Small Town Doctor (2 page)

“That’s what you stopped by your place for, isn’t it?”

Ryan nodded. “We’ve gone to Clearwater Combat and Gun shooting, so you know how to use it. Now take it.”

“I had Jordan order me a nine millimeter. It’s going to be in next week.”

“That doesn’t help you now. This will.” Ryan held the butt of the gun out to him. “Now take it so we can go.”

Instead of arguing, he took the gun and hooked the leather holster to his belt. “Let’s go, there’s a little girl who needs us.” He focused on the girl and tried not to think about Ryan’s insistence he have a gun. The idea of encountering danger—whether animals or people—in the woods outside of town was a bit overwhelming, especially when he had to care for a sick child in less than ideal conditions.

Ella Carmichael pressed a cool rag over her daughter’s forehead and silently prayed her good health would return. For the first time she questioned her decision to live far away from everyone else. If Abbi’s condition worsened before Sheriff Ryder returned, there was nothing she could do. With no means of transport and no phone to call for an ambulance, she couldn’t even get Abbi to a hospital.

“Just hang on.” It seemed as if the cool rag did nothing to quell raging fever, which only sent another twinge of desperation through her. “My sweet little girl, I’m so sorry. I did this to keep you safe from the worst of my past.”

A soft moan escaped Abbi’s lips as Ella ran the rag down the child’s face, then along her neck. In the four years since Abbi’s birth, this was the first time there had ever been a major sickness that terrified her. Up until now, they’d both been reasonably healthy and her daughter had been a happy child.

She straightened when she heard the rumbling of engines approaching along the narrow, overgrown road, and her heart sped up with a mixture of fear and relief. “Ryan’s back, sweetie, he’s going to make you all better.” Abbi didn’t open her eyes. “Just hold on, sweetie.” Ella tossed the rag into the sink and went to the door to meet them.

The sight of a truck following the sheriff’s SUV made her want to bolt the door.

How dare he!
She glanced back at Abbi before stepping out of the cabin and shutting the door behind her. With her arms crossed over her chest, she stalked toward Ryan who was exiting his vehicle. “Who the hell is this? You know I don’t want anyone here!”

“Ella, I brought Doctor Macis with me. He’s a pediatrician in town, so calm yourself or I’ll have to detain you.”

“
Detain
me? How dare you? We’re talking about my daughter here.” She charged at Ryan, anger filling her, instinctively lifting her fists.

With one simple sidestep, he pinned her to the side of his SUV, wrapping his hands around her wrists before she could hit him. “This is the only way,” he snapped, his voice firm. “Either you stand aside and let him help Abbi or I’m loading her into the SUV and taking her to the hospital myself. Your choice.”

She glanced back to the man who had come around the side of the SUV; he didn’t look like any doctor she had ever seen with his low-slung jeans and shaggy, curly hair. His casual dress surprised her. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and she wasn’t sure if his easy manner was comforting, unprofessional, or both.

She took him in before turning back to Sheriff Ryder. “You can’t do this. Get another doctor from another town…someone who doesn’t know.”

“Doctor Macis is new to Clearwater, he didn’t know what happened. If you don’t let him help Abbi I’ll make good on my promise.”

She shook her head. “No, I can care for her myself.”

“Ella, this is your last chance.” He used his free hand to reach for his handcuffs. “I’ll do it.”

Sheriff Ryder’s fingers dug into her wrists as the last light peeked through the trees, glimmering on his handcuffs as they came into view.

“Don’t make me choose risking my daughter or going to jail,” she countered.

“Ma’am, I’m only here to help, please let me see to her.” Doctor Macis stepped closer. “While you’re wasting time fighting us, your daughter could be getting worse. Now either let us help her or I’ll help him detain you. Instead of being there when Abbi wants her mother, you’ll be in the back of the SUV waiting to go back to the station. Is that what you want?”

“If you hurt her—”

“I’m only here to help.” The doctor held his hands out in front of him as if to say he meant no harm.

“Fine.” She tried to shake free from Ryan’s grip but he held tight. “Let me go.”

“Do I have your word you’ll calm down?”

She nodded, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “As long as you don’t take her from me.”

Doctor Macis grabbed the bag he sat on the bumper of the SUV. “Ryan, can you grab the bag from the hood of my truck, while Ms. Carmichael leads me to the child?” Ryan gave her another look before letting her go and stepping back toward the truck. The doctor moved beside her. “Show me to her and tell me how long she’s been ill.”

She wanted to scream, to tell him to leave; everything in her wanted this man and everyone else away from her daughter. She knew Ryan, but this stranger set her on edge. Instead, she forced herself to walk toward the house because she didn’t want to end up in the Sheriff’s handcuffs.

“Abbi’s always been healthy, but two days ago she woke up feeling unwell. She so hot and—”

“Ryan mentioned she’s been unable to keep anything down. How long has that been going on?”

“Early yesterday.” She pushed open the door and was suddenly embarrassed by the small run-down cabin. “I’ve tried everything to break the fever but—” Her voice cracked.

“I’m going to help her.” He stepped past her toward the little girl who lay on a mattress next to the fire.

“I brought her out here by the fire this morning because her skin felt cool to the touch.”

“May I?” When she nodded, he went to Abbi and knelt beside the bed, touching her forehead and then her cheek. “Her heartbeat is erratic and she’s dehydrated.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Ella came and squatted down on the other side of the bed.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to start an IV to give her fluids, that should help her.” He hollered over his shoulder. “Ryan, I need that bag.”

“Is she going to be all right?” Ella took the little girl’s hand in her own.

“I’m going to do everything I can for her.”

The way he said that made her stomach sink. Her sweet daughter was in a bad condition, but if she lost Abbi life would no longer have any meaning. The lovely blonde haired, blue-eyed little girl was the only real family she had left. The two of them were alone in the world. Her parents popped into Clearwater occasionally, but things had been strained with them since before Abbi was born. They only came to see their granddaughter, not for Ella.

“Please save my baby.” Her voice broke, and tears streamed down her already moistened cheeks.

* * *

Fluids dripped slowly through the IV lines, rehydrating the child while James checked her vitals again. He didn’t like how pale and unresponsive she was. She needed to be in a hospital where they could do more for her, but he’d wait a little longer before he forced that. With a miracle they’d see some improvement.

He slipped his stethoscope from around his neck, catching Ryan’s attention. “Ella, hold this ice pack to her forehead, I need to get something from my truck.” He rose from the bed and moved toward the door knowing Ryan would follow him.

With the cabin door shut behind them, he turned to Ryan. “I’ve got to get her blood to the lab to see what’s wrong with her, but I can’t leave her.”

“Do you have what you need to draw it?” When James nodded, Ryan continued, “Get it. I’ll take it to Michael. He’ll rush the order and I’ll be back with the results quickly.”

“I’ll call him and give him the heads-up.” James reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone when Ryan stopped him.

“There’s no reception here, even my radio is fading in and out.” They walked toward James’s truck. “I don’t like leaving you out here alone.”

“We’ve got no choice. Just make it clear to Ella that if things start to get worse with Abbi I’m taking her to the hospital.” James reached in and grabbed the last bag from the truck, where he kept the tools he needed to take a blood sample. “You’re going to need to wait for the results, have Michael look at the report, and send whatever supplies we’ll need.”

“Fine.” Ryan opened the side door to his SUV and reached inside. “The radio is the best communication we have way up here, so keep this. You’ll be able to reach me if anything happens. Once the results are back, if you need to bring her to the hospital I’ll be able to give you the heads-up. It could scrape a few minutes off the time if I didn’t have to come all the way back out here.”

“I’m not sure Ella will take it very well if that’s the call that needs to be made, but I’ll deal with her.” James took the radio and glanced back at the house. “I think it’s pneumonia but the dehydration and the nasty lung infection is making it appear worse. That little girl is far from out of the woods, she’s in a bad condition, but I agree with you. If we’re forced to take her to the hospital without Ella it
will
make it worse.”

“I’ll get back here as quickly as I can.” Ryan looked back at the cabin. “Is the girl going to survive?”

“I’m going to do everything I can.”

“In other words…you’re concerned.” Ryan rolled his shoulders before meeting James’s gaze.

“Even if she was in the hospital there’s no guarantee but I’m not going to give up on her. Let’s drawl this blood and get you on your way.” Without anything further, he turned and headed back inside the cabin.

He wasn’t going to let this girl die on his watch no matter what it cost him. This was outside his comfort zone, but he’d use the same methods. He had the skills to save the girl and now it was time to work the magic.

I didn’t work my ass off all those years just to fail now
.

He stepped into the cabin and found Ella where he’d left her, huddled next to Abbi. It was clear the fear of losing her only child tightened every muscle in her body—it was the terror of others
and
the girl’s sickness. On the trip up the mountain, he couldn’t help but question her parenting, why she hadn’t been willing to take her to a hospital. Now that he’d met Ella, he could at least see her reasoning, even if he didn’t understand it.

Comprehending Ella’s reasons was beyond him.

Ella mumbled fairy stories to her daughter, trying to soothe her as she moaned while the fever and pains made her body tremble. It was so different from the life James had growing up. He and his twin sister Jessi were raised by a nanny after their mother died when they were only infants. Their father, a doctor, worked day in and day out until he died of a heart attack at only forty-nine. Four short years ago. Seeing what their father went through was the reason Jessi didn’t follow in their footsteps, choosing instead to teach medical classes online. At least before the twins—Kari and Kami—came along. Now she was a full-time mother and wife to Michael. James couldn’t help but be envious of the perfect family his sister had, while he was busy working.

He’d be damned if Jessi would ever do this to Kari or Kami. Having a husband and brother who were both pediatricians meant the twins couldn’t even sneeze without them both demanding a full work-up.

“Doctor…” Ella called to him, and from the look on her face he could tell she’d said something but he didn’t hear her.

“Ella, I apologize. I was thinking. What did you say?”

“Is Abbi going to be okay?”

“I’m doing everything I can for her.” He came to kneel next to the bed. “I’m going to do some blood work and Ryan’s going to run it down to the lab.”

“Why don’t you go?” There was a twinge of unease in her voice.

“I need to stay with her and see if we can’t get her fever down.”

“Ella…” Ryan came closer to the bed than he had the whole time they’d been there. “We need to be clear that if Abbi’s condition deteriorates, Doctor Macis is under the authority to take her to the hospital with or without your permission. If you fight him I’ll be sure you’re arrested for child endangerment, interfering with law enforcement, and anything else I can get to stick. Do you understand me?”

Ella shook her head, sending her blonde hair flying free from a ponytail, her breath coming out in a ragged gasps. She was on the verge of a panic attack.