 Dr. Mark Jenner thinks Kyria needs some 'real,' as in not hospital, food. Mold and Marriage Kindle release April 15. $0.99 for 2 days then $2.99 there after. “Hey, beautiful. How about some grease?” Kyria looked up to see Dr. Jenner holding a bag and cardboard tray with two drinks. He smiled a hopeful smile. She knew he was trying to cheer her up.
She smiled knowing it didn’t reach her eyes. “I can hear some veins clogging, but yeah.” Mark came over, set the bag on the table, and handed her the drinks. “I’ll just get this yuck out of here.” He took the supper tray and left the room quickly returning, pushing the door nearly closed behind him. “Nurse Gadsden is on duty tonight. We’ll have to eat this quickly and get rid of the evidence. She doesn’t approve of Micky D’s.” “What are you still doing here? I thought you would have gone home by now.” Kyria said as she looked into the bag. “What’d you get?” “Pulling a double shift for a friend. Big juicy cheeseburgers, large fries, cookies and chocolate shakes.” Kyria laughed. “Grease, sugar and chocolate. What a wonderful meal.” Mark watched as she dug around in the bag. It seemed every emotion she had was expressed to the max. As he’d held her when she cried that afternoon he knew her heart was breaking for those who had died and the loved ones left behind. Now she was stuffing french fries in her mouth with joyous abandon. “Hey, let me have some of those.” Mark reached into the container and pulled several fries out while she batted at his hand. “I thought you got these for me?” Kyria teased. “Only half are for you. The other half are for me.” “There’s another container in the bag. These are mine.” She held the fries away from him. “But yours might be better.” He pretended to struggle for them. “Stop, get your own. I haven’t had real food since I got here.” “Okay, you win.” Mark pulled fries and the burgers from the bag. He handed Kyria one of the burgers and settled in to eat his. “Oh my, this is good.” Kyria took another bite. “Yeah, nothing like a big honkin’ burger,” Mark bit into his. “Eh hem.” Mark turned to look at the door the burger still at his mouth. Kyria had a huge mouthful. Nurse Gadsden stood there with hands on her hips and a frown on her face. “Yes, Ms Gadsden? Is there something you need?” Mark asked as he chewed. “I thought I would take the supper tray, but I see it’s already gone.” “Yes, I thought Ms Metcalf might like some outside food.” He took a big bite of he burger. “I see. At least I’ll know where you are if you’re needed, Dr. Jenner.” She turned and left the room. Mark and Kyria look at each other. Both had mouths full of cheeseburger. They covered their mouths as they fought not to laugh and spit it out. “Busted,” Mark said when he finally swallowed. Kyria swallowed and laughed. Mark wanted to lean forward and kiss her. What had brought that thought on? She was just a patient. She’d be leaving the hospital soon. The thought sobered him. He wanted her to be released, but didn’t want not to see her again. “Oh, that was so good. Thank you, Dr. Jenner.” Kyria was leaning back in her chair with a satisfied grin. Mark again felt the pull to kiss her. “Kyria,” he started, then his cell phone rang. After taking the call he said, “Well, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ve gotten good reports on your physical therapy results. We’ll start planning your release.” “That sounds wonderful. See you tomorrow. Sleep sweet.” “You, too.” Mark left thinking he was glad he succumbed to his urge to bring her the fast food. He should keep things strictly professional between them. It was only the attraction of a pretty woman who needed him. Funny, it was usually the patient who was attracted to the doctor.
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Prologue
“Oh no, look at that!” Dr. Mark Jenner turned from looking at the patient lying in the hospital bed to the television on the wall. There was a news bulletin and, though the sound was muted, they could see there had been an explosion in one of the downtown high-rises. “Turn up the sound,” Mark said. “We don’t have many details as of this time as the police, fire and rescue personnel are just arriving. The KRTV studios are in the next block so we heard and felt the explosion. As you can see the entire front of the Dressler Building has suffered extension damage to the first three floors. We have no idea how many people have been injured or killed, nor do we know what or who caused the explosion.” The announcer paused, looking off camera for a moment. “I’ve been instructed to move so the rescue vehicles can approach. We’ll keep you appraised of this developing situation as soon as we know more. This is Kelly Miller reporting for KRTV.” Mark looked back at the man whom he had been giving discharge instructions to. “Holy cow,” the man said. “That looks bad.” Mark’s phone cheeped. He drew it from the pocket of his lab coat. The text read, All physicians to the ED stat. Explosion with multiple casualties. “I need to go. They’re bringing the injured here. A nurse will be in shortly to finish with the instructions, then they’ll spring you from this joint.” Mark patted the elderly man on the arm in farewell and left the room. He jogged down the hall and called, “Keith, hold the elevator.” The surgeon he often worked with stood in the opening and stepped in as Mark passed into the car. “Did you see the news flash?” Mark asked. He began buttoning his coat. He didn’t want it to get in the way as he worked on a patient. “No, just the text.” Keith punched the button to the first floor. “Explosion at the Dressler Building. The entire front for three floors is badly damaged. There will be a lot of casualties.” The door opened and Mark and Keith got off and hurried to toward the emergency department. Several nurses were speaking with people waiting to be seen. Some were being referred to the medical clinic down the street, explaining the influx of trauma patients and the extended wait time that would result for less severe cases. Mark slashed his identification card through the locking mechanism and the doors opened. They went in and over to the radio center. Several operators were speaking with EMT’s on the scene and typing notes into their computers. Mark and Keith looked at each other listening to the chatter and getting an idea of the types of injuries that would be coming in. Three more doctors came through the doors and stood nearby doing the same thing. Several people had already been pronounced dead at the scene. Mark gritted his teeth. He’d known just from seeing the destruction to the building that there had to be fatalities but never even having a chance to try to save the lives bothered. “ETA three minutes on two ambulances,” the head radio operator said. “In first female, mid-twenties, burns and shrapnel from glass and metal to her back. Multiple internal injuries from impact with possibly a parking meter and parked car.” “I’ll take that,” said Mark. “Which room?” “Trauma three. It’s set up for burns.” The operator began reciting the details of the patient coming in the second vehicle as Mark walked toward the ambulance bay to meet it. Even though the day was cold, he went outside to wait. The area always smelled of gas fumes. It didn’t take long. The scream of the siren came first, then the flash of red lights. As soon as the ambulance stopped in the bay Mark pulled its door open allowing the crewman to jump down and begin to pull the gurney from the truck. “Multiple second degree burns to her back and extremities. Possible fracture to thoracic vertebra. Shrapnel type wounds to the same.” He continued outlining the injuries and vital stats as they jogged toward Trauma Room Three pulling the gurney along. It just might be a miracle if this young woman lived, Mark thought. As it was she would have a long, hard recovery if she managed to pull through. He began praying in the back of his mind as he issued orders to the staff gathered in the room. Soon her clothing, what hadn’t been shredded in the blast, was cut off and multiple IV’s had been started. She was lying on her stomach as the damage to her back was extensive and needed treatment first. Mark ordered blood-work and X-rays, then stepped back to allow the portable machine into the room. He surveyed her back, arms and legs. He picked up the telephone and called the university. The burns and cuts might benefit from the experimental skin gun that was awaiting FDA approval. It was a miraculous new machine that used stem cells to treat burns. After the X-rays were complete the young woman, Kyria Metcalf, was surrounded once again by nurses and Mark gave instructions on how he wanted her treatment to proceed. Keith came in saying his patient had expired and he wanted to know if he was needed before the next ones arrived. Just then Kyria jerked and began thrashing and groaning in pain. As those gathered around the bed touched her to stop her movements she began screaming. “We need her sedated stat,” Mark shouted giving orders for the anesthetic to be administered. Within a few moments she calmed and went still. ~~~~~ Mark rubbed a weary hand down his face as he reviewed the reports of the cases he’d handled of the explosion victims. His most serious case was that of Kyria Metcalf. He still wasn’t sure if she would survive or not. She was a very damaged young woman. He looked at her personal information. She was twenty-six. If she lived she’d still be in the hospital on her birthday. She might even spend it in the drug induced coma they had placed her in. It was next week after all. It's finally here. Today I and thirteen others leave for a 10 day trip to Israel. I've always wanted to go since I was a young teen in Mrs. Aneger's Sunday School class. I strayed for a number of years and finally came to a full understanding of a relationship with Jesus in my early thirties. Now I get to realize a life dream, or as we say these days a bucket list box gets checked off. The past few weeks have been tough. The cares of the world have dampened my enthusiasm for the trip. I had the influenza for two weeks. My bestest friend is dying of cancer. I most likely will not see her this side of Heaven again. My mother-in-law has been in the hospital. She's 95 so that is always concerning. I'm doing the final things for Mold and Marriage to be released in April. Needless to say it's been a tough few weeks. So now I'm ready. The suitcase is packed. The carry-on case ready for it's final items to be placed in and it zipped up. My cat is pressed up against me as tightly as he can get. He's 19 1/2 with separation anxiety and not the best friends with my husband who isn't going along. For 10 days there will be an uneasy truce between them. Luckily, I have a friend who comes in about every day and loves on him some.  I'm going to be blogging every day during the trip. Rather than post here I've set up a page on this site to post images and comments. The link is above but I'll post it here, too. I hope you enjoy my thoughts as I and our group travel the Holy Land.
Israel March 2017 Mold and Marriage is at the editor and the cover is ready. If you receive my newsletter (you can sign up by clicking the Subscribe button) you already know how lovely it is. The couple look like I think Kyria and Mark both look like and there is a scene in the book that the background reminds me of. The release of Mold and Marriage is set for and April 15 release in Kindle. Happiness for tax day. During the next few weeks I'll be posting some snippets to wet your appetite. Print version will follow shortly. Just to update you on the print of Chloe's Sanctuary, I came down with the influenza and have been pretty sick and trying to get Mold and Marriage ready for release. I'm still working on Chloe's print versions. Learning a new formatting within my writing program as the formatting program I used isn't available any longer. Learning curve is pretty steep to get all the details right. Just about done. And Now The Reveal |
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