The Doctor Rocks the Boat by Robin Hathaway

Author:Robin Hathaway
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780312349936
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

CHAPTER 25

Fenimore peered through the frosted glass panels of his Victorian front door and was surprised to see another youth with Horatio. Slighter and shorter, but with the same dress code—baggy pants, T-shirt, baseball cap worn in reverse. Where was Tanya? He opened the door.

Casting a quick glance up and down the street, Horatio shoved his companion into the vestibule. In the stronger light of the hall, it was obvious that the youth’s features were too delicate for a boy’s, and even though the T-shirt was two sizes too big, certain curves were discernable underneath.

“Come in. Come in.” Fenimore’s shyness emerged in the form of brusqueness. He didn’t know many teenage girls. Most of his female patients were sixty-five or over.

As soon as she was inside, Tanya yanked off her cap, letting an abundance of thick, dark hair fall to her shoulders. “Geez, Rat. That hat was squeezin’ my brains to death.”

“If you had any,” Rat said.

She jabbed him with her elbow.

He feigned mortal injury.

Thus Fenimore was introduced to teenage courtship for the first time. The performance was interrupted by Tanya, who broke into a violent fit of coughing. Fenimore hurried her into his inner office, and asked Horatio to leave while he examined her.

The minute they were alone, Fenimore sensed the young woman’s tension. He knew he should have a female chaperone. Especially in light of the child’s history. He cursed himself for not having Doyle there. But he had to listen to her chest. And he couldn’t do it adequately unless she removed her shirt. He told her to go into the examining room and take off her T-shirt.

When he entered, she had removed her shirt and was holding it over her small breasts. Adopting his most professional manner—no small talk, no jokes—he said, “This may be cold,” and pressed the metal disk of his stethoscope against her bare back. His nervousness was instantly replaced by concern. He heard definite rales, and when he asked her to cough for him she went into a spasm that continued until he brought her a glass of water and cough syrup with codeine. There was no need to listen to her chest. Fenimore had learned all he needed to know. He said, “Your cold has turned into something more serious. I’m prescribing an antibiotic, and you must get plenty of rest.”

She looked alarmed.

“You’ll be fine in a few days,” he assured her. “Rat and I, and my nurse, Mrs. Doyle, will take good care of you.”

It was Tanya’s turn to look nervous. “I can’t pay you anything.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take it out of Rat’s pay.” He winked. “He works for me, you know.”

She smiled for the first time. “He won’t like that.”

“I know.” He smiled back. He told her to put on her shirt, and left the room.

He found Rat in the outer office, reading a medical journal. He read them often, and afterward, to Fenimore’s amazement, asked intelligent questions about the articles. Fenimore told the boy about Tanya’s condition. “She can’t go back to that cellar tonight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.