Bluegrass Baby

And as if that weren’t enough, she still had that damned lawsuit hanging over her head, stealing her peace of mind.

No, letting Kyle go was the right thing to do.

But try as she might, she couldn’t fight her grief as she watched his departure.

“You sure are pensive for such a sunny day.”

Milla looked up to see Dr. Mari Bingham, director of the midwifery school and clinic. The attractive but unadorned physician seemed more serious and more thoughtful than usual.

Mari was not only the doctor who ran the clinic and women’s health center, she was also a talented medical professional who’d taken an interest in Milla, mentoring her while in school. They’d developed a closeness during those years, a bond the doctor didn’t seem to have with the other midwives. It wasn’t as though the two women were friends, but they had an understanding, a professional respect for each other.

Milla managed a smile, in spite of her own heavy heart. “It is a pretty day, isn’t it?”

Mari nodded. “How are things going?”

Milla figured Mari wanted to know how she was doing with the lawsuit. Again, she was reminded of the problems the charge of malpractice had brought upon the clinic, even if she hadn’t been at fault. “I’m doing all right.”

“I’d like you to talk to Lillith—Lily—Cunningham, who’s handling PR for the clinic. She’ll play a role in trial preparations, as well as controlling press coverage.”

The trial.

Press coverage.

The unfairness of the lawsuit slapped Milla again. Why did this have to happen? What had she done to deserve the unfounded accusations?

“I’ll work with the PR director,” Milla said. “And, by the way, Kyle has agreed to testify on my behalf. He was the resident on call the night the Canfields brought the baby in.”

Mari nodded. “I’m aware of that.”

Kyle was also Mari’s cousin, although they never socialized, as far as Milla knew. Maybe because of Kyle’s illegitimacy. Still, she thought it was kind of…sad. Kyle having cousins, a family and all, and not being close.

Milla tried to keep her thoughts on the trial. “Kyle said the Canfields had bandaged the umbilicus.”

“I’m aware of that, too.” Mari appeared preoccupied, stressed.

As much as Milla admired the OB/GYN, she didn’t ask what was weighing on the director’s mind. She figured Mari would mention it, if she wanted Milla to know.

“By the way, I’m going to be interviewing the staff tomorrow,” Mari said.

“Why?” Milla couldn’t mask the fear in her voice and hoped her mentor hadn’t noticed.

Mari offered a tired smile. “Nothing about the lawsuit. I just have a few questions I’d like to have answered.”

Milla nodded, hoping she would say more. She didn’t.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Mari said, “I have a meeting in ten minutes with Lily. I’ll tell her you’ll be speaking to her soon.”

“All right.” Milla gathered the remnants of her lunch and stood, watching as the doctor she’d grown to admire strode away.

Mari would be interviewing the staff? Why?

She’d said it didn’t have anything to do with the malpractice suit. Thank goodness. But what questions did Mari have?

Were the interviews a routine procedure? Or was something other than the malpractice suit creating a problem for the clinic?

There were rumors circulating, although there might not be much truth in any of them. There’d been a noticeable rise in the number of drug-addicted mothers and babies in recent months. Illegal use of prescription drugs, apparently, was on the rise in the community. And from what Milla had heard, the sheriff’s department was investigating a black market drug ring, which might or might not be connected to the Foster Clinic.

The drug in question was Orcadol, an effective and highly addictive medication used for relief of chronic pain or pain after surgery. Orcadol had become the latest rage on the streets of Merlyn County. Abusers referred to it as Orchid and often tried to get around the timed-release formula in the pill by crushing them, chewing, snorting or injecting it. In fact, Orcadol had become so popular that addicts and dealers had been known to attack pharmacies in neighboring communities with guns to obtain the drug.