by Leann Harris
“That’s going to be a lot of people.”
“Give me a ballpark figure so when I call Dr. Shelly, I can tell him how many tests will be needed.”
His fingers kneaded the back of his neck. “I’d say eighty, a hundred.”
“Okay.” She jotted down the number on a pad by the telephone. “When Sarah gets home, you’ll need to bring her here so I can test her.” Motioning to his arm, she commanded, “Roll up your sleeve. I’ll give you your test right now.”
“Will you have enough tests for Norma’s family?”
Alex folded her arms over her breasts and studied him. “Deputy, don’t tell me that you’re afraid of needles?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I just thought you’d want to test Billy and his wife first.”
“There’s enough for everyone. Now roll up your sleeve and we’ll get to work.”
* * *
After Alex sent Derek to round up Billy and his wife, she dialed the number of the hospital in Alpine. “May I speak to Dr. Shelly?”
“One moment,” the hospital operator said.
After a brief pause he came on the line.
“Dr. Shelly, this is Dr. Courtland.”
“Ah, yes. How’s that TB test going?”
“Norma Bolton is positive. As I said before, what makes this situation worse is that Norma is the postmistress and, according to Deputy Grey, the post office is the general meeting place for folks in this part of the county. They chat and catch up on what’s been going on while they pick up their mail.”
“I’ll well aware of that particular habit of rural people, Dr. Courtland.”
Alex would bet he didn’t know diddly about rural folks. “The building that houses the post office will have to be closed. The stone structure is poorly lit and has abysmal ventilation.”
“Have you tested immediate members of the patient’s family?”
The man was a first-class jerk. She hadn’t been treated as badly by a colleague since her first year in med school. Alex wondered how the man ever got to be head of public health with his personality. “Deputy Grey has gone to get them.”
“Very good.”
Alex ground her teeth. The pencil in her right hand nearly snapped with her outrage. How dare the man insinuate she didn’t know the procedure set out by the CDC?
“Since you seem to have the situation under control, I wonder if you would consider remaining in Saddle for the year it would take to see these patients through this crisis? We both know that others are going to have the TB bacillus if everything is as you described. I’m shorthanded. I have no one to spare to go down to that part of the county.”
Jerking the receiver from her ear, Alex stared at it, unable to believe she’d just heard what she had.
“Dr. Courtland.”
“I beg your pardon. What did you just ask me to do?”
“I thought I was very clear in my request. I asked you to stay. I would be willing to talk to your superior in Houston to get it okayed.”
Knowing she was about to lose her temper and say some truly choice things to the little nerd, Alex said, “You will need to send at least a hundred PPD tests. Also INH, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol are not available here. Please make sure you send a six-week supply for Norma.”
The little tyrant sputtered. “Dr. Courtland—”
“Goodbye, Dr. Shelly.” She set the receiver carefully in its cradle. “And if luck is with me, I’ll never have to see you or talk to you again in my lifetime.”
It took ten minutes for Alex to calm down enough to speak coherently.
“Alexandra?” Derek called.
She started to rise from the desk when the phone rang. “Back here,” she answered, then picked up the phone. “Brewster Clinic.”
“Dr. Courtland, this is Dr. Shelly again.” As if she wouldn’t recognize his voice.
“What, Doctor?”
“I’ve just spoken with Dr. Carlin in Houston and gotten his permission for you to stay for the coming year to see this situation through.”
“You did what?” Her voice rang with steel.
Derek halted before the desk, his puzzled gaze fixed on her face. Alex could imagine her expression. It would probably frighten small children.
“I obtained a leave of absence for you from your job, so you can stay and work with me and the people of this county.”
From his answer, it was clear Dr. Shelly didn’t have a clue as to how angry she was. Well, she was fixing to let him know.
Derek placed his palm on the desk and leaned toward her. “Who’s on the phone, Alex? And what’s wrong?”
“Doctor, let me tell you what you can do with your offer. You can put it where the sun don’t shine.”
“Dr. Courtland, how unprofessional. But what could I expect from a woman?”
Alex wanted to roar out her rage. “No, doctor, let me tell you what is unprofessional. It’s going around trying to play God in people’s lives. You had no right to call my boss in Houston and obtain permission for me to stay and work for you for a year. What’s unprofessional is expecting me to take over your responsibilities.
“And you better thank your lucky stars that I am a woman because if I was a man, I’d drive to Alpine and clean your clock. Now I suggest you get on the phone to Austin and get yourself some help.”
“I will report your attitude to the head of state health.”
“You just do that. And then tell Michael to call me. I think he needs to talk to the officials of this county about getting a new head of public health.”
Abruptly the line went dead.
“Little worm,” Alex grumbled as she hung up. She stared down at the phone, unwilling to see Derek’s reaction to her little exchange.
“Alexandra.” There was a note of amusement in his voice.
Squashing her embarrassment for losing her temper, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “What?”
“You were wonderful.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me. I think you handled that situation with just the right touch of fire and righteous indignation.”
Not completely comfortable with his compliment, she tested him further. “You don’t think I was a bit over the top?”
“Not if I understand what happened. Dr. Shelly called Houston, talked to your boss and hijacked your services for a year.” At the mention of hijacking, he gave her a self-abashing grin.
A chuckle bubbled up in her throat. “You’ve got it right.”
“Then he deserved exactly what he got.”
All amusement fled and she looked up into his eyes. “Aside from the fact that Dr. Shelly has an emperor complex, what are we going to do?”
He stepped around the desk and pulled her into his arms. Alex went gladly into the welcoming warmth of his body. It was odd, but when he held her, the world fell away, and she felt safe and peaceful.
That had to be the silliest idea she’d had since she’d decided to paint her name on the water tower in Midland. She and her friends had gotten caught and had had to repaint the entire tower. To this day heights bothered her.
The notion of finding peace in Derek’s arms was just as ludicrous. When she got too close to the man, he made her heart beat faster, her palms sweat, her mouth go dry and her mind suddenly go blank.
And yet...
“Doc, we’re here,” Billy called out.
Derek’s arms dropped to his sides and Alex took several steps away from him. But in spite of the distance between them, Alex still felt the imprint of his body on hers. And in his eyes she read regret that they had been interrupted. There was something else there, as well. Something that reached out to Alex and wrapped around her heart.
“Doc?”
“Come back to the examining room, Billy,” Alex instructed, moving to the door.
“Alexandra,” Derek whispered.
Her steps halted and she turned to Derek. “Yes?”
“We’re going to find a way o
ut of this mess. Believe me.”
His emphasis on we sent chills over her skin. “I know.”
She administered the tests to Billy and Lorraine. When she was alone again with Derek, he asked, “Do you think I ought to drive over to Marathon and get Sarah from school and not wait until school’s out?”
“Yes. And you’d better tell the principal what’s going on. If Sarah comes up positive, then all children and teachers will have to be tested.”
“This is getting more complicated all the time, isn’t it?”
“You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.”
* * *
An hour later the front door of the clinic banged open.
“Alex.” Sarah’s voice sounded odd.
She hurried out of the office and met the girl in the hall. Sarah stopped short and looked at Alex. The girl’s worry was plain on her face.
In an attempt to lighten the tension, Alex teased, “Missed me so much that you came home from school?”
Surprise showed on Sarah’s face, then a shy smile appeared. “Yeah.”
“You ready for the test?”
Sarah lifted one shoulder.
“Your dad has already had his.” Alex glanced at Derek and saw his anxiety over Sarah’s reaction. “You should’ve seen how squeamish he was. I bet you can do better than he did.”
Sarah’s eyes flickered to her dad, then back to Alex. She leaned closer. “Was he really?”
Lowering her voice, Alex said, “He got real pale. I was worried that he might keel right over, in a dead faint.”
Sarah looked doubtful.
“It’s true. The bigger and brawnier the man, the bigger the chances are that they freak at the sight of a needle. I had this one man who was a lineman for the University of Houston Cougars. I had to take blood from him. This two-hundred-and-fifty-pound man went down like a tree when he saw the needle. Took the orderly out when he fell.”
Sarah giggled. “You’re teasing me.”
“Nope. It’s the truth. C’mon, let’s go show your dad how to do this test.”
“Okay.”
As Alex fixed the syringe, she felt Sarah’s anxiety return. “What class did your father interrupt?”
“Math.”
“Do you like math?”
She nodded.
The clinic phone rang as Alex finished injecting the protein under the skin of Sarah’s left forearm. Derek answered it.
“Yes, she’s here. Just a minute.” Derek held the receiver out to Alex. “A Michael Gigot is on the phone for you.”
“I really must have made Shelly mad,” Alex softly told Derek before taking the phone.
“Why do you say that?”
“Michael is the head of public heath for the state.”
Derek nodded in agreement with her assessment.
After taking a deep breath, she put the handpiece to her ear. “Hi, Michael. What can I do for you?”
“Alex, why are you going around upsetting one of my minions?”
“I didn’t know Dr. Shelly worked for you.”
“It’s something I usually don’t go around bragging about. Besides, he holds a dual position with the state and the county.”
“He’s a sorry choice, Michael. The man seriously lacks a personality.”
“I know, Alex. But getting doctors out to that part of Texas is no easy feat. And speaking of getting doctors out there, what are you doing in Saddle, testing people for TB?”
She gave him a quick summary of what had occurred.
“I agree with you that Dr. Shelly should not have taken it upon himself to try to get you assigned out there.”
“You’re darn right he shouldn’t have.”
“But, Alex, that health department is strained to its limit. They need more personnel.”
“He can hire someone, if they’ll work for him.”
“Alex, I would consider it a personal favor if you would consider staying until we find the source of this outbreak. That won’t be a year.”
“But it could turn out to be a two- to three-month commitment.”
“We both know that. But there’s a big need, Alex, and you are the best person I can think of at the moment to handle this situation. Dr. Shelly doesn’t have the experience you have after working in Houston.”
A weary sigh escaped her mouth. She turned around and her gaze collided with Sarah’s. Although the child was trying to appear mature and in control, Alex saw past Sarah’s front to the worried child beneath. And at that moment Alexandra knew she just couldn’t walk away from Saddle. She would stay until the source of the outbreak was pinpointed. By then if Sarah had TB, she’d be well on her way back to health.
“All right, Michael. I’ll stay and screen the people out here and try to find the source of the infection. But you’d better find another professional to take over and manage the long-term care of these people.”
“You got it.”
“And one more thing. You tell Dr. Shelly to stay out of my way because if I see that man, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Both Derek and Sarah waited patiently for her to speak once she hung up.
“Well, guys, it looks like you’re stuck with me for at least the next two months.”
Sarah appeared pleased. Derek’s expression was harder to read. It seemed to be a mixture of relief and worry.
Chapter 10
The sinking sun washed the land in hues of red, purple and gold. Alex watched through the living-room window as the lone figure walked through the open field toward the house.
Once they had eaten, Sarah had excused herself and gone for a walk. Her worry had been clearly reflected in her actions. She’d picked at her dinner, kept her gaze glued to her plate and given only single-syllable answers. The few times Alex had caught a glimpse of the girl’s face, fear lurked in her eyes.
Alex stepped out of the front door and waited for Sarah. “That’s a beautiful sunset.” Alex nodded toward the horizon.
Sarah lifted a shoulder in a careless gesture.
Alex didn’t let the girl’s indifference discourage her. She settled herself on the porch swing. “There’s something special about a west Texas sunset. The sky comes alive with color and makes you wonder how many shades of red God made.”
Sarah glanced over her shoulder but seemed unimpressed.
“Sunset in the mountains of Bosnia comes much quicker. You don’t see the sun sink behind the horizon. The mountains cut off the view.”
“You were there in that war?” Sarah asked, settling beside Alex.
This is what Alex wanted, for Sarah to focus on something else besides herself. But it was going to be harder to talk about her experiences than she had imagined. “Yes, I was there, trying to save as many of the wounded as I could.” Which were too few as far as she was concerned.
“Did you save a lot?”
Alex heard the unspoken plea in the young voice. Please tell me I won’t die. “I was able to save as many as I could under the circumstances.”
“What circumstances?” Sarah asked, apprehension ringing in her voice.
“Lack of antibiotics was the main reason. Some of the wounded needed more specialized medical care than could be given at the crude clinics I operated out of. Sometimes I could get them out. Other times...” She grasped Sarah’s hand. “Those are problems you won’t have to face.”
Her reassurance didn’t seem to satisfy Sarah. “Did you go by yourself?”
“Heavens, no. I went with the Red Cross.”
Sarah outlined the edge of one of the slats in the swing with her fingernail. “Is it as bad as they show on the TV news? Brian Taylor says that it isn’t as bad as they say. Our teacher says it is.”
Alex closed her eyes and her brain was crowded with memories of the senseless, incomprehensible slaughter. “Yes, it’s as bad. But what hurt the people most were the neighbors they knew their entire life turning on them and driving them out of their homes.” Or neighbor killing neighbor.
The peacefulness of the encroaching night settled around them. Alex fixed her gaze on the horizon, trying to replace the scenes in her mind with the glorious close of this day in Saddle.
“When I see sunsets like this, I wish I had some artistic talent, but I can’t so much as draw a decent happy face. I saw one of your drawings. You’d doodled on the edge of the newspaper that I picked up. I liked the horse. Is he one you own?”
A sweet smile crossed Sarah’s face. “Jake is at the ranch.”
“I know Jake.”
“My uncle owns him but I ride him when I go out there. Dad promised me he’d buy me my own horse next year if I learned how to take care of Jake.” A sob caught in her throat, and she turned anxious eyes to Alex. “I’m scared. I don’t want to die.”
Wrapping her arms around Sarah’s shoulders, Alex drew her close and gently began to rock her. “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. If you have TB, you are going to get the best care available. You will have all the medicine you need.”
“But why did it happen to me?”
Alex closed her eyes against the pain. Another young woman had asked her that very question before she killed herself. “I can’t answer that. But look at it this way. Your guardian angel must’ve been working overtime, because he didn’t let me pass through Saddle without stopping.”
Sarah lifted her head, and through her tears she asked, “Do you believe that?”
A noise at the front door brought Alex’s gaze to the man standing behind the screen. His gaze locked with hers, and suddenly Alex knew the truth of her last statement. Heaven, indeed, had brought her to this place. “With all my heart.” She looked down at Sarah. “What you need to do is not worry, but be a positive influence on the others around you. I’ll probably end up testing everyone in this part of the county. I’m going to need all the help I can get. And I want you to be my number-one cheerleader. Can you do that for me?”
Tilting her head, Sarah let her fingers pick at the fabric of her jeans as she considered Alex’s proposal.
“You’re going to be my number-one asset, Sarah. I’ll be able to tell the other children how calm you were. If you can do it, they can do it. Will you do that for me?” Alex repeated.