In a Doctor's Arms

by Lisa Mondello

  “I didn’t expect you to be up this soon,” Teresa said as he paced over the deep pile carpet toward the kitchenette. She must have noticed the unopened sandwich and was now heating it up in the small microwave.

  “I need to get back to the clinic and relieve Cammie. She has to be dead on her feet by now.”

  “Maybe someone has relieved her already.”

  “Could be, but if I know Cammie, she’s still there holding down the fort even if the entire backup staff has checked in. Besides, I don’t think she’d want to leave Drew and his dad just yet.”

  “Before you go, you’ll need to eat something. Why don’t you sit and drink some coffee while this sandwich finishes heating up?”

  He sat down at the little dining table in the kitchenette.

  “I don’t want to put you out.”

  “You’ve already had the use of my digs. You might as well go all the way.”

  Teresa’s quiet chuckle reminded him how much he enjoyed the sound of her laughter. The microwave dinged that the heating time was through. Teresa carefully took the sandwich out and placed it in front of Dennis, dropping a napkin next to the plate.

  “I’m more than interested in diving into this sandwich. It smells incredible. But I’m afraid all I really have time for is coffee, Ms. Morales.”

  “Teresa,” she said, her deep blue eyes really looking at him for the first time since he’d shown up on her doorstep over three hours ago. “You said we’d moved beyond formalities. It’s time you called me Teresa. I guess you could call me Terri, but only people in my family call me Terri, except for my grandfather. He still calls me Teresa.”

  He’d used the formal address teasingly, but he liked that Teresa was now making a distinction of moving beyond the formal to the more personal, even telling him about the nickname.

  “Is that so?” he said.

  She answered quietly, as if she were a little embarrassed. “Yes.”

  “I happen to like Teresa. It’s a pretty name. Would it bother you if I called you Teresa?”

  She chuckled softly, giving her head a quick shake. “Whatever. You can really be impossible, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “Okay. Let’s cut to the chase. Why do you really want me to come to the clinic, Dennis?”

  Her abrupt switch in subjects and the seriousness of her tone had him baffled. He liked the more relaxed Teresa. But there were more pressing matters that needed attention right now.

  “I think you can help Benny.”

  She turned for a brief moment toward the credenza and poured two cups of coffee, bringing them both to the small table where he now sat.

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with the conversation you had with Spencer this morning? The one where you dug up all kinds of information about my life?”

  She wasn’t angry. That much Dennis could tell, and he was glad she hadn’t taken his snooping as a violation. He had a feeling that while he’d been chasing Zs this afternoon, she’d been seriously thinking about his request. Since she’d hit dead center on the source of his information, she’d made some calls as well.

  “That was part of it,” he admitted, watching her for her reaction. “But only after I’d already decided to come talk to you directly.”

  “Then why bother calling the superintendent of the Hartford school system on New Year’s Day just to talk about a school counselor who, as far as he’s concerned, is on an extended leave?”

  He looked at her for a long moment and then drew in a shallow breath, letting it out slowly. “I admit that was poor judgment on my part. I’ve been so wrapped up in the adrenaline of last night that I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m sorry. My main concern was to get some help for my patients. For Benny.”

  He took a sip of coffee, hoping the caffeine would add the needed boost to his energy. Still groggy from his nap, he drank the hot liquid, careful not to burn his lips. “Besides, Spencer didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know.”

  She laughed, but there was no humor in her tone. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “He respects your privacy.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I know something happened to make you leave Hartford. Spencer didn’t have to tell me that, and he didn’t tell me anything more. I’ve seen pain in the eyes of people before, Teresa. And I’m good at reading reactions. Even the first time you came into the clinic, when I asked you about home, your eyes grew sad. Much like they are now.”

  Abruptly, Teresa sat up straight in her chair and looked away. “I didn’t realize I was that transparent.”

  “Maybe not to most people. I’m sure many might not have picked up on it, but I did. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest in a tightly bound knot. That was body language for closing him off. She’d done it before. If they hadn’t before, the warning bells certainly were going off now. She was running. That was why she’d come to Stockington Falls in the first place. She’d been running from something that had happened in Hartford. And while Dennis didn’t know the details, he knew that something about this situation was bringing all those fears back, putting her on the defensive again. And a woman on the defensive wouldn’t stay in town for long.

  Somehow, he had to get through to her. He needed her to stay, needed her to talk to his nephew. Somehow, he knew with absolute certainty that Teresa Morales was the one who could help Benny get through this tough time he was going through. But how could he make her see that?

  “Well, I have no idea what you think you see, Dennis. I don’t counsel children anymore. You’re looking in the wrong place. Why couldn’t you have called a counselor in from St. Johnsbury?”

  “I did. They want me to bring Benny up there. But his father would have nothing to do with it.”

  Realization shone in her eyes.

  “Like I said,” he continued, “I’m not looking for you to change the world. I just know that there are some kids here, my nephew included, who need some things sorted out after last night. See, I know Benny’s friends. I coach them in basketball at the church community center. They’re good kids. They just need direction. I think you can help give them that. And if Chuck dies…”

  Teresa pulled back in the chair as if she’d been hit. Like him, Teresa worked with teenagers. She understood them better than most because she’d been entrenched in their world, knew how they reacted. If Chuck died, it wouldn’t just be hard for Benny. It would be hard on his whole high school class.

  Dennis reached across the table, over the empty dishes. As an invitation, he laid his hand down, palm side up, on the clean tablecloth and waited.

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking at his outstretched hand, then at his face. “There are too many reasons why I shouldn’t.”

  “Give me a few, and I’ll prove you wrong.”

  She tossed him a wry grin. “You don’t have insurance for me to work at the clinic as a psychologist.”

  “You’re not working there today. You’re simply visiting some patients and talking to them off the record.”

  “Off the record, huh?”

  He shrugged. “Insurance is not an excuse. It’s a logistic. It’s simply a phone call away. And permission from Benny’s family isn’t a problem. Karen all but begged me to have someone talk to Benny. Give me another reason.”

  “I’m not certified in Vermont,” she said. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, already knowing he knew that wouldn’t be an obstacle for very long. “Of course, you know my credentials are recognized in all fifty states and—”

  “All you have to do is submit the proper paperwork here,” he finished for her. “But for today, that’s not a problem at all. All I want you to do is come to the clinic and talk to Benny. That’s it. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Do you believe that?”

  He hesitated, watching her emotional turmoil change her expression. Someone who didn’t genuinely care for children
may not have been affected by his plea. But he knew Teresa did care, and the decision to run or stay and help was waging war with her.

  “I used to.”

  “I really need you for this, Teresa,” he said softly. “And even though I know the real reason you’re not jumping in your car and heading over to the clinic with me is because something happened in Hartford and you’re afraid of working with kids again, but Benny needs you.”

  Her face showed steep panic. Her blue eyes were filled with golden flecks of light, reflecting her doubt and fear. Those eyes usually seemed to glow against the darker skin that was typical of her Latino heritage, but they just looked wide and worried now. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was afraid of him. Or maybe it was just the threat he posed in exposing her secret. He hated that he’d done it. The last thing he wanted to do was back her in a corner. But he was out of options.

  It took a moment, but the emotions that showed on her face told him he’d been dead-on. She was afraid. He’d seen that same fear before in his patients, and he saw it in Benny. Taking that first step toward healing was always the hardest. He had the vague feeling that getting her to help him sort out the details of last night’s accident might heal her as much as it would the people of Stockington Falls.

  After what felt like an eternity, Teresa said, “Okay. But just for today.”

  Dennis ate the sandwich on the road. Teresa followed behind him in her car as they drove to the clinic. During the drive, she second-guessed her decision to help a thousand times.

  “Lord, I know better than to question You. But I can’t help but feel that I’m not ready for this. What am I doing? I have no business at all going to that clinic and talking to anyone.” She said the words aloud and then immediately shrank back in her seat as if waiting for an admonishment. How could she possibly be thinking of working with another child? She’d already lost one due to her mistake. Surely God would want her to turn right around and go back to her condo and steer clear of this mess. She had no business counseling children anymore.

  Teresa had assumed she and Dennis would have more time to talk before going to the clinic, if only to delay having to take that first step into Benny’s room.

  She had to agree with Dennis. Helping the children was more important than her fears and came first. But what if she was right and wasn’t able to help Benny at all?

  They drove over Abbey Bridge, and she saw up close the scars on the pavement and in the frozen ground. She thought back to the view from her window in her condo and of the many nights she had sat by that window watching in awe at the sunset over the mountain. She’d marveled how the fading light caused shadows to stretch over the covered bridge below, like a warm blanket protecting it. She loved the changing colors, the peacefulness nightfall casts against the bridge and on Stockington Falls Mountain. It gave her a safe place to explore all the thoughts that haunted her.

  But now everywhere she looked where she’d once seen beauty the remains of disaster seemed to glare up at her mockingly. It made her mind return to darker memories, like the day she’d first driven into Stockington Falls. She’d still had on the dress she’d worn to Mariah’s funeral.

  That was the day she’d haphazardly packed her bags with whatever she could get her hands on. She’d gotten into her car and driven north. She didn’t have a clue as to where she was going. All she cared about when she’d left Hartford was getting away. Her journey had brought her to Stockington Falls.

  She hadn’t planned on staying here more than a week, maybe two. Just enough time to sort her own thoughts out in her head. Circumstance had her staying a little longer—and making the acquaintance of a certain doctor.

  She’d liked Dennis right from the first time they’d met but would have liked it if their first meeting hadn’t been because she’d twisted her ankle on the first day she’d put skis on. With a bruised ankle and a bruised ego, she’d hobbled into the clinic and had gotten a stern lecture from Dennis about not stepping foot on a pair of skis until her injury had completely healed. Despite her embarrassment at being scolded, the doctor’s genuine concern and charming smile had had her feeling just like any one of the lovesick schoolgirls she counseled who sported their mammoth crushes on the star basketball players.

  After hurting her ankle, she’d called the school to talk about taking more time off and learned about a friend’s need to sublet an apartment for a few months until her new house was ready to be moved into. Impulsively, Teresa had offered up her Hartford condo, which meant she wouldn’t be going home for a few months.

  That was a month ago, and she’d come no closer to getting herself ready to return to her home, her job and her place at the Hartford school where she’d worked for years. The excuse she’d given the principal was that she had to stay and follow up with the local doctor. Even now as she thought about it, it had been a feeble excuse, one that masked her real reason for being so willing to leave everything behind in the first place. She was still terrified. She remembered how as she sat in church during the funeral services she’d felt as though every eye was on her, blaming her for not stepping in sooner. For not doing something to prevent an already difficult tragedy from becoming worse.

  Dennis was right on another point. She was transparent. The only person she was fooling by using the excuse of needing local medical treatment was herself! She could have easily gone home to be seen by her own doctor in Hartford.

  And she could have just gone home and dealt with what had happened instead of subletting her condo. End of story.

  But that would have meant facing painful realizations she wasn’t yet ready to face. That scared her more than anything Dennis Harrington could throw at her.

  Now finances were low, and she’d have to do a little creative juggling to keep herself afloat for a while. But she had some time. She’d get the newspaper on the way back to the resort and spend the evening looking through the classifieds for an inexpensive apartment to rent. If not here in Stockington Falls then it would be somewhere else. It wouldn’t be as luxurious as the resort, but it would do.

  Finding an apartment seemed so permanent when in truth she really didn’t know how much longer she wanted to stay in Vermont.

  You’re running again, Teresa, she thought to herself.

  The teacher who had been subletting her condo had it until the beginning of March. That seemed like such a long way away, and Teresa hadn’t thought much beyond that.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the clinic and parked next to Dennis’s SUV. After killing the engine and securing her vehicle, Teresa got out of the car as a wave of panic hit her square in the chest.

  What am I doing here? How am I ever going to get through this?

  One foot in front of the other, Teresa strode through the tinted glass clinic doors beside Dennis.

  As she and Dennis walked into the open reception area, Teresa was immediately struck by the odd sense of movement that surrounded her. When she’d visited the clinic almost a month ago, it had been quiet, the rooms virtually empty. She’d been the only one in the waiting room, which at the time had seemed peculiar to her. You couldn’t stop at any of the clinics in Hartford without expecting to wait at least an hour before being seen by a doctor. Today, the waiting room was still quiet, but it was clear from the sound of monitors and the writing on the white board by the nurses’ station that rooms that had once been empty were now occupied with patients.

  “I didn’t expect you back so soon,” a woman from behind the reception desk said, her gaze lifting from a clipboard. Her eyes were red-rimmed and droopy, her shoulders bent with a weight so great Teresa felt herself sag beneath it just looking at her.

  “I should have known you wouldn’t go home,” Dennis said.

  “You worry too much,” the woman said softly, sweeping her gaze to Teresa and then back at Dennis.

  Teresa remembered seeing her here the day she’d twisted her ankle and guessed that this was Cammie Reynolds, the nurse Dennis had ment
ioned back at the lodge.

  Cammie sighed. “John’s in with Drew. He wants to take him home tonight. Now that things have calmed down, I figured I’d go with them just to make sure they’re both okay. Drew might sleep a little better if he’s in his own bed.”

  “You’re right,” Dennis said warmly. “I’ll sign his release and have John bring him back tomorrow to have the permanent cast put on.”

  “Benny is still here. Your sister is worried about taking him home.” Cammie shot another glance at Teresa void of emotion. “Did you bring her here to talk to Benny?”

  “Yes. Any incidents we should know about?”

  Cammie shook her head, her shoulder-length amber hair drifting back and forth over her slender shoulders with the movement. “He’s not saying anything more than what he’s already told us.”

  Teresa noticed the glance that passed between Cammie and Dennis. Just how resistant had Benny been to talking about the accident?

  Without another word, she turned and followed Dennis down the narrow corridor toward one of the medical center rooms.

  “Hey, Benny,” Dennis said as he walked into the room at the end of the hall. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  The boy turned a stone face toward the window. He didn’t utter so much as a groan in response to his uncle.

  Dennis smiled warmly at the woman who was sitting next to Benny’s bed, clearly Dennis’s sister. Teresa could see the resemblance, though she looked older than Dennis by several years. But worrying over a child would do that to a person.

  Gray streaks sliced through her black hair, which was pulled back in a tight ponytail. She wore an oversize ski sweater over baggy denim jeans, both wear-worn with age. By the black circles under her eyes and hunch in her posture, Teresa guessed she’d been seated by her son’s side since the moment he’d arrived at the hospital.

  Dennis made quick introductions and then said, “Karen, would you give us a few minutes, please?”