeaked. She looked alarmed. And then much too pale. Finally, she shook her head. “I’m immune to that kind of stuff. I’ve seen it go wrong too many times.”

      Alex frowned. That didn’t seem right. “But surely you plan to get married.”

      “If I do, I plan to pick my husband based on reason. And genetics. I think good genes are important, don’t you?” Her cheeks were still pink, but he suspected it was indignation turning them rosy this time.

      “Yes, but…” Alex was taken aback. He’d never met a woman who didn’t long to feel some intense emotions, especially when it came to marriage. He knew he had a reputation for being a little detached, but it didn’t seem right for someone like Maryann to feel that way, too.

      Finally her face went back to its normal color, and she swallowed. “Look. There’s no need to beat around the bush about what happened the other night. I want you to know I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just talking with my cousin about how much I wanted you to stay on as the doctor here and, before you know it, she was talking about how you’d stay if you met someone to marry.”

      Alex was beginning to feel better already. “So she was the one who was supposed to match me up with someone?”

      Maryann swallowed again. “No, that was me.”

      “You’re the one who was supposed to help me get poleaxed? With some woman you picked out?” He wondered if Maryann knew how cute she was. Funny, he’d never noticed before how her nose turned up just enough to make her look mischievous. And her eyes—the gold flecks in the brown made them look like they were twinkling. “I suppose I should be grateful I have a strong constitution. That whole thing sounds a bit tough.”

      “Now see, that’s why I told my cousin I shouldn’t СКАЧАТЬ