of gangs and drugs, like his younger brother, Emilio, had done, but he knew that was probably unrealistic. Emilio’s death at the hands of a gang was one of the reasons he himself fought so hard for every child that entered his clinic. Each battle to save a life was a battle with a gang or disease and every one was a battle he intended to win. Death was not going to defeat him or take the life of his patients. Not if he could help it. Back then he hadn’t had the skills to save his brother, but he was different now. One day, maybe some of his patients could get the education they deserved and would live long, healthy lives far away from the tragedies of life. If he had some small part in helping that happen, all the better. It would help pay back the debt of honor he owed. Family was everything, and he owed much to them.
With the infant sleeping in the crook of his arm, he knelt beside Tina. “He’s okay now. You did the right thing by bringing him in. The nasal congestion should go away in a few days with some medication I’ll give you, but if it doesn’t, bring him back.”
“Seriously?” She looked at him, her eyes wide with shock, and tears welled again in her eyes. “That’s all it is?”
“Seriously.” He patted her shoulder again and gave her a smile. “That’s all it is.”
With a nod, Tina accepted the baby back. By watching her, how she continued to look at his face, the way she stroked his cheek with her finger, she had certainly bonded well with him and that was half the battle with very young mothers.
“You’ll be fine. You just need to rest a little more and worry a little less,” Vicky said.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much that relieves my mind.” She let out a shaky breath and brushed away the tears. “I always think the worst.”
“Me, too. That way, if it doesn’t happen, then it’s good, right?” Vicky said, and gave Tina an encouraging smile.
“You’re right. I guess that’s what I do, too.”
“There are times you will need to think with your mind and not your heart, even though it’s really hard. I learned that a long time ago. You can try that little trick I showed you if he decides to stop breathing again.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Miguel watched the exchange with interest, wondering what the princess of the Sterling-Thorne vineyards was talking about. Surely she’d never had to suffer a day in her life, so he couldn’t understand her words. As he watched her, though, she seemed to genuinely believe what she was saying to the young mother. Somehow these two had found a common bond that allowed Tina to relax a little. So very different, light and dark, they were a visual contrast to each other. Miguel could see by simple observation that Vicky wasn’t from this part of town. Knowing her family history, he imagined she lived in a castle with an ivory tower. But if she fit into the clinic, he didn’t care as long as she was a good nurse, and that was the reason she was there. Most people with her financial status simply made charitable donations. What she was doing there in the flesh was anyone’s guess. Right now, none of it mattered when he had a waiting room full of patients. People with real needs were why he was here.
“Did you come by yourself or is there someone here with you?” Miguel asked Tina, and stood, directing his gaze away from Vicky’s distracting beauty.
“My mother is in the waiting room.”
“That’s good. Is she helping you out at all?” Vicky asked as she walked with them out to the front.
“Yes. She helps me every day. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Why don’t you bring him back in a few days so we can do a well-baby checkup?” Vicky asked, then paused with a quick glance at Miguel. “Sorry. I should ask first. Do you actually have a well-baby clinic or something here?”
“Yes, we actually have one,” he said with a little starch in his voice. “We’re really a full-service clinic, though it may not look like it. One day a week we have a nurse practitioner come in. I’m hoping to increase her clinic to two days a week, but for now it’s just one.” He touched the sleeping baby again and marveled at the softness of his skin. They started out so innocent.
Wariness eased into Vicky’s eyes, but she spoke kindly to Tina. “Oh, good. I’ll look forward to seeing this little guy again. Let’s have Tilly make an appointment for you.” Vicky smiled, looking up at Miguel for confirmation. He nodded, his voice suddenly stuck. When Vicky smiled, it went all the way to her eyes and the outer corners turned up, making him wonder what secrets lay in their dark blue depths. He stepped back and cleared his throat, surprised by the attraction that surfaced in him. Now was not the time to be attracted to a coworker. Especially not one with a background that was totally at odds with his. In his experience, that sort of situation never turned out right. “Go ahead. I think he’s fine now. See if she can make your appointment for about a week from now.”
“Okay.” She turned with Vicky and released a tremulous sigh.
Miguel watched them go and then prepared himself for the next patient of the day.
CHAPTER TWO
“SO, is that your typical emergency around here?” Vicky asked Miguel as she followed him down the hall and around the corner to the staff lounge, which looked as if it had once been a large closet.
“We really see anything and everything here,” he said, and put two cups of water in the microwave. “Coffee?”
“Sure.”
In minutes he had heated water for the both of them and as Vicky watched, he opened a jar of instant coffee, spooning an uncertain amount in each cup. Hiding a grimace, she accepted the offering from him.
“Here’s to your first day.” He sipped and then sat at the small table. “We’ve only got a few minutes before we have every room full, so I’ll give you the orientation of how I do things as we go. It’ll be easier that way, rather than just telling you about it.”
“I learn better that way, too.” Vicky sipped from the cup, anticipating a vile brew. She wasn’t disappointed. She tryied to hide her revulsion then reached for the sweetener on the table. “I think this needs a little sugar.”
Miguel chucked. “You’re being too kind. It needs a lot more than that, but my taste buds were nearly destroyed by residency. If you’re wanting good coffee, you’ll have to bring your own in a thermos or something. The coffee fund went away with the budget cuts.”
The stuff was despicable beyond description. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a pack of mints and popped one in her mouth, hoping that it would kill the taste. “Oh. No worries. I’ll figure something out, but I hope you won’t be offended if I don’t drink this,” she said, and started to pour it into the sink.
“Wait, I’ll take it.” Miguel reached for the cup.
The poor man. No coffee fund? Horrors. She thought a second about a friend who had a coffee delivery business. She was going to have to talk to him. “So, tell me some more about the clinic.”
“Oh, right.” In just a few minutes Miguel had given her the quick history of the clinic, how he had taken it over on the brink of closure and brought it to life again. “The really unfortunate part is that our grant money is ending and the city is uncertain whether they can find money for this place. The state of the economy has hit them, too.” He tugged at the lapel of his lab coat, and his lips pressed together firmly for a second. “I’m working every angle I can but it’s just not coming together yet. There’s got to be something else that will help.”
She could see the worry etched on his lean face. He put a lot of energy and probably his heart into this clinic. “What about having a fundraiser?”
“The only fundraiser I’ve held myself is a bake sale, and we can’t have enough of them to fund the clinic. The community has put together some car washes, stuff like that, but it’s just not going