As Blue as the Sky

by Cindy Caldwell

  His attention turned once more back to his patient, and he smiled as he graciously accepted Mrs. Garcia’s offering of empanadas, a special type of turnover filled with meat and potatoes, or sometimes fruit, and the hug that followed. “Muchas gracias, Senora Garcia,” he’d said, adding, “Buena suerte,” wishing her good luck as she took the prescription with her for the antibiotics that would help with five-year-old Raul’s ear infection.

  All through medical school, he had come down to volunteer at the clinic every chance he got. He’d grown up spending his vacations at his family house in Playa Luna, on the beach of the Sea of Cortez, and he’d met Dr. Gomez as a young boy.

  He thought back to the first time they’d met – the first time he’d been stung by a sting-ray and had an allergic reaction – and his mother, Felicia, had rushed him to the doctor. At that time, he’d run a very small clinic right near Playa Luna, and over the years, he’d patched Kyle up more than once. Now, as Dr. Gomez wound down toward retirement, Kyle was happy to give him a break so that he could take a vacation of his own. So, he coupled his vacations with volunteering at the clinic. Besides, when he’d decided to become a doctor, it was with the clear knowledge that he would never be one of the doctors who worked ninety hours a week in some hospital. He wanted to help people, yes, but wanted to have a life, too. And that would include as much fishing as possible.

  With Dr. Gomez and his family vacationing in Mexico City, Kyle was in charge of the clinic. It was a responsibility he took very seriously. His ears perked and his gut clenched as he heard the ambulance siren approaching.

  “What’s up, Magdalena?” He asked as he opened the door and walked toward the receptionist’s desk. He remembered the days when the doctor’s receptionist spoke only Spanish, and although his own Spanish was fluent, he was grateful that Magdalena could communicate with patients, also, in both languages. She would have heard the call on the radio come in while he’d been with Mrs. Garcia.

  “Racing accident, doctor,” she replied, pointing to the wall that held the poster for this year’s Baja 250, its colorful graphics advertising the annual race that was San Felipe’s largest event of the year.

  He groaned as he placed his elbows on the counter and let his face fall in his hands. He sighed, shaking his head in mock horror, and said to Magdalena, “Oh, yeah. That time again already?”

  She smiled at him, shaking her finger, as she said, “Yes, it is. You don’t think Dr. Gomez didn’t know that when he planned his vacation?”

  Kyle’s eyebrows shot up as he looked at her. “You’ve got to be kidding. With all these crazy racers and copious amounts of beer, not to mention the Tecate girls, we’ll need both of us to patch these folks up. You know how much I hate the races.”

  “We can hope for a quiet year, Dr. Lewis. But for now, it’s an injury from a tumble off a quad. Stable, but in pain and badly injured.”

  “Who’d be racing in this wind anyway? You can barely see your hand in front of your face with all the dust.”

  Magdalena shook her head. “You know how they are. They are not to be deterred.”

  “They’re all crazy, if you ask me,” he said as he turned to get the examining room ready for his next patient. As he sat, waiting, he thought back to his own riding days, before the accident. He could certainly understand the thrill of riding, covering miles of desert road, inhaling the desert smells of sage and the salt spray of the sea. He’d grown up doing it himself. But those days were over for him, and his memories quickly receded as he saw the approaching red lights of the ambulance.

  “The patient’s here, Doctor,” Magdalena said as she opened the door to the examining room.

  Opening the door wider, she ushered in the paramedics pushing the gurney through the wide door. As the ambulance drivers placed the gurney in the center of the room, locking the wheels in place, Kyle saw the familiar bomberos standing in the hallway.

  “Colin, James, how are you?” Kyle asked, extending his hand for a hearty shake from both of his friends. Neighbors in the south campos, he’d grown close to James when they’d chased down the fish smuggling ring a while back, and knew Colin from the arsons down south. “Never a dull moment around you two,” he said as he gave James a wink.

  “No, that’s true,” James replied, the twinkle in his eye apparent. “This one’s interesting. Left ankle...right wrist...not quite sure how bad it is, but I’m sure you can fix her right up, which is what she wants.”

  Kyle’s breath caught in his throat. “Her?” he said, his eyes a little wider.

  “Yes, her, and a handful at that,” James replied.

  “What’s taking you so long?” a female voice said from the examining room. “I have to get out of here.”

  Kyle turned to James with a cocked eyebrow and a quizzical look. “I think I see what you mean. Not the most patient of...patients.”

  James punched his friend in the arm and motioned for Colin to follow him back out to the jeep. Over his shoulder, he said to Kyle, “Good luck with that one, mate. Her father should be here soon. We’ll leave you to it.”

  Colin coughed into his hand to cover the smile at James’s comment. “Yep, good luck.” They both chuckled and headed out with a wave to Magdalena.

  Jessica shielded her eyes from the bright light in the examining room, again with her good arm over her eyes. The ride from the accident scene had been a bit bumpy, and she’d fought back tears as the pain continued to send spikes from her wrist, mostly, every time she moved. She still hadn’t completely tried to test it, hoping that if she didn’t it would be a temporary thing rather than permanent. If that doctor would get in here and tape her up, maybe she’d be able to ride first thing in the morning and still make her best qualifying time.

  Chapter 4

  “Jess, is it? Hi, I’m Dr. Lewis,” she heard as the door to the examining room opened and then closed softly. The unmistakable examining room smells of iodine and rubbing alcohol wafted toward her as she felt the doctor by her side.

  “Yes, my name’s Jess. Something happened to my wrist when I fell and I need your help,” she said without lifting her arm from her face. Flat on her back, the pain wasn’t so bad, and she hoped this would be quick.

  “Well, I can tell you one thing,” said the deep, soothing voice that she imagined was cloaked in a white doctor’s coat. “It’s a good thing that there’s no blood or skin puncture. That’s a hopeful sign. But I won’t know much until we take an x-ray.”

  She felt his hands gently cut away her riding jersey from the elbow down—her riding gloves had already been taken off at the scene. A slight groan escaped her lips as he gently touched the outside of her wrist, and as he placed a tiny bit of pressure on it, she gasped, her arm flying off her face as she tried to sit up.

  The light in the examining room blinded her momentarily as her eyes adjusted to the light. Finding her balance and sitting up, her eyes widened at the sight of the young doctor standing at her foot.

  “Um, you’re not Mexican,” she said, surprised as her eyes focused on the sights around her.

  He turned to her, his smile lighting up his face and she noticed his kind eyes were an unusual green color...almost the color of the sea in the morning. His sandy blond, short hair made his skin look tanned against the color of his eyes. He seemed to be trying to suppress a smile, but not having much luck. “No, I’m not Mexican, but I speak Spanish and I live here as much as I can. But I am a doctor, and I’m here to help you.”

  She shivered as his hand ran up and down the outside of her calf, surprised at the coolness of the sensation. She’d been hot and sweaty until now, and this, although it felt good, was not something she was used to. Growing up in a house with just her brother for company, she wasn’t used to being comforted like this.

  “Ouch,” she said, wincing as he circled his hand around her ankle.

  The doctor stood, removing his hand quickly. “I was just seeing what I could feel from the outside. That’s my job,” he said, the corn
ers of his mouth turning up into a smile. “From what I can see from the outside, everything looks pretty good,” he said with a quick flash of a grin in her direction before he walked to the supply cabinet.

  Squirming, she felt the urge to again be off the table and out the door. “You don’t look old enough to be a doctor. Where’s Dr. Gomez?” she asked, wondering if she was in good hands. She felt a little flustered and wasn’t quite sure why. She was always in control, and this time should be no different. Everything depended on this, and she wanted the best care she could find—the sooner to win the race.

  “He’s on vacation, and I assure you, I am a doctor. A new one, granted, but I’ve been volunteering at the clinic here for several years. I’ve seen a race injury or two, believe me.” His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and she thought she noticed the beginning of a frown. Quickly, he turned from her toward the door, and reached out for the wheelchair that had sat ready. Pulling it over to the side of the examining table, he reached out his hand for her to sit up.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you before. It’s just that...well, I spend most of my time racing. I’m not used to...needing help. It’s not something that goes over well in my world.” She hesitated for a moment, not sure that she could or should stand on her injured foot, even though it was feeling a little better. She held her knee out as a test, and winced as she tried to wiggle her toes again. “I don’t think I can stand on it. Are we just going to get an x-ray?”

  “Yes. Please don’t do that until we can assess how bad it is,” he said, placing his hand on her knee and gently encouraging her to be still. “I hadn’t intended for you to stand. Just slide your legs over to the side of the table here,” he said, carefully helping her move to the side and bend her legs.

  “I really don’t think I can—“

  With one swift movement, he picked her up as if she were light as a feather and placed her gently in the wheelchair. She heard a little squeak escape her lips at the surprise, and her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him from the wheelchair. She had never been comfortable not being able to take care of herself, and her pride bristled a bit at being dependent in any way at all.

  “Just faster that way,” he said as he turned the wheelchair toward the door. “Magdalena will do the x-rays for us, and I’ll see you back here in a minute.”

  As the wheelchair moved out the door with Magdalena behind it, Jess turned to look back into the examining room. It moved out of her view moments later, but she had a split second to see the doctor drop his head in his hands, his shoulders slumped and a weary look in his eyes.

  “Is he okay?” Jessica said, wondering out loud what could be wrong with the doctor.

  Magdalena sighed as she turned to look at Kyle. “I think he will be, eventually. He’s had some racing accidents in his family and he has a little trouble patching people up from the same kinds of accidents.”

  She turned away, looking toward the x-ray machine, her hopes again raised at the prospect of getting out of there in the near future. “Will this take long?” she said to the woman with long dark hair pushing the wheelchair.

  “No, señorita,” Magdalena said, smiling to herself as the wheelchair moved down the hallway. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

  Chapter 5

  Kyle flipped the light switch on the x-ray viewer and peered at the films in front of him. As they glowed, he viewed Jess’s ankle from every angle he could, tilting his head in thought, his mind jumbled as to what to tell her—or, more accurately how to tell her. From what he’d seen of her so far, her determination to get back on the bike, she wasn’t going to welcome this news.

  As he rolled around his options in his mind, he heard shouting from the reception area. A loud male and Magdalena had gotten into a heated argument. That wasn’t like Magdalena, and he frowned as he headed toward the commotion.

  At just under 6’ 2”, he was able to make it to the ruckus quickly. He rushed to the door, throwing it open and reaching the reception area in three long strides. Standing behind Magdalena, he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him, her eyes grateful.

  “What seems to be the problem here?” Kyle said, his eyes narrowing at the two men before him. The older one, red-faced, opened his mouth as if ready to continue whatever tirade he’d started on. The younger one, with brown hair and streaks of dirt across his face, very much resembled the girl he’d just met, Jess, and stood looking sheepish beside the older man Kyle now guessed to be Jess’s father.

  “I demand to see the doctor,” the older man said, pounding a fist on the counter.

  Magdalena continued to try to calm him down, something she was usually expert at. This time, however, her magic wasn’t quite working. “Sir, please. I’ve told you that we are in process of examining your daughter.”

  “It’s all right, Magdalena. I’ve got it.” Stepping around the corner to where the men were standing, Kyle took a quick appraisal before he spoke. “Mr. McNally, I presume?” he said, his smile wide as he thrust his hand forward. “I’m Dr. Lewis, and am treating your daughter.”

  The older man’s eyes narrowed and he sniffed loudly before saying, “You’re not old enough to be a doctor.”

  He made no move to shake Kyle’s hand, and Kyle’s eyes grew wider as the younger man, who looked almost identical to his patient, grabbed his hand from beside him, shaking it strongly and firmly. “I’m Cade, Jessica’s brother. We’re very happy that you’re here to help.”

  Mr. McNally’s glare darkened as Kyle said, “Dr. Gomez is on vacation and I’m filling in. We’ve taken Jess’s x-rays already, and her pain is diminishing with some meds we were able to give her. I was just going to bring her into the office to talk about the x-ray results.” He made a conscious effort to look Mr. McNally directly in the eye, although he wasn’t too pleased with his reception. No wonder Jess was so determined—seemed to be just like her dad. He was pretty sure that his next statement wasn’t going to go over too well.

  Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’ll be with Jess in my office for a bit, and she’ll be out when we’re done.”

  Her father’s face reddened even more, and his fists clenched at his sides. Kyle looked at Cade, whose widened eyes looked from one man to the other. Straightening up to his full height, he moved toward his father and said, “That’s fine, Dr. Lewis. We’ll wait here.”

  “Like hell we will,” Mr. McNally said, taking a step toward the door into the back offices. “You have no idea how important this is, son. I’m sorry she’s injured, but we need to get her back on that quad as soon as possible. She’s been gearing up for this for a long time.”

  Kyle held up his hands in front of him as he glanced at Cade for support. Cade reached an arm out for his father, pulling him back a step, as Kyle said, “Your daughter is an adult. More than an adult, if I read her chart right. If she gives her permission for you to be in the room, I’ll let you know.” He returned through the door he’d come out of, closing it behind him. He glanced at Magdalena, and she cocked a brow, nodding her chin toward his office.

  “She’s in there waiting for you. Let me know what you want to do,” she said, straightening her shoulders and turning back toward the reception room.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said with a wink as he opened the door to his office.

  “Don’t you care about your sister?” Cade heard his father say as he sat down, his hands working over the brim of his hat he’d been carrying. It was still covered in dirt, and he looked down at it, unsure of what would satisfy his father at this point.

  “Come on, Dad, sit down. She is an adult and he said she’s okay, not in pain. It’s just routine now, and I’m sure we’ll know shortly what’s up.”

  He stood again as the receptionist’s phone rang. He watched her look up at his father and then to him as she nodded into the phone, replacing it slowly into its cradle. His breath stopped for a moment, a sense of dread in his chest as she smiled, with an effort at
kindness, it seemed to him, and said, “Miss McNally would prefer that you wait here.”

  The look of surprise on his father’s face was one he’d rarely seen. It was more like shock, he thought, as he waited for his father to speak. After a few moments, he gripped his hat tightly, and said, “You okay?” He turned to his dad and watched the color drain from his face as he thudded into a chair next to him.

  “What’s happened to my daughter?” he said. “The Jess I know wouldn’t do that.”

  “Yes, she would, Dad. You just haven’t been paying attention,” he said quietly, not sure that his father had heard him.

  Chapter 6

  Jess’s hand gripped the cold, steel sides of the wheelchair as she waited for the doctor to hang up the phone. He’d asked her when he came in if she wanted her father in the room. For one swift second she was confused, hadn’t really known that was an option. She still wasn’t quite sure why she’d told him no. She’d heard them arguing in the reception room, but that was nothing new to her. She loved her father very much but had no illusions as to what others thought of him. Since her mother had died, he’d been a bit more abrasive and loud, but she knew why, so she tried to ignore it. She still wasn’t quite sure why she’d replied to the doctor’s question with a quick, “No.” She hadn’t even hesitated; she wanted to face this on her own.