Rocky Mountain Reunion. Tina Radcliffe

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СКАЧАТЬ off the fax machine. “Yes, sir. We’ve got it.” Hanging up the phone she looked to Anne. “Cardiac patient on his way. Wife is driving him in. Sudden onset of chest pain. That was his primary care doc from Denver. He instructed them to come in immediately. He’s faxed over the history. Wife has a list of medications with her.”

      Marta peeked at Anne from over the top of her half-glasses. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”

      Anne shook her head. Oh, no, they wouldn’t. Not if she could help it.

      The ER doors whooshed open and a middle-aged couple walked in. An orderly grabbed a wheelchair and assisted the patient into the seat as Juanita spoke to the wife.

      “Exam room four,” Anne called to the ER staff.

      “CBC. Chem seven, cardiac enzymes, EKG and a chest X-ray. Get Cardiac down here to consult, please,” Dr. Nelson directed as he moved toward the wheelchair.

      “Anne.”

      Anne whirled around in time to see Sheriff Sam Lawson push through the glass doors. She looked back at the desk. “Marta, can you handle the cardiac patient? Sam’s here.”

      Marta’s gaze moved to the emergency room doorway. “Sure. Oh, by the way, the staffing agency called. Your aunt is threatening to fire another caregiver.”

      Anne groaned as she walked away. “Of course, she is.” No day would be complete without her great-aunt being front and center on the agenda. “Tell them to ignore her threats. I do the hiring and firing.”

      Turning back to the sheriff, she smiled at her longtime friend and shook her head. Life would be a lot simpler if she could have fallen in love with someone safe like Sam. Instead her fickle heart had refused to be wooed by anyone since she and Matt had parted.

      “Another fun day in Paradise?” Sam asked as he removed his tan Stetson.

      “The usual.”

      “I find that Thursdays generally require extra prayer.”

      “Thursdays? Hmm, I had no idea. Why is that?”

      “Everyone is in a rush to get to the weekend.” He glanced around at the busy room. “How are thing here? I heard there was an accident at Paradise Lake.”

      “There was. We received both patients about an hour ago and their status has been upgraded. One will most likely be discharged in a few hours and the other in twenty-four to forty-eight.”

      “And your aunt?”

      “You heard Juanita?”

      Sam nodded his head in affirmation.

      “That’s just Lily’s usual ‘off with their heads routine.’”

      “Is her condition deteriorating?”

      “Yes. She’s more and more forgetful and she’s taken to hiding things. Random things at that.”

      “Such as?”

      “Yesterday I found the salt-and-pepper shakers under the couch cushions.”

      He chuckled. “That’s not so bad.”

      “It depends on how much I need salt and pepper. The good news is that today she’s in rare form and back to ruling the monarchy.”

      “I can stop by and check on her.”

      “Would you? She likes you. She seems somehow calmer when you’re around.”

      He nodded toward the badge on his tan uniform shirt. “It’s the badge. Seems to orient people.” He grinned. “And no problem. Happy to do it.”

      “Thank you, so much. Key’s under the mat if you should need it.”

      “Under the mat. Hmm. Well, since we’re friends, I’ll save my lecture on commonsense household security for another time.”

      “I appreciate that, too.” Anne glanced out the door. “I thought you had something for me.”

      “I do. In my patrol car. Got a spare wheelchair?” he asked as he pulled a notebook from his starched uniform pocket.

      “Are you transporting patients now?” Anne asked.

      “This one was sleeping on a park bench outside the Paradise library. The librarian called me.” He shrugged. “Since both ambulances were tied up and it’s only three blocks, I brought her in.”

      Anne quirked a brow and looked past him to the parking lot. “What’s the situation?”

      “I’m not sure. Caucasian female. Around nine or ten years old. Can’t put my finger on it, but she’s lethargic and she smells funny.”

      “Drugs or alcohol?”

      “She’s a baby, and this is Paradise,” Sam objected.

      “Yes, and in a perfect world I wouldn’t be asking you that. You’re much too nice to be sheriff. You’ve got to get a little more cynical, like me.”

      “My deputy would argue that point with you. He says I need to lighten up.”

      She laughed. “Do you have a name for your admission?”

      “No ID on her. She was with a black Lab whose collar says he’s Stanley. They’re both sleeping in my car. I’m taking the dog over to the vet’s to board and check the tag registration.”

      “Why was a nine-year-old wandering around Paradise alone?” Anne mused. “I mean, where are her parents?”

      “Must be tourists because I’ve never seen her or the dog before.”

      She shook her head and walked to the left of the admissions counter where a row of wheelchairs was neatly parked. “Okay, let’s get your Jane Doe in here.”

      An hour later and Anne was recalling Sam’s advice about more prayer being needed on a Thursday.

      She sat on a leather stool next to an emergency room bed while the girl Sam had brought in dozed. Anne flipped open the chart. Her stomach growled and she ignored the plea for sustenance, instead choosing to spend her lunch break with her youngest patient. The kid would be terrified if she woke up in a hospital all alone. Anne knew that feeling all too well.

      The night she’d lost her both of her parents in a car accident remained etched in her mind forever. It was probably the reason she had chosen a career in medicine. The kindly nurse who had stayed with her in the hospital that night had made a huge impact on her. Now it was Anne’s turn to return the favor.

      A preliminary glucose check on the girl showed elevated levels higher than the meter could read. Anne monitored the child’s neuro status closely as they awaited lab results.

      All indications were that the girl was well fed and cared for. Her jeans and shirt were clean, as was her long tawny-brown hair, parted neatly down the middle. So why was she sleeping on a public bench in the middle of the day? СКАЧАТЬ