A Healing Love

“Yes, Dr. Harrod and I wholeheartedly agree with your diagnosis, but are you sure you can handle that little mare and get back down the mountain before dark?”

“No doubt about that. David, do you think you can manage things until I can make it back to the clinic?” Mark asked half authoritatively, half teasing.

David chuckled, his eyes merry. “I don’t think we have any choice. Our cowgirl here needs some medical attention herself, and I don’t know if this aging frame is up to that wild ride down the mountain. No, I guess I’ll just have to do the best I can until you can get there.”

Both younger doctors burst into laughter. David McBride’s physical prowess at midlife was greater than men half his age. His broad shoulders rippled with muscles and his narrow hips and flat abdomen testified to the vigorous physical activity that he enjoyed every day. In fact, only the sprinkling of silver through his hair and the deepening laugh lines at the corners of his vivid blue eyes and mouth showed his years. Dr. David McBride was a handsome man, and a commanding presence both physically and emotionally. His eyes glowed with an inner strength and his carriage proclaimed him a man who knew himself and was at peace with that knowledge.

Laura had inherited her thick blond hair and deep blue eyes from her father, her fragile frame and other facial features from her mother, but her eyes glowed with her very own inner beauty that mingled with an innocent curiosity about life. The promise of strength was there and would come later when she found those answers.

Without warning, a total weariness washed over her, and, too tired to continue their bantering, she agreed, “Thank you, Mark. I’ll owe you one.”

He twisted his face in a mock, leering glare. “Never you fear, my lovely. I’ll collect.”

As soon as Laura and David were airborne, Mark started down the long trail toward the sprawling Victorian farmhouse where an anxious Jonah McBride paced up and down the old front porch.

Chapter Three

A bright midmorning sun streamed in through the leaded-glass window as a gentle breeze wafted through the open casement, stirring the lace curtains. From outside, the soft whinny of horses and the metallic clang of feeding buckets told Laura that she had overslept.

Bolting upright in bed, she gave one short yelp as pain coursed through her head in throbbing crescendos. She raised her small scratched hands and pressed her temples. The room receded in darkness for a moment, then slowly refocused.

One foot slid from beneath the satin coverlet and testily reached for the floor. Now her muscles joined her aching head in a painful refrain. She managed to sit up and bring the other foot to rest on the floor, then paused to let the recurring darkness subside once more.

After arising stiffly, she shuffled to the window, a grimace of pain contorting her features. Standing beside the window, she let the refreshing breeze bathe her face and waited for the pain to diminish. It finally eased.

Outside, Jonah stood, one leg propped up on the split-rail fence, rubbing Maleeka’s head and gazing out toward the mountain partially covered by a morning mist. She knew he was reliving yesterday and the terror he’d felt before he saw her safe and sound again. He had been waiting at the hospital when the medivac copter had returned.

She smiled. What a blessing to have a grandfather to love. In fact, what a fortunate woman she was to have a family like hers. Why would she ever want to leave this place? And yet, would she?

She limped toward the bathroom, eager to sink her sore, aching muscles into the large oversize tub supported by stately claw feet. After filling it almost to the top, she settled into the warm water, the fragrance of a spring bouquet teasing her nostrils. She soaked, letting the gentle warm pressure soothe her aching muscles, and soon even the throbbing in her head had decreased to a dull ache.

The staccato of the phone rent the air as she put the large towel around her wet locks, turban style, and fastened a long white terry robe securely around her waist.

“Dr. McBride here,” she softly answered. A twinkle lit her eyes and the corners of her mouth curled in a half smile when the familiar voice of her father sounded on the other end.

“How are our patients?” was her eager response.

“Don’t you think I’d better come in and relieve you? You’ve been up for the most part of two nights yourself,” Laura reminded him as she heard the fatigue in his voice.

“Oh? Mark’s coming in. They’ll be in good hands for sure. Yes, sir, I’ll take doctor’s orders. Rest until three, eat a light breakfast and drink plenty of fluids. See? I am a good patient. Love ya, too. Bye, now.”

She replaced the phone on the bedside table, an affectionate smile brushing her lips. She was a “daddy’s girl,” no doubt about it. Her long fingers gently toweled her hair, as her mind tripped back over the years. Although she loved her parents equally, it was her father’s approval that had motivated her to excellence. In fact, if she faced the truth, it was he who had influenced her career choice. What would she have been were her father just an ordinary man?

A rap on the door interrupted her musings.

Jonah asked from the hall, “You decent, honey? I’ve got some coffee for you.”

“You old sweetheart. I was coming down for it,” she protested, leaning over to kiss him on his weathered cheek once he’d entered.

“Let me pamper you a little. Isn’t that what grandparents are for? Since I’m the only one you have, I get to do it twice as much.” He winked at her even as a shadow of wistfulness touched his eyes.

“You still miss Grandmother, don’t you?”

He nodded. “And I will until I draw my last breath.”

“But it’s been so long.”

“Forty years. I had her for only twenty, but that was long enough to know there’d never be another for me. Some people love like that. God blesses them with such a perfect love that no one else can replace it.”

“You didn’t ever date after she died?”

He chuckled. “Sure. People tried to fix me up all the time. Believe it or not, I was quite a catch in my day.”

“You don’t have to convince me. I think you’re still a catch. But no one could live up to Grandmother?”

“No, it wouldn’t have been fair to someone else. When you’ve had the best, you can’t accept second best. I’d always been comparing and they could have never met my expectations, so I’ve settled for my memories.”

“Good ones?”

“Some wonderful ones, but some regrets, too.”

“Regrets?” Laura asked, puzzled.

“Regrets that I spent too much of my time and energy building a successful urban practice. Time I took away from my Anna. I thought we’d have plenty of time later when I got my work established. It didn’t work out that way.” He turned his piercing blue eyes on Laura and added, “Don’t ever put relationships on hold, Laura. Savor them. You never know the future.”

“Do you think Grandmother had regrets?”

A deep sadness touched Jonah’s eyes before he answered her, then he nodded. “Disappointments, too, probably, but she never voiced them to me.”

“Why?”

Jonah sighed, a sad little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Because she had learned to savor the times that we did have together and refused to let anything tarnish their splendor. That’s why I have so many wonderful memories, kitten.”

“I’m sorry I never knew her.”

“You look an awful lot like your grandmother.”

“I thought I looked like my dad.”

“You do, but you’re a lot more delicate. He resembles her.”

“Her picture is so beautiful, but it’s almost ethereal. I don’t see myself like that.”

“You do have her golden beauty, but you’re right. Yours is not an unearthly quality. You’re spunky like your mother.”

“Spunky? What do you mean by that?” Laura was puzzled as she visualized her small, dark-haired mother with large indigo eyes.

“Sometimes you have a show-me attitude, and you’re always ready to speak your mind.”

“You think mom’s got a show-me attitude?” Laura arched an eyebrow questioningly. Her grandfather’s statement surprised her. He had always loved and admired his daughter-in-law. Was there a veiled criticism in his remark?

“It’s mellowed over the years to one of strong conviction, but when she’s convinced she’s right, there is no stopping her. She speaks her mind in no uncertain terms.”

“That’s for sure,” Laura agreed. “But isn’t that part of being a good writer—being a communicator? That’s why she’s had a successful career, even though she chose to remain here in this rural area. I’ve wondered lately why she stayed here. When I was younger I just took it for granted, but lately…”

“She’s a gifted woman, but one who set her priorities in order.”

“As I think back, she never seemed to struggle with balancing a home and a career,” Laura observed thoughtfully as she held the steaming cup of coffee in both hands, savoring the aroma before she put it to her lips.

“She struggled with that decision before she married your dad. First she came to terms with what the Good Lord wanted her to do with her life. Then the rest fell into place.”

“Easier said than done.” Memories of Darlene’s tempting offer haunted her for a moment.

“I didn’t say it was easy. What’s right is rarely easy. When your mom decided to marry your father and stay here, she thought her career was over. In fact, her publisher fired her, but God just brought more and better opportunities here.” Jonah’s eyes misted as he remembered.

“How so?” Laura’s interest was piqued.

“When your mom sacrificed her goals, her ambitions and her ability for what she knew God wanted from her—marriage, a family and living in this rural mountain valley—He gave them back to her enhanced with new opportunities.”

Laura pressed her grandfather, not quite convinced. “You don’t think she would have been successful in New York? Her talents were the same. There is opportunity there.”

“She would have enjoyed a measure of success because of her extraordinary talent, but God put her here, where there was a rich field of ideas. Not only did she achieve personal achievement and international recognition, but she was able to make a positive impact on other lives. She would never have had the knowledge or opportunity in New York.”

“Do you think God is interested in everyone’s life that much, or was Mom just special?”

“Your mom’s pretty special, but I believe God is interested in all His children’s lives. If He loves us and is our Father, then how could He not be? Do you not think He’s interested in your plans?”

“Um, perhaps. To tell you the truth, I’ve not thought much about it. I’d always planned to be a doctor, and since Dad’s destiny was here, I just assumed that I was to follow in his footsteps. That is, until lately.” Laura dropped her eyes and her voice, fearing she’d revealed more than she had intended, actually more than even she was ready to admit to herself.

Her grandfather looked at her steadily, then smiled slightly, before commenting dryly, “Sometimes distinguishing between God’s will, our will and somebody else’s is difficult. But if you achieve the fulfillment you need, you’ll have to come to terms with why you are working here with us. Are you trying to fulfill someone else’s vision for your life or the destiny God has ordained for you? Only by following God’s destiny can your life accomplish its highest purpose.”

“You don’t think I can attain my goals working with Dad?”

“First you have to define your goals and determine if they’re your God-given goals or your dad’s.”

“Dad never put any pressure on me to come back here,” she defended too quickly.

“He wouldn’t knowingly. But sometimes children subconsciously pattern their lives after their parents’ in an effort to win their approval. This is especially true if they admire them.”

Laura turned from her grandfather before he could see the uncertainty his words had stirred in her. She dropped onto her chaise nestled in the alcove, where the morning sun streamed in, then looked up into her grandfather’s eyes, a resolute smile on her lips that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I think I’m quite comfortable with my situation—helping Dad and Mark at the clinic, seeing Mom every day and living here with you. Really, who could want more?”

“Comfortable? Hmm.” Jonah stroked his chin pensively before adding, “But are you fulfilled?”

The acrid smell of disinfectant greeted Laura as she entered the hospital, and the familiar rush of adrenaline pumped her heart faster. To be even a small part of God’s healing process always excited her. Today was no different. Here, she could forget the nagging questions Jonah had stirred, the brief disloyal yearnings she had felt in Louisville. Wasn’t it enough to serve in this great field of medicine? Did it matter where, so long as she did?

“Hi, Doc Laura! We didn’t expect to see you today. Figured you’d be all tuckered out after yesterday,” Francie Dunwoody greeted the young doctor in a familiar Appalachian drawl that identified her as a local.

“I’m stiff but moving, Francie. Would have been tempting to stay put today, but I didn’t want to miss out on any excitement.” Laura smiled, accustomed to the almost maternal interest the staff took in her. She knew that behind her back they often speculated about her and Mark’s relationship, but as yet none had been so bold as to broach the subject with her.

“Your dad just went up to see the new patient. He’s got everybody buzzing. How he ever survived that crash is a real mystery. You know…” She chattered on as Laura walked briskly down the polished hallway with a wave of the hand, smiling as she compared Francie’s down-home chatter with the cool diction of Ms. Brown of Metropolitan Surgeons and Associates. Sometimes Francie definitely talked too much, but when people were distressed she was a godsend at encouraging and comforting them. Come to think of it, Laura would take Francie’s warm jabber over Ms. Brown’s frosty competence any day.

Laura took the stairs two at a time, sore, aching muscles forgotten. Arriving at her office a good half hour before shift change, Laura felt a new confidence and contentment. She grabbed her white jacket and slipped it over her navy turtleneck and denim skirt.

Looking in the mirror, she laughed aloud at her image. Francie is not the only “down-home.” employee in this hospital. With that she twisted her blond cloud of lustrous curls into a ponytail and tied it with a red-and-blue gingham ribbon. She looked little more than a teenager as she raced out the door toward ICU, where Tom Watson and Dr. Brad Jeremiah resided in adjoining rooms.

Picking up Tom’s chart, she noted Brad’s was missing. Her father or Mark must be with him. She ducked her head into Tom’s room, where Joan Johnson, head nurse on the surgery wing, intercepted her. “Dr. Laura, your dad wants you in temp ICU right away. Dr. Mark is already with him.”

Laura heard low masculine voices as she let herself into the sterile pale-green room where two floor nurses checked charts by a desk lamp. The overhead lights were dim and the blinds drawn, shutting out the bright afternoon sun and the glorious view outside the window of the deep narrow gorge that was Thunderbolt Canyon.

The room was sparsely furnished. With only the necessary equipment, it served as a temporary ICU unit when the primary unit was filled to capacity. The need for additional room in surgery and research had reached a critical stage, but so far the elder Dr. McBride had not found sufficient funding to finance the expansion plans. What a far cry this was from the streamlined, well-equipped units she had visited with Darlene. But then, funding proved no problem for Darlene’s clinic. Yet, did these patients deserve any less?

She moved the curtain aside, stepped in beside Mark and met the steady gaze of her father. Laura’s heart lurched.

“Dad?” she asked a little breathlessly. “Joan said you needed me.”

He lifted his head, the light catching silver threads in his hair. Lines of fatigue etched his eyes and mouth. Laura’s heart pounded harder.

“I do. Mark and I both have appointments and will be leaving shortly. I’ve opted to keep the patient in ICU until tomorrow.”

“How is he?”

“About the same—his vital signs are stable, but he hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

“Is he still sedated from the surgery?”

“Yes, but we don’t know whether it’s that or…”

“Or what?”

“He’s unresponsive from his injury.”

“From a broken leg?” Laura questioned.

“His injuries proved a little more complicated than we thought. After Mark finished, inner cranial pressure started building up and we had to go in to relieve it. Now we’re just waiting to see what damage, permanent or temporary, was done.”

Laura’s heart sank. How would the arrogant Dr. Jeremiah cope with news that he could very well have a permanent disability? “What is the prognosis?”

“We won’t know until he regains consciousness, and that’s where you come in. I’d like for you to stay with him. There is a possibility that we might have to go in and relieve the pressure again, so he needs careful observation and a doctor on duty, just in case.”

“Sure thing. I guess you’ve written everything I need to know on the chart.”

“Not quite. There’s a matter of just how much damage may have occurred.”

“Then you’re sure there is damage?”

“Too much blood for there not to be, I fear.”

Laura nodded in agreement. “If a third surgery is required will one of you be available?”

“No, my dear, you’re it. Dr. Merritt is on standby to assist you if needed.”

She shuddered and remembered Darlene. “Dad, do you think I should get in touch with Darlene?”

“Whatever for, Laura?”

“To tell her about Brad.”

“Brad? Brad who?”

“Brad Jeremiah. Your patient.”

“You know him?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“Tell us? No! We’ve worked all night trying to find out this young man’s identity so we could contact his family—we needed permission to operate. Finally, we could safely wait no longer and went ahead. If he survives with a permanent disability, no telling what kind of liability that will incur. But I felt I had no other choice,” David McBride explained, the impatience with his daughter bordering on anger.

Laura dropped her head before her father could read the dismay in her eyes. “I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly last evening. We were so busy in the copter, and then later I went home. Until this moment I didn’t realize I had not told you who he is. I’m so sorry.”

David sighed. “What matters now is who this Brad Jeremiah is and if we can get in touch with the family.”

“His name is Dr. Michael Bradford Jeremiah, and he’s a physician in the same practice with Darlene. I met him briefly Sunday night at his apartment.”

Mark quirked an inquisitive brow in her direction.

Laura blushed and stammered, “I-it was a party with some of Darlene’s associates. She took me there.”

Mark drawled, trying to lighten the moment, “I didn’t know you went to Louisville to go a-partyin’ at some rich and handsome doctor’s digs. I’d have canceled your leave.”

“Did you meet his family or do you know where we can get in touch with them?” David bristled, his brows drawn together, the stress of the past two days showing.

“No, sir. Only Darlene. I’ll call her. She should know.” Laura’s answer was clipped.

“Then call her.”

“How much shall I tell her?”

“About the accident, of course.”

“How about his injuries?”

“Injured but stable, and we won’t know the extent until he regains consciousness. Ask how we can contact his family,” the older McBride snapped, then he wheeled on his heel and left the room.

Silence reigned for a few awkward moments, then Mark whistled. “Got his hackles up, I guess.”

“He was right. I did drop the ball,” Laura admitted, troubled.

“I don’t think that’s what’s wrong with him. I think he’s exhausted, and this beating the bushes for funds is not a role that suits him. As for yours truly, I kinda like it. It’s a challenge getting these folks to part with their money. In fact, the two committee men I met with yesterday are coming tonight to tour the hospital. That research grant will be ours if they give the go-ahead. Now how do you like that for my power of persuasion, my young Dr. Mac?” he teased, trying to take her mind off her confrontation with her father.

“I would never doubt your powers of persuasion, Dr. Harrod. Can anyone withstand your Irish charm?” Laura responded, looking up directly into his eyes, a ghost of a smile struggling to emerge.

Mark lifted his eyebrows, questioningly. “Hmm. How about you, Laura?” His voice teased, but his warm brown eyes grew serious.

Laura dropped her eyes, reluctant to go on to the next phase of their relationship. Her heart lurched at the thought of loosing her carefree give-and-take with Mark. It wasn’t that she couldn’t love Mark. He was everything she wanted in a man. He was sensitive and caring, a man of strong character and principle. He was handsome and fun to be with, and above all they enjoyed a shared faith and dedication to their work. Yet for some strange reason she wasn’t ready for that ultimate commitment.

Laura lifted her head, forcing her emotions under control, and winked at him. “I’ll never tell, for then you might have me in your power.”

Mark clicked his heels together and with a mock bow responded, “I shall live in anticipation of that day.”

“Now, if you two have finished clowning we’ll attend to the patient,” David McBride said as he strode through the door, charts in hand.

Laura turned toward him, to see his dear, one-sided grin aimed at her. The familiar twinkle in his eye told her that all was forgiven, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Darlene had taken the news of Brad’s accident in stride. Giving Laura the name of his mother, who was somewhere in Delaware, she promised to come as soon as possible. Two of the physicians on staff at Medical Surgeons were away, and with Brad’s absence, Darlene’s workload prevented her from leaving on a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, Laura would contact Brad’s mother and hold the fort until Darlene could arrive. She fervently hoped that the patient would be much improved before that. But her father’s concern lay like a heavy weight on her shoulders. What would be the aftereffects of Brad Jeremiah’s accident? And if there were any, how would he adjust? She drew in a ragged breath and prayed that his consciousness would soon return. Only then would they know what he faced and their part in his recovery.

Now for the unpleasant task of phoning his mother.

Her call proved fruitless. She was an invalid in a rest home on the Chesapeake Bay. The officials there would not allow Laura to speak to her, and said they would relay the message. A sense of lonely frustration swept over her. Drawn like a magnet to his room, Laura returned time after time to stand by his side, willing him to open his eyes, but to no avail. His condition remained unchanged, his breathing steady but labored, his other vital signs stable.

Imagine being confined to a hospital, with serious injuries and no loving family huddled around. She suddenly felt a great empathy for this man she hardly knew. She shook her head, trying to regain a physician’s objectivity. But she couldn’t. Until Darlene arrived, she was the closest thing Dr. Brad Jeremiah had to family or friend. And so she waited as anxious as any loved one. Fearful he wouldn’t awake, and even more fearful of what faced them when he did.

Chapter Four

Midafternoon Laura went to her office to take a shower, hoping it would revive her from what felt like a drowsy stupor that was no doubt a lingering effect of the powerful sedative Mark had administered the night before. She kept a change of clothes in her closet for just such emergencies. She put on a softly feminine blue blouse and navy skirt, this time opting to leave her hair down. It billowed like a soft blond cloud around her shoulders. The mirror reflected her pale face as she carefully applied blush to her cheeks. The long, luxurious lashes framing her vivid blue eyes needed little mascara, just as her near-perfect complexion needed no makeup. Finishing up with a little color on her lips, Laura remembered Mark’s appointment and was glad she had changed from her denim skirt. If the prospective donors toured the hospital she wanted to present a professional image.