CAPITULO 1 Read online

  CHAPTER 1

  The leg of the kid was not stopping bleeding. Doctor Louise Blakely knew exactly what it had to do, but it was not easy to manage to appease the pressure adapted on the wound to prevent the severed artery from continuing emptying on the lawn.

  - Hurt me! - the child whined.

  - I know it, but we have to achieve that it stops bleeding - she answered him, outlining a soothing smile-. We go, I know loudly. If you behave well your mom will buy to you a chocolatina when we have treated you: truth that yes? - he said lifting the face towards the woman, half note as a sheet, which agreed rapidly-. You will see already, at once you will be well - he promised him the kid, looking at the end of the street.

  The boy was mounted in his bicycle and had left of the sidewalk, being struck by a car that he was leading at too many speed., on having seen the happened across the big large windows, Lou, who was having lunch in a snack bar had run to helping the child, and had asked to a pedestrian to call the police and to an ambulance. To a few minutes it had come a car patrols, and in the distance it was already possible to hear the siren of the ambulance. Although Jacobsville was a small city, the medical service was quite rapid and effective.

  - You will see the envy of your friends when you go to the school on Monday and tell them that you have mounted in an ambulance ... - he said to the child when they saw her approaching.

  - And cannot I remain one week in the hospital? - inquirió the boy filled with enthusiasm before the idea.

  - Good, I am afraid that you will not happen any more than a pair of hours as very much in the pavilion of urgencies - Lou said to him laughing.

  The ambulance stopped to a pair of meters of the car of the police. One of the agents was asking the driver for the papers and increpándolo for driving to more speed of allowed inside the city. Two technicians of medical urgencies went down the ambulance and extracted a stretcher on which they put the boy while Lou, who was a part of the medical staff of the hospital of Jacobsville, he was explaining to them the events and was giving them instructions.

  - I will follow you with my car - he said to them-. I have promised him the mother of the boy who would go with them.

  - It has been a luck that you were here close - another police officer said to Lou, approaching-. It looks like a quite serious court.

  - It will put itself well - she answered closing his briefcase., on having come to house, the previous day had forgotten to extract it of the car, and in this moment it could not make happy less than it.

  - She is the new assistant of the doctor Coltrain: truth? - he asked him about the reagent.

  - Yes - she answered.

  He did not add anything any more. The curious expression in the face of the police officer was already saying everything. And the fact is that they were covering rumours of which it was not falling down to the doctor Coltrain precisely in grace. Neither it was not that it had happened to her unnoticed. It was taking almost one year sharing the consultation with him, and was more that it obviated, although he was not managing to understand this opposition.

  - A great doctor - said the agent-. It saved my wife of a respiratory collapse - added smiling-. It has a few nerves of steel. And you also, judging by what I have just seen. He has been you of many help.

  - Thank you - she answered.

  And, after outlining a brief smile, it went to his small Ford silver-plated to continue to the ambulance up to the hospital.

  The pavilion of urgencies was packed, as of custom. It was a Saturday, and the accidents were always doubling the weekends. Lou greeted with an inclination of head even patients' pair that he recognized, and continued walking after the stretcher with wheels in which they were taking the kid.

  The doctor Coltrain was going out in this moment of the operating theatre, and it came across with her in the corridor. The green uniform, which to other doctors him was sitting as a shot, he had left incredibly well, and in spite of the cap, which was concealing most of his red-haired hair, had an elegant and formidable aspect.

  - What does it do here? - the increpó on having seen her-. It is me who has custody today, not you.

  " it is already again ", thought Lou, " always extracting conclusions precipitated like ".

  - I have turned out to be wrapped in an accident of traffic - it began-. I have not...

  - The hospital pays to the personnel of ambulances so that he attends to these accidents - he cut her, looking at her furious while the employees of the center were going and it was coming for the corridor, avoiding them.

  - But if I I have not ... - she tried herself to explain again, heatedly.

  - That this not happens again - he cut her again-, or I will have to have a few words with Wright and you will finish of legs in the street: has he understood me?

  Wright was the director of the hospital, and Coltrain personnel manager, so it had authority to carry out his threat.

  - Does he want to listen to me? - said to him she exasperated-. I did not go out with the ambulance ...!

  - He confers a doctorate: do you come? - there called him one of the men who were taking the stretcher of the boy.

  Coltrain threw a look to the young man and then it turned towards Louise, coming out with annoyance the cap and the mask, which was hanging still by his neck. The hard expression in his clear blue eyes was so intimidante as his position.

  - If his social life is like that of evil, he confers a doctorate, perhaps he should consider to do something on this matter - he added with a biting sarcasm.

  Lou was going to answer him, but before it should do it, he had left her there with the open mouth and was moving away for the corridor. The young woman gruñó of pure frustration. He hated that it was doing that one. It was always leaving him with the word in the mouth. Anyhow it was useless to discuss with him, he was saying what he should say in his defense, for him it was always she the one that was mistaken. Breathing heavily, it was turned and assembled with the nurses who were waiting for her.

  An hour later they had already treated and given points to the boy, and Louise was saying goodbye of him and of his mother in the field of reception, with a smile and a light reprimand on the correct way of mounting in bicycle in a city.

  - That's why it does not have to worry - said to him the mother with steadfastness-. I do not think to stop that it goes again in bicycle for the street never again!

  When they had left, Lou continued revising the report of the discharge before delivering it in the field of administration. With the hair gathered in a pigtail, without any makeup that will highlight his chestnut-colored eyes and his beefy lips, and decked with sneakers of sport, jeans and sweatshirt, she was looking like more a student than a professional of the medicine. Why was it going to worry for his appearance? The only man whom it would want to impress, the man of the one that was won the love, would not concentrate on her although it was putting itself on a cartel in the front that he was saying " LOOK AT ME ". This man was a Jebediah Coltrain, who neither saw in her any more that, and he was not even recognizing his efficiency after a co-worker, but, instead of that, he was always finding some unjustified motive for criticizing her. Louise could not allow wondering why, to begin, he would have accepted it as assistant, when it was giving the impression of which could not even see her. It was clear that also he was wondering why it continued there, supporting it. For what he was feeling for him alone by that, it was answered, and, if it continued with this so belligerent attitude, one day this would not even be already a sufficient reason not to resign.

  After delivering the report, Lou had hung the purse of the man and was preparing to go out of the pavilion of urgencies when he met the doctor Drew Morris. Drew also was a member of the staff of the hospital and an old frie
nd; it was precisely him who called her to Austin's hospital, where it was working then, to say to him that there was a vacancy that he might be interested in. His parents had just died, and, of course, she had not wanted to allow to escape the opportunity of a renewal, and also, like for a capricious coincidence of the destination, in the place from which his parents were coming. For what he had never waited was that animosity was going to similar awakening in Coltrain.

  - Lou ... what are you doing here? He believed that it was Koper who had custody today - he said to him on having seen her.

  The young woman contracted the face. Copper was the nickname that his friends were using with the doctor Coltrain, for the copper color of his hair. Not she, skylight, she did not have these confidences with him.

  - There was an accident opposite to the snack bar in the one that was having lunch - explained to him.

  - I see already. Do you go away to house?

  Lou shrank of shoulders.

  - Good - he said-, if you obviate the fact that Coltrain cannot see me not in painting, I suppose that it might be said that it me does not go badly completely.

  Drew put the hands in the pockets of his white robe and wiggled the head.

  - I feel it, all this is my fault. I thought that with the time he would realize that it is unjust, but you already take almost one year working here and it continues in foot of war with you.

  Lou's face contracted and, although it turned the head, Drew could see his expression.

  - Poor Lou - it murmured-. Indeed that I feel. I suppose that I got enthusiastic with the idea of that you could work here, and power like that to see us more often, and ... the truth is that I believed that you needed a change after ... good, later dela death of your parents, and me parecío that would be a good opportunity for you. Copper is one of the best surgeons that I have met, and you are great professional of the general medicine. I do not know, it seemed to me that it would be a good combination of talents. In fact you have taken an enormous load of work from him, and thanks to you it can spend more time on his speciality of surgery. It should be satisfied and on the other hand ... - it exhaled a deep sigh and wiggled the head again-. In end: who understands this man?.

  Lou shrank of h shoulders.

  - All that does not matter already. The contract that I signed was for one year, and the year is on the verge of finishing - he remembered him.

  - And what do you think to do later?

  - I will turn to Austin.

  - You might obtain a position here in the pavilion of urgencies - Drew stung it.

  That was a prank generalized between the personnel of the hospital. The work in the pavilion of urgencies was so exhausting, that none of the local doctors wanted there a permanent position, and the direction had to bring them of out of Jacobsville.

  - Not, thank you - answered Lou with a smile-. I would like to put my own consultation, but I have no money as for to do it, so I suppose that I will have to begin again, I will be content on what they meet to me.

  - It is a shame that you leave to us. You are doing an excellent work here.

  - So if you ask sure Coltrain who does not think the same thing - said she-. According to him, I do not do anything well. In any case I am tired of all this, Drew, of getting up every morning and feeling that I come to a field of battle. I need a change.

  - Perhaps yes - his friend murmured, fruciendo the lips and outlining next a smile it misses-. What you need is: to go out round there to spending good good - he threw a glance to his clock of bracelet-. Go: is it already time? I have to go away. I will call you: in agreement?

  Lou saw it moving away for the corridor with a look of worry. He was hoping to be wrong, because it had given him the impression of which Drew had intention to ask him to go out, and she was not feeling anything for him in this sense, for much that wanted it as friend. He was a kind man, a widower who had been very in love with his wife, and who still it was, five years after his death. Drew had been born in Jacobsville, and had met his parents. In fact, he had felt a very sincere appreciation for his mother, and had been a pupil of his father in Austin's clinical hospital, after they were moving there. It had been of that time when Lou had known it.

  In end, the best thing would be that it was not turning him to what he had said to him, he thought. Probably it had been only one of his impressions. It went out of the pavilion of urgencies and went towards the parking, observing irritated that the doctor Coltrain was going also in that direction dressing with an expensive gray suit. Lou pressed the teeth and reduced the step, but he stopped to wait for her and began to walk next to you when she happened along with him.

  - He would be grateful to him that the next time that gives to him for be walking round there with the service of ambulances dresses itself at least in a more professional way - he said throwing a cold look out of the corner of the eye.

  Louise stopped in dry and looked at it furious.

  - I go not walking myself round there with the service of ambulances - it mumbled-. I have already said to him that...

  Pero Coltrain did not seem ready to listen to her.

  - And at the moment we do not need any more personnel of ambulances. If we needed...

  - Be kept silent! - she cut it, surprising it with this in a bad mood starter-. For once in his life he is going to listen to me, and is not going to interrupt me! - he added on having seen that he was opening the mouth-. There was an accident opposite to the snack bar where he was having lunch, so I went out to helping the hurt child. I am not necessary to go round there with the personnel of ambulances to spend it to me well! And how me seen in my free days his matter is not! - it pierced him, suppressing with difficulty an improperio.

  Coltrain seized her for the left doll, and pulled her to attract her towards yes. Louise aspired inwards and tried to be liberated, but the pressure of the fingers of him only became firmer. That mute violence had done that there were returning to his mind events of the past that he did not want to remember. It remained still, looking at it with the exhorbitant eyes and the contained breath.

  And then, with the same brusqueness with which it had been his doll, Coltrain released it, and observed her half-closing his blue eyes.

  - Fry as the ice ...-mocker spluttered-. He would be you capably of freezing the intentions to any man. Is the reason this for the one that is not married, she confers a doctorate?

  Lou had not felt so insulted in all his life.

  - Think what he should want of me - it mumbled.

  - He would surprise to know what I think about you - it was the response of him. It lowered the sight towards the hand that had seized him, and laughed in a contemptuous way-. A real floe of ice - it returned to acusarla-. It does not strange me that any member of the personnel has asked him to go out. He would need a blowpipe to come up to this heart of stone that it has - he added looking at her fixedly.

  - It can, but you would need a lanzagranadas - she pierced him without parase to thinking.

  Coltrain arched an eyebrow and directed a look for him it mixes of scorn and antipathy.

  - He would like already.

  The vanity of his response did that to Lou the blood was boiling it, but he pressed the handles, arranged not to allow him to see his annoyance.

  - Does he believe that? - it pierced him in turn, arching them you move back and allowing to escape a laugh dries.

  Satisfied, on having seen how it was tightened, it began to walk again and went on ahead from the Favors of Coltrain without looking at it at least.

  " Absorb you that one! ", it was said furious. It was not importing for him anything what he was thinking of it, anything by no means... It came along with his small utilitarian one, and got inside, exhaling heavily I sigh. Whom did it want to cheat? Surely it was mattering for him, this was the problem. To have found out that it took her as a cold woman and without feeling it had left landing stage. If he knew that in what to him was referring it was precisely everything opposite.... Cando was
approaching her or was rubbing her, Lou was always separating, but not because it was displeasing her, but because his contact and his proximity were exciting it too much. The respiration was cutting off him, and the legs and the voice him were trembling, and the only way of avoiding it was to drift apart from him physically, so that this was what it was doing.

  There were other reasons for which he was avoiding Coltrain, the same ones as which it did not want to have any affectionate relation, but they were not his matter not of anybody. In any case it was not deserved that it was treating her as it was treating her. She was doing his work and was not looking for problems.

  It started the car and went out of the apartment. Approximately fifteen minutes later, it was stopping the vehicle in front of the small house that it had rented in the outskirts of the city and was entering her, being dropped in the couch. That was a calm quarter, and for the zone in which it was the rent was cheap. Little by little he had been adding some personal touches, and the house was already offering an a little cozier aspect. On the naked walls it had hung pictures that she herself was painting, abstract some, in red, black and white tones, which were swirling in a chaotic way, and others on the other hand compositions of flowers done with pastries. The contrast will have seemed quite fascinating to any person who will visit her, and Lou knew it, but up to the date it had not dyed any visit. It was much reserved.

  Coltrain also was reserved, in general, but Lou had heard that from time to time he was inviting friends and acquaintances to his mess. Clear that, even if in the group there should include members of the staff of the hospital, she had never been counted between them. That fact had caused rumours, but nobody had dared to ask Coltrain on this matter. At first this rejection had hurt Lou, but then it had been said that neither after all there was reason so that he was inviting her to his house when she had not invited it to his either.

  Nevertheless, there was something more. Lou was suspecting that, such and as they were saying them bad languages, Coltrain continued suffering for Jane Parker, the woman with whom he had been madly win the love and who had married some Todd Burke. Jane was fair-haired, it had the blue eyes, and was very nice, in addition to having been a star of the detour, having a great heart and a sweet and calm character.