Golden Paradise (Vincente 1) by Constance O'Banyon Page A

comfortably, she would seek out a doctor and persuade him to come to the cabin and examine her mother.
     
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    Valentina watched Doctor Cline lean forward to listen to her mother's heartbeat. He cast Valentina a grim look as he straightened. "How long have you had this fever, Mrs. Barrett?" he questioned in his stiff professional manner.
    Evonne Barrett, looking pale and listless, tried to lean forward but fell back weakly against the pillow. "I felt wonderful on the ocean voyage to Panama," she said, gasping for breath. "I was well during the hazardous boat trip on the jungle river that took us to the small village of Gorogona. It was on the trek through the jungles to the city of Panama that I first fell ill. At the time, my husband feared I had eaten something that had disagreed with me. After a few days of fever and chills, I seemed to recover. Later the fever recurred. Each attack seems worse than the last, leaving me weaker, sapping my strength."
    Doctor Cline nodded. "It's just as I thought. You have the Panama fever. Many get the disease while in the tropics. There is no cure—it recurs every so often. I could have done more for you if you had contacted me sooner, Mrs. Barrett. Why didn't you?" There was reprimand in his voice, accusation in his gray eyes. "Why did you suffer when I could have given you relief?"
    Evonne drew a shallow breath. "I was waiting for my husband to return and my daughter to come from England."
    "With the right medicine you will be feeling better in no time. While I can't cure the Panama fever, I can treat the symptoms and get you back on your feet."
    Valentina clasped her mother's hand, knowing the torment she must have lived through. She had been alone and helpless, with no family or friends. Her heart ached for what her mother had suffered. "The doctor will have you feeling well in no time, Mother. I'm here now and you aren't to worry about anything. I will take care of you." A tear ran down Evonne's cheek and she sighed contentedly. Her worries had been placed in the capable hands of her daughter. Her eyes drifted shut; she could rest now.
    Doctor Cline snapped his black bag closed and cleared his throat. "Walk me outside, Miss Barrett, and I will explain the treatment to you."
    Valentina noticed that her mother had fallen asleep. The doctor followed her as she tiptoed to the door. Stepping outside, she waited for him to speak. For the briefest moment he looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat once more. "I think I should inform you, Miss Barrett, that the medicine your mother will need is very expensive."
    Valentina felt a sinking feeling deep inside. "How expensive?"
    "A bottle will last about six weeks. The cost is one hundred dollars a bottle."
    Valentina gasped in disbelief. "Surely you jest. That is totally unreasonable."
    His eyes looked tired; his shoulders sagged. "I agree with you that it's unreasonable, but there is nothing I can do about it. The plant from which the medicine is extracted comes from the South American jungle. The price has been blown out of proportion by unscrupulous dealers. I am loath to pass the cost on to my patients, but I have little choice in the matter."
    Valentina knew he was telling the truth, and she could see he felt embarrassed about the cost. She was frantic, wondering where she would get the money for the medicine. Pushing her fear aside, she realized this was her problem, not Doctor Cline's. "What do I owe you for your visit, Doctor?" she asked.
    He shook his head and his kindly eyes took on a deeper sadness. "I am not looking to rob you, if that's what you think, Miss Barrett. I know some of my colleagues are charging exorbitant fees, but my fee is still four dollars a visit, like it always was."
    "I believe you," she told him, knowing he was a compassionate man.
    Doctor