"Why no sir, you haven’t." She turned to look at him. His arm was motioning for her to come over to where he was standing. She rose and moved closer to where he stood transfixed to the photograph.
"I went up to the Appalachian Foothills on a bet with a buddy of mine in surgery. My wife told me that things were different in the backwoods but I was a damn bullhead and took the bet, sure that I would win. Back in those days a fifty-dollar bet was nothing to walk away from, especially if you knew it was a cinch to win. Heck, that was my monthly payment on the loans from medical school," he reminisced. He glanced over at her. "So, what’s the going monthly rate now on that education?"
"I’m sorry sir, I wouldn’t know. I enlisted in the Navy for the three years and they took care of the debt."
"Hmm…Wish I’d thought of that. Three years…is that all?"
"Well, I’m on a list that if anything happened and they needed me back, I’d have to go."
"Oh, I see." He grunted. "How long are you at the government’s beck and call?"
She thought about what he was asking. "Only a few years. Is there a problem with that?"
"No, I knew you were smart. That’s one way to cover your debt." He turned back to the photograph. "See that guy there," he pointed to a slim boy with oversized clothing, his eyes gaunt and lifeless. "He was one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met. He doesn’t look it, but he would pick-up anything that I offered in a teaching session, trying to bring their level of personal hygiene out of the dark ages." He reached out to touch his image, then hesitated. "He never had the chance to go to school or learn the ways of the world as we know it. His daily chores were just to stay alive and have something to eat."
"Did you try to help him break out of the lifestyle?" She watched the older surgeon as he thought about the boy. His face was a mixture of regret and self-inflicted pain.
"I tried, but the week after I came home he died from a ruptured appendix. They don’t have doctors up there on any regular basis, at least not then." He paused and sniffed trying to collect his emotions before continuing. "I found out a month later when I went back to give him the books that I had gathered together for him to learn how to read. I was devastated at what had transpired while I was gone."
"I’m sorry to hear that. How were you to know what might happen?"
McMurray was back in control again, his voice crisp and clear. "My wife told me to never pass up an opportunity to help someone when it came along." He looked Garrett straight in the eye. "She’s right, you know. Women like her are always right. Better learn that now, Dr. Trivoli."
"Yes, sir. I think I am already." She thought back to the early morning hours that nightmarish Sunday, back at the cabin. Danni had been the one to suggest that she try to help Diana Morgan. ‘I’m learning to rely on her judgment more and more.’ "So does that mean you’ll consider our idea?"
The Ol’Cutter looked her over as she stood with her hand still pressed inside of her pocket. "I don’t see any formally written proposal. Do you want me to go to bat for you and your idea with nothing to show but a few words to speak to the committee? Don’t you think that would be a problem?"
She fingered the notes in her pocket. "Why no, I haven’t written a proposal."
"Then do it," he snapped. "I want every aspect of this idea worked out on paper. I’ll need all the facts, the who, the where, the how, everything." He smiled coyly. "That damn leech of an E.R. Chief, Ian McCormick is always hounding me to do a joint project with his department. Do you think that you could figure someone in from the E.R. too? Say, maybe that Nurse Bossard, or haven’t you allowed her back into your trauma rooms yet?"
Garrett could sense the teasing in his voice. She knew he watched those trauma room videotapes every morning. She had learned her lesson from him more than once about that night. The image of the blonde nurse crept into her mind from this morning when she voiced her wish to help in this project. "Yes, sir. She’s back. I was a fool that night and I told her so later. I…I think that she would be happy to work with me on this project." The surgeon smiled in her confidence of Danni’s interest.
McMurray thought for a moment then went with his gut reaction. "Okay, but Nurse Bossard and you are a team. I expect you both to work equally on this. Now get moving on that proposal. I want it on my desk no later than the Monday before Thanksgiving. That will give me a day to go over it before I present the idea to the Board of Directors for hospital approval." He turned and walked back to his desk.
"Thank you. I’ll get to work on it right away." Excitement was in her voice at the thought of her plans venturing forward.
"Trivoli!"
"Yes." Garrett stopped herself from snapping to attention.
"I’ll talk to McCormick tonight. You and Bossard use work time for this proposal. Take a day or two out of surgery if you have to. I expect it to be good. No loopholes mind you. I want everything to be spelled out, including who will be involved and how much money it’s going to take to run the program."
"Yes, sir!" She started to turn towards the door, eager to tell Danni the news. "Permission to be excused, sir," she voiced in a military manner.
"Permission granted, sailor," he chuckled at her ingrained Navy background coming forth as she saluted before she realized what she was doing. The older man returned the salute, shaking his head at her evident enthusiasm for the project.
Embarrassed, Garrett just shook her head at her own incredible military reaction and hurriedly took off out the door.
For the first time since she had arrived at the hospital, McMurray saw new life come to her eyes. They weren’t condescending, angry, or even annoyed, as they were when she had been summoned into his office her first day. His plan was working. She was learning to be a real person and not just some robotic surgeon that only tolerated other humans. She cared about this project. He could see it in her demeanor towards him and the enthusiasm that carried over in her voice and eyes when she spoke of the ideas. Whatever it was that had spurred her into caring, he was sure that Nurse Bossard had a hand in it.
He looked down to the picture on the desk of his loving wife, the woman that had made him see life for the first time. ‘Maybe she’s found a nurse that will help her along the way, just like I found you.’ "Not bad at teaching, am I?" He asked the picture of his wife. He felt good that his hard work was paying off. He liked that stoic woman more than he cared to admit. There was just something about her that made him think of himself and his own start as a young surgeon when he looked at her. The Ol’Cutter was sure that his wife would see it too. After all, she was the one who had helped him realize what potential his life held.
"Mrs. Weber," he called out for his secretary through the open door. Within seconds she appeared in the doorway. "Get me Dr. McCormick, the E.R. Chief, would you, please? I need to talk to him about an important development."