The Iron Wagon by Al Lacy Page B

on to Breanna as he walked her down the hall to the stairs, then carefully helped her descend them. They moved down the hall of the first floor to the office of the hospital’s chief administrator, and when they entered, Dr. Carroll was at his desk. He looked up, smiled at both of them, and rose to his feet. “Well, how did it go, Breanna?”
    The surgeon explained the effect that assisting him with the two surgeries had on Breanna.
    When Dr. Carroll heard it, his face resembled an ashen mask. “Breanna, I’m so sorry I let you come back to work before you were ready.”
    Dr. Gifford said, “I believe that Nurse Brockman shouldn’t try to work as a surgical nurse for quite some time—at least a few months.” He looked at Breanna. “I know you love being a nurse, but you’ve got to take care of yourself.”
    Breanna’s lower lip was quivering, and her eyes showed her disappointment. “Matt,” she said softly, “it’s not your fault that I went back to work so soon. It’s mine. I told you I thought I could do it. I’m sorry. You were only trying to make me happy. Looks like I proved to myself and to both of you that I’m not up to it yet.”
    Dr. Carroll moved around the desk. “Breanna, let me examine your back. I want to see if any damage has been done.” He carefully pressed his fingers across her back, moving them slowly so he could examine her effectively. After a few minutes, he said, “I’m satisfied that no damage has been done.”
    His sister-in-law smiled at him. “Oh, that is so good! I don’t think I could stand to give up nursing, at least not until I get too old to do it.”
    Dr. Gifford looked at the chief administrator. “Could you possibly give her an easier job until she’s ready to go back to nursing so she could still be in the medical field?”
    Dr. Carroll’s face assumed a gracious look, and he gestured toward two wooden chairs that faced his desk. “Please, both of you, sit down.”
    As Dr. Carroll returned to his desk chair, Breanna and Dr. Gifford eased onto the chairs.
    “Breanna, what I’m about to tell you struck my mind while I was examining your back. I was about to tell you of it.”
    Her eyes widened a bit. “Something good?”
    “For
you
, yes. You know my secretary, Maybelle Nelson.”
    Breanna nodded. “Of course.”
    “Well, just this morning Maybelle told me that she and her husband are moving to St. Louis, Missouri, immediately because of his job. His company’s head office is in St. Louis, and her husband has been given a promotion that will demand he begin working in the St. Louis office as soon as possible.”
    Breanna’s eyes were fixed on the chief administrator as she waited for his next words.
    “Since the secretarial job in my office is now open, if you’ll take the job, Breanna, I know you can handle doing paperwork for the hospital. And this way, you’ll be able to do most of your work sitting down.”
    With a touch of sadness in her heart because of her body’s reaction to working that day as a surgical nurse, Breanna smiled. “Yes, Matt, I will take the secretarial job. As Dr. Gifford said, at least I’ll still be in the medical field.”
    Dr. Carroll could read the touch of sadness in Breanna’s blue eyes. “Tell you what. Even though you will be my secretary, I’ll still use you at times as a nurse, even to help with brief, simple surgeries and emergencies.”
    This brought a genuine smile to Breanna’s lips. “Oh yes! Thank you, Matt! Thank you!”
    Dr. Carroll rubbed his chin with a forefinger. “Because at times you will be doing nurse’s work, I want you to wear your white nurse’s uniform to work every day and keep a white cap here in the office too.”
    Breanna’s face lit up. “Yes sir!”
    Late that afternoon, Annabeth went by Dr. Carroll’s office to tell Breanna she was ready to take her home. They walked outside to the parking lot. “How was your first day back?” Annabeth asked.
    When Annabeth heard what had