скачать книгу бесплатно
He didnât respond to her. âHow did this happen?â he demanded, glaring at Garrett. âYou are supposed to keep her safe.â
âThis is not something anyone could predict or prevent.â Garrett braced his elbows on his knees and gripped his hands together. âBut we can work with Lena as she learns to handle her condition.â
Mr. Smith nodded. âYou will see that she knows what to do.â
âYes, but you should also understandââ
The other man stood up. âNo. You are responsible. I signed papers. You will make sure she gets well and can do what is necessary when she comes home. That is what must happen.â
Without allowing Garrett to utter another word, Lenaâs dad stalked out of the waiting room toward the parking lot.
âHe didnât go in to visit her,â Rachel said in a hollow voice.
âNo.â Garrett wiped a hand over his face. âAnd he treated you with disrespect. Iâm sorry about that.â
She shrugged. âHe doesnât seem to value women very highly.â
âI guess not. Itâs no wonder Lena was getting into trouble. She was crying out for attention.â
âA kid needs her parents at a time like this,â Rachel said fiercely. âWhoâs going to look after this abandoned teenaged girl?â
Garrett swallowed hard. âYou heard her father. He made me responsible.â
But the doctor shook her head. âBeing a teenager with diabetes is toughâphysically, mentally and emotionally. Lena has to have a stable support system to help her understand the healthy life she should try to live. You canât possibly accomplish that on a ranch in the middle of a summer camp!â
Chapter Two (#ulink_a4c1289f-ae5a-560c-a776-8f9460b68bdb)
Spine straight, shoulders square, Garrett met her gaze with narrowed eyes. âI think youâre jumping to conclusions. With your helpââ
âEven with my help,â Rachel said before he could finish, âit would be quite a challenge, especially when you have so many kids to deal with. These first few weeks are going to be confusing for Lena, but also very important. Sheâll have to absorb a lot of information very quickly.â
âIâm sure there are resources available. We do get the internet out here in the wild, wild West.â His grin invited her to smile with him.
But she didnât cooperate. âLena will need appointments with a team of doctors and nurses whoâll supervise her treatment on a regular basis. Thatâs a significant time commitment.â
He shrugged. âThereâs no other option. Without a family, who else will take care of her?â
âThatâs for us to figure out.â Rachel got to her feet. âFor the moment, letâs see how sheâs doing.â
In the emergency room cubicle, Lena looked betterâher eyes had brightened and a rosy color tinted her cheeks. âWhereâs my dad?â
Garrett cleared his throat. âWe talked, but he couldnât stay.â
âHe doesnât handle it when other people are sick.â The girl shook her head. âHe wouldnât pay attention to my mother, either. And he wasnât at the hospital when she passed.â
âWell, Iâm here,â the minister said after a stunned pause. âDr. Vale is here. And youâre getting better. Thatâs good enough for me.â
Later in the afternoon, Lena was moved to a bed in the acute care ward of the hospital. Dr. Stevens reappeared when she had settled in. âSorry about all the tests,â he said. âWe have to acquire as much information as possible so we can plan your treatment.â He brought forward a woman with short white-blond hair whoâd accompanied him into the room. âThis is Kim Kaiser. Sheâs a nurse who specializes in diabetes education. Sheâll help you understand how to deal with diabetes.â
âYou should sit in on this,â Rachel told Garrett. âIf youâre responsible for her, you have to understand her medications.â
He made a wry face. âIâm suddenly wishing Iâd paid more attention in biology class.â
Kimâs visit lasted about an hour. She explained the cause of diabetes, much as Dr. Stevens had done, but then proceeded to discuss the treatment, which would involve Lena taking enough insulin through the day to balance her blood sugar. Fortunately, sheâd brought printed materials along, and Rachel loaned Garrett a pen so he could make notes on the pages.
âThe doctors are still working out what kind of insulin youâll need,â Kim told Lena. âSo Iâll be back tomorrow and we can go over that. But are there any questions you want to ask now?â
Lena nodded. âIs that all I have to do, take pills?â She glanced at Justino. âThat doesnât seem so hard.â
âIâm sorry to say that insulin canât be made into pills,â Kim said. âItâs a liquid that has to be injected under your skin. With a needle.â
âShots?â Lenaâs dark eyes went round with horror. âI have to take shots?â
Justino looked equally distressed. âShe hates needles.â
Kim took the protests in stride. âThen maybe you will want to use an insulin pump, which is similar to the IV you have right now. With a pump, the needle goes in once and stays for several days.â
âFor how long? How long do I have to do this?â
âFor the rest of your life, Lena.â A gentle voice, but a harsh piece of news.
The girl shook her head. âI canât. No way.â
With a glance at Rachel, Garrett took a deep breath and stepped over to the bed. âTry not to get upset, Lena.â He grabbed the end rail with both hands. âWeâll figure out how to make it all work for you. Maybe the pump is what you need. Or...or maybe youâll have to get used to taking shots. But not right this minute. Right this minute all you have to do is relax.â
She glared at him through the tears running down her cheeks. âIt isnât fair!â
He shook his head. âNo, itâs not. You shouldnât have to deal with diabetes. Nobody should.â He shrugged. âBut itâs happened. And in the long run you will be happiest and be able to enjoy your life if you learn to take care of yourself.â
Lena had broken into sobs. Justino put his arms around her but looked at Garrett. âI think she wants to be by herself.â
âWeâll step out for a few minutes.â He picked up his hat, held the door for Kim and Rachel, and then followed them into the hall. âI guess you have to expect an emotional reaction. Itâs a pretty serious diagnosis.â
âYes, it is.â Kim gave him a calm smile. âAs her fatherââ
He cleared his throat. âIâm not her dad. Iâm acting in his place.â
âOh.â Her brows drew together as she turned to Rachel. âAre you her mother?â
âNo, Iâm the physician in Bisons Creek, where Lena lives.â
âI just assumed...â The nurse took a breath. âWell, if you are Lenaâs guardians, youâll have to help her overcome her resistance. Her very life depends on it.â
As Kim left them, Garrett rubbed the nape of his neck. âAcceptance is a hard enough lesson for an adult to learn, much less a teenager. This kind of situation poses a real test of faith.â
âFaith isnât the solution here.â Rachel took a deep breath, trying to curb her impatience at his approach to the problem. âWe have to convince her that medical science canât be ignored. Itâs a fact that she has diabetes, a fact that she has to take insulin or suffer serious consequences. Faith wonât change those facts. Thereâs no other reasonable choice.â
His brows drew together in a worried frown. âEasier said than done.â
âIt is a daunting prospect.â His obvious concern softened her mood, and she put her hand on his upper arm. âBut youâll take it a day at a time. An hour at a time.â
The frown cleared and then he smiled at her. âThatâs all we ever have to manage, in fact. This moment. Thanks for reminding me.â
For a moment, she returned his smile, surrendering to the attraction sheâd been resisting all day.
Then she remembered his vocation and disconnected her gaze from his. âWe should check on Lena. I hope sheâs calmed down by now.â
In fact, the girl had fallen asleep, curled on her side toward Justino, who sat next to the bed, holding her hand. When Rachel and Garrett entered, he eased his fingers free and came across the room to face them.
âTell me the truth,â he said, his young face set in grim lines. âWill Lena die from this diabetes?â
When Garrett glanced at her, Rachel tilted her head to indicate that he should field the question.
âThe effects of untreated diabetes can be life threatening,â he told the boy. âWhat we have to do is convince Lena to take the medicine that will prevent those effects. It wonât be easyâat first anyway. But with care she can live to be a grandmother. Or a great-grandmother!â
Justino sighed. âShe has always hated getting shots at the doctor. But somehow she will manage. Sheâs strong. And Iâll help her.â
Garrett gripped his shoulder. âI know you will. Weâll all be on Lenaâs side, supporting her as she gets used to a new routine. And we have Dr. Vale here in town as an added bonus. Sheâll be great backup.â
Justino gave Rachel one of his rare smiles. âMaybe you will be more than backup,â he told her. âMaybe you will be the mother Lena doesnât have.â
* * *
AFTER CALLING THE ranch to give everyone a report on Lenaâs condition, Garrett sat down beside Rachel in the waiting room. He leaned over and spoke in a low voice. âYou look terrified.â
She stared straight ahead. âI have no idea what youâre talking about.â
âWhen Justino said you could be the mother Lena lost. You went pale.â
âI was startled, thatâs all. Teenagers are usually more suspicious of adults.â
âI think these two are grabbing at whatever resources they can reach. Youâre going to be one of them.â
Her expression relaxed slightly. âIâm glad to be Lenaâs doctor. But I canât step in as her mother. Thereâs a reason doctors donât treat their own familyâitâs called objectivity.â
âDo you want kids some day?â
Now she frowned at him. âI donât know. Do you?â
He nodded. âDefinitely. Kids are fun.â Then he reconsidered. âBut also scary. I guess I have to get past that somehow, to be useful to Lena.â
âThatâs the point of remaining objective,â Rachel said. âWhen youâre taking care of somebody, you focus on the facts and what can be done, not the emotions involved. Itâs called equanimityâstaying calm in the midst of a high-pressure situation. As one of my teachers suggested, âFirst, take your own pulse.ââ
âSo thatâs how you doctors manage. Must take lots of practice.â
âInternship and residency are all about equanimity. The more cases you see, the better your control.â
Garrett cocked his head. âAnd you like being in control.â
âAre we still talking about medicine?â
He grinned. âThatâs up to you.â
âWell, then, I admit Iâm pretty much a control freak, professionally and personally. Life runs smoother that way.â
âYouâve never encountered circumstances you couldnât control?â
âOf course I have,â she said, her tone sharp. Then she drew a deep breath. âEverybody does,â she said more calmly.
âThatâs good. For a minute there, I thought you were perfect.â When she laughed, he nodded. âThere you go. I knew youâd have a great laugh.â
Her lips parted in surprise, and her cheeks flushed. He wondered if he might get a flirtatious comeback.
But in the next moment, she stood up abruptly. âIâm going to stretch my legs. Iâll be back in a few minutes.â
Before Garrett could say another word, sheâd hurried out the door.
* * *
BETWEEN A TRIP to the restroom and a walk around the entire hospital, Rachel managed to waste half an hour she might have otherwise spent sitting with Garrett Marshall. Flirting with Garrett Marshall.
Not that flirting was a skill sheâd had much practice withâmedical school and training hadnât left a lot of time for romance.
But Garrett wasnât someone she wanted to think of in a romantic context anyway. She wasnât going to fall for the cowboy type, no matter how ruggedly handsome he might be. Of course, Garrett was more than a cowboy. He was also a minister.
And that was the real issue between them, one that couldnât be resolved with any amount of flirting or getting better acquainted. As a pastor, Garrett Marshall counted on the effectiveness of prayer and the possibility of miracles. He led a churchâa congregation of people who shared his convictions.
But during her motherâs illness, Rachel had witnessed the damage such groups and their beliefs could do. In the wrong hands, religion became a tool for deception and greed. If it werenât for her unquestioning faith in a corrupt con man, Sarah Vale might still be alive. While Rachel didnât question the right of others to their devotion, she certainly didnât intend to join them.
By the time she returned to the waiting room, Lena had awakened. She was calm, though Rachel saw the fear of an uncertain future in her eyes. When her dinner arrived, she ate a few bites, which was a good sign. After a night on insulin, she would probably wake in the morning ready to finish her entire breakfast and more. Rachel said as much to Garrett on their way back to Bisons Creek.
âIâm glad to hear her appetite will improve,â Garrett said. âSheâs always been slender, but I didnât realize until today that she was losing weight. I should have noticed.â
âYou wouldnât necessarily recognize the signs,â Rachel assured him. âUnless something brought it to your attention.â
âI hate leaving Lena in the hospital alone,â Justino said from the backseat. âShe looked so scared.â
Garrett blew out a breath. âI know. But sheâs got the television for a diversion. Sheâll probably fall asleep pretty fast.â
âCan we go see her early in the morning?â
âWeâll leave after breakfast.â
Though Rachel didnât have her bearings yet about locations in and around Bisons Creek, she was surprised when Garrett turned onto the Circle M Ranch drive before taking her to the clinic. He stopped the truck at the house to let Justino out.
âMiss Caroline will have saved you some dinner,â he told the boy. âTry to take it easy tonight and not worry too much. Lenaâs being well cared for and sheâs getting better.â
âI hope so.â