The Doctor's Redemption

They’d shared an apartment for a few months and had traded off their time watching the kids while the other had worked or gone to school. They had their own apartments now but in the same complex and Marsha was more like family than the one Laura Jo had left behind.

They had joined forces to help other mothers who didn’t have anyone to fall back on. They had convinced the city to sell them an old home so these women would have a place to live and receive help while they were getting their lives in order. The deadline to pay for the house was looming. Finding the funding had become more difficult than Laura Jo had anticipated.

Marsha announced, “I heard from the city contact. He said we had to move soon on the house or the city will have to announce it’s for sale. They can’t hold it forever.”

Laura Jo groaned. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “How much time do we have?”

“Week or two. At least until things settle down after Mardi Gras. We’ve got to come up with a good way to raise a lot of money. Fast. I know you don’t want to do it but you do have the contacts. Maybe you could put on a party dress and go pick the pockets of all those society friends you used to hang around with.”

Laura Jo shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. We’ll have to find another way.”

What if she had to face her mother and father? Worse, have them see her asking for money. That’s what they had thought she’d be doing if she married Phil. That’s what he’d wanted her to do, but she’d refused. After her fight with her parents she and Phil had gone to Las Vegas that night to get married.

When they’d returned Phil had left to work on an oil rig. Three weeks later he’d come home. A week later all his pay had gone and he’d admitted he’d been fired. He’d made noises about looking for a job but in hindsight she didn’t think he’d ever really tried. Things had got worse between them. The issue that finally snapped them had been Laura Jo telling him she was pregnant. Phil’s snarling parting words were, “I didn’t sign on for no kid. You can’t put that on me. Having you is bad enough.”

Marsha gave her questioning look. “You know I’m kidding but …”

“I’ll come up with something.” She checked her watch. “Now, I have to get to the hospital.” Stepping toward Allie, Laura Jo said to Marsha, “I’ll meet you at the parade tomorrow evening.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Laura Jo leaned down and kissed Allie on the head. “See ya. Be good for Marsha.”

“I will,” Allie replied, then returned to what she was doing.

“Thanks, Marsha.” Laura Jo called as she went up the hall.

Six hours later, Laura Jo was longing for her dinner and a moment to put her feet up. She wasn’t going to get either anytime soon. Working in a trauma one level hospital meant a constant influx of patients, not only the regular cases but Mardi Gras’s as well, which brought out the revelers and daredevils. Weekend nights were the worst and the place resembled a circus with not enough clowns to go around. Everyone had their hands full. The doors were swishing open regularly with people coming in. The constant ringing of the phone filled the area, blending with the piercing scream of ambulance sirens.

As she stepped back into the nursing station the phone rang again. Seconds later the clerk called out, “Incoming. Sixty-seven-year-old male. Heart attack. Resuscitating in transit. Child with head trauma behind that. ETA ten.”

“I’ll take the heart. Trauma six.” Laura Jo hurried to set up what was needed before the patient arrived.

Minutes later the high-pitched sound of the ambulance arriving filled the air and Laura Jo rushed outside. The double rear doors of the vehicle stood wide open. Usually by this time the EMTs would be unloading the patient.

Looking inside, she immediately recognized the EMT working over the patient but not the other man. Then she did. Mark Clayborn. Again he was wearing red biking shorts and a yellow shirt of a first responder.

Mark held the portable oxygen bubble away from the patient as the EMT placed the defibrillator paddles on the patient’s chest. The body jerked. The beep of the machine monitoring the heart rate started and grew steadier. Putting the earpieces of the stethoscope that had been around his neck into place, Mark listened to the man’s heart. “Let’s get him inside,” he said with a sharp tone of authority. He then made an agile jump to the ground, turned toward the interior of the ambulance and helped bring out the patient on the stretcher.

Although confused by why he had been allowed in the emergency vehicle, she still followed his lead. It was against policy to ride in the back unless you were part of the EMT staff. But now wasn’t the time for questions. She stood aside while the two men lifted out the stretcher. The wheels dropped to the pavement and Laura Jo wrapped her hand around the yellow metal frame and pulled. Mark kept his fingers on the pulse point of the patient’s wrist while the EMT pushed.

They had reached the doors when Mark said, “We’re losing him again.”

Tall enough to lean over and push on the patient’s chest, he began compressions. Another nurse met them and gave oxygen. Laura Jo kept moving ahead, her arm burning. To her relief, they got the patient into the trauma room. There Mark and the EMT used the defibrillator once again. Seconds later the monitor made a beep and the line went from straight to having peaks and valleys. After they gained a steady pulse, she worked to place leads to the monitors on the patient. The ER doctor rushed in.

Mark and the EMT backed away with exhausted sighs, giving the ER doctor, Laura Jo and the other staff members space to work. For the next twenty intensive minutes, Laura Jo followed the ER doctor’s instructions to the letter. Finally they managed to stabilize the patient enough to send him to surgery.

Laura Jo had to talk to the family. They must be scared. When she asked the admission clerk where they were she was told exam room five.

“Why are they in an exam room?”

“The man’s granddaughter is being evaluated.”

Laura Jo headed for the exam room. It shouldn’t have surprised her that Mark was there, too. He came out as she was preparing to go in.

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” he drawled in a deep voice that made her think of a dark velvet night.

“It’s not that amazing really. I work here.”

“I figured that out. So how’s your daughter? Healing nicely?”

“She’s fine. A little tender but fine.”

“Good. By the way, I’m Dr. Mark Clayborn.”

“Yes, I know who you are. As in the Clayborn Building, Clayborn Bank, Clayborn Shipping.

He gave her a studying look. “Do I know you?”

“I’m Laura Jo Akins. Used to be Laura Jo Herron.”

“Herron? My parents used to talk about the Herrons. Robert Herron. Real estate.”

She looked away. “Yes, that’s my father.”

He had pursed his lips. “Well, that’s a surprise. Isn’t it a small world?”

Too small for Laura Jo’s comfort. It was time to change the subject. “Thanks for helping out. Now I need to talk to the family.” She gave the door to the exam room a quick knock and pushed it open.

It turned out that she was wasting her time. “The nice Dr. Clayborn” had updated them and also seen to Lucy, their little girl, but they appreciated Laura Jo coming in. By the time she’d returned to the nursing station things seemed to be under control in the ER. All the exam and trauma rooms were full. The critical cases were being cared for. Those waiting were not serious.

“Why don’t you take your supper break while you can?” the lead nurse said.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s now or never. You know the closer we get to Fat Tuesday the merrier it gets around here.”

Laura Jo laughed. “If merry is what you want to call it. Okay, I’ll go.”

“I’d rather call it merry otherwise I think I might cry,” the lead nurse said with a grin.

Laura Jo grabbed her lunch box. It had become a habit to pack a lunch when money had been so tight even before Phil had left. Reaching the cafeteria, she scanned the room for an empty table. The busy ER translated to a full room. As soon as a table opened up she headed for it. Before she could get to it Mark slid into one of the two seats available. Disappointed, she stopped and looked around for another spot.

He waved her toward him. “You can join me, if you like.”

Laura Jo looked at him. Did she really have a choice? She was expected back in the ER soon. “Thank you.”

He grinned at her. “You don’t sound too excited about it.”

What was he expecting her to say? You’re right, I’m not? “I have to eat. The ER won’t stay calm for long.”

“It did look a little wild in there. I’ve certainly had more than my share this evening. I haven’t done this much emergency work since I was on my med school rotation. Don’t see many head trauma and heart attacks in family practice.”

Laura Jo pulled her sandwich out of the plastic bag. “I understand that the girl was sitting on top of her father’s shoulders and toppled off. When the grandfather saw what had happened he had a heart attack.”

“Yeah. Thank goodness it all happened within running distance of the med tent. For a few minutes there wasn’t enough of us medical personal around to handle all that was going on. I’m just glad the girl has regained consciousness and the grandfather is stable.”

“The girl will be here for observation for at least one night and the grandfather for much longer, I’m afraid.”

He took a large bite of his hamburger and they ate in silence for a while before he asked, “So you knew who I was the other day. Why didn’t you say something?”

“There just didn’t seem a right moment.”

“So you’ve seen a lot of Mardi Gras.”

She straightened her back and looked directly at him. “I’m not that old.”

He grinned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that.”

Laura Jo had to admit he had a nice smile. She grinned. “That’s not what it sounded like to me.”

“I was just trying to make pleasant conversation and didn’t mean—”

“I know you didn’t.” Still, it would have been nice if he’d at least thought she looked familiar. She’d been invisible to her parents, unimportant to her husband and just this once it would have been nice to have been memorable. But, then, it had been a long time ago.

“So do you attend any of the krewe festivities?” He chewed slowly, as if waiting patiently for her answer.

“No. I don’t travel in that social circle anymore.” She took a bite of her sandwich.

“Why not? As I remember, the Herrons were a member of the same krewe as my family.”

“I’m an Akins now.”

“So Mr. Akins isn’t a member either, I gather.”

“No, and Mr. Akins, as you put it, isn’t around to be a member.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. He left years ago.”

“Oh, I thought …”

“I know. For all I know, he’s alive and well somewhere.”

Having finished his meal, Mark leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, it has been a pleasure running into you, Ms. Atkins.”

Laura Jo stood to leave. “You, too, Dr. Clayborn. We do seem to keep running into each other.”

“Why, Ms. Akins, you don’t believe in serendipity?”

“If I ever did believe in serendipity, that would’ve been a long time ago. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

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