Chapter Nineteen
Downtown Free Clinic
The waiting room was packed. Standing room only. CJ weaved her way through the crowd and waited until the receptionist was free.
“Good morning, I’m Dr. Patterson. I understand Juanita Lusk is here today.” Actually CJ was hoping she was here. She’d mentioned working at this clinic too.
The harried receptionist glanced from the line to CJ. “We’re a little busy right now. Are you here about the referrals?”
CJ hesitated, then said, “Yes.”
The gentleman next in line abruptly bent forward and puked.
“Jesus!” The receptionist jumped up, shook her head, then said to CJ, “Go on back. She’ll be in one of the exam rooms. She’s expecting you.”
“Thank you.” CJ slipped through the tangle of people and entered the double doors marked Personnel Only. She wasn’t in the habit of lying, but she was definitely getting in some practice here.
Whatever it took. Like the old days.
The first three exam rooms she passed housed waiting patients but no doctor.
Six other patients waited in chairs along the wall.
A nurse entered the fourth room. CJ peeked inside—no Juanita.
The final room on the left was the one she was looking for.
CJ waited outside the door since Juanita was with a patient.
“I won’t have the money to get the prescription filled before Friday.”
“Ms. Tyler,” Juanita said as she made her final notations in the chart, “Nikki needs the antibiotic now.”
The patient was a girl, seven or eight years old. Pale, skinny. The mother looked pretty much the same.
“I know,” the mother said, her face worried, “but I don’t have the money.”
“Okay.” Juanita heaved a big breath. “I think we have a few samples around here somewhere. Just wait here and I’ll find them.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much.”
Juanita nodded and turned to the door. She missed a step when she saw CJ watching from the corridor.
“I don’t know how you got back here,” Juanita said as she moved past her, “but I don’t have time for any more of your questions.”
CJ lengthened her step to keep up with the woman. “This isn’t about the murder.” It was, but Juanita didn’t need to be made aware at this point.
“Talk fast, Patterson.” She stopped at the lab station and started going through cabinets.
“I’ll be in town for a while.”
“Great.” Juanita slammed one door and opened another.
“Anyway, I checked with my attending and he authorized me to volunteer here in Huntsville to fulfill the requirements of some of my elective hours.”
Juanita glanced at her before diving into the row of drawers.
“So, if you don’t have any objections, I’d like to help you out at the village clinic.”
Juanita grabbed a handful of samples, then stared at her. “What’re you up to, Patterson?”
“I need to stay,” she admitted. “Make sure the cops do their job. But I don’t want to put my position in Baltimore at risk, so I’m working the only option available to me.”
Juanita shoved the drawer shut. “And you want me to help you?”
“Actually,” CJ said, following her back down the corridor, “I would be helping you. I can work the same day as you, so the clinic can see twice as many patients, or I can work a different day. Give you a day off. I would be helping you and the village residents.”
Juanita breezed into the exam room, gave the patient’s mother the samples. “Bring her back in two weeks if she isn’t greatly improved.”
The mother thanked her over and over as she ushered her little girl out of the room.
Juanita placed the patient’s chart on the growing stack on the table in the corridor.
“I’ve a good mind to say no,” she warned, her gaze narrow with suspicion.
“But I could use the help. There’s not enough time in the day to see everyone who needs medical attention.
And I could get my preceptor to rush the paperwork through .
. . if I was convinced of your sincerity. ”
CJ knew where this was going. “This isn’t about the past, Juanita. This is about doing the right thing. I have to see this through. You don’t have to worry about me stepping on your toes. You’ll be the one in charge. I have no desire to try usurping your authority.”
The stare-off lasted another ten or twelve seconds. “You’re on.” She allowed CJ to see in her eyes just how serious she was. “But you screw with me and you’re out. Do we understand each other?”
“Absolutely.”
Juanita grabbed the chart at the next exam room. “In fact, you can start right now. You’ll find what you need in my office.” She pushed her lips into a fake smile. “One good deed deserves another, right?” She entered the exam room. “Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez. What seems to be the problem?”
CJ located the office, left her bag, and donned a stethoscope. Getting on Juanita’s good side wasn’t a bad idea. Who knew? Maybe the woman would remember something Shelley had said that would make a difference.
Meanwhile, CJ would be doing what she loved most: taking care of people.
5:30 p.m.
CJ dropped the final chart on the mountain of others.
The last patient was out the door.
She stretched her back, rotated her neck.
“This is what I do every day,” Juanita said as she placed her final chart on top of CJ’s. “Not that different from what you do.”
The hint of a smile tilted one corner of CJ’s mouth. Maybe they would get along after all. “Just a little less blood.” Images from Saturday night . . . the kid . . . invaded her thoughts. A lot less blood.
Juanita glanced at the mountain of charts. “Thanks, Patterson.” She gestured to the pile. “I’ll be here for a while.”
“About the village clinic—”
“Tomorrow too soon for you?” Juanita grabbed an armful of charts. “Wednesdays would be a good day off for me. I’ll make sure the paperwork gets done ASAP.”
“Tomorrow’s great.” The sooner the better for CJ’s purposes.
Juanita jerked her head toward her office. “I’ll give you my keys. I’ll get duplicates made by Friday.”
Anticipation chased away CJ’s exhaustion. “That works.”
The keys were on a chain with several others. Juanita unhooked and handed three to CJ, stating which door each unlocked as she did.
“I’ve annotated as many of the charts as possible as to the patients who shouldn’t be given barbiturates, opiate derivatives, stuff like that.” She gave CJ a knowing look. “You’re new; they’ll try to play on your sympathy.”
“I’ll stick with your notes.” CJ backed toward the double doors. “Just so you know, Baltimore hasn’t made me soft. I’m tougher than you think.”
“Go on. I’ll lock the door after you’re gone.” Juanita shook her head and shuffled into her office.
The receptionist had left already. The waiting room looked like a tornado had come through. The few magazines provided for the patients’ entertainment were scattered about, along with coffee cups, soda cans, and various other discarded food wrappers and containers.
CJ pushed through the entrance and took a deep breath. As tired as she should feel, she didn’t. She felt exhilarated. She’d taken the first step toward putting her strategy into action.
“CJ Patterson, is that really you?”
She turned to face the man who’d called out to her. Dark hair . . . tall. Blue eyes.
A mixture of anticipation and irritation detonated in little consecutive bursts. Carter Cost.
Dr. Carter Cost.
The rich, gets-whatever-he-wants, womanizing shit.
Irritation won the battle.
“Carter.” Her tone sounded as icy as she’d intended it.
He noticed. “It’s been a long time.”
Not long enough. “It has. Well. I was on my way—”
Cost glanced at the clinic, then at her. “I was on my way in there.” He hitched a thumb toward the clinic. “I’m the preceptor here and for the clinic in the mill village. When Juanita called around noon and asked me to push through an authorization for you, I thought she was kidding me.”
CJ suddenly felt very sorry for Juanita. Not only had she missed out on completing the requirements to have an MD after her name, which she obviously deserved, but she had to work under the oversight of this guy. No wonder she had such a foul disposition.
Crap. That meant CJ would be stuck dealing with him.
“How long will you be in town?”
CJ snapped back to attention. “A few weeks, probably. My sister—”
“Oh God.” Sympathy flashed in his eyes, which at one time had tugged on her heartstrings. “I’m sorry. Shelley . . .” He shook his head. “It’s just terrible.”
“It is, terrible. Yes.” CJ really did not want to do this with him.
“Look.” He wrapped those long fingers around her forearm, squeezed gently. “Let me sign off on a couple things in here and we’ll have dinner.”
No was on the tip of her tongue.
“You can’t say no,” he insisted with that charming smile that had probably broken many a heart. “I won’t have it. That’s an order. Give me five minutes.”
Before she could argue, he disappeared into the clinic.
She supposed he was why Juanita hadn’t bothered locking the door directly behind CJ. She was expecting Cost.
Maybe CJ shouldn’t waste her sympathy on Juanita. She might still be carrying a torch for her old flame.
She had nothing to worry about where CJ was concerned.
She wasn’t about to try the same poison twice.
But she would have dinner with him. As preceptor of the village clinic, he would have some knowledge of the patients and the neighborhood. Not to mention he could ensure she was approved for working at the clinic as long as necessary.
Follow all leads—that was going to be her motto.
Someone somewhere knew something.
She had to find that someone.