One Sure Thing (Mamma Lou Matchmaker Series) (8 page)

Almost everyone knew that she and Hugh had a history, but no one knew exactly what that history was. As far as Hope was concerned, the past should be left in the past, but apparently Hugh had different ideas. Oftentimes openly hostile, he made it a point to have her assigned to the worst shifts and most difficult patients. He did everything within his power, which was considerable, to publicly belittle and embarrass her.

Hope was still amazed that of all the hospitals in the country, Hugh was assigned to this one. Apparently fate had a wicked sense of humor.

Hope sat staring at the light box. With several frustrated clicks she toggled it on and off several times before Maxine plopped down next to her holding a medical chart.

“You and Scott playing nicely?”

Hope looked in the general direction that Dr. Wallace had gone. “He’s such a joke.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game. You know Scott and Hugh go way back. They even worked together at Johns Hopkins. So if Scott catches you doing anything wrong, you can best believe that Hugh will hear about it.”

Hope gave her a
do I really care at this point
look. Maxine shook her head. “Girlie, don’t you know that Hugh can hurt your career?” Hope’s expression didn’t change. Maxine continued to shake her head as they watched Scott shuffle from room to room.

“Sometimes I wonder why he even became a doctor.”

“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Maxine answered matter-of-factly.

“With his lack of personality, he’s probably not good at anything else.”

Maxine chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I heard of few things he’d be good at.” She smirked and raised her brow suggestively.

An unexpected laugh took Hope by surprise. Several heads turned in her direction as she tried to control herself.

“No way, get out of here.” Hope laughed loudly.” I don’t want to hear it.”

“That’s the word,” Maxine assured her.

“You’ve got to be kidding. The man lives by rules and regulations. I bet he doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in his body.”

“Spontaneity and talent are two very different things dear.” She watched Scott as he walked by completely oblivious to their conversation. “Some women might consider him a hottie.”

“Scott, a hottie?” Hope whispered in disbelief.

“Why not? Particularly if he has skills…”

“That’s enough.” Hope raised her hand to end the conversation. “I don’t want that image in my head. What are you trying to do, erase everything I learned in med school? Exactly who starts all of these rumors anyway?”

“I do, of course,” she said with a straight face.

Hope looked at Maxine not believing a word she’d said. Maxine had a reputation. She’d once had an affair with a well-known former governor and a New York senator. Married several times, her first marriage was at the age of fifteen. She collected alimony checks like others collected stamps.

“When do you have to get out of your sublet?” Maxine asked as she motioned toward the apartment rental section of the newspaper sitting on the counter.

“I have another few months.”

“Find anything you like?” she asked as she opened the folder and made a medical notation.

“No, not yet.”

“You know, I’ll be happy to make room for you at Stonehenge,” Maxine said, referring to several apartment buildings she owned between First and Second Avenues. Once rundown tenements, she had managed to turn them into middle-class housing for several area families.

Hope smiled at the offer. “Thank you Maxine, but I think it’s time I find a more permanent place. I can’t keep subletting forever.”

Maxine nodded then looked up at the entrance. “Hubby’s here,” she said as she watched a large muscular man dressed in dirty garage clothes push through the security doors. He stood in the middle of the waiting area and looked around. Then he began searching for his wife looking into all the open examination rooms.

“Crap, already?”

“Yep, and I’m sure he wants to know when his wife will be ready to leave.” She scanned the appropriate page then slid it in front of Hope.

“I seriously have to go bowling.”

“You and me both girl. You and me both.”

With a slight smile Hope sat back realizing that her recent battle with Raymond Gates was minor compared to some of the other issues in the ER. Aggravated, she blew her limp curls from her brows and dropped her head into her hands. She looked at her watch. It was nearly six in the morning. “Send him home. I’m keeping her the rest of the day and overnight for observation.”

“Can’t do that,” Maxine said.

Hope turned to face her. Her expression was quizzically. “Why not?”

Maxine reached over and flipped several pages forward in the medical chart. She tapped her pen several times at a particular form. “Her insurance doesn’t cover hospitalization.”

“She’s stayed overnight before.”

“That’s before hubby dropped her from his policy. She belongs to the state now.”

Hope laughed aloud out of sheer frustration. She shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He beats her then takes her off his medical policy?”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“Is there any way to get around it?”

“Nope. The state won’t pay for it without medical cause.”

“I have medical cause. Her husband beats her. She stays.”

“Scott will have a fit.”

“What else is new?”

“He’ll tell Hugh.”

“What else is new?” She repeated.

Maxine sighed heavily. “Well, if she’d actually admit that her hubbie beat her we could suggest a lovely bed in a woman’s shelter for the next few days. But, we both know she’d never file charges.”

“True.”

Maxine gathered the folder and stood. “Well?”

Hope took a deep breath and sighed miserably. “Get the discharge papers ready.” Maxine silently nodded and walked away. Hope followed her with her eyes until she noticed the same two nurses standing by the opening of Mrs. Gates room. She stood and walked over to the doorway. “Is there a problem ladies?”

Both women jumped instantly, and disbursed.

Chapter Six

“Damn it, what’s taking so long?” Raymond stopped pacing just long enough to slam is fist against his open palm then began pacing again. He walked to the open door and glanced out just in time to see Hope disappear into another patient’s room after speaking to a nurse. “It shouldn’t take this long.”

“Raymond would just sit still and relax,” Louise said. “Your constant pacing is making me dizzy.”

Colonel Wheeler, having long since resolved himself to lengthy waits, flipped through a golf magazine he’d found in the family waiting area. He looked up briefly then focused his attention back to the outdated magazine. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

Usually the cool calm type, it was out of character for Raymond to be so anxious. Good-humored by nature, he was known for his calm, controlled demeanor which suited him as a surgeon. To see his total lack of patience was eye-opening, to say the least. The mere sight of Raymond angrily pacing back and forth had kept Colonel Wheeler amused for the past hour.

“Oh this is ridiculous. It’s like being in the DMV, nothing takes this long. Where the hell is she?” Raymond stood at the door and watched Hope as she talked with another doctor then with a nurse. She sat at the desk examining something in front of her. Raymond frowned then turned back into the room and continued pacing.

“Raymond Gates Jr., would you please stay still and sit down. Your constant pacing and complaining is driving me crazy,” Louise blurted out. Raymond walked across the room and scanned the numerous monitor read outs. “Raymond, sit, now,” Louise ordered firmly.

Frustrated, Raymond looked over to Colonel Wheeler. He was chuckling softly and shaking his head which was still buried in a magazine. Raymond exasperated, picked up the hospital chart, sat down in the nearest chair and read Hope’s notes again.

He carefully reviewed each notation. With the available data, medical history and the various results of the tests, he came to the same medical conclusion as Hope. Acute gastritis would possibly explain the chest pains. And as for the hives, she indicated it was something Louise had ingested. Therefore she recommended a series of allergy tests. For the first time in almost ninety minutes he breathed a sigh of relief.

He continued to read the extended details of her test results and prescribed treatment. Raymond agreed with Hope’s basic preventive health plan. Her medical diagnosis was sound and her extended prognosis was thorough.

He was just about to close the chart when an added notation caught his attention. Possible
LP macrotentioneda.

He wasn’t familiar with the term.

Acronyms were common in the medical profession, particularly in the ER. There, they were critical. Ray frowned. He’d been a doctor and around physicians his whole life. He was unfamiliar with this particular term. Just as he stood to inquire as to its meaning, his cell phone rang. He’d forgotten to turn his cellular phone off as he entered the building. He flipped open the telephone on the second ring. “Gates.”

“Where the hell have you been?” I’ve been calling for over an hour.” Raymond instantly smiled.

“Let me call you back.” Raymond excused himself and exited the hospital. He walked over to his car and leaned against the side door. He pressed the code to dial the lasted number called. Tony picked up instantly.

“Where the hell have you been?” I’ve been calling for over an hour.” Tony was his usual self, somewhere south of fury and north of frenetic, as his voice boomed into the receiver. “I got a message from Colonel Wheeler, what’s going on with Mamma Lou?”

“Everything’s under control. Mamma Lou had an episode...” he began, but was instantly cut off.

“An episode?”

“Yes,” Raymond answered patiently.

“What the hell does that mean, an episode?”

“If you would calm down I’ll tell you,” he paused than began again. “Mamma Lou and Colonel Wheeler were dining with some friends when she began experiencing tightness in her chest. The episode continued for several moments then dissipated. Then early this morning the discomfort began again, this time with a body rash. That’s when Colonel Wheeler contacted emergency services and they brought her here to the nearest facility.”

“Where’s here?”

“We’re at the Golden Heart Medical Center in New York.

“How’s she doing?”

“She was just falling asleep when I left the room.”

“What do you mean when you left the room? Where are you now?”

“I’m in the hospital parking lot. Cell phones aren’t allowed in the hospital.”

“Raymond, is Mamma Lou going to be okay?”

Raymond nodded his head. “She’s going to be fine. She’s stable and resting comfortably. The attending physician gave her a mild sedative and an antihistamine that has induced sleep.”

There was silence on the other end of the line as Tony processed the information. “Are you sure it wasn’t a heart attack?” he asked calmly.

“I don’t think so. The doctor has run a number of tests. Although the results aren’t all in, it seems that she suffered intestinal gastritis from some ingested allergen.”