A Family Affair(73)

Cassie squeezed around the exam table to make room for the paramedics and their equipment.

The paramedic was very handsome. Jessie felt a little unsteady just looking at him.

“Buenos dias, Mamasita. Did you bring us a new little bambino? Oh, he is a handsome boy. We’re going for a little ride to the hospital. The doctor is going to check you over and make sure you and the baby are okay.”

Cassie translated and the new mama, tears on her cheeks, thanked them all profusely. She even grasped Jessie’s hands, thanking her. On the way out of the tight-fitting exam room, the nurse plopped a bag on the mama’s gurney. Her pants.

When the room was clear, Cassie started cleaning up. Of course, in an operation like this, everyone pitched in. The doctor was not waited on like in snazzier, more expensive clinics. She tore off the soiled paper, began to wash down the table, filled the sink with water and antiseptic. “It was nice of you to stop by,” she said with a laugh. “How can I help you?”

“Do you need some help?”

“Nah, I got this. Just tell me what I can do for you?”

“I think...I mean, maybe I can help out here. As a volunteer or something?”

“Seriously?”

“It’s kind of exciting,” Jessie said. “And I think you have your hands full.”

“Well, no shit. I mean, no kidding. I have a hiring process even for volunteers—I have to document you, check your credentials and licenses, and you should probably have an introduction to the facility and staff, though that won’t take long. I have to completely vet you. But I’m too busy today. It’ll have to be another day, probably when the clinic is closed.”

“That’s fine,” Jessie said. “I’ll give you my card and you can email a list of everything you need and I’ll bring it all at the appointed time.”

Cassie stopped scrubbing. “I can’t pay you. But you would be a godsend.”

Jessie handed her a business card. “Email me soon. I’m on leave right now, taking care of my mother who is recovering from a stroke and she’s doing great. I was thinking of going back part-time, anyway. I think this might be what I’m looking for. And the sooner, the better.”

Anna had spent all morning with her clerk, looking through some cases and deciding whether to postpone, send to another court or adjudicate them. This clerk who had worked in her office for just a few months was Cameron. There were a few cases that could be decided without scheduling court—some property settlements, lawsuits, a couple of assault cases. Then they began to resettle her into what had been Chad’s office.

“You’re going to work in here now?” he asked. “You said you wouldn’t.”

“I thought I’d have to redo it, switch the furniture, but I changed my mind. I’m not spending a nickel on this space just to indulge my petty anger that it was off-limits to me for so many years. It’s mine now, like it or not. I’m not planning to work from home all that often. I have a fantastic office in the city and I like it there. This is my backup office.”

“Whatever you say,” Cameron said.

“So I’ll work in here, but I ordered a new chair that should be here tomorrow. I have a new tower and monitor for the desktop and I need you to set it up.”

“I can do that,” he said.

“Of course you can. I’m going to take a meeting on my laptop in my bedroom while you bring that large stack of books from the garage and put them onto the shelves. Please make a list of things I need from pens to tablets to Post-it notes and I’ll order them.”

“I’ll order the office supplies, have them delivered here,” he said.

“You do that,” she said. “Don’t overdo. This isn’t going to be my go-to office. I’m planning to work in the city most of the time. Now get on it while I have my meeting.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

Anna went to her room, got comfortable in a chair in the corner and clicked on the conference program for her meeting with Dr. Norton. She had to wait a few minutes for him to come on-screen. “Hello!” he said. “How goes it?”

“Very well. You?”

“It’s a good day. Tell me about your plans for Thanksgiving.”

Anna told him about her plans to cook for Thanksgiving, making lists, having the kids all at home and feeling so comfortable in her surroundings finally. Her panic of another stroke diminished by the day.

The doctor touched his own face under his nose and she looked at the screen. She jumped in surprise and grabbed a tissue from the box on the table.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She dabbed at the blood running from her nose. “This is new. I had a bloody nose this morning and this is the second one today. I might have to put you on hold awhile. Unless you want to just watch me bleed.”

“Have you told the doctor?”

“The occasional bloody nose is not unusual. The bruises...”

“Was that an answer?” he asked.

“Of course I mentioned it to Jessie.”

“And you mentioned your two bloody noses in one day? And quite a few bruises?”

“She’s gone into the city today.”

“Are you alone?” he asked.

“There’s a clerk here,” she said. “Oh, hold on. This is getting ugly.” She put aside her laptop and grabbed more tissues and was mopping up her face, getting blood on her hands. Finally she headed for the bathroom and got a hand towel, pressing that over her face. With a bloodstained towel pressing over her nose, she headed for the kitchen. She found an ice pack and pressed it over the bridge of her nose.