Critical Care (39 page)

Claire snorted. "Emergency preparedness coordinator, thank
you. And I'm hardly the queen. More like royal lackey. Yesterday I
actually inventoried the county's entire stockpile of biodegradable
toilet tissue." She wrinkled her nose. "But Sierra Mercy is footing the bills for my classes, and-" she pinched her fingers close
together-"I'm this close to getting the CISM trainer's certificate.
Then I can start teaching those peer-counseling workshops myself.
Get a few more nurses trained besides you and improve staff resiliency against critical stress. Plus, I'm still working on that plan to
make Faith QD part of it all."

Claire's smile faded as she glanced at the message piped in
pink buttercream across the remains of the sheet cake. Good-bye
and Good Luck, Erin. Her throat tightened and she told herself not
to cry. "I still can't believe you're leaving."

Erin nodded. "Monday. Right after we clean up from the garage
sale and get Nana's goldfish cozy in his new travel tank. I don't
want my grandmother within a hundred miles when they pound
that Bank Owned sign into her lawn." The familiar mix of anger
and pain flickered in her green eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, the
loan company that got her into this subprime mess is as guilty of
scamming her as ..."

"Brad?" Claire asked, knowing Erin's heart had to be hurting
from that betrayal, no matter how many times she shrugged it off.

"Except that I'll never prove it. But he sure does put a face on
all this ugliness. At least we got those credit charges reversed."

"And thank goodness your grandmother still owns the home
in Pacific Point."

"Cottage." Erin clucked her tongue. "Meaning it's so small I might have to sleep with my feet out the window. I'm not even
sure where I can hang my punching bag, but I'll figure it out. On
the plus side, there's a view of the ocean ... if you use binoculars
and squint at this teeny space between Arlo's Bait & Moor and the
surfboard shop." She laughed, then nodded. "Iris Quinn needs to
be there. So we're going."

"She must have great memories of that house."

Erin's expression grew wistful. "Me too. I spent summers there
for as long as I can remember. Fishing with Gramps, collecting
shells, falling asleep on the sofa bed while listening to the ocean,
and ... hiding a starfish in my pillowcase." She grimaced. "Don't
try it; they get pretty ripe."

Claire smiled, missing Erin already. "Sounds like good times."

"They were, especially during all the upheavals with Dad. Being
there with Gramps and Nana felt safe, you know?" Erin twisted
a strand of hair, her gaze drifting. "Peaceful. Like I could finally
trust everything would be okay, and ..." Her words faded and she
shrugged. "Maybe we both need that now." She brightened. "God
did pretty well by you. Maybe he has a plan for me too."

"I'm sure he does."

"Meanwhile," Erin continued, "I've got that job at Pacific Mercy
Hospital, where Nana worked when she was a student nurse. And
since it's the same hospital system, my pay and benefits stay the
same. There's still a second mortgage to pay on the beach cottage
and-"

Erin and Claire turned toward the sound of the door opening.

Sarah peeked in. Her blue eyes were bright and she looked
rested, with only the barest hint of a forehead scar remaining from
the trauma she'd survived. "Hey, great. You made it, Claire. But get
a move on, ladies. Urgent care's due to open in twenty minutes, and there's already half a dozen people in the chapel. You're late."
She disappeared through the door, leaving Claire and Erin shaking
their heads.

"I'm still pinching myself that we've got her back," Erin said
with a sigh. "It's so great that the driving citation didn't affect her
nursing license."

Claire nodded. "And the counseling's been helpful. She seems
much happier."

Erin grinned. "Yeah, well, some things haven't changed-the
woman can still pitch a Diet Coke can twenty yards. Let's get a
move on before we rile her."

Claire walked toward the front of the refurbished chapel, sneaking
a glance back at the hallway door. No more stragglers, it seemed.
But this group, on Erin's last day to lead Faith QD, was already
the largest to gather before a midmorning shift. Included were
Merlene Hibbert, Keeley Roberts, Inez Vega, and almost a dozen
other employees from several departments-most of them wearing
Erin's lamp logo T-shirts. And though Sarah was currently holding
down the fort in the ER, even she had come to a Faith QD gathering recently. "Only observing," she'd told Erin. "Seeing what all
the fuss is about." Claire smiled, thinking about the far-reaching
possibilities. Hope was a wonderful thing.

She looked toward the altar, her heart tugging as it always did
when she caught sight of the hand-painted tile plaque depicting a
sweet-faced angel holding an armful of purple flowers: Amy Hester
Memorial Chapel.

Erin gathered the group into a circle, and Claire took one last
peek at the chapel doorway ... then her heart leaped. He made it. Logan, standing on the threshold wearing his blue scrubs. And
holding little blond Jamie in his arms. The boy's mother, Carly,
stood beside them, waving.

"Got room for a few more?" he called out, grinning. "Guess
who had a doctor's appointment today?"

When the hugging and laughter ended, they all took their
places, joining hands around the circle and bowing their heads.
Logan grasped Claire's hand and she closed her eyes, feeling once
again there was nothing as wonderful as hope, love ... and the
awesome power of the Healer's heart.

Logan settled into his deck chair and lifted his sunglasses to gaze
out over the acreage, its trees turning burnished copper, red, and
saffron gold in the late afternoon light. He turned to Claire. "So
how many do you think that makes? We've been planting for
hours, and-" He laughed. "Wait. Hold still."

"What?" Claire asked, sitting upright, batting at the air around
her head. "Another wasp?"

Logan smiled. "A smudge of dirt. Hold still, Gopher Girl. I've
got it." He brushed his thumb across her cheek and let it linger
there, stunned once again that this warm and beautiful woman
loved him. Even after six months, it still amazed him.

"Gopher Girl?" Claire wrinkled her nose and swatted him with
her gloved hand. "Very romantic, McSnarly. And highly unappreciative of the woman who just dug more than six hundred holes
for ..." She smiled, her eyes lighting. "Oh, Logan, we're going to
have the most unbelievable hill of daffodils in the spring."

He gazed upward at the nearly completed cedar home. "And
maybe the rest of the roof too."

Claire laughed, tugging the brim of her ball cap down to shade
her sun-pink nose. "You're so picky," she pronounced, spreading
her arms wide. "We've got this gorgeous weather, leaves that knock
your eyes out-" she grinned and tapped the glass tabletop in front
of them-"an awesome oak stump table, the promise of daffodils,
leftover pizza in the cooler-"

Logan touched his finger to her lips, quieting her. He watched
her for a moment, his heart crowding his chest until it was hard
to breathe. "So you're saying that you want for ... nothing?" He
smiled slowly. "Because I happened to pick something up today,
and-"

Claire's delighted squeal cut him short. "It's ready?"

"Ready and-" he reached into the pocket of his denim jacket"right here." He lifted the lid on the velvet Mother Lode Jewelry
box, loving the sound of Claire's gasp when she saw the ring. "I
think they got it exactly the way we wanted. See how they set those
little gold nuggets around the diamond?" He looked up and saw
her eyes filling with tears. "I know I already asked, but I want to
hear you say it again. Will you marry me, Claire?"

She nodded, tears spilling over her dark lashes, then flung her
arms around his neck. "Yes, yes, and yes," Claire murmured against
his ear. "I love you, Logan."

He wrapped his arms tightly around her for a moment and
then pulled away, holding her face in his hands. He kissed her
tenderly. "I love you too."

Logan helped Claire pull off her gardening gloves and slid the
ring on her finger. Then watched her hold it up to see the diamond sparkle in the sun, saying she couldn't wait for them to show
everyone at church on Sunday. And that they should take photos
to e-mail to their parents, and ... He laughed as she peppered his cheek with kisses, then told her, sure, go ahead and call Erin-he'd
finish installing Smokey's electronic pet door, then get the pizza
out, and they'd sit around the oak table and watch the sunset.

When he returned with the pizza box, she was still talking to
Erin about wedding plans, about having Erin and Sarah as bridesmaids, asking if Erin thought Sarah might want to rent her cabin
in the spring, and promising she and Logan would visit in Pacific
Point.

He pulled his chair close to Claire's and took hold of her hand,
listening to her laugh and chatter with Erin, getting a kick out of
her excitement and knowing he'd never been happier in his life.
Right here, where he'd found his faith and where he was building
a house and a future with this very special woman. A friend, a soul
mate, a helpmate-he smiled at the sight of Claire's dusty work
gloves on the table with his-soon a loving wife, and one day the
mother of his children. Without any doubt, it was the answer to
prayer.

Candace Calvert is a former ER nurse who believes love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines. A multipublished author of
humorous mysteries, she begins an exciting new direction with the
debut of Critical Care. A mother of two and native Californian, she
now lives with her husband in the beautiful hill country of Texas.
Visit her Web site at www.candacecalvert.com.

Use these questions for individual reflection or for discussion
within your book club or small group.

Note: Book clubs that choose to read Critical Care, please e-mail
me at [email protected]. I'll try to arrange a speakerphone conversation to join your discussion.

1. In the opening scenes of Critical Care, nurse Claire Avery must
counsel ER staff after a heart-wrenching disaster. This might be
viewed as step one in God's plan for her own healing. Why?

2. Dr. Logan Caldwell is initially seen as critical, controlling,
heartless. How does this impression change as the reader sees
more scenes through his eyes? What motivates his behavior?
Discuss.

3. Critical Care utilizes symbolism through various motifs. For
example, daffodils signify hope. In your opinion, what does
Logan's oak stump represent?

4. Claire and the ER, Smokey and the raccoons-why are these
conflicts strangely similar?

5. Claire prays with her patient Jada Williams. Many hospitals
today attempt to provide for patients' spiritual needs. Have you (or a friend or family member) ever had a medical care worker
offer spiritual support? offer to pray with you? How did (or
would) you feel about that?

6. The Sierra Mercy ER staff participates in a voluntary debriefing
after the Little Nugget Day Care tragedy. The facilitators recommend several ways to combat symptoms of stress, including
exercise, eating well, journaling, and doing things that feel
good to you. What have you found effective in helping you
de-stress?

7. Nurse Sarah Burke's near-fatal accident becomes a catalyst in
the healing of both Claire and Logan. How does that happen
for each of them? Discuss.

8. In a climactic scene, Claire confronts Logan regarding his treatment of newly hired nurse Keeley Roberts. Why do you think
that defending this nurse becomes so important to Claire?

9. Sarah, during most of her hospital stay, has recurring dreams
about a birthday party. The elements include the blazing light
of candles, a silver balloon reflecting that light, her daughter
at age two, and the appearance of a man she thinks is her
father but who has long hair, a bathrobe, and eyes full of love,
acceptance, and patience. Even though he is attending a child's
birthday party, this man seems to have eyes for only Sarah.
Though confusing, it fills her with "unimaginable joy." How
does this affect her? What hope do you see in this? Discuss.