Healing Tides

“Goodness! That’s all for today. I’ve got to get some work done.”

“But you didn’t finish.” Germaine’s indignation echoed the others’.

“I’ll tell you more tomorrow. If you behave.” She shook her head at the calls for more, checked over a young girl whose pallor was worrisome, then hurried away to her office.

Unfortunately, Dr. Steele was already there.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she panted as she reached for the first file. “Shall we begin with—” she checked the name “—Donald?”

That glacial glare told her he wasn’t going to let it go.

“Dr. Cranbrook, we run on a tight schedule here. We cannot—”

Glory held up a hand. Jared blinked, obviously astounded by her interruption.

“Am I on some kind of time clock, Dr. Steele?”

He frowned, finally shook his head. “No, but it’s important—”

“That I do my job the very best I can, which means in my own way, on my own timetable.”

“Your point?” That jaw of steel didn’t bend a millimeter.

“I’m not saying it’s all right to be late,” Glory hurried to clarify. “It isn’t and I will try to do better. But it would be helpful if you didn’t keep hounding me about every little thing. It’s going to take me a while to orientate to your schedule but I promise I will fit in. Okay?”

Breathless at her own impudence, she waited for his acquiescence. His cold hard glare memorized every detail of her face, but he finally inclined his head.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Donald will be discharged next week. Also these three,” he said, indicating the appropriate files. “These four will be at least another month. The rest I am not sure about.” He went through each case, precisely detailing the problems, what he expected and what he wanted to see before they were released.

“Are any of them candidates for your procedure, Doctor?”

“No.” He rose, pulled his stethoscope from his pocket. “These will be the patients primarily in your care. If you’ll excuse me, I have some things to do this afternoon away from the mission.”

“I’m on my own?” she squeaked.

“Naturally not.” He pulled open the door. “Dr. Xavier’s at his cottage, on call. Dr. Potter’s gastrointestinal upset seems to have abated. He claims he’s feeling much better. He should be here in a half hour or so. I’ll make sure he stops by to introduce himself. If an emergency arises, let the desk know. Leilani can always reach me.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

Glory was talking to thin air. Dr. Steele was already halfway down the corridor. Whatever he had to do this afternoon must be important.

She spent the next few hours poring over every case, memorizing details she’d need if one of her patients took a turn for the worse. By the time Dr. Potter arrived Glory was twiddling her thumbs.

“Bored?” a lilting English voice inquired with just a hint of jollity.

“Well,” she began, not wanting to say it.

“That’s the problem with living in paradise.” A salt-and-pepper head appeared in the doorway, lifted to reveal a sweetly rounded face wreathed in a smile. “As for me, I enjoy my free time by surfing, walking, sunning. I’m really just here to amuse myself until I retire. I’m Potter. Part-time anaesthesiologist, part-time attending doctor, full-time loafer.”

“Dr. Potter, it’s so nice to meet you.” Glory accepted his hand then realized she towered over him. But as she searched his faded blue eyes it didn’t matter. He was a kindred spirit.

“And you, my dear, though I must say I never imagined Elizabeth would find someone so young. It will be like working with my granddaughter.”

“I hope that won’t be a problem?”

“Hardly. I look forward to seeing your lovely face each day.” He skillfully plied her with questions, nodded as if satisfied by the answers. “Shall I give you an idea of how the place runs?”

“Would you? I’ve already made enough faux pas. I don’t want Dr. Steele to chastise me yet again.”

“So Jared’s been laying down the law, has he? Well, we must expect that.”

“Why must we?” Glory asked curiously.

Dr. Potter blinked, pulled out a pair of glasses and slid them on to study her more thoroughly. Glory had the distinct impression no one had ever questioned Jared Steele’s leadership before. Not that she was, but still.

“Jared and his wife started the place, you know. Agapé has only been in operation for about seven years.” He chuckled, offered her a peppermint and when she declined, popped it into his own mouth. “Dr. Steele is always in charge. And when he’s not in charge, he still is.”

“I see.”

He picked up Joseph’s chart, clicked his teeth at the notation she’d made.

“If there’s a change in a patient’s condition, be sure you tell Jared as soon as you next see him. He doesn’t like to miss anything.”

“A little obsessive, is he?” she teased.

“It’s not ego,” Dr. Potter assured her. “Jared genuinely wants the very best for every child that comes to Agapé and he won’t tolerate skimping on treatments or easing off just because it’s painful.” He shook his head, a rueful smile stretching his mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone quite like him. It’s as if he’s got a personal stake in every child.”

Talk about setting yourself up for burnout. But Glory didn’t say it aloud. Instead she thanked Dr. Potter for the information, promised to meet him in the cafeteria for dinner and agreed to look at a patient he’d been tracking.

“Dr. Steele mentioned he would be away from the mission this afternoon.”

“Yes, he would be.” A sad look flitted across Dr. Potter’s sunburned cheeks.

“Do you have any idea when he might return?”

“I wouldn’t dare ask.” He rose. “If you’ll excuse me, I must see if those lab results I was waiting for have come in. I hope you enjoy your time here, Dr. Cranbrook.”

“I will if you promise to call me Glory.”

He nodded. “And I’m Fredrick.”

Glory sat behind her desk feeling much like a goldfish in a bowl as she stared through the glass walls. No doubt the design was intended to allow maximum air and light into the building, but suddenly everything seemed so strange. She decided to send her friends back home a quick e-mail, but either service was sporadic or someone had forgotten to hook up her computer.

She walked to the nurses’ station.

“Leilani, how can I send and receive e-mail?”