Solemn Oath

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Lukas hesitated. How was he supposed to tell this young girl that she needed a bath? Estelle would not appreciate it if he dumped this on her, and it would be more painful coming from the hospital administrator than it would from a doctor who worked with her.

“Yes, Amanda.” He cleared his throat and willed his face not to flush. This was strictly a professional problem to be dealt with. “Uh, did you have an employment physical when you came to work here?”

Her light brown eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Yes. It was a requirement.”

“Good.” But those physicals were certainly not comprehensive. “Have you been having any health problems lately?”

She frowned at him. “No, I’ve been better than ever.” She tugged at the waistband of her scrubs, which showed some slack. “I’ve been on a diet, and I’m almost down to my target weight. I’ve got all kinds of energy.”

Target weight? She didn’t look as if she needed to lose any weight. “Are you under a doctor’s care?”

“Nope, I did it on my own. I’ve been taking ma huang since I came to work here—one of the nurses up on the floor told me about it. It sure helps curb the appetite.”

Ma huang? He didn’t like the sound of this. He looked her up and down. “Why are you still trying to lose weight?”

She tugged at her scrub pants again. “Don’t worry, there’s still some flab. These baggy things cover a lot of cellulite. I’ve always had trouble with my weight, but when I moved to Knolls six months ago, the pounds just started to slip off. I don’t know why. I guess I just got too busy moving, and I got a little homesick, too…Anyway, I wasn’t hungry. It felt so good to lose the weight, I decided to keep going. It worked! I’ve lost forty pounds since I came here, and it wasn’t hard at all.” She grinned at him. She had a sweet face, with dimples, rosy cheeks, the whole bit.

Lukas frowned. Forty pounds in six months? That was a little extreme. “Amanda, did you know that ma huang contains mostly ephedrine? That’s an amphetamine-related compound. I don’t like the idea of one of the hospital nurses recommending it for you.” He knew he probably sounded like her father trying to lecture her.