by Barbara Ebel
“What did I tell you? I think either Dakota or you are going to have a medical cure named after you.”
“I’ll second that,” Rhonda said, planting herself behind them. Her painted fingernails did an imaginary writing in the air. “The Dakota or Tilson antibiotic, or DakTilmycin.”
“Oops, I better get the new samples ready,” Joelle said. She’d forgotten to turn on the radio so she did that first. “I work better with music in the background,” she said as they watched her zip back and forth doing her scientific steps using the remaining six dog saliva samples.
“So what’s your thinking about these samples?” Joelle asked Rhonda. “What was it you wouldn’t tell me before?”
The vet grinned. “Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. It’s all about DNA.”
“It always is,” Joelle agreed.
“I believe these samples will show the same results as Danny’s Chesapeake Bay retriever. It’s the breed’s DNA that’s the key - slightly different than all the other dogs, each of them with their own slight differences.” She paused, realizing they knew genetics, too. “The only positive results we’ve had were from three breeds. The Newfoundland and Labrador retriever each did something different. But the Chessie is accomplishing what they both did. It is felt that Chesapeakes are bred from Newfoundlands and Labradors. So they inherited the positive features we’re looking for from both those breeds.”
Joelle and Danny both smiled. “Which would be a blessing for Dakota,” Danny said, “because then we’re not just dependent on the contents of his mouth to experiment with.”
“That, too,” Rhonda said.
“Okay, it’s time to say a prayer,” Joelle said, pointing at the six microscopes with slides on them.
She looked at the first one; Danny and Rhonda stayed back, letting her do it alone. Then she held out her hand to Rhonda.
“Nice work, Dr. Jackson. You were correct and that was a solid working hypothesis.”
As if Rhonda couldn’t believe it, she asked, “The three of us did it?”
Danny was already looking at the second slide, a lump in his throat.
“Congratulations to all of us,” he said. “This is huge and, as my paramedic best friend would say, the first major medical epidemic - and breakthrough - for the third millennium.”
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Danny, Joelle and Rhonda left the lab and perched themselves at Coffee ‘N More. The place was quieter than during the busy daytime hours; the few students there concentrated on books or laptops, and staff physicians who wandered in left with Styrofoam sandwich containers and to-go cups. Danny ordered them three hot chocolates and an assorted sample of mini-pastries.
“Who’s calling Ralph?” Joelle asked.
“You are,” Danny and Rhonda replied in unison.
“This will make his day,” Joelle said and used her cell phone. “Ralph, it’s Joelle. Danny and my veterinarian research helper, Rhonda, are with me. We have more progress you want to hear about.” Danny and Rhonda listened to Joelle’s recap of their findings.
“It’s utterly fantastic what y’all have accomplished up there,” Ralph said. “Do the three of you want a job with the CDC?”
Joelle smiled and addressed Danny and Rhonda. “Ralph wants to hire us. How much should we ask for?”
Danny laughed. “Tell him he can’t pay me enough to leave my loved ones.”
“And I prefer more animal involvement,” Rhonda said.
“No takers,” Joelle shot back to Ralph.
“Can’t have everything,” he said. “It’s just that we’ve also been working with the samples you provided but you’ve been one step ahead of us. We’ll catch up to you tomorrow and we better git on the stick to develop a curative antibiotic.”
“I think that will be the easier part,” Joelle said.
“I will release CDC funds to your lab if necessary, Joelle. This is a priority. I don’t want the cost for your institution’s involvement to be a burden.”
“Thanks, Ralph. That will be much appreciated, especially by the higher-ups overseeing budgets.”
Joelle got off the phone. “Ralph promised financial support. I think I’ll be going underground for awhile. We have to isolate the substances and microorganisms in the dog’s saliva that destroyed the amoeba so we can develop an antibiotic.” She surveyed a chocolate torte and finished it in two bites.
“Joelle, we won’t abandon you,” Danny said. “We’ll give you all the help you need.”
“You can buy these pastries anytime for us,” Joelle said, “although I’m not running as much as I should these days.”
Rhonda swiped her blonde bangs away from her glasses. “I’m in, too. And why don’t you take the student in the lab away from whatever he’s working on and put him solely on this project?” She slid a piece of coffee-cake off the center plate onto her own.
“Yes, I’ll do that,” Joelle said.
Danny finished his hot drink and got up. “I better get going, but you two finish the goodies. I need to spend some time at home with my baby girl.”
As Danny approached the door, he thought twice and backtracked to the table. “If either or both of you are free a week from Saturday, my sister and Casey are getting married at the house. Consider yourselves invited. It will be grand.”
“I love a good wedding,” Joelle said.
“Me, too,” Rhonda said, “as long as it’s not my own.”
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Friday morning, Danny cut himself some slack about going to work extra early. He’d checked on Julia but hadn’t disturbed her sleep. He now sat on the back patio steps with a coffee mug in hand, Casey sitting an arm’s length away. It had rained overnight and the moisture clinging to the grass and the trees glistened with the 6 a.m. light rising in the east.
Danny stretched his neck but Dakota was far down the hill and out of sight.
“You make excellent coffee,” Casey said, placing his mug between them. “I drink the ER coffee out of necessity only.”
“It’s pretty good stuff,” Danny said. “A French roast.”
“So let me tell you about Mark,” Casey said. “He still hasn’t given up on going to med school. He’s been cracking the books again and is retaking the entrance exam.”
“Well, his background, like yours, is conducive. And it’s never too late, or almost never too late, to change careers.”
“He’s ten years younger than me.”
“Medical-student ages really vary. A fair number in an incoming class are over thirty years old.”
“Better him than me,” Casey said. “I wouldn’t want to start over with school. Besides, I really like what I do.”
“It’s a good field.”
Dakota sprinted between two large trees at the top of the hill. Whatever he smelled didn’t interest him and he bounded towards them. Casey grabbed his mug for safeguarding as Dakota pushed in front of their knees, waiting for attention.
“I guess it’s time to acknowledge both of your rambunctious ends,” Casey said.
“I’m on call tomorrow and off on Sunday,” Danny said. “So it will be fun for me on Sunday to have Julia around.”
“I think she’s starting to smile a bit more like a normal baby,” Casey said. He drank the last of his coffee and placed the empty mug back down; his hand went behind Dakota’s ears and massaged. “So when does Rachel want her? I hope not next weekend for our wedding.”
“I haven’t heard from her. I don’t know what to make of it.”
“The recent legal results must have been a blow to her master plan.”
“I guess.”
“It’ll be fun, though. Julia can be in some of the wedding pictures.”
“Too bad she’s not older. She could have been the ring bearer and walked up the aisle.”
“Well, not exactly an aisle,” Casey said. “This place is going to be hopping all week. Mary is going to have this yard transformed, then chairs and canopies and a floor and food will be set up ne
xt Saturday morning.”
“Oh, I invited Joelle and the veterinarian on the PAM case.”
“No problem. We’ve got plenty of room.”
Danny stroked Dakota’s right thigh as the dog leaned against him with more pressure. “Bruce, Matthew and I are getting some relief on Monday. Harold’s replacement is starting. He’s fresh out of residency and trained in Tennessee. His name is Jeffrey Foord. He’s a short, sneakered guy … young for a neurosurgeon. Patients will probably think he looks the Doogie Howser type.”
“I’ve seen him around during an elective rotation. He’s probably a good choice.”
“I hope so. I never know when Bruce is going to retire so our business and professional choices are more important to me now.”
Danny heard the incoming message tone on his cell; he pulled it off his belt to see a text from Peter Brown. “Bill Patogue died at 4 a.m.”
Danny passed the phone to Casey and buried his head into Dakota’s sorrel fur. “That’s the last of the initial group of PAM patients to die. And someone who meant a lot. Since I couldn’t just go into all of their skulls and weed this sinister hijacker out of their brains, it hurts even more. I’ve been helpless and I’m supposed to perform astonishing cures inside people’s heads.”
“Danny, you’re still going to have a part in its cure. Quit beating yourself up.”
Danny frowned. “Peter and Timothy are still flooded with newer cases.”
“As is the whole country,” Casey said. “Come on, let’s get to work.”
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Saturday proved easily manageable. Danny saw patients, did two elective surgeries, and was home by four o’clock. Although he had several phone calls into the evening, he had no neurosurgical emergencies. After going to bed, he had no idea what time it was when he heard his door creak open and felt a moist nose nuzzle him.
Danny’s eyes cracked open. “Where have you been, you traitor? What did you do, let me sleep in?” He looked at the clock – 9 a.m. “I bet you’ve been with Julia.”
He rolled out of bed and gave Dakota a heartfelt greeting. Donning a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt from Mary with fish and ‘Alaska’ on it, he checked on Julia. She wasn’t in her room so he hurried downstairs.
“I thought you’d never get up,” Mary said, aiming his way with Julia in her arms. “Here’s your daughter. I’m stacked high with wedding chores today.” She handed the baby to him.
“I’m so sorry, Mary.”
“No, no problem. We wanted you to sleep. Your hours and responsibilities lately have been crazy.”
“I appreciate it. But if it’s not one thing, it’s another anyway.”
She nodded. “Casey’s working until three and you’ll have the house to yourself most of the day.”
Danny gave Julia a kiss and small squeeze. “I hope you don’t mind but I’ve invited the docs who have been working closely with me lately to your wedding besides some of the office staff which you knew about already.”
“That will be fine. There will be plenty of food. It’s going to be one big party. Plus, I know your cash wedding gift to us is going to help pay the bill.”
Danny laughed. “Mary, Mary. I said I would, so I will.”
She planted a kiss on her brother’s cheek, threw some things into a shoulder bag, and headed to the garage door. “I fed her some breakfast and she’s diapered up. See ‘ya.”
“Thanks, have fun.” He stepped out the back door holding Julia, Dakota following close behind. Besides taking care of Julia, Danny planned on adding wedding details around the house as best he could.
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On Sunday afternoon, Rachel took a long, fast walk along the river. She especially needed the exercise since she no longer had Leo’s basement equipment at her disposal. Wearing gray sweatpants and a pink tee-shirt, she passed young joggers and older walkers along the way. The benches were peppered with people sitting and reading books or newspapers.
She kept a brisk pace but not enough to break out in a sweat. Billowy clouds kept the sun at bay and a soft breeze twirled the green leaves on the trees lining the sidewalk. Deep in her pocket, her cell phone rang. After digging it out, she approached an empty bench and sat down. The caller ID popped up as ‘Evan Parks’ and a grin spread across her face.
“Hello, Officer Parks.”
“Well, hello, Miss Hendersen. It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m not on duty, so may I call you Rachel?”
“By all means.”
“Before I ask you on a date, I hope everything worked out well with your baby girl. I did personally file a request with the Nashville police to pay a visit to your daughter’s father. I’m assuming you have her now.”
Rachel leaned forward, listening carefully to his every word. The date part was perfect, but she kept her mind clicking ahead, anticipating responses to all his questions.
“Yes, thank you, Evan. The situation is under control … again, thanks to you. I decided to go easy on him legally. He was so desperate to spend more time with her, especially since the visitation was difficult and a distance away. So I felt it would be best for him to have our daughter for an extended period right now.”
An older woman with a stroller passed close to Rachel’s knees so she scooted back in the bench. She heard the television on in the background of his call.
“That is very thoughtful of you after what he put you through.”
“Yes, well, I have to do what’s right for Julia.”
“I bet you’re a rare conscientious, modern mother.” A silent pause ensued. “So the other reason I called was to ask you out.”
“I’d be delighted.”
“Perhaps you’d like to do something extremely casual the first time out with a man who carries a gun.”
“Evan Parks, you sure make a woman feel secure.”
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When the call ended, Rachel logged the date into her cell phone calendar. She slipped her phone into her pocket and crossed her legs. She’d get to know Evan Parks soon enough and felt suspiciously confident that he was in her cards. But for now, she had a lot to think about. First, she needed to boost her income and would have to accomplish that on her own. Child support was basically gone and the newly-earned ten grand from Leo wouldn’t last. She knew she had to request more hours at the hospital and she could even work overtime if the need arose. But, hopefully, a longer work week wouldn’t be a long-term situation for her.
Her second dilemma was Julia, who she missed so much. Rachel imagined that pretty little face with big, staring eyes and the ‘growing up’ milestones which made her proud. Explaining Julia’s scars and injuries to Danny to try and get back her back seemed like an impossibility. Would he believe her - trust her - or think the baby could end up in the same situation again? Right now, supervised visitation didn’t appeal to Rachel. Not only would it not be fun to have someone watching her as she interacted with her own child, but any of the Tilson’s could start prodding her with questions as well.
Rachel racked her brain thinking of a solution, but none came. She would have to straighten it out somehow. Suddenly a practical saying came to her about how the passage of time heals most things. She’d wait a few months, that’s what she’d do. Then she would call Danny - give him some kind of sob story about her life – then tell him how much she missed her daughter. She’d take him and the attorneys up on the supervised visitation but work to get her daughter back by hell or high water.
With her plan ironed out, Rachel rose and started walking home, knowing she’d lay low for the foreseeable future.
Chapter 28
Casey’s mind still lingered between sleep and wakefulness. He changed positions – cuddling nearer to Mary - and came closer to opening his eyes. With reality giving him a nudge, he woke up, realizing what the day held in store. It was Saturday, the day they’d been waiting for.
“Mary,” he whispered, sliding his hand to her shoulder. She turned, slowly and purposefully, to gaze into his eyes
.
“Good morning,” she said. “Happy wedding day.”
Casey ran his hand down her bare arm, ending with his hand cupping hers. Stroking it with his thumb, feeling the contour of her palm and long fingers, he leaned over and kissed her on her mouth. “Happy wedding day to you, too. It’s going to be memorable and lots of fun.”
Mary gave his hand a squeeze. “I better get going. I have a salon appointment to get my hair done.”
Casey was on his feet before her. “Most importantly, do we have nice weather like the forecast promised?” He padded over to the window wearing only jockey shorts, opened the blinds, and looked out over the yard.
Mary came behind him and wrapped her arms around him. “It looks like a nice day,” she said.
Casey laid his arms on top of hers, not letting go. “Yes, and that’s a wedding picture already.”
Much of the property he couldn’t see since it went far down the back hill where it became wilder and less landscaped. But before it dipped down, a raised platform and a flower-laden trellis had been mounted; it was where they would take their vows. Eighty chairs were on each side of the low-cut lawn and, between them, lay a blue-cloth aisle.
“I won’t need our bad weather back-up plan after all,” she said. “This is terrific.”
Casey turned around. “You’re terrific,” he said, giving her a hug.
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Downstairs, Danny carried Julia’s playpen through the French doors and placed it against the patio wall. He went back in and hoisted her into the air, causing her to smile. With a tail-swishing Dakota behind him, Danny put her in the playpen and – pulling a bonnet from his pocket - snuggled it onto her head.
Hearing the doorbell ring, he looked at his watch. It was 8 a.m.; time for the caterer to set up the tents and tables to be followed in the afternoon with all the food. Danny began stepping away but hesitated and turned to Dakota.
“You’ll be in the way out front so stay here and mind Julia.” By emphasizing ‘stay here’ and ‘mind Julia,’ Danny knew Dakota understood what he asked of him and hurried to the door. Casey and Mary hadn’t shown their faces yet.
