A Full House. Nadia Nichols

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      ANNIE CRAWFORD sat in the hospital cafeteria drinking a lukewarm cup of coffee. She couldn’t purge Lieutenant Macpherson’s heartbroken visage from her mind. What if Ryan had fought for and won sole custody of Sally? What would she have done?

      Macpherson seemed like such a nice man. From his chart she knew that he was the same age she was, and in the conversations she’d had with him over the past week she’d discovered that he was the only child of an astronomer and a concert pianist who’d decided on parenting somewhat late in their careers. Jake’s father had died several years ago of a heart attack and his mother was nearly eighty years old, in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s. She played piano for the other residents, but no longer recognized her son.

      “Dr. Crawford?” Annie glanced up, surprised to see Macpherson’s ex-wife standing across from her. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

      “Of course.” Annie looked around. “Where’s Amanda?”

      “We went out for lunch after we left Jake,” Linda explained. “Amanda wouldn’t stop crying, so I’m letting her visit her father again before we go back to the hotel. She was so upset…” Linda’s eyes dropped, but not before Annie saw the bright shine of tears.

      “He’s going to be all right,” Annie reassured her. Linda nodded, fumbling in her handbag for a Kleenex.

      “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes and attempting a shaky smile. “I’m not crying because I’m worried about Jake. I know he’s going to be fine. It’s Amanda. I feel as though I’m being cruel to her, and I suppose in a way I am. I just don’t know how to make it better.”

      Annie nodded sympathetically. “It’s obvious that they miss each other a great deal.”

      Linda wiped her eyes again and took a slow breath. “The divorce was nasty. We both said things we shouldn’t have. Hateful things. I couldn’t have stayed here. This town wasn’t big enough for the two of us, and there were better opportunities for me on the west coast. I never gave much thought to what was best for Amanda, but she really misses her father.”

      “Yes.” Annie felt a twinge of guilt as she spoke. Sally missed her father, too.

      “The thing is, I’ve been offered the leading role in a movie that’s being filmed in Europe this summer. I was going to bring Amanda along for the filming, but the director’s afraid she might be too much of a distraction.” Linda lifted her shoulders in a gesture of confusion. “I was planning to ask Jake if he’d like to take her for the summer, but now that he’s been injured, I’m not so sure. Do you think he’d be able to take care of her?”

      “Yes, I do. Lieutenant Macpherson’s as strong as a horse. He’ll probably be out of here in a few days and I don’t foresee any problems with his recovery. He could certainly take care of a five-year-old girl. It would be a wonderful opportunity for them to spend some time together, and it would give you time to concentrate on your acting job.”

      Linda’s expression was hopeful. “I’d have to ask him about it…”

      “How about right now? I could take Amanda for a tour of the hospital if you’d like some privacy.”

      “Would you do that?”

      “Of course. Summer’s right around the corner, and you need to solidify your plans.”

      An hour later Annie delivered Amanda back to Macpherson’s room and caught the happy gleam in his eye. Obviously everything had worked out. Jake would share the summer with his daughter.

      Annie wondered if her own plans for the coming summer would fare as well.

      MR. EDELSTEIN was removing his eyeglasses and massaging his closed eyes when Annie was ushered into his office two days later. It was after 9:00 p.m., late for him to still be at the hospital. He gestured to the comfortable chair opposite his desk, but she shook her head. “I received a letter from the captain at Macpherson’s precinct,” he said, replacing his eyeglasses and making a halfhearted attempt to locate the letter in the jumble of paperwork atop his desk. “It was mostly about what a miracle worker you were, saving the lieutenant’s life. I meant to give it to you but I seem to have misplaced it…”

      “Mr. Edelstein, I won’t beat about the bush,” Annie interrupted before she could lose her nerve. “The reason I wanted to see you is that on June twelfth I’m leaving here to take my daughter to Maine for the summer to visit with her father, and I thought it would be nice to take some time off myself.”

      Edelstein gave off the search for the letter with an exasperated shake of his head. “Can’t find it, but when I do I’ll pass it along. How much time?”

      “I was thinking of taking a three-month leave of absence.”

      Edelstein leaned forward at his desk, staring at her over the rim of his glasses. His laugh was an incredulous bark. “Well you can stop thinking about that right now. I can spare you for a week, maybe two at the most. You know how hospitals are. They don’t run well without doctors.”

      “Mr. Edelstein, I haven’t taken any vacation time in over three years.”

      “I’m aware of that, and I’m sure you’ve been more than compensated for your dedication. Please understand. I’m not telling you you can’t take a vacation, only that you can’t take the entire summer off.”

      Annie felt a flush of anger warm her cheeks. “Three months of unpaid leave is all I’m asking for, sir, no less than what we routinely grant for maternity leave.”

      Edelstein stood. “If you weren’t as valuable a member of this hospital’s staff, maybe I could grant it. But there’s no one to replace you.”

      “There are six fully competent trauma surgeons practicing at this hospital, Mr. Edelstein. The ER doesn’t revolve around me.”

      “Grant’s the only one who comes close to your level of expertise, and he’s going to be lecturing at Stamford. I’m sorry, Dr. Crawford, but I really can’t let you go.”

      Annie nodded, her hands clenching inside her lab coat pockets. “I was afraid you’d say something like that,” she said. “I’ve come prepared with my resignation.” She stepped forward and laid the envelope on top of the mountain of paperwork. “I’m giving you four weeks’ notice. I’m sorry that things didn’t work out. I hope you’ll come to understand that this was something I really had to do.”

      Edelstein’s mouth dropped open. “I won’t allow you to resign,” he blustered. “I won’t accept it.”

      “You have no choice. I’ve given my best efforts to this hospital for over twelve years, but I have my own life to live and right now I need some time to think things through.”

      “Dr. Crawford, be reasonable. Sit down and let’s talk about this,” Edelstein said, but his plea was in vain. Annie turned on her heel and without another word departed Edelstein’s office, closing the door firmly and hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake.

      “YOU’RE PULLING MY LEG, right?” Matt Brink’s face was as shocked as Edelstein’s had been. “This is some kind of sick joke, something you thought up just to get out of our camping trip.”

      “I assure you СКАЧАТЬ