Maggie paused for a moment, then a smile slowly spread to her face. “Then here’s what I propose. I’ll have to check with my superiors first, because I’m just the investigator. But if I can convince them to take you on as a client, in return I’d like hours here at the clinic. We’ll pay you, of course. Not much, but some kind of stipend for living expenses.”
“You can work in Illinois?”
“We have a registered agent in Illinois so yes, I can work there. And the thing is, Alain, while this isn’t the kind of action that’s going to put money in your pocket, unless you want to countersue, which I wouldn’t recommend since you turning around and suing back turns you into some kind of aggressor you don’t want to become, it’s one that will prevent you from having to go through this alone. And there’s a good possibility we can restore your reputation once we win it and it’s over with.
“In other words, the best outcome would be giving you some peace of mind, and maybe the will to go back out there and practice medicine on a full-time basis. So … interested?” Her heart really did go out to the man. He was taking a beating he didn’t deserve. Even without all the facts, it sounded as if he’d unwittingly stepped in then gotten hammered with a situation that couldn’t have possibly been salvaged.
“Maybe,” he said cautiously. “The thing is, if they sue me they can’t really get anything. I wasn’t kidding when I said I needed this job as a carpenter to get by. So wouldn’t it be just as easy to let them sue then find out I’m not worth two nickels? I mean, I’m living in my aunt’s house, fixing it up for her. She’s moved to Florida and told me I can do with it what I want. She’ll deed it over to me in due course if I want the place, but I don’t want it right now because if I’m being sued I don’t want them taking her house.”
“Your reputation’s worth more than a couple of nickels, isn’t it?”
“It used to be.”
“You’ve got a mighty good reputation in the military. Got a medal of honor, didn’t you?”
“Are you just full of facts about me?”
“Just read the headlines, not the details.” She smiled. “And that headline needs to be protected, Alain. You did something good, and you deserve to be proud about it rather than simply giving in to defeat.”
“I’m not defeated. More like practical.”
“Which is why I want to practice medical defense law. Someone’s coming at you, going to ruin you if they can, and you don’t deserve it.”
“So what if you do get your law firm to take me on? What happens?”
“First, they’ll assign me to investigate the case. And if I do say so myself, I’m the best at what I do.”
He chuckled. “And modest, too.”
“Only when I have to be.”
“Anybody ever called you a pit bull?” he asked.
“A time or two. The thing is, I believe in what I do. Doctors and nurses are an easy target, especially doctors who are required to carry so much insurance. My mother runs a hospital where doctors are sued unjustly all the time, and it takes so much away from the patient care she should be giving because she has to get involved in the legal proceedings.
“The worst, though, was my dad. He suffered a huge suit, and it depressed him for weeks. He didn’t do anything wrong, and the hospital eventually just settled on his behalf. He wanted to defend himself, though, and he never felt good that by settling it seemed like he was guilty of medical negligence. It broke his heart, and that hurt all of us.”
“Which is when you decided you wanted to be a crusader?”
“Not a crusader. Just someone who wanted to make sure that the innocent weren’t being punished. And I’m not saying that all cases are unfair, because I’ve seen some that are well deserved. But I’ve seen too many that are not.”
Alain took a sip of his water then squinted up at the sun. “So what you would want in return are hours at the clinic, doing what I’m assuming will be general medicine.”
“Are you good with herbal medicine? Because we do a bit of that, as well.”
“I’ve never gone near the stuff.”
“Then that’s where I can help, because Mellette’s been teaching me.”
“You’re going to be my nurse?”
“Probably. But I do have my other work, as well as law school.”
“Meaning you never sleep.”
“Meaning I sleep only when I have to.”
“Well, I do have a commitment to work on the addition, and Tom Chaisson—”
“Mellette’s other brother-in-law from her first marriage,” Maggie interrupted.
“You keep things very cozy down here, don’t you?”
“We try to,” she said.
“Anyway, Tom just made me project foreman. He’s got another job in Baton Rouge that he’s got to oversee, so he asked me to take on this project for him. And I can’t back out on that. So if I agree to this, when I don’t have a stethoscope around my neck I’ll be wearing tools on my hips. Can you deal with that?”
Could she deal with that? The fact that she could still watch him in carpenter mode was an added bonus. “I can,” she said, her voice just a bit on the wobbly side.
“Then I guess we have a deal. You take my case to your law firm and see what they have to say about it, and I’ll work here as your doctor on call.”
“You can live here, too, if you want,” she added. “Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms.”
“Might not be a bad idea, as I’ve got my aunt’s house practically gutted and I’m reduced to living on a cot and cooking on a hot plate. Her house was one of those projects that the more I got into it, the more I found that needed fixing.” He grinned. “And it’s a big old plantation house, turning into a big old plantation money pit.”
“Well, no promises or anything, but I do have some pull at New Hope, which could be a consideration for you after we get your lawsuit straightened out.”
“Anyway, I think it’s time to get you on the road. I expect that by the time we get there the doctors will know more about what’s going on with your sister.”
Maggie reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re a good man, Dr. Lalonde, and it’s my intention to make sure you hang on to that reputation.”
“I like your passion,” he said.
And she liked his abs.
“So you’re a doctor?” Mellette said. She was on bed rest now but allowed to travel out to Eula’s House with Justin when he took calls there. Her condition had much improved in a couple of days and for now she was allowed light activity.
“Depends on the time of day,” Alain said as he eyed her ankles.
“They’re much better, Doctor. Swelling’s gone down, and they’re almost back to normal. You caught it in the early stages and my physician is treating me for preeclampsia. He doesn’t think I’m going to have any strong complications, though. And while I have to curtail my activities, I’m not on total bed rest yet.”
“As long as you’re sensible,” Alain warned.
“That’s what everybody keeps telling me. And with six sisters, trust me, I’m never alone to do something insensible, not that I would. But I just wanted to thank you for helping me, and for taking over the clinic.”
“Your doctor’s aware you’re coming out to Big Swamp?”
“He’s