The young lawyer opens the door, her perfect blond hair mussed, and tears in her eyes. “She keeps saying she’s going to be late to pick up Uncle Donald. I tried to tell her he was gone, but?—”
“I’m Dr. Reynolds,” Doc says, sidestepping me and holding out his hand. “Can I come in and take a look at your aunt?”
She stares at him, her gaze suddenly hard. Is this what she looks like in a courtroom? If so, her opponents probably cower in fear. Doc wears a light blue t-shirt, a pair of black pants, and scuffed boots. His wardrobe doesn’t exactly screamdoctor.Or anything other than random camper Nat justhappenedto bring by.
“What kind of doctor are you? Not a Ph.D., right? You haveactualmedical training?”
Doc arches his brows, but there’s a hint of respect in his gaze. “I worked in the ER for almost nine years. But before that, I spent seventeen years in the Air Force treating injuries all over the Middle East. I’ve seen plenty of falls. And aunts. You can trust me with yours. But if she has a head injury, the longer we wait, the more danger she’s in.”
I offer the young woman an encouraging nod, hoping it’ll be enough.
With a sniffle, Bella steps aside. “Okay. But I’m a lawyer. Don’t make me bring a malpractice suit against you.”
Oh, God. That was the wrong thing to say.
Luckily, Doc doesn’t react. He’s already halfway to the couch, where Gladys sits, wringing her hands in front of her. She doesn’t look injured or in pain. Though her white hair is mussed, and her eyes are damp.
“Ma’am,” Doc says. “Gladys? Do you remember me?”
Gladys blinks up at him. She looks so small. So frail. I’ve always thought of her as a tornado. An unstoppable force. One that would be around forever. But she’s not. And she won’t be.My eyes start to burn as I realize how much I’ve come to care for her.
“Hot Doc,” Gladys says with a weak smile. “You here to take me to the ferry? I could use a ride. My grand niece won’t take me.”
Doc unzips his kit and pulls out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. “It’s late, Gladys. Almost 10:00 p.m. What’s so important you need to go right now?”
“I have to pick up Donald. He takes the last ferry home on Fridays. If I don’t pick him up, he’ll have to walk, and hehateswalking up the hill after he’s worked all day.” She tries to stand up, but Doc stops her with a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s Tuesday, Gladys,” he says softly, and shines a pen light into each of her eyes. “Do you know what year it is?”
My friend blinks hard, then focuses on Bella. Tears shimmer in her eyes. “Shitsicles.”
“Gladys?” I take a seat next to her and drape my arm around her shoulders. “Donald?—”
“I know, baby girl. He’s been gone a long time now.” Her tone turns sorrowful, and she leans against me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Bella was still in pigtails when he died.”
Doc tries to get the blood pressure cuff around Gladys’s arm, but she waves him off. “I’m fine, Dr. Sexy Pants. Leave me alone.”
He chuckles. “Dr. Sexy Pants? That’s one I haven’t heard before.”
“Well, it’s true,” she retorts, then stares directly at his…package. “Though you might try wearing a pair of gray sweatpants in the future.”
Oh, God. Kill me now.
“In July? I’d burst into flames.” He tries once more to wrap the cuff around her upper arm, and this time, she lets him.“You’re officially my patient now, Gladys, and I’m going to make sure you’re okay. Can you tell me how you fell?”
“Bein’ stupid,” she mutters. “My foot slipped off the ladder.”
“She wanted to show me one of her photo albums,” Bella says. “I didn’t know they were in the attic. I was packing?—”
I try to pay attention as Doc examines Gladys, but my mind is racing. What if Bella hadn’t been here? What ifDochadn’t been here? What will happen to Gladys if I run again? She talks to everyone on the island. She’s lived here for close to thirty-five years. But would anyone else think to check up on her?
How many days haveIforgotten to check on her? If I leave—when I leave—she’ll be even more alone than she is now.
Doc pushes to his feet with a wince and starts methodically tucking his equipment back into his bag . “Gladys, you gave your niece quite a scare. But you’re back with us now, and by some miracle, you didn’t break any bones. But youdidlose consciousness for a few minutes, so I’d feel a whole hell of a lot better if Bella and Nat could take turns keeping an eye on you tonight.”
“You mean like wake her up every four hours?” I ask.
Doc chuckles. “That’s old advice that we don’t tend to follow anymore. All it ever did was piss people off. Gladys needs to take it easy for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If she gets dizzy or nauseous, has another episode of confusion or lack of coordination, or if she has any pain, you call me.” He scribbles a number down on a scrap of paper, and passes it to Bella. “It’s a sat phone, so you can reach me anywhere. Nat already has my number from the campsite reservation system. Even though she’s never used it.” His pointed look shocks me. Like hewantsme to use it. For what? Just to talk?
