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Authors: David Thurlo
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a problem. I can’t stay at the hospital any longer with Dawn and I can’t take her to work with me either. I have an important meeting in less than an hour.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes or so.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
After quickly explaining the problem to Justine, who agreed to handle the Joe Wallace incident and inform Big Ed, Ella ran out the side doorof the station and hopped into her unit.
The situation had unnerved her more than she cared to admit. The thought of her mother injured, and trying to drive herself to the hospital while she had Dawn with her, was disturbing.
Rose should have called her. She would have gone home double-time or called the EMTs. But Ella knew precisely why her mother hadn’t done that. Being independent was everythingto Rose. To admit she needed help went against everything she was. The fact that she’d accepted Kevin’s help was enough to tell Ella how serious the situation had been.
Ella’s worries continued to grow as she raced to the hospital. Rose was never an easy patient. Feeling her insides tying themselves into knots, Ella forced herself to remain calm. She’d need a cool head to deal with her mother’ssituation.
Ella entered the waiting area of the ER a short time later and found Kevin across the lobby, holding a wriggly Dawn in his arms.
Seeing Ella, Kevin gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Finally! Dawn’s pretty fussy right now. It must be all the excitement.”
Ella took Dawn and then set her down on the floor, keeping a tight hold on her hand. “She just hates to be carried most of the time.”
“It was the only way I could think of to keep her from running up and down the halls.”
Ella stared at him, wondering why a man who could sway a skeptical jury of twelve adults and cower a hostile witness in zero flat couldn’t deal with a two-year-old. “Where’s my mom?”
“Through those doors,” he said, gesturing by pursing his lips.
Ella heard someone come into the lobby behind her. Turning,she recognized Kevin’s young assistant, Jefferson Blueeyes. The slender, well-dressed Navajo had the eyes of a hawk. She’d only met him a few times before, but he was well educated, had almost no accent, and seemed even more ambitious than Kevin, if such a thing were possible.
Jefferson nodded coldly to Ella, and then to Kevin. “We have to get going. You can’t afford to be late to this meeting,”he said cryptically.
Kevin checked his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
Kevin strode out of the door before she could even say good-bye or thank him. For a moment, Ella remained in the hall wanting to see Rose, but wondering whether she’d be able to take Dawn inside the ER. Then she heard someone call out her name. Ella glanced up and saw Dr. Carolyn Roanhorse-Lavery coming in throughthe same door Kevin had just passed through. Ella smiled, glad to see her.
Based on an understanding of the high price tribal beliefs often exacted on those who had to walk the line between traditional and modern cultures, their friendship had stood the test of time. Ella had been as much of an outsider once as Carolyn was, so she understood better than most the hard road Carolyn traveled. Asthe head pathologist and medical examiner for the tribe, people avoided contact with her as much as possible. No Navajo wanted to be around someone who worked with dead bodies for a living.
Fortunately, things were a lot easier for Carolyn these days. Now that she was married to an Anglo physician in her own field, Carolyn’s loneliness was no longer as acute. Yet, despite the different roadstheir personal lives had taken, Ella and Carolyn had remained close.
“I haven’t been in to see your mom for obvious reasons,” Carolyn told Ella. “Being around me might have frightened her right now. But I was able to check with the nurse and Dr. Martinez. Rose apparently damaged some tendons and may need surgery later.”
Carolyn looked down at Dawn.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes or so.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
After quickly explaining the problem to Justine, who agreed to handle the Joe Wallace incident and inform Big Ed, Ella ran out the side doorof the station and hopped into her unit.
The situation had unnerved her more than she cared to admit. The thought of her mother injured, and trying to drive herself to the hospital while she had Dawn with her, was disturbing.
Rose should have called her. She would have gone home double-time or called the EMTs. But Ella knew precisely why her mother hadn’t done that. Being independent was everythingto Rose. To admit she needed help went against everything she was. The fact that she’d accepted Kevin’s help was enough to tell Ella how serious the situation had been.
Ella’s worries continued to grow as she raced to the hospital. Rose was never an easy patient. Feeling her insides tying themselves into knots, Ella forced herself to remain calm. She’d need a cool head to deal with her mother’ssituation.
Ella entered the waiting area of the ER a short time later and found Kevin across the lobby, holding a wriggly Dawn in his arms.
Seeing Ella, Kevin gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Finally! Dawn’s pretty fussy right now. It must be all the excitement.”
Ella took Dawn and then set her down on the floor, keeping a tight hold on her hand. “She just hates to be carried most of the time.”
“It was the only way I could think of to keep her from running up and down the halls.”
Ella stared at him, wondering why a man who could sway a skeptical jury of twelve adults and cower a hostile witness in zero flat couldn’t deal with a two-year-old. “Where’s my mom?”
“Through those doors,” he said, gesturing by pursing his lips.
Ella heard someone come into the lobby behind her. Turning,she recognized Kevin’s young assistant, Jefferson Blueeyes. The slender, well-dressed Navajo had the eyes of a hawk. She’d only met him a few times before, but he was well educated, had almost no accent, and seemed even more ambitious than Kevin, if such a thing were possible.
Jefferson nodded coldly to Ella, and then to Kevin. “We have to get going. You can’t afford to be late to this meeting,”he said cryptically.
Kevin checked his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
Kevin strode out of the door before she could even say good-bye or thank him. For a moment, Ella remained in the hall wanting to see Rose, but wondering whether she’d be able to take Dawn inside the ER. Then she heard someone call out her name. Ella glanced up and saw Dr. Carolyn Roanhorse-Lavery coming in throughthe same door Kevin had just passed through. Ella smiled, glad to see her.
Based on an understanding of the high price tribal beliefs often exacted on those who had to walk the line between traditional and modern cultures, their friendship had stood the test of time. Ella had been as much of an outsider once as Carolyn was, so she understood better than most the hard road Carolyn traveled. Asthe head pathologist and medical examiner for the tribe, people avoided contact with her as much as possible. No Navajo wanted to be around someone who worked with dead bodies for a living.
Fortunately, things were a lot easier for Carolyn these days. Now that she was married to an Anglo physician in her own field, Carolyn’s loneliness was no longer as acute. Yet, despite the different roadstheir personal lives had taken, Ella and Carolyn had remained close.
“I haven’t been in to see your mom for obvious reasons,” Carolyn told Ella. “Being around me might have frightened her right now. But I was able to check with the nurse and Dr. Martinez. Rose apparently damaged some tendons and may need surgery later.”
Carolyn looked down at Dawn.
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