Watson by Kathi Barton (ebook reader txt) 📕

a test that should have tripped you up. But not only did you sail over that, but you also didn’t get a single question wrong. You’re going to be adding M.D. to your name from now on.”

He handed her a gift, and she opened it up. The paper was beautiful in that it had stethoscopes all over it with a pretty yellow bow. Inside it was a lab coat with her name on it. Dr. R. Wilkerson, M.D. She touched the letters there and looked at Wats.

“This is yours, isn’t it?’ He shook his head and told her it was hers, and rightfully so. “I really did pass the boards for being a doctor? And they’re going to let me be one?”

“Yes. There was only one other person that did that well. She missed one. I believe you know her too. Charlie Wessex. Her mother was the sitting judge for the county.” Was she the one that died? Rayne asked him. “Yes, that’s her. She and you were given the wrong test, as was one other nurse. Needless to say, she didn’t do nearly as well as you two did. And as I said, you are a qualified physician. More than qualified if you were to ask me.”

She didn’t know what to say. Had no idea how she had managed to not just pass her test, but one that was well above her head. Thinking of the questions that had bothered her, she realized she had questioned herself about the test and how well she was going to do on it. It had been difficult but apparently not as bad as she’d thought. Something occurred to her, and she looked at Mr. Elliot.

“You’re going to be still short-staffed with nurses. I can fill in for that if you need me to.” He said he’d not do that to a fine doctor such as herself. “But you’re short-staffed.”

“We are. We will be, I guess, but this is going to put a nice shot in our arms as a hospital. While I know you didn’t come from here, you’re a doctor that was at this hospital. That will have nurses coming here in droves.” She supposed there was that. “And when Charlie gets back from her leave, she has told me that she’s decided to live in her mother’s condo and work here. Like you, she wanted to have the small-town feel of working. As a doctor too. I’m just so thrilled about this I could dance a little jig.”

He did just that. Standing up behind his desk, Mr. Elliot danced around the room until he got to her. Pulled from her chair, she handed AJ to Wats, and he watched them dancing. It was cause for celebration, she thought. She was a doctor.

Going back to work was harder than it had been before. Questions were floating around in her mind that she wanted to ask someone. But with her still being on duty, she knew that now was not the time to find answers. It was like trying to hide her love for Wats or her daughter.

Sitting at one of the gurneys, she started just speaking to the little boy that had come in while she’d been upstairs until she realized his cut was much worse than it should have been for a cut from a piece of wire.

“I cut myself like this one time. I had to get twelve stitches in my arm. How many do you think you’re going to need?” He didn’t speak, but he did look at the woman that was with him. Rayne did too. “Do you know if he’s had a tetanus shot or not?”

“I don’t know anything but that he comes yelling at me that he’s cut himself, and I bring him here. His regular doctor don’t seem to be taking anybody today.” She huffed. “This kid ain’t mine, but my boyfriend’s. He’s going to be powerfully pissed off when he finds out I had to bring him in here. If not for the nosey neighbor threatening to call the cops if I didn’t, I’d be at home watching my shows and shit.”

The boy’s entire body stiffened when the woman spoke. Rayne wasn’t sure if it was the threat of his father or the woman, but she was going to make sure he was safe. Her mind was a jumble of things she had to do, and it wasn’t until the curtain came back and Abby stuck her head into the room that she felt like she was going to be all right.

“This is Abby. She’s the clerk that checks on things like that. If you’d not mind telling her his name, she can check the records to see if he’s had all his shots up to date. Also, she’ll need his father’s name and address.” The woman, who hadn’t given her name on the paperwork in front of her, smiled. “I’d like to check it out if you don’t mind. He may well be sicker if he’s not had this shot.”

Rayne was afraid to leave the little boy. Abby seemed to realize that too, asking the woman to come with her. She went with Abby but wasn’t the least bit happy about it. Before she left the room, however, she looked at the little boy and said he’d better not be lying to anyone. She’d know.

As soon as she thought they were far enough away from the cubicle, Rayne smiled at him. Asking his name, he told her that they called him Mistake, and sometimes Shithead.

“Well, I’m sure you have a better name than that, don’t you?” He nodded at her and then looked around before whispering his name. “All right, Louis. Why don’t you tell me how you really hurt your arm. I can’t stitch this closed until I’m sure it’s not going to be infected.”

“I don’t lie.” She said she knew that about him. “Dad tried to cut it off this morning on account of me having a glass of milk