outside, a man’s voice calling “Whoa!”, and the sound of a wagon rattling to an abrupt halt.
Both women looked out the window and saw a man in his early sixties hop down from the seat and dash toward the office door.
“Looks like another emergency of some kind,” said Mandy.
Tharyn fixed her eyes on the door just as the man came in.
He hurried to the desk, a look of surprise on his face. “Nadine isn’t here, ma’am?”
As Tharyn was shaking her head, ready to explain, he snapped his fingers and said, “Oh, of course. Dr. Logan told me a few weeks ago that he was getting married and that his wife would be taking over Nadine’s job. I’m Eric Cox. You
are
Mrs. Logan?”
“Yes. I’m Tharyn Logan.”
“Glad to meet you, ma’am. Dr. Logan has treated my wife, Nelda, twice since taking over the practice from Dr. Fraser. She’s fifty-eight years old and has a bad hip. Dr. Logan told us that Nelda was going to need a hip replacement sometime in the next year or so, but I think it’ll have to be sooner. Nelda just fell down a flight of stairs and her hip is hurting something awful. We live a few miles out of town. Our daughter is with her at the moment, doing everything she can to help alleviate the pain. How soon could the doctor come and look at her?”
Before Tharyn could reply, Mandy rose from her chair and approached the desk. “Mrs. Logan, I can come back tomorrow. It’s best that Dr. Logan get to this man’s wife as soon as possible.”
“Are you sure you want to wait till tomorrow?” asked Tharyn. “I know you are quite anxious to learn the doctor’s opinion of your condition. I could send a messenger to your house when the doctor gets back, and he could still see you today.”
Mandy shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Another day won’t make that much difference. This man’s wife needs the doctor, and he may need to stay with her for a while. Can you work me into your schedule tomorrow?”
Tharyn picked up a pencil and opened the appointment book. She set her eyes on the page before her. “I have an opening at nine o’clock in the morning and one at eleven-thirty. Or I could give you an afternoon appointment at two-thirty, three-thirty, or four o’clock.”
“Well, I’ll take the one at nine o’clock in the morning.”
While writing in Mandy’s name, Tharyn said, “All right. It’s done. We’ll see you at nine in the morning.”
The silver-haired Eric Cox set appreciative eyes on Mandy. “Thank you, ma’am. You are very kind.”
Mandy smiled. “I hope everything turns out all right for your wife, sir.”
As Mandy was stepping out on the boardwalk, Tharyn headed for the door of the examining room and said over her shoulder, “I’ll see how Doctor is doing with the patient back here, Mr. Cox. Be right back.”
Eric nodded and remained standing in front of her desk.
In a few minutes, she returned. “I explained to Doctor about Nelda’s fall, Mr. Cox. He said he will be able to go to her aid in about ten minutes.”
“Oh, good. Thank you, ma’am. I’ll go on back to the house and let Nelda know that the doctor will soon be on his way.”
As Eric hurried out the door, Tharyn thought of when she and Dane first met in Manhattan ten years ago, and how desperately the fifteen-year-old Dane wanted to be a physician and surgeon.
“Thank You, Lord,” she said in a soft tone. “Thank You that You made it so Dane has been able to realize his dream, and thank You for the great measure of success he has known in his few short years as a doctor.”
Just over three quarters of an hour later, Dr. Dane Logan bent over Nelda Cox’s bed with her husband and daughter beside him, while he was finishing his examination. He covered her hip and leg with the sheet, and said, “Well, Nelda, the fall definitely has accelerated your need for the hip replacement. It must be done as soon as possible.”
Still somewhat in pain though the doctor had given her a strong dose of
Both women looked out the window and saw a man in his early sixties hop down from the seat and dash toward the office door.
“Looks like another emergency of some kind,” said Mandy.
Tharyn fixed her eyes on the door just as the man came in.
He hurried to the desk, a look of surprise on his face. “Nadine isn’t here, ma’am?”
As Tharyn was shaking her head, ready to explain, he snapped his fingers and said, “Oh, of course. Dr. Logan told me a few weeks ago that he was getting married and that his wife would be taking over Nadine’s job. I’m Eric Cox. You
are
Mrs. Logan?”
“Yes. I’m Tharyn Logan.”
“Glad to meet you, ma’am. Dr. Logan has treated my wife, Nelda, twice since taking over the practice from Dr. Fraser. She’s fifty-eight years old and has a bad hip. Dr. Logan told us that Nelda was going to need a hip replacement sometime in the next year or so, but I think it’ll have to be sooner. Nelda just fell down a flight of stairs and her hip is hurting something awful. We live a few miles out of town. Our daughter is with her at the moment, doing everything she can to help alleviate the pain. How soon could the doctor come and look at her?”
Before Tharyn could reply, Mandy rose from her chair and approached the desk. “Mrs. Logan, I can come back tomorrow. It’s best that Dr. Logan get to this man’s wife as soon as possible.”
“Are you sure you want to wait till tomorrow?” asked Tharyn. “I know you are quite anxious to learn the doctor’s opinion of your condition. I could send a messenger to your house when the doctor gets back, and he could still see you today.”
Mandy shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Another day won’t make that much difference. This man’s wife needs the doctor, and he may need to stay with her for a while. Can you work me into your schedule tomorrow?”
Tharyn picked up a pencil and opened the appointment book. She set her eyes on the page before her. “I have an opening at nine o’clock in the morning and one at eleven-thirty. Or I could give you an afternoon appointment at two-thirty, three-thirty, or four o’clock.”
“Well, I’ll take the one at nine o’clock in the morning.”
While writing in Mandy’s name, Tharyn said, “All right. It’s done. We’ll see you at nine in the morning.”
The silver-haired Eric Cox set appreciative eyes on Mandy. “Thank you, ma’am. You are very kind.”
Mandy smiled. “I hope everything turns out all right for your wife, sir.”
As Mandy was stepping out on the boardwalk, Tharyn headed for the door of the examining room and said over her shoulder, “I’ll see how Doctor is doing with the patient back here, Mr. Cox. Be right back.”
Eric nodded and remained standing in front of her desk.
In a few minutes, she returned. “I explained to Doctor about Nelda’s fall, Mr. Cox. He said he will be able to go to her aid in about ten minutes.”
“Oh, good. Thank you, ma’am. I’ll go on back to the house and let Nelda know that the doctor will soon be on his way.”
As Eric hurried out the door, Tharyn thought of when she and Dane first met in Manhattan ten years ago, and how desperately the fifteen-year-old Dane wanted to be a physician and surgeon.
“Thank You, Lord,” she said in a soft tone. “Thank You that You made it so Dane has been able to realize his dream, and thank You for the great measure of success he has known in his few short years as a doctor.”
Just over three quarters of an hour later, Dr. Dane Logan bent over Nelda Cox’s bed with her husband and daughter beside him, while he was finishing his examination. He covered her hip and leg with the sheet, and said, “Well, Nelda, the fall definitely has accelerated your need for the hip replacement. It must be done as soon as possible.”
Still somewhat in pain though the doctor had given her a strong dose of
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