battle, a bigger victory, a bigger enemy. One she would havesavored like a good meal only a few weeks ago. All she tasted this time was acid in her throat. And there was no way she could think of to explain it to Tim. So she lurched into motion and headed for her room.
“Where is Weiss?” she asked as Tim followed alongside.
“He’s taking a nap.”
Kate nodded. “I should report his ass.”
“Right after he reports yours. He’s not one of your biggest fans, you know.”
“Well, thank God for that. I was afraid the feeling wasn’t mutual. The word in the food line is that he’s been putting more up his nose than Neo-Synephrine.”
“He’s under a lot of pressure.”
Kate actually had to stop so she could laugh. “Goddamn you, Tim. Can’t you be bitchy once in your life?”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “And perpetuate the stereotype? Never.”
It wasn’t until Kate was safely tucked in bed, her cap added to the collection that was growing from the orthopedic frame, that she worked up the nerve to ask the really important stuff.
“Was Weiss in the ER the night I transferred that little boy?”
Tim had been all set to head back out the door. Instead, he settled down on the edge of her bed, his forehead folded into a frown. Kate loved that frown.
“You’re not still beating yourself up about that, are you?” he asked, taking hold of her hand.
“I just can’t remember.”
He rubbed at her hands with his thumbs. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Weiss seemed to think so.”
“Weiss is an asshole.”
Kate grinned. “Well, finally. An honest opinion from Saint Timothy the Younger.”
Tim actually blushed. “If you repeat it, I’ll deny everything. You know how tough a time he has with anybody challenging his authority. Cut him a little slack for a while, Kate. Okay?”
Kate closed her eyes, wishing she could explain to Tim why it was so important to know whether she’d pushed for that baby’s transfer out of altruism or obstinacy. It wasn’t something Tim would understand, though. So she nodded and pretended to be mollified.
“Okay. Thanks for pulling my butt out of the fire tonight, Tim.”
Only Kate and maybe Tim’s brother could ever see the shadow beneath that gleaming, sweet smile. “My pleasure. But try and stay out of trouble till I’m back on again. Weiss’ll come through, Kate, I promise. I’m working on him.”
If anybody else had said that, Kate would have laughed. But Saint Timothy the Younger could, indeed, work miracles.
Nestled back on pillows that smelled like bacteriocidal disinfectant, Kate still felt as warm and comforted as she ever had. She kissed Tim good night, thinking that she was really a lucky girl. All she had to do was figure out what to do with her life. How to avoid the hospital’s clutches andreawaken her joy in her job and last another thirty years or so until she could retire and decide just what to do with herself. Until then, though, she was looking forward to getting a little sleep.
Which was, of course, why she had the nightmare.
Chapter 6
IT WAS AUTUMN . She knew because the leaves had fallen across the sidewalk, leaving the yard cluttered and dingy. There were clouds in the sky, a sheet of dirty gray that took all the light out of the world. Kate saw the yard, saw the bare trees, saw the house that always needed paint and fixing. She saw her hesitant approach as if watching from a third eye.
Quiet. The neighborhood usually ricocheted with the play of kids, the revving of teen engines, the arguments of middle-aged parents.
But this time there was a kind of sullen silence over the street. A pall, her teacher would have called it. All Kate knew was it made her heart beat faster. Louder. Louder than the scrape of her old saddle shoes across the concrete walk. Louder than the rasp of the screen door that seemed to shift in the wind, even though Kate couldn’t hear the wind, couldn’t see the trees moving.
Only Kate moved, even
“Where is Weiss?” she asked as Tim followed alongside.
“He’s taking a nap.”
Kate nodded. “I should report his ass.”
“Right after he reports yours. He’s not one of your biggest fans, you know.”
“Well, thank God for that. I was afraid the feeling wasn’t mutual. The word in the food line is that he’s been putting more up his nose than Neo-Synephrine.”
“He’s under a lot of pressure.”
Kate actually had to stop so she could laugh. “Goddamn you, Tim. Can’t you be bitchy once in your life?”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “And perpetuate the stereotype? Never.”
It wasn’t until Kate was safely tucked in bed, her cap added to the collection that was growing from the orthopedic frame, that she worked up the nerve to ask the really important stuff.
“Was Weiss in the ER the night I transferred that little boy?”
Tim had been all set to head back out the door. Instead, he settled down on the edge of her bed, his forehead folded into a frown. Kate loved that frown.
“You’re not still beating yourself up about that, are you?” he asked, taking hold of her hand.
“I just can’t remember.”
He rubbed at her hands with his thumbs. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Weiss seemed to think so.”
“Weiss is an asshole.”
Kate grinned. “Well, finally. An honest opinion from Saint Timothy the Younger.”
Tim actually blushed. “If you repeat it, I’ll deny everything. You know how tough a time he has with anybody challenging his authority. Cut him a little slack for a while, Kate. Okay?”
Kate closed her eyes, wishing she could explain to Tim why it was so important to know whether she’d pushed for that baby’s transfer out of altruism or obstinacy. It wasn’t something Tim would understand, though. So she nodded and pretended to be mollified.
“Okay. Thanks for pulling my butt out of the fire tonight, Tim.”
Only Kate and maybe Tim’s brother could ever see the shadow beneath that gleaming, sweet smile. “My pleasure. But try and stay out of trouble till I’m back on again. Weiss’ll come through, Kate, I promise. I’m working on him.”
If anybody else had said that, Kate would have laughed. But Saint Timothy the Younger could, indeed, work miracles.
Nestled back on pillows that smelled like bacteriocidal disinfectant, Kate still felt as warm and comforted as she ever had. She kissed Tim good night, thinking that she was really a lucky girl. All she had to do was figure out what to do with her life. How to avoid the hospital’s clutches andreawaken her joy in her job and last another thirty years or so until she could retire and decide just what to do with herself. Until then, though, she was looking forward to getting a little sleep.
Which was, of course, why she had the nightmare.
Chapter 6
IT WAS AUTUMN . She knew because the leaves had fallen across the sidewalk, leaving the yard cluttered and dingy. There were clouds in the sky, a sheet of dirty gray that took all the light out of the world. Kate saw the yard, saw the bare trees, saw the house that always needed paint and fixing. She saw her hesitant approach as if watching from a third eye.
Quiet. The neighborhood usually ricocheted with the play of kids, the revving of teen engines, the arguments of middle-aged parents.
But this time there was a kind of sullen silence over the street. A pall, her teacher would have called it. All Kate knew was it made her heart beat faster. Louder. Louder than the scrape of her old saddle shoes across the concrete walk. Louder than the rasp of the screen door that seemed to shift in the wind, even though Kate couldn’t hear the wind, couldn’t see the trees moving.
Only Kate moved, even
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