Page 87 of Luck Be Mine
“I am definitely going to try that.”
“You look good as well, Doctor. I figured you’d be home asleep already.”
“Not the way the day worked out. I’ll get there. Did you get my request about hiring a new doctor and possibly a nurse?”
“Yes, let’s talk.” She indicated the way to her white sofa with blue accents. French provincial all the way. Elizabeth would never settle for a bland office.
Both seated, Elizabeth waited for her to speak. Cait took a deep breath and launched her argument. “Quaid and Mackey are concerned I’m overbooked and need a break. I have been lately, but it’s not an ongoing thing.”
Elizabeth raised a brow. “You work six days a week.”
“So do you.”
A slight smile eased the censure on her face. “Agreed.”
“It’s not a matter of less scheduled time. It’s a matter of spreading out the workload, and there is no one right now to trade off with. I have to keep the three days a week at Med. It keeps me proficient to the benefit of our people.”
“I agree.” She raised a hand. “You don’t have to convince me. Quaid’s already approved hiring another doctor part-time. Do you have anyone in mind?”
“No. Everybody I have networked with is already tied into full-time practices.”
“Could we find a retired military doctor?”
Cait mulled over the problem for a moment, then shook her head. “I have no channel to find anyone, but I can ask around with some of the people I served with. I do have two experienced nurses at the hospital who would fit for some part-time services.”
“Get me their names. I’ll see what I can sort out. Anything else?”
Cait squirmed, resolve a fist in her stomach. “I met a man last night. A veteran. His name is Marcus Delaney.”
Elizabeth leaned forward in her chair. “At the hospital?”
“He was in for an emergency. I found a problem with his records that has denied him treatment for a warzone injury. He’s given up, stuck in a mess of red-tape. He’s homeless, so I don’t even know how to find him. But I want to get him treatment through other sources.”
“Do you want QM to be one of those sources? Or are you asking me to talk to Zephren?”
“Both. Neither. I’m not sure. I haven’t talked to Mackey and Quaid. I only talked to the man last night, and I’m not even sure he’ll agree. What’s your sense?”
“Charity can be a hard sell for some men.” Elizabeth rose and went to the window, her arms crossed and hands on her elbows. Her thinking pose. “As we both know, it’s easy to slap a ‘We Support Our Troops’ sticker on a car or a building. It’s harder to fix what’s broken.”
Cait stayed quiet, trying to separate her medical logic from her emotions. Sometimes because you could do a thing didn’t mean it came about. Veterans’ issues were an emotional quagmire for so many. Elizabeth was no exception. The loss of her son would always be an edgy, difficult subject.
Her friend and boss finally turned, her eyes clouded. “If you can help, I think we should. But ultimately, it’s Quaid’s decision. He should ask Zephren to provide the backing. Gives the processweight. What you’re proposing is going to cost – time, money, resources from this company and the hospital, favors called in across the board. For one person. Then what?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Cait sighed. “Will there be another? I don’t have the answer.”
“Well, we should think this through and work on one. Some companies do step in on a one-shot situation, but the action will help this man and do nothing for anyone else. We hire veterans. A lot of them. I believe the idea deserves deeper consideration.”
“Agreed. With Quaid, Mackey, and Harrison included.”
“Of course. Their experience matters in this situation. I’ll take care of arranging the meeting. You talk to Mackey about finding the man and convincing him or rule it out definitively.”
“I’ll talk to Mackey now.”
“You sure you want to take this on?”
If Hunt hadn’t married her, advocated for her, believed in her recovery, she could have been Delaney. Forgotten. Written off. Left hurting. “I haven’t requested the man’s service record, but I’m guessing it’s stellar. He deserves better. So, yes, I’m sure.”
Elizabeth took her hand and squeezed. “Then we’ll try.”
