birth defects, you know.”
“Of course I know that. I thought you were going to wait for me to call you with an update.”
“I wasn’t sure you would call me.”
He was right. She had no intention of involving him any more than she absolutely had to. “You didn’t have to come in person. You know what Mrs. Nolan is thinking, don’t you?”
“I’m not responsible for what people think.”
“‘It’s personal business, Wilma.’ Oh, you’re so going to be responsible if word gets out that we are a couple with a new baby.”
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “She’s known me for years. We go to the same church. Even if she thought it, she would never repeat it to anyone.”
“Hannah Kauffman?” A young man with thick-rimmed black glasses stood at the entrance to the hallway. He had two pens in the top pocket of his lab coat and a manila folder in his hands.
“It’s not Kauffman, Dr. Zook,” Nick stated as he picked up Hannah’s carrier and walked toward the young doctor.
Miriam took the carrier away from Nick. “It is for now.”
The doctor turned and walked down the hall ahead of them. “Let us know what you put on the birth certificate and that will be her legal name.”
“Legally, she’s a Jane Doe.” Nick stood close behind Miriam. The warmth of his breath on the back of her neck sent shivers rippling across her skin.”
Dr. Zook stopped and looked at him in surprise. “She’s a foundling?”
Miriam nodded. “Someone left her on my mother’s doorstep two nights ago. I caught a glimpse of a buggy going down the lane. A note said her name was Hannah, but that’s about all.”
“I see now why you are involved, Sheriff. This is very odd.”
Nick said, “I’m hoping you can help us.”
Dr. Zook’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “You do understand that I can’t reveal any information about my patients.”
“Even if you think you know who the mother might be?” Nick asked in a tone of voice that made Miriam glad she wasn’t the one he was questioning.
Dr. Zook drew himself up to his full height, which was a good four inches shorter than Nick’s six feet. “Not even then.”
Miriam expected this roadblock. “I’m a nurse, so I understand how it works. We won’t ask for confidential information.”
The young doctor relaxed. “Good. Let’s take a look at this little girl and make sure she is healthy.”
He held open the door to an exam room. Miriam walked in and set the carrier on the exam table. Carefully, she unlatched the harness and lifted the baby out. Hannah began fussing but soon settled back to sleep as Miriam soothed her with rocking and quiet words.
Nick took the carrier and put in on the floor, making room for Miriam to lay the baby on the exam table. She took a step to the side, but kept one hand on Hannah. Dr. Zook quietly and thoroughly went about his examination.
Miriam had met him a few times before. She preferred Dr. Harold White, but the older physician was well into his eighties. Dr. Zook had taken over a small part of Dr. White’s practice, and his involvement had grown in the past year until he oversaw almost half of the patients.
Miriam had been impressed with his handling of her mother’s health issues and had no qualms about letting him see Hannah. She said, “I’ve always meant to ask, are you related to our Bishop Zook?”
The young doctor smiled. “All Zooks are related in one way or another, but in the case of Bishop Zook and myself, it’s not a close connection. My family comes from near Reading, Pennsylvania.”
Nick spoke up. “Can you tell if Hannah has any birth defects associated with being Amish?”
“I can rule out dwarfism and Troyer Syndrome, which is a lethal microcephaly or small head, and several others diseases just by looking at her. Only blood tests or time will tell us if she suffers from any inherited metabolic defects such as glutaric aciduria, PKU, maple syrup urine disease or cystic fibrosis.
“Of course I know that. I thought you were going to wait for me to call you with an update.”
“I wasn’t sure you would call me.”
He was right. She had no intention of involving him any more than she absolutely had to. “You didn’t have to come in person. You know what Mrs. Nolan is thinking, don’t you?”
“I’m not responsible for what people think.”
“‘It’s personal business, Wilma.’ Oh, you’re so going to be responsible if word gets out that we are a couple with a new baby.”
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “She’s known me for years. We go to the same church. Even if she thought it, she would never repeat it to anyone.”
“Hannah Kauffman?” A young man with thick-rimmed black glasses stood at the entrance to the hallway. He had two pens in the top pocket of his lab coat and a manila folder in his hands.
“It’s not Kauffman, Dr. Zook,” Nick stated as he picked up Hannah’s carrier and walked toward the young doctor.
Miriam took the carrier away from Nick. “It is for now.”
The doctor turned and walked down the hall ahead of them. “Let us know what you put on the birth certificate and that will be her legal name.”
“Legally, she’s a Jane Doe.” Nick stood close behind Miriam. The warmth of his breath on the back of her neck sent shivers rippling across her skin.”
Dr. Zook stopped and looked at him in surprise. “She’s a foundling?”
Miriam nodded. “Someone left her on my mother’s doorstep two nights ago. I caught a glimpse of a buggy going down the lane. A note said her name was Hannah, but that’s about all.”
“I see now why you are involved, Sheriff. This is very odd.”
Nick said, “I’m hoping you can help us.”
Dr. Zook’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “You do understand that I can’t reveal any information about my patients.”
“Even if you think you know who the mother might be?” Nick asked in a tone of voice that made Miriam glad she wasn’t the one he was questioning.
Dr. Zook drew himself up to his full height, which was a good four inches shorter than Nick’s six feet. “Not even then.”
Miriam expected this roadblock. “I’m a nurse, so I understand how it works. We won’t ask for confidential information.”
The young doctor relaxed. “Good. Let’s take a look at this little girl and make sure she is healthy.”
He held open the door to an exam room. Miriam walked in and set the carrier on the exam table. Carefully, she unlatched the harness and lifted the baby out. Hannah began fussing but soon settled back to sleep as Miriam soothed her with rocking and quiet words.
Nick took the carrier and put in on the floor, making room for Miriam to lay the baby on the exam table. She took a step to the side, but kept one hand on Hannah. Dr. Zook quietly and thoroughly went about his examination.
Miriam had met him a few times before. She preferred Dr. Harold White, but the older physician was well into his eighties. Dr. Zook had taken over a small part of Dr. White’s practice, and his involvement had grown in the past year until he oversaw almost half of the patients.
Miriam had been impressed with his handling of her mother’s health issues and had no qualms about letting him see Hannah. She said, “I’ve always meant to ask, are you related to our Bishop Zook?”
The young doctor smiled. “All Zooks are related in one way or another, but in the case of Bishop Zook and myself, it’s not a close connection. My family comes from near Reading, Pennsylvania.”
Nick spoke up. “Can you tell if Hannah has any birth defects associated with being Amish?”
“I can rule out dwarfism and Troyer Syndrome, which is a lethal microcephaly or small head, and several others diseases just by looking at her. Only blood tests or time will tell us if she suffers from any inherited metabolic defects such as glutaric aciduria, PKU, maple syrup urine disease or cystic fibrosis.
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