Робин Карр – Virgin River (страница 10)

She laughed in spite of herself. “I’m cranky, huh? He’s a giant pain in the ass! How do you put up with him?”

“He reminds me of my grandfather. How’d it go last night? She sleep?”

“She did very well. Only woke up a couple of times. I’m just about to feed her.”

“Why don’t I give her a bottle while you eat. I brought coffee.”

“Really, I didn’t know they made men like you,” she said, letting him follow her into the kitchen. When he put down the plate and thermos, she handed over the baby and tested the bottle. “You seem very comfortable with a newborn. For a man. A man with some nieces in Sacramento.” He just smiled at her. She passed him the bottle and got out two coffee mugs. “Ever married?” she asked him, then instantly regretted it. It was going to lead to him asking her.

“I was married to the Marine Corps,” he said. “And she was a real bitch.”

“How many years?” she asked, pouring coffee.

“Just over twenty years. I went in as a kid. How about you?”

“I was never in the marines,” she said with a smile.

He grinned at her. “Married?”

She couldn’t meet his eyes and lie, so she concentrated on the coffee mug. “I was married to a hospital, and my bitch was as mean as your bitch.” That wasn’t a total lie. Mark used to complain about the schedules they kept—grueling. He was in emergency medicine.

He’d just finished a thirty-six hour shift when he stopped at the convenience store, interrupting the robbery. She shuddered involuntarily. She pushed a mug toward him. “Did you see a lot of combat?” she asked.

“A lot of combat,” he answered, directing the bottle into the baby’s mouth expertly. “Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq. Twice.”

“No wonder you just want to fish.”

“Twenty years in the marines will make a fisherman out of just about anyone.”

“You seem too young to have retired.”

“I’m forty. I decided it was time to get out when I got shot in the butt.”

“Ouch. Complete recovery?” she asked, then surprised herself by feeling her cheeks grow warm.

He lifted a corner of his mouth. “Except for the dimple. Wanna see?”

“Thanks, no. So, Doc left me in charge and I have no idea what to expect. Maybe you should tell me where the nearest hospital is—and do they provide ambulance service to the town?”

“That would be Valley Hospital—and they have ambulance service, but it takes so long to get here, Doc usually fires up his old truck and makes the run himself. If you’re desperate and have about an hour to spare, the Grace Valley doctors have an ambulance, but I don’t think I’ve seen an ambulance in this town since I’ve been here. I heard the helicopter came for the guy who almost died in the truck accident. I think the helicopter got as much notice as the accident.”

“God, I hope these people are healthy until he gets back,” she said. Mel dug into the eggs. This seemed to be a Spanish omelet, and it was just as delicious as the one she’d eaten the day before. “Mmm,” she said appreciatively. “Here’s another thing—I can’t get any cell phone reception here. I should let my family know I’m here safely. More or less.”

“The pines are too tall, the mountains too steep. Use the land line—and don’t worry about the long distance cost. You have to be in touch with your family. Who is your family?”

“Just an older married sister in Colorado Springs. She and her husband put up a collective and huge fuss about this—as if I was going into the Peace Corps or something. I should’ve listened.”

“There will be a lot of people around here glad you didn’t,” he said.

“I’m stubborn that way.”

He smiled appreciatively.

It made her instantly think, don’t get any ideas, buster. I’m married to someone. Just because he isn’t here, doesn’t mean it’s over.

However, there was something about a guy—at least six foot two and two hundred pounds of rock-hard muscle—holding a newborn with gentle deftness and skill. Then she saw him lower his lips to the baby’s head and inhale her scent, and some of the ice around Mel’s broken heart started to melt.

“I’m going into Eureka today for supplies,” he said. “Need anything?”

“Disposable diapers. Newborn. And since you know everyone, could you ask around if anyone can help out with the baby? Either full-time, part-time, whatever. It would be better for her to be in a family home than here at Doc’s with me.”

“Besides,” he said, “you want to get out of here.”

“I’ll help out with the baby for a couple of days, but I don’t want to stretch it out. I can’t stay here, Jack.”

“I’ll ask around,” he said. And decided he might just forget to do that. Because, yes, she could.

Little baby Chloe had only been asleep thirty minutes after her morning bottle when the first patient of the day arrived. A healthy and scrubbed looking young farm girl wearing overalls in the middle of which protruded a very large pregnant tummy, carrying two large jars of what appeared to be preserved blackberries. She put the berries on the floor just inside the door. “I heard there was a new lady doctor in town,” she said.

“Not exactly,” Mel said. “I’m a nurse practitioner.”

Her face fell in disappointment. “Oh,” she said. “I thought it would be so nice to have a woman doctor around when it’s time.”

“Time?” Mel asked. “To deliver?”

“Uh-huh. I like Doc, don’t get me wrong. But—”

“When are you due?” Mel asked.

She rubbed her swollen belly. “I think about a month, but I’m not really sure,” she said. She wore laced-up work boots, a yellow sweater underneath the overalls and her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She looked twenty years old, at most. “It’s my first.”

“I’m a midwife, as well,” Mel said, and the young woman’s face lit up in a beautiful smile. “But I have to warn you—I’m only here temporarily. I’m planning to leave as soon as—” She thought about what she should say. Then, instead of explaining about the baby, she said, “Have you had a checkup recently? Blood pressure, weight, et cetera?”

“It’s been a few weeks,” she said. “I guess I’m about due.”

“Why don’t we do that since you’re here, if I can find what I need,” Mel said. “What’s your name?”

“Polly Fishburn.”

“I bet you have a chart around here somewhere,” Mel said. She went behind the counter and started opening file drawers. A brief search turned up a chart. She went in search of litmus, and other obstetric supplies in the exam room. “Come on back, Polly,” she called. “When was the last time you had an internal exam?”

“Not since the very first,” she said. She made a face. “I was dreading the next one.”

Mel smiled, thinking about Doc’s bent and arthritic fingers. That couldn’t be pleasant. “Want me to have a look? See if you’re doing anything, like dilating or effacing? It might save you having Doc do it later. Just get undressed, put on this little gown, and I’ll be right back.”

Mel checked on the baby, who was napping in the kitchen, then went back to her patient. Polly appeared to be in excellent health with normal weight gain, good blood pressure, and… “Oh, boy, Polly. Baby’s head is down.” Mel stood and pressed down on her tummy while her fingers stretched toward the young woman’s cervix. “And… You’re just barely dilated and effaced about fifty percent. You’re having a small contraction right now. Can you feel that tightening? Braxton Hicks contractions.” She smiled at her patient. “Where are you having the baby?”

“Here—I think.”

Mel laughed. “If you do that anytime soon, we’re going to be roommates. I’m staying upstairs.”

“When do you think it’ll come?” Polly asked.

“One to four weeks, and that’s just a guess,” she said. She stepped back and snapped off her gloves.

“Will you deliver the baby?” Polly asked.

“I’ll be honest with you, Polly—I’m planning to leave as soon as it’s reasonable. But if I’m still here when you go into labor, and if Doc says it’s okay, I’d be more than happy to.” She put out a hand to help Polly sit up. “Get dressed. I’ll see you out front.”

When she walked out of the exam room and back toward the front of the house, she found the waiting room was full of people.

By the end of the day Mel had seen over thirty patients, at least twenty-eight of whom just wanted a look at “the new lady doctor.” They wanted to visit, ask her questions about herself, bring her welcome gifts.

It was at once a huge surprise to her, and also what she had secretly expected when she took the job.

By six o’clock, Mel was exhausted, but the day had flown. She held the baby on her shoulder, gently jiggling her. “Have you had anything to eat?” she asked Doc Mullins.

“When, during our open house, would I have eaten?” he shot back. But it was not nearly as sarcastic as Mel imagined he wished it to be.

“Would you like to walk across the street while I feed the baby?” she asked. “Because after you and little Chloe have eaten, I really need some fresh air. No, make that—I’m desperate for a change of scenery. And I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

He put out his old, gnarled hands. “Chloe?” he asked.

She shrugged. “She has to be called something.”

“Go,” he said. “I’ll see that she’s fed. Then I’ll poke around here for something.”

She handed over the baby with a smile. “I know you’re trying to act miserable and just can’t pull it off,” she said. “But thank you—I’d really like to get out of here for an hour.”