Clarets of Fire by Christine E Blum

Author:Christine E Blum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2019-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Sure enough, there’d been an accident with a city bus and an SUV, and the waiting room was packed. I scanned the area for any sign of Tom. When I didn’t immediately see him, I grabbed one of the last remaining vacant wheelchairs and pushed it back to my car. I’d left it with the valet in the loading area of the Emergency Room.

“Can you help me get her out and onto the chair? She can’t put weight on her leg,” I told him.

“Sure.”

The valet set the brake on the wheelchair and peered into my backseat. His automatic movements told me that he’d done this once or twice before.

“I don’t need no hospital,” Marisol growled, causing the attendant to jump back from the fearsome noise and the creature that made it.

“Don’t worry, she won’t hurt you,” I assured him. “Your tetanus shots are up to date, right?”

“Ha, ha, ha, you funny, Halsey.”

That last scary squeal from Marisol sealed the deal, and I lost the valet to another car and patient. The valet and I made eye contact, and he hung his head down hoping for absolution.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be, so can you park it on the top level?”

He nodded. This was the kind of help that he was comfortable with. Clearly, he’d never held a job as lion tamer with the circus.

When Marisol took one look at the commotion in the room, she tried to get up and walk out.

“You sit and stay,” I commanded her in a strong but pleasant voice just like Jack had taught me. Sure enough Marisol calmed down.

“Goood girl!”

“Shut up, Halsey.”

“Hi, Marisol, tell me what hurts the most,” said a voice approaching behind me.

Seeing Tom made me feel instantly better. Apart from knowing that he’d become a great doctor, Marisol was a cougar in her own crazy way and she always behaved better around nice-looking younger men.

“Hi, Tom, thanks for finding us. Marisol said that she was walking and tripped, but I suspect that she hasn’t told me the entire story.”

“On my death bed you call me a liar, Halsey?”

People stopped what they were doing and stared at the crazy old lady in the gardening clogs.

“We’re tight on rooms and equipment at the moment, but let me take you back, get your vitals, and do some preliminaries. Aimee talked to your daughter, Martha, and she’s on her way to be with you.”

“I feel better already, thank you, Doctor.”

I watched him wheel Marisol through the double doors that separated the waiting area from the emergency treatment rooms. I had to admit to myself that it stung a bit that once she saw Tom and heard that her daughter was on her way, I just vanished into thin air as far as Marisol was concerned.

But that was our relationship; we shared a tough love. I stood where they’d left me for a moment, watching as spouses, significant others, and relatives poured into the room to be with their loved ones. I figured that I’d wait until Marisol’s daughter arrived and then take off.

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