Comfort Zone

Chapter 54

"I know, I know, Dr. Engels—I mean Charles. Patient in room 525 is ready for discharge. I was just about to go and do the paperwork now."

"I was just coming over to say hello, Miriam."

"Then maybe I should let him stay another day?" she said. "And by the way, how are you feeling?"

"No complaints. You know, there was a time when I thought that answer showed a deplorable lack of imagination."

"I know what you mean. I always want to say, 'Can't you try harder to think of one?'"

Charles walked away smiling and Miriam went to discharge her patient. The nurses' station was buzzing with health care providers. Miriam greeted Ms. Carmen and Samantha, and a physical therapist stopped to chat. He'd been working with Miriam's rock musician patient with the weak shoulder after the orthopedic specialist gave him an injection and referred him for therapy.

"He's recovering very well," he told Miriam. "Speaks very highly of you, by the way." Miriam left the station heartened by the compliment.

On her way to the office she passed a worker unscrewing one of the wall plaques. Curious, she took a look at the engraving.

Dedicated to all of you. Health is wealth. Richard Quest.

She wanted to ask where they were planning to hang it but didn't, preferring to imagine a dim, lonely corner in the hospital morgue.

Next stop was the doctors' elevator. Miriam swiped in and joined the crowd. "Room for one more?" a slightly breathless voice called from behind her. The voice belonged to a young man with an unfamiliar face.

"Hop aboard, always room," someone said from the recesses as they jostled to make space. As the doors closed, the newcomer introduced himself. He was a physician assistant, a PA, working with a large multi-specialty group. Miriam knew several of the doctors in the group, and immediately said, "That's Dr. Munoz' group. How's she doing? I haven't seen her in months."

"I was hired to replace her," the young man said. Replacing a doctor with a PA? There was a beat of silence before he went on.

"Speaking of replacements, what do you think about the new CEO? I can't believe he jacked up the parking rates. Are your patients complaining as much as mine?"

"JK would have known what to do! Remember him fighting for better hospital food?" someone burst out. There was an excited rustle of agreement. "I'm embarrassed I fell for the smear campaign of that scumbag CEO who probably killed him to shut him up. JK diverting narcotics? Ridiculous!" Another rustle of agreement.

As Miriam walked away, she couldn't help wondering. While he was busy confessing to his other crimes, why hadn't Quest copped to killing JK, or using him as a fall guy? And why had he called him weak?

Evan Short was first on the schedule, and Miriam braced herself for another pleasant but unsettling visit. As soon as she came in the room, he said, "I came back for fasting labs and would like a test for herpes."

Sandra had finally told him about her infection. "She told me you did everything in your power to twist her arm," he said.

They were still together. "None of us are perfect, Dr. Gotlin. I've done plenty of worse things. I guess it's about forgiveness."

And it wasn't a Navajo concept he was quoting, just a Doug Henley song.

"Also--I guess I love her."

No one's perfect. Could I be more forgiving? Miriam thought. Should I be?

When the next patient didn't show up without calling to cancel, Miriam finally decided it was time to set a no-show policy for the office. Belle would use her discretion, and they settled on a penalty of fifteen dollars. Belle loved the idea, and had another suggestion.