Diner Girl(6)

“Ma’am, wake up. We’ve got to get you to a shelter.” The woman did not stir. The slow, thready beat of her pulse spurred him into action. She needed medical attention immediately if she was going to make it through the night. He dialed 911.

“911, what is your emergency?”

Once he heard the dispatch operator’s voice, his mind acted on impulse. “I’m at 1221 High Street. There is a woman unconscious in the alley.”

“Sir, is the woman breathing?”

“Yes.” He picked up her hand and rubbed it, trying to restore some circulation. “I’m a doctor. She has a pulse, but she is not responsive. She seems to have been outside for a while, her skin is cold to the touch. We need an ambulance.”

“I’m sorry, sir. All of our units are currently dispatched to other calls. It may be a while before helps gets to you. Is she stable?”

The woman couldn’t wait “a while” for help. “For now, but I’m bringing her to the hospital myself.”

“Sir,” the dispatch operator broke in, “we really must recommend that you wait for assistance.”

“Thank you, but I’m not certain she can wait.”

Mark hung up his phone and tried once more to wake the unconscious woman. Sophie would have to fend for herself. After a few minutes the woman’s eyes squinted open.

“I ain’t got nothin’ to steal,” she mumbled, her speech heavily slurred. She immediately tried to get up but slumped back down. Frozen clumps of what looked to be her own vomit slid down her front.

In a loud voice, Mark said, “I have to take you to the hospital. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

The woman nodded, and he helped her up and into his car. He hoped he would be able to get the woman into the hospital and disappear again before anyone noticed his presence. During the drive she spoke a little. Her name was Peggy, she’d been hiding from aliens, and the vomit actually wasn’t hers. She didn’t say much else. They pulled into the New Hope Hospital parking lot, and Mark helped her out of the car and into a wheelchair.

At the triage window he said, “Hi, Lisa, this is Peggy. She’s been outside all night and needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. She’s awake now, but may have slight hypothermia. Can you bump her up the list?”

“Dr. Stanton, I can get her in, but we’ve got some problems,” the intake nurse replied.

He rolled Peggy to the now open triage door. “Look, I have to get going. I have something else going on at home I’ve got to deal with—”

She interrupted. “Dr. Stanton, Nurse Tidwell has been looking for you...” Lisa took the chair from his hands and rolled Peggy into the triage room.

“I have to go, I’m not on call, and I’ve got to get back home.”

“Dr. Stanton!” an excited voice hailed from behind. “I’m so glad you got the page!”

Mark closed his eyes in regret and then turned around. Nurse Tidwell. Too late. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get any page. I just brought someone in. I have to go. I’ve been here almost every night this past week, I’ve got something going on at home.” He stopped as disappointment spread across Tidwell’s face.

“Please say you’ll stay. We really need help tonight. Power is going out all over the city, and people are wandering in off the streets. The only physicians we have right now are Doctors Bledlow and Dulabi.”

Having only two doctors available to cover the entire ER on a night like this would be dangerous. He had to stay. It wasn’t a matter of what he wanted but of what was right.

With a sigh of defeat he agreed. “I’ll stay.” His mind wandered back to thoughts of Jennifer curled up warm and cozy in Ruth’s apartment. If he just kept thinking about her, he knew he could make it through this night.

****

Jennifer awoke as the sun painted the apartment walls a bright lemony yellow. She stretched her arms over her head and bumped into the arm of the couch. Confused for a moment, she looked around. Then she remembered last night. Mark, the pink apartment, the snow. She dashed up from the couch almost faster than her legs could move, stumbling as she went. She felt a jolt of dismay as the clouds blotted out the lemony brightness.

Pure white covered the ground outside. Not even tire tracks marred the surface of this blanket yet. So much white that the cars underneath all that snow were no more than bumps peaking through the surface. Jennifer’s throat filled with cotton and her stomach with rocks as the fat flakes meandered lazily toward the ground. The clouds opened up and pure white filled the window.

With a heavy heart, she pushed the curtain back in place. I wonder how he’s going to feel about me staying the day? There were no noises coming from the back bedroom. Mark must still be in bed. Something brushed past her leg. “What in the world!” she yelped as she jumped away. She laughed at her own reaction. An orange and white tabby with a touch of black behind the left ear purred wildly at her feet.