Page 26 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the latest headlines. It was all a ploy to keep my gaze from following Piper as she moved around the room. Customers flooded in and out of the front door. The tables filled with people chatting and drinking their delicious coffee. For such a small town, this place did a brisk business.

As I went through my email, a familiar subject line caught my eye. I opened the file and read through the acceptance of my new contract for Humanity of the Seas. I pictured the ship floating in the harbor. The anticipation I felt every morning as patients lined the hallways, waiting for the medical care they desperately needed. Some days it was providing life-saving vaccines. Other times it was doing a general exam before prescribing medication or scheduling a surgery for a cleft palate or a poorly set bone.

My scrolling continued until I was interrupted by a panicked shout. The older man at the back table was on his feet. He patted the cheeks of the woman who was slumped in the chair. The man cried out again. Shook her shoulders.

Piper rushed to the table and squatted down in front of the woman. Not more than a second later, she turned and locked eyes with me. The desperation in her gaze forced me from my chair. I rushed toward her and cocked my head until she inched away, giving me some room.

‘Ma’am. Can you hear me?’ I bent down and clasped the woman’s hands.

‘Her name is Mrs Vanderpool,’ Piper said in a shaky voice.

‘Mrs Vanderpool.’ I squeezed her fingers but she didn’t react.

‘We were gabbing about the day. She said she felt light-headed and then—’

‘It’s okay, Silvio,’ Piper said. ‘This is the man filling in for Dr Sheridan. He’ll help her.’

Her eyes pleaded with me to act.

‘You said she felt light-headed? Does she have any medical conditions?’ I asked.

‘Uh…’ He scratched frantically at the white whiskers on his chin. ‘She has arthritis. Sometimes gets headaches.’

I stood and checked her pulse, which was irregular. Called her name again. Her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.

‘What’s happening?’ she asked on a shaky breath.

‘You fainted, Mrs Vanderpool,’ I said.

Her pinched gaze ran the length of me. ‘And who are you?’

‘He’s the new doc over at the clinic,’ Silvio said, patting her hand.

She took a thick gulp, her eyes still too unfocused for my liking.

‘Have some water.’ I pushed a glass on the table toward her. She took several swallows, color seeping back into her cheeks.

The crowd stayed quiet. She noticed the attention, especially Barb and Susan who hovered a few steps away.

‘Y’all get back to your breakfast. Just an old woman having a moment here. Nothin’ to gawk at.’

Prying eyes turned away and Mrs Vanderpool focused on me.

‘Heard quite a few things about you, young man.’

‘Have you?’ I chuckled. ‘Let’s put that aside for a minute and talk about you.’

‘Oh good,’ she cooed. ‘My favorite subject.’

That got a smile out of Silvio and Piper.

‘How is your health? Did you recently start taking any new medications?’

‘No siree. I’m nearing eighty-one and fit as a fiddle.’

‘Greta.’ Silvio made a face and her bravado fell.

‘Fine,’ she huffed. ‘I’ve been a bit tired lately.’