While Love Stirs (13 page)

15

The still figure lying in the bed made Joel’s heart ache. Samantha Phillips had always been full of life. She was the last person he imagined he’d be attending for such an illness.

He looked over at Nurse Cora Pierce, the young lady he’d sent for soon after his arrival a couple of hours ago. In her starched apron and white cap, she was the epitome of efficiency, and because she was not easily dissuaded from her plans, she handled difficult patients well. She took Mrs. Phillips’s pulse, then slipped the woman’s hand back under the covers.

It was time for him to explain Mrs. Phillips’s condition to her family. He sighed heavily. Although Tessa had been reluctant to leave her aunt at first, he’d persuaded her to go contact the rest of her family. He’d hoped by now he’d have more answers. By this point, the family had probably all gathered—including Charlotte. But where had she been earlier?

Her distressed face took shape in his mind, and he stood. He should get this over with. They’d waited too long already. “I’m going out to speak to the family. I’m sure they’re worried. Come get me if anything changes.”

She flashed him a smile. “Yes, Doctor.”

In the drawing room, he found Hannah and Lincoln Cole seated on the leather sofa. Hannah held her sleeping baby in her arms,
and Tessa, who’d been at the piano when he entered, scurried over to squeeze in beside her oldest sister.

Then his gaze fell on Charlotte, seated alone in an armchair. She wore a dusty traveling suit. Worry etched her features and she clutched her hands in her lap. Her hair had come loose from its pins and hung in curls about her face. She possessed a riveting, quiet type of beauty—the kind that only intensified the longer you looked. Too bad she was as stubborn as a bad case of gout.

Lincoln started to stand, but Joel motioned him to remain seated and then took the empty chair directly across from Charlotte. “I’m sorry to keep you all waiting so long.”

“Is she dead?” Tessa blurted out.

“No. She’s stable now.” He turned to Lincoln. “I believe your aunt has suffered a cerebral thrombosis.”

Charlotte gasped. “Apoplexy?”

He nodded. “It’s too early to say how much damage has been done. It happens when a small clot blocks an artery in the brain. Some of my patients regain full use of their speech and their limbs. Others do not.”

Lincoln raked his hand through his hair. “And Aunt Sam?”

“I know you want more details, and I can understand that. However, like I said, it’s too early to tell. Right now the most important thing is for her to rest.”

“She complained of a headache and feeling tired.” Tessa’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I should have realized how sick she was when she said she was going to lie down in the middle of the day. Aunt Sam never takes a nap. Maybe if I’d found her earlier—”

“Don’t blame yourself, Tessa.” Joel leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Once the cerebral thrombosis occurs, there is little anyone can do. I’ve given her glonoin to lower her blood pressure and to help her mental acuity.”

“Shouldn’t she be in the hospital?” Hannah asked.

Joel rubbed the back of his neck. “No. We’ve found patients
who suffer from apoplexy recover more quickly when surrounded by familiar people and things.”

“Can we see her?” Charlotte’s voice lacked its usual fire.

“One at a time, but don’t wake her. She needs to rest.” He stood. “You undoubtedly noticed I sent for a nurse. She’ll be tending to your aunt’s needs. It’s important to have someone familiar with these types of cases as the recovery begins. She’ll send for me if I’m needed.”

Lincoln rose to his feet and offered the doctor his hand. “‘Thank you’ hardly seems adequate.”

“I only wish I could do more.” He looked at Charlotte. “All of you need to get some rest. It will be a long haul over the next few days, and you’re the ones she needs now.”

Charlotte wrapped her arms around herself and watched the rise and fall of Aunt Sam’s chest. She was the last one to visit, having let the others go first. Hannah and Lincoln planned to stay in one of the guest rooms, and they promised to get Tessa off to bed as well.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Joel. “She’s doing well. Why don’t you go on to bed? You look tired.”

“I’m fine.” In truth, she was exhausted. The lecture she’d given that morning in Stillwater seemed like ages ago.

“Don’t you mean you’re stubborn. What if I make it doctor’s orders?”

“I don’t do well with orders.”

“Now, there’s a surprise.” Teasing tinged his quiet words, and he flashed her that alarming smile.

“Are you staying all night?”

He shook his head, then gathered his medical bag. “I’ll return if I’m needed, but otherwise I’ll be back in the morning around nine.” He offered her his hand.

Before she realized what she was doing, she slipped her hand
into his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “Let me see you out, Doctor.”

“I can find my way.”

“Now who’s being stubborn?”

With a chuckle, he followed her from the room and down the hall. They stopped in the foyer, where the butler presented Joel with his coat and hat. Joel slipped his long arms into the sleeves and buttoned the front before looking down at Charlotte. “I think this is a new record.”

“What’s that?”

“We’ve spent nearly half an hour together without coming to blows.”

He seemed pleased they’d not fought. She cocked her head to the side and grinned. “Well, there’s always tomorrow.”

“Good night, Charlotte.” He opened the door and stepped onto the porch.

“Joel.” Charlotte stopped the door from closing behind him. “Thank you.”

He tipped his hat. “You’re welcome, Charlotte, and get some rest. Doctor’s orders.”

“You just couldn’t resist that, could you?”

“Nope.” He kept on walking.

She watched him descend the stairs, and a new thought hit her. He might be an obstinate man, but he certainly was a good one too.

After a fitful night’s sleep, Charlotte woke early and dressed. She padded to Aunt Sam’s bedchamber and eased the door open. If Nurse Pierce was catching a bit of sleep, she didn’t want to wake her.

She tiptoed inside to find Aunt Sam alone. Charlotte pulled the chair close to her bed, sat down, and took Aunt Sam’s hand. To her surprise, her aunt’s eyes opened. Charlotte leaned close. “Welcome back.”

Aunt Sam’s brow wrinkled. She seemed to try to speak, but no sound came out.

“Easy. You need to relax. You’ve had an apoplexy. Understand?” Charlotte turned when she heard someone approaching.

Nurse Pierce put a breakfast tray on the nightstand and jammed her fists onto her hips. “Exactly what do you think you’re doing, Miss Gregory?”

“M-m-my aunt woke. She seemed confused so I was explaining what happened to her.”

“She is to rest, not chat with you.” Nurse Pierce slipped another pillow behind Aunt Sam’s head. Then she picked up a bowl from the tray and sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed. “Ready for your breakfast, Mrs. Phillips?”

“Oatmeal!” Charlotte grabbed Nurse Pierce’s wrist. “You cannot give her that. I forbid it.”

Nurse Pierce jerked her hand out of Charlotte’s grasp. “You forbid it? I’m afraid you don’t have any say in the matter. In case you didn’t realize it, I’m the one Dr. Brooks left in charge of her medical care.”

Aunt Sam’s eyes went from the nurse to Charlotte and back again. She clamped her lips shut so hard, Charlotte had to bite back a chuckle.

“Nurse Pierce, may I speak with you in the hall. I’d rather not upset Aunt Sam any further.”

“Maybe you should have thought about that before your outburst.”

Charlotte stood and motioned toward the door. “Nurse Pierce, please.”

With a huff, the young nurse set the bowl on the tray and marched out of the bedroom. Charlotte directed her toward the top of the staircase at the end of the hall, away from those still sleeping.

She whirled toward Charlotte. “Let me make myself perfectly clear. I will not have the family of my patient interfering with her care.”

“But you could kill her with that oatmeal.”

“What are you talking about? It’s oatmeal, not arsenic.”

Anger simmered inside Charlotte’s chest. This woman was a nurse. How could she not realize how dangerous that little bowl could be to someone in Aunt Sam’s condition? This was exactly the kind of thing Charlotte could teach the nurses if given a chance, but of course, Dr. Brooks had squelched that idea.

She drew in a long breath. “When someone has an apoplectic fit, they sometimes lose the ability to swallow. If Aunt Sam is such a person, she could choke—or worse, she could aspirate on the oatmeal, which I’m sure you know could lead to pneumonia.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Nurse Pierce tried to sidestep her.

Charlotte blocked her path. “No, it’s a fact. The only thing Aunt Sam should be having today is liquids.”

“All right, have it your way. We’ll ask Dr. Brooks when he arrives.”

Because she could see the staircase and it was to Nurse Pierce’s back, Charlotte spotted the doctor approaching and smiled. “Yes, let’s ask him.”

“Ask me what?” Joel climbed the last three steps. “I heard you two squabbling all the way downstairs. Is there a problem, Nurse Pierce?”

Charlotte glowered at him. Why did he assume Charlotte had been the problem?

The nurse tipped her chin in the air. “I realize Miss Gregory is only expressing her concern, but she’s interfering with her aunt’s care.”

“In what way?” His lips bowed downward and his brows scrunched.

“I was about to give Mrs. Phillips her breakfast, and she stopped me.”

Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and prayed that Joel understood as much as he claimed about feeding the ill. “Tell him
what
you were going to feed her.”

“I don’t know why that should matter.”

Charlotte splayed her hands out in surrender. “You were going to give her oatmeal, and we don’t even know if she can swallow it!”

Joel’s eyebrows shot up. “Oatmeal?”

“We serve it at the hospital all the time.” Nurse Pierce’s voice held a strong defensive tone. “Besides, Doctor, you didn’t leave any written orders regarding breakfast.”

“I didn’t realize I’d need to.” One hard look from him, and the nurse seemed to lose all her bravado. He turned to Charlotte. “Thank you, Miss Gregory. I’ll handle it from here.”