here?”
Jacira helped her pull on her white coat. “We didn’t lose anyone. And there’s a surprise for you in the stock room.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what strings you pulled, but God bless you, querida.”
The stock room was full. There were stacks of rehydration kits, IV sets, boxes of ringer solution, gloves, and a shelf or two of supplies that were badly needed but had nothing to do with treating cholera patients. It took Zoe a few minutes to fully process it. “But how—”
“I thought you’d know who sent them,” Jacira said. “It’s a miracle, however it happened.”
“I know who, I just don’t know
how
.” She shook her head, leaning in the doorway. “I ran into Colonel Vargas last night—the one who wanted to arrest one of La Abuelita’s kids? I don’t know, I said too much, I was tired. I told him what was happening. He said he’d help—but I thought he’d call me today.”
“Hmph. Maybe he’s not such a bad man after all. Or else maybe you impressed him, Doctor. Maybe he’s not used to pretty American doctors yelling at him.”
Zoe started to argue, then shook her head. “Either way, I owe him a phone call. When did this get here?”
“Before I got here. I didn’t have a chance to ask around yet.”
“Inventory?”
“My first job this morning.” Jacira gave Zoe’s arm a squeeze. “Go see your patients. I can deal with this. It’s a good problem to have on a day like today.”
The recovery room wasn’t as full as it had been the night before. Several of their patients had stabilized enough to go home. Susan was talking to a young mother sharing a recovery bed with a toddler. Both had IVs in their arms, and the toddler was curled up, asleep. The mother was still hollow-eyed with dehydration, but alert enough to follow Susan’s rudimentary Spanish.
“When you go home, we will give you some pills—no, not pills”—Susan struggled for the right Spanish word—“tablets, for your water, so you don’t get sick again.”
Zoe mentally raised an eyebrow. Water purification tablets? They’d been out of those for months, unable to get them for love or money. When Susan finished up with the patient, Zoe caught up to her.
“Good mornin’, Lady Bountiful.” Susan gave her a grin while writing up her charts.
“Where did we get water purification tablets?”
“Same place we got everything else. Honey, what did you do to that man?” She gave Zoe an arch look. “Please tell me it wasn’t anything that’s gonna make the papers.”
“Susan!” Zoe glanced around to make sure there were no patients in earshot.
“Well, I’m just sayin’, if you’re going to take one for the team, at least the Colonel’s handsome.”
“Oh my God, I did not ‘take one for the team.’” Zoe’s face was getting hot. “How did you know it was him? Jacira didn’t.”
“I knew something Jacira didn’t know? I’m writing this in my diary.” Susan finished her chart and filed it away. “’Bout four AM, someone started banging on the clinic front door. I don’t mind telling you, I about shit myself, especially when I saw it was a bunch of soldiers. Ana went out to talk to them and I thought they were gonna shoot her or something. But no, they said they were from Vargas and they had some supplies for us.” She shook her head. “That was it. So what
did
you do?”
“Nothing,” Zoe said. “I ran into him last night and told him what was happening. He decided to help.” She shrugged. “He said he didn’t want any more of his countrymen to die.”
“Someone’s got a crush.” Susan nudged her. “You watch. I’ll bet he was trying to impress you.”
“Well. He did.”
When Zoe tried to call him later to thank him, she was only able to leave a message, so she left an effusive one. Whether or not Susan was right, having someone like him on their side could only be a good thing—especially if he had access to hard-to-find medical supplies.
Chapter
Jacira helped her pull on her white coat. “We didn’t lose anyone. And there’s a surprise for you in the stock room.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what strings you pulled, but God bless you, querida.”
The stock room was full. There were stacks of rehydration kits, IV sets, boxes of ringer solution, gloves, and a shelf or two of supplies that were badly needed but had nothing to do with treating cholera patients. It took Zoe a few minutes to fully process it. “But how—”
“I thought you’d know who sent them,” Jacira said. “It’s a miracle, however it happened.”
“I know who, I just don’t know
how
.” She shook her head, leaning in the doorway. “I ran into Colonel Vargas last night—the one who wanted to arrest one of La Abuelita’s kids? I don’t know, I said too much, I was tired. I told him what was happening. He said he’d help—but I thought he’d call me today.”
“Hmph. Maybe he’s not such a bad man after all. Or else maybe you impressed him, Doctor. Maybe he’s not used to pretty American doctors yelling at him.”
Zoe started to argue, then shook her head. “Either way, I owe him a phone call. When did this get here?”
“Before I got here. I didn’t have a chance to ask around yet.”
“Inventory?”
“My first job this morning.” Jacira gave Zoe’s arm a squeeze. “Go see your patients. I can deal with this. It’s a good problem to have on a day like today.”
The recovery room wasn’t as full as it had been the night before. Several of their patients had stabilized enough to go home. Susan was talking to a young mother sharing a recovery bed with a toddler. Both had IVs in their arms, and the toddler was curled up, asleep. The mother was still hollow-eyed with dehydration, but alert enough to follow Susan’s rudimentary Spanish.
“When you go home, we will give you some pills—no, not pills”—Susan struggled for the right Spanish word—“tablets, for your water, so you don’t get sick again.”
Zoe mentally raised an eyebrow. Water purification tablets? They’d been out of those for months, unable to get them for love or money. When Susan finished up with the patient, Zoe caught up to her.
“Good mornin’, Lady Bountiful.” Susan gave her a grin while writing up her charts.
“Where did we get water purification tablets?”
“Same place we got everything else. Honey, what did you do to that man?” She gave Zoe an arch look. “Please tell me it wasn’t anything that’s gonna make the papers.”
“Susan!” Zoe glanced around to make sure there were no patients in earshot.
“Well, I’m just sayin’, if you’re going to take one for the team, at least the Colonel’s handsome.”
“Oh my God, I did not ‘take one for the team.’” Zoe’s face was getting hot. “How did you know it was him? Jacira didn’t.”
“I knew something Jacira didn’t know? I’m writing this in my diary.” Susan finished her chart and filed it away. “’Bout four AM, someone started banging on the clinic front door. I don’t mind telling you, I about shit myself, especially when I saw it was a bunch of soldiers. Ana went out to talk to them and I thought they were gonna shoot her or something. But no, they said they were from Vargas and they had some supplies for us.” She shook her head. “That was it. So what
did
you do?”
“Nothing,” Zoe said. “I ran into him last night and told him what was happening. He decided to help.” She shrugged. “He said he didn’t want any more of his countrymen to die.”
“Someone’s got a crush.” Susan nudged her. “You watch. I’ll bet he was trying to impress you.”
“Well. He did.”
When Zoe tried to call him later to thank him, she was only able to leave a message, so she left an effusive one. Whether or not Susan was right, having someone like him on their side could only be a good thing—especially if he had access to hard-to-find medical supplies.
Chapter
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