Solemn Oath

Lukas looked up to see what she was watching and caught sight of Abby’s parents standing side by side, and Jason had his arm around Lindy’s shoulders.

“I should get stitches more often,” Abby murmured.

Chapter Six

A t a quarter to seven Lukas finished his chart on Abby and decided to try to catch some more sleep. He had two meetings this morning before he could go home, but his shift would be over in fifteen minutes. Dr. Landon could handle it after that. Yawning, he walked into the call room and sat down on the side of the bed.

The day he unloaded the directorship would be a day for celebration. He would have so much time on his hands he might get a chance to check out more of the hiking trails in the Mark Twain National Forest, which surrounded Knolls. In the past few months he’d had very few opportunities to explore the countryside. Even though Estelle picked up a lot of the slack for him, there were still too many things going on at—

Someone knocked at the door he had just closed. “Dr. Bower, you got a minute?”

He opened the door to find Bobbie Jo White standing there, hands on hips, heavy brows drawn down farther than usual over a plump face. Bobbie Jo, an X-ray technologist, was the director of the radiology department, and although she rarely smiled, she seldom glowered this morosely.

“Bobbie Jo? What’s wrong?”

She sighed, crossed her arms over her ample chest and slumped, uninvited, into the room. “It’s this BO thing. You’ve got to do something about it, Dr. Bower. I don’t have that much authority, and everybody’s griping about—”

“Uh, wait a minute, Bobbie Jo. What ‘BO thing’? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, sure you know. That new E.R. tech they hired last month, Amanda? Everybody’s talking about it, and even some of the patients complained. She works nights. In fact, she worked last night.” Her glower eased a little as she looked at Lukas hopefully.

“And you’re telling me this because…?”

“We all want you to talk to her about it. Tell her to clean up.”

He definitely needed more sleep. Or maybe he already was sleeping, and this was just some weird dream. “Who is ‘we all,’ and why me?”

“You know, several of the staff. You’re the director. It’s your job.”

“It’s the nurse director’s job.”

“She’s not touching this one. It’s up to you. The girl flat-out stinks.”

Lukas stared at her, dumbfounded. He hadn’t noticed any unusually significant aromas emanating from the tech last night, or any other night—not that he’d been paying attention. Sometimes the patients got pretty rank, but an emergency department was not expected to smell like a field of spring clover. And he had come to Knolls to treat patients, not teach hygiene.

Before he could think of a kind but firm way to explain to Bobbie Jo how far off the mark she was, Claudia stepped up to the open doorway. “Oh, good, Dr. Bower, you’re awake. I wasn’t going to disturb you if you were sleeping, but we just got a call from Dr. Landon, and he’s not going to be able to come in today.”

Lukas groaned. This was the second time this week he’d been stood up for a shift. It was getting ridiculous. “What happened?”

“His brother was in a wreck last night up in Jefferson City. I tried to find a replacement, but so far nobody wants the shift.” She took a step inside. “Are you up for a twenty-four?”

“No,” he snapped and was immediately contrite. It wasn’t Claudia’s fault he was getting dumped on this week. “I’m never up for a twenty-four.”

“Sorry. I’ll keep trying to find someone if you want me to.”

Did she even have to ask? “Please, Claudia.”

She glanced hesitantly at Bobbie Jo, then back at Lukas. “Dr. Bower, we also got a call from your early appointment this morning.” She came farther into the room.

“Dr. Garcias? Don’t tell me she canceled.”

“No, but she’s coming earlier if you don’t mind. She had something come up at home, and she has to be back in Little Rock, Arkansas, this afternoon.”

“Dr. Garcias? ” Bobbie Jo exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips, and her frown deepened again.

Claudia shot the woman a surprised glance and walked out of the room.

Lukas turned a sleepy glare to Bobbie Jo. “Was there something else you wanted to discuss with me?”

“What are you going to do about Amanda?” Bobbie Jo demanded.

Lukas wanted to tell her to take care of it herself, but she wasn’t exactly a people person. Besides, she was right. It wasn’t any of her business. “I’ll talk to her.” He specifically did not say what he would talk to her about, or when he would do so. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get some rest.” He walked over and held the door and waited for her to huff out, then closed it a little too loudly behind her. On a whim, he locked it. They would soon learn that he could get firm when necessary.

He had the blankets lifted and was ready to climb back into bed when the phone rang. He jerked up the receiver. “Yes?”

“Dr. Bower, I have to tell you something you’re not going to like.” It was Claudia.

He groaned. “More? Haven’t we had enough bad news this morning?”

“I’m sorry. This is the worst.”

Lukas immediately thought of his family. Were his father and stepmom okay? Was one of his brothers or their families—

Claudia sighed heavily over the phone. “Alma Collins lost her leg. They said there was too much damage for them to repair. Her husband, Arthur, called us this morning to thank us for all we did for them Monday, and he especially wanted us to tell you and Dr. Mercy how much he appreciated your kindness.”

Lukas slumped onto the side of the bed and exhaled. He felt as if he’d been slapped. He closed his eyes and saw the faces of Arthur and Alma, remembered the pain they’d experienced, remembered the love and concern they had displayed so openly toward each other.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Bower,’ Claudia said softly.

“Me, too. Thank you for letting me know. Why don’t we send some flowers from the department.” That seemed like such a frivolous gesture under the circumstances, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do right now except pray.

“Good idea,” Claudia said. “I’ll start collecting, and I’ll call the florist when they open.”

When she hung up, Lukas sank back against his pillow, too depressed, suddenly, to think about sleep. “Why, Lord?” he muttered. “They’re Your servants. They’ve dedicated their lives to serving You and helping others. Why did this have to happen to them?”

He knew the answer, of course. None of God’s people were immune to the suffering brought to earth by sin, and it wasn’t God’s fault, but it sure was easy to blame Him.

A moment later, another knock sounded at the call room door. “Dr. Bower?” came a slightly familiar voice. “Bobbie Jo told me you wanted to see me.”

Amanda.

Lukas gritted his teeth. As of now, he would start locking the call room door any time he was in here. Then people like Bobbie Jo White would not have the freedom to barge in and start adding to his already overtaxing duties. She had no right. Why couldn’t he have just told her that in the first place?

He went to the door and opened it to find a young tech with curly brown hair and sea-green eyes waiting expectantly. She looked clean. No dirt under her fingernails. In the month she’d been here, Lukas had heard no complaints about her work. In fact, she almost seemed to go at a run most of the time. Maybe she just worked too hard.

And maybe there was…Yes, there was a slight hint…Okay, make that a certain odor…Yes, okay, she smelled.

“Dr. Bower, did you want me for something?”