“I appreciate what you’re doing but I’ve seen people burn out pretty quickly here.”
She looked at him. “Doctor, I can assure you that I am nowhere near being burned out.”
“It sneaks up on you.”
For a moment she gave him a speculative look. “Is that what has happened to you?”
The statement seared him. “What do you mean?”
“You seem to care about these people but at the same time don’t welcome the people who come to help you. You’ve been trying to run me off from the minute I got here.”
Anger rose in him. Was he letting the past boil over that much? “I have not. There’s not enough help as it is. Why would I discourage anyone?”
“I’m wondering the same thing.”
“I want you to know the facts. And you don’t seem the type cut out for this kind of work.”
“And you have decided this by…” she cocked her head “…the clothes I wear, the color of my eyes, my shoes?”
“Your age. Your looks. You attitude. In my experience someone like you only comes to a place like this as a lark, running from something, looking for adventure or to prove something.” She flinched. So he had touched a nerve. What had brought her here?
“Why, Dr. Freeman, I do believe you’re a bigot. And it must be nice to be all-knowing. It doesn’t matter what you think. The real question is have you had any problems with the work I have done so far?”
She had a way of cutting to the point. He hadn’t. In fact, he’d been surprised at her knowledge and efficiency. He said nothing.
“That’s what I thought. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll get that lunch you think I need so badly.” She stalked out of the tent.
Wow, there might be more to the blonde bombshell than he’d given her credit for. Had he really been that tough on her? Unfair? She had certainly stood up to him. Been a capable doctor. Maybe he should cut her some slack.
By the time Chance had made it to the lunch table Ellen was finished with her meal and headed toward the front of the clinic. “Remember not to go out of sight of the clinic or one of us.”
“I’ll heed your warning, Doctor,” she said in a sarcastic tone as she kept moving, not giving him time to respond.
Despite what she said, it didn’t ease his concern. He felt responsible for all his staff but for some reason Ellen seemed so naive that she required more attention. A couple of times the new people hadn’t taken his warnings seriously and had almost gotten in trouble. He couldn’t let that happen to her.
He returned to the front and took a seat on a stool just inside the tent door. Ellen was sitting on a blanket she’d apparently taken from the supply van. Chance tried not to appear as if he was watching but she claimed his attention. As she sat, a few of the village girls approached. Ellen spoke to them in a soft voice, halting a couple of times as if searching for the correct word. One of the girls tentatively picked up Ellen’s hand and touched her fingernail.
“You like my polish?” Ellen smiled and held her fingers out wide.
The child nodded and the other girls stepped closer, each stroking a nail in wonder.
“Stay here and I’ll be right back.” Gracefully she rose and headed for the transport truck as if on a mission. She climbed onto the back bumper and reached in to pull out a backpack. Looking through a side pocket, she removed a small bottle. After dropping the bag back into the truck, she returned to the girls. Ellen sat and the children gathered around her again. She patted the blanket and invited them to join her, then opened the bottle. Taking one of the girls’ hands, Ellen placed it on her bent knee and applied polish to a nail. There was a unified sound of awe.
What the hell? The woman had brought fingernail polish into the jungle.
Bright smiles formed on dark faces. Small bodies shifted closer in an effort to have a turn. Ellen had their complete attention. Her blonde head contrasted against those around her. The girls giggled and admired their nails, showing them off to their friends before jumping up and running to display them for someone else. As one left another joined Ellen.
Her mirth mingled with the children’s. The sound was unusual in the rain forest yet seemed to belong. Like the sweet song of birds in the trees.
Chance walked toward her. It was time to get started again or patients would go unseen and he couldn’t let that happen. He stood over the little group. “You seem to have created a stir.”
Ellen looked at him with a grin on her face and moved to stand. “Every female likes to do a little something special for herself.”
She wobbled and Chance reached for her elbow, helping her to stand. A shot of awareness he’d not felt in years went through him. It was both exciting and disturbing. To cover his reaction he said, “Even if they can’t have it all the time.”
Ellen glared at him. “Especially then. A moment of pleasure is better than none.”
What would it be like to share pleasure with her? Whoa, had the noon sun gone to his head? That wasn’t something he should be thinking about in regard to any of his staff and certainly not about this too young, too idealistic newcomer. Life had taught him that picking women wasn’t his strong suit.
Chance released her arm as if it had turned into a hot coal. “I’ll see you in the clinic. You’ll be working with Michael this afternoon until I think you know the ropes well enough to handle cases on your own.”
Ellen didn’t know what had gotten into Chance but she was relieved that she didn’t have to assist him. Working with Michael was easy and fun so why did it seem anticlimactic next to helping Chance? There was an intriguing intensity about him that tugged at her.
He had seemed so much larger than life when she’d heard him speak. The passion and compassion he felt for the people of Honduras had vibrated through her with each of his words. She’d been drawn to this place. But she’d fought too long and too hard to make her own decisions and Chance was too bossy for her taste. She didn’t need another man overseeing her life.
One of the girls who’d had her nails done was Chance’s patient at the next table. Despite having her back to them, Ellen overheard him say, “Your nails are so pretty.”
She smiled. Mr. Gruff and Groan might have a heart after all.
During the rest of the afternoon and into the dimming light of evening came the continuing blur of people with open wounds, bug bites, sores, to serious birth defects. Thunder rolled in the distance and the wind whipped the tent as the last of the patients were being seen.
“Get started on putting things away. We need to get on the road before this hits,” Chance called to everyone as he finished cleaning a wound on the calf of his last patient, a middle-aged man.
Ellen began storing the supplies in the van. As she passed by Chance he said, “Ellen, would you get an antibiotic out of the med cabinet for me?” He held up a key attached to a ring.
“Sure.” Her hand brushed his larger one as she took it. A tingle went through her. Why this reaction to him of all people? She wasn’t looking for that. Hadn’t come here expecting it. She hurried toward the van.
Entering the vehicle, she made her way down the small isle to where the med box was located. Constructed of metal and bolted to the floor for security, it was situated behind the bench seat. She went down on her knees in front of it. The light was so poor she fumbled with the key in the lock. Slipping her hand into the side leg pocket of her cargo pants, she pulled out her penlight. She balanced it on a nearby shelf, directing the beam toward the lock.
The screech of the driver’s door opening drew her attention. She glanced over her shoulder. A thin young