take my mood out on you."
"I don't mind," Connie said.
"I do mind," Nathan said, holding onto his temper by a thread.
"We'll talk later then," Connie said. "Do you want to get together for lunch?"
"I can't," Nathan said. "I have something I need to do."
"All right," Connie said, heading for the door. "I'll see you later." She left as quickly as she had come.
Nathan's first patient of the day was Loretta Mason. She was a seventy-five year old woman who had been coming to Nathan for checkups, since he started taking on patients. She was one of his favorites, and he always enjoyed seeing her. Putting Kate to the back of his mind, for the time being, he entered the examination room. "Good morning, Loretta. How are you feeling?"
"My back aches and I have an ugly corn on my toe the size of Texas. What do you think?"
Nathan smiled. "I think I'd like to see that corn."
"I would like to get out of here before my next birthday," she said dryly.
"This won't take long," Nathan said, moving in front of her. He looked into her eyes. "Relax, Loretta. Take a deep breath and just relax."
"How can I relax when my back is killing me?" She said softly.
"How long has your back been bothering you?" Nathan asked.
"Three long days."
"Is it a pain that comes and goes, or is it constant?"
"It comes and goes," Mrs. Mason answered.
Nathan moved behind her and placed his hands on the lower part of her back. "I'm going to feel around. Let me know if it hurts." He gently pressed his hands along her back, feeling for swelling. When his hand touched the right side, he felt her stiffen and heard her sharp intake of breath. "Is that where it hurts?"
"Y-yes."
Nathan strolled to the counter and opened Mrs. Mason's file. "Have you had any accidents recently, Loretta?"
"No," she said.
"Have you lifted any heavy objects?"
Mrs. Mason glanced at the floor. "I tried to move a plant. It was heavier than I thought it would be."
Nathan sighed. "Loretta, you're not a young woman any more. You have to be more careful. Don't you have someone who can move your plants for you?"
"I have a son," Mrs. Mason said. "I suppose I could ask him to help me. It's just that I don't want to be a bother."
"I'm sure your son would rather you be a bother than see you get hurt," Nathan pointed out. "Don't ever lift something that weighs more than you." He took a prescription pad and a pen out of his pocket. "I'm going to prescribe you something that will relax your muscles and help with the pain." He quickly wrote out a prescription and tore the sheet of paper from the pad. "I want you to take it easy for a few days."
"I'll try," Mrs. Mason said, taking the piece of paper from him. "Thank you."
"Do you have someone waiting for you?" Nathan asked as he helped her off the table.
"My son is in the waiting room."
"I want to see you again in a week," Nathan said. "If the pain grows worse I want you to come in."
"I will," Mrs. Mason promised. She smiled up at Nathan. "You're such a sweet young man. It's a shame you're already taken. I have a granddaughter who would be perfect for you."
"Well, if she's any thing like you then she shouldn't have a problem finding someone," Nathan said honestly.
"Like I said, you're a sweet young man and smart too."
Grinning, Nathan handed Mrs. Mason over to her son and went to see his next patient.
Kate spent the morning rearranging books in the library. Whoever put the books on the floor to ceiling shelves had not placed them in alphabetical order according to the author's last name, the way she preferred. By the time she stopped to take a break she realized it was almost noon. She left the library, closing the door behind her, and headed down the hallway. As she drew near the nursery she heard Gaby whimpering and hurried into the room.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Kate leaned over the crib and
"I don't mind," Connie said.
"I do mind," Nathan said, holding onto his temper by a thread.
"We'll talk later then," Connie said. "Do you want to get together for lunch?"
"I can't," Nathan said. "I have something I need to do."
"All right," Connie said, heading for the door. "I'll see you later." She left as quickly as she had come.
Nathan's first patient of the day was Loretta Mason. She was a seventy-five year old woman who had been coming to Nathan for checkups, since he started taking on patients. She was one of his favorites, and he always enjoyed seeing her. Putting Kate to the back of his mind, for the time being, he entered the examination room. "Good morning, Loretta. How are you feeling?"
"My back aches and I have an ugly corn on my toe the size of Texas. What do you think?"
Nathan smiled. "I think I'd like to see that corn."
"I would like to get out of here before my next birthday," she said dryly.
"This won't take long," Nathan said, moving in front of her. He looked into her eyes. "Relax, Loretta. Take a deep breath and just relax."
"How can I relax when my back is killing me?" She said softly.
"How long has your back been bothering you?" Nathan asked.
"Three long days."
"Is it a pain that comes and goes, or is it constant?"
"It comes and goes," Mrs. Mason answered.
Nathan moved behind her and placed his hands on the lower part of her back. "I'm going to feel around. Let me know if it hurts." He gently pressed his hands along her back, feeling for swelling. When his hand touched the right side, he felt her stiffen and heard her sharp intake of breath. "Is that where it hurts?"
"Y-yes."
Nathan strolled to the counter and opened Mrs. Mason's file. "Have you had any accidents recently, Loretta?"
"No," she said.
"Have you lifted any heavy objects?"
Mrs. Mason glanced at the floor. "I tried to move a plant. It was heavier than I thought it would be."
Nathan sighed. "Loretta, you're not a young woman any more. You have to be more careful. Don't you have someone who can move your plants for you?"
"I have a son," Mrs. Mason said. "I suppose I could ask him to help me. It's just that I don't want to be a bother."
"I'm sure your son would rather you be a bother than see you get hurt," Nathan pointed out. "Don't ever lift something that weighs more than you." He took a prescription pad and a pen out of his pocket. "I'm going to prescribe you something that will relax your muscles and help with the pain." He quickly wrote out a prescription and tore the sheet of paper from the pad. "I want you to take it easy for a few days."
"I'll try," Mrs. Mason said, taking the piece of paper from him. "Thank you."
"Do you have someone waiting for you?" Nathan asked as he helped her off the table.
"My son is in the waiting room."
"I want to see you again in a week," Nathan said. "If the pain grows worse I want you to come in."
"I will," Mrs. Mason promised. She smiled up at Nathan. "You're such a sweet young man. It's a shame you're already taken. I have a granddaughter who would be perfect for you."
"Well, if she's any thing like you then she shouldn't have a problem finding someone," Nathan said honestly.
"Like I said, you're a sweet young man and smart too."
Grinning, Nathan handed Mrs. Mason over to her son and went to see his next patient.
Kate spent the morning rearranging books in the library. Whoever put the books on the floor to ceiling shelves had not placed them in alphabetical order according to the author's last name, the way she preferred. By the time she stopped to take a break she realized it was almost noon. She left the library, closing the door behind her, and headed down the hallway. As she drew near the nursery she heard Gaby whimpering and hurried into the room.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Kate leaned over the crib and
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