Richard Mabry - Code Blue

"Would you like a glass of water… a soft drink?" he asked.

"Water, please." She gulped greedily from the bottle Will handed her. "Wow, I'd hate to have you cross-examine me. I usually don't even open up this much to my- I mean, I think you did a great job of getting the information you need and a lot more. I hope you'll forgive me for dumping like that."

He ignored her comment and scanned his notes. Cathy counted the pages as he flipped through them: twenty-four. She wondered why she'd been so comfortable confiding in Will. She'd felt secure, the way she'd felt in his arms back when- Never mind. Bad idea to even think about the past.

"So, what would you advise?"

"About the insurance company? Since that was where you started, I presume that's the situation where you need my help. Right?"

She nodded.

He took in a deep breath through his nose and let it out through pursed lips. "Did you receive any kind of notice from the insurance company that your policy was about to lapse for nonpayment?"

"It went to my old address. It eventually got forwarded, but I didn't get it until after the accident."

"Had you notified the insurance company of your address change?"

"Yes. I know I did. I still have the list of all my notifications."

He closed his eyes, steepled his fingers, and leaned back in his chair. "We might eventually get the insurance company to pay, but there may be a better way. This whole thing started with the bank's error. Let me try there first."

"What can we expect from them?"

"If the bank contacts the insurance company and admits it was at fault in failing to honor the check, maybe we can get the company to reinstate the policy. Of course, since that would result in their being liable for several thousand dollars in damage to your car, there likely would be something of a fight. If the insurance company refuses to pay, we could always sue the bank."

Cathy made a conscious effort to unclench her teeth. "No. You can't imagine how hard it was for me to get Nix and the bank to loan me enough to start my practice."

"How much?" Will asked.

It made her a little sick at her stomach to say the words."Seventy thousand dollars. Due in a year-actually, nine months from now. I don't want to do anything to put that in jeopardy."

"So-"

"Look," Cathy said, "I can't call up Nix and say, 'Oh, by the way, it's your fault my car insurance wasn't in effect when I ran offthe road, so if you don't pony up five or six thousand dollars for the damages, I'll sue you.' I just can't do that."

"What's so special about Nix? So he loaned you money. That's his business. But how do you know he's not the one who made sure the check bounced? There might be a reason he'd want to hurt you."

Cathy couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this before. Wasn't Robert's father on the board of a bank in Dallas? Could there be a connection between him and Nix? What if Nix took steps to assure that Cathy's insurance lapsed, then arranged an accident that totaled her car? So what if she defaulted on her loan? In a bank that size, the loss would be almost insignificant. Still, she couldn't imagine Milton Nix doing something so underhanded. In her mind, she'd always considered bankers to be trustworthy. Anyone responsible for such large sums of money had to be honest and dependable. Maybe she had been naive.

She shook her head. "All I know is that he loaned me money when no one else would, and now he's a patient of mine. If there's anyway to avoid it, I don't want to involve him in this mess."

Will leaned forward and gently touched her hand. "And that's why I'll help."

"I'm still worried about paying for all this."

"Do you have a dollar?"

Automatically, Cathy pulled her wallet from her purse. Then she looked up and frowned. "Why?"

"Just give it to me."

She handed it over.

Will stowed the bill in his wallet. "Okay, that was mostly symbolic, but it makes most people feel better. Now you've officially engaged my services. We've established an attorneyclient relationship. I can act on your behalf in legal matters, and the first thing I intend to do is talk with Ella Mae Mercer."

"Who?"

"You probably don't remember her. Her maiden name was Ella Mae Becker. Married Ken Mercer right out of high school. Eventually, she figured the wife of a mechanic wasn't about to climb very high in the social ladder in Dainger, especially when he spent most of his nights working on cars in his backyard and all his weekends drinking beer."

"And what does-?"

Will held up his hand. "Patience. It gets better. Ella Mae divorced Ken, got a job at the bank as a teller, and worked her way up to Vice President. Nix may be the President of the bank, but Ella Mae Mercer carries a lot of weight. Let me have a talk with her. We'll see if she'll contact the insurance company and talk sweet reason with them."

"Will Mr. Nix go along with her?"

"If you believe the rumors around town, she's either the one who runs the bank or the one who runs Nix. Opinions are divided." Will's grin carried as much information as his words.

Cathy's cheeks warmed. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "I hope you can get her to help."

"I'll let you know." He scanned his notes. "Now, what about getting your privileges approved at the hospital?"

"Sorry that came out. Guess I needed to vent." She squared her shoulders. "I'm a big girl. I need to fight my own fights, but I don't have any leverage with the insurance company. I'm glad to hear that you may be able to help there." She pulled out her checkbook. "You wouldn't tell me your fee schedule, but I'm sure you want more than a dollar for a retainer. How much?"

"If you don't want to barter-a thousand dollars."

Cathy's heart jumped into her throat. "I… I can't… I mean…"

"Or we can make a trade. Have lunch with me on Sunday."

A dozen responses rushed through her head, but the one that won the day came from her heart. "I guess this is why you always were the best debater in school. I hope you're this good when you talk with Ella Mae. What time and where?"

"I'll pick you up at ten-thirty."

"Why so early?"

"We don't want to be late for church. We'll be going there first." He grinned. "But it will be worth it. Mom's fried chicken is the best you've ever tasted. She and Dad will be so glad to see you. You've been gone too long."

Cathy hesitated in the doorway of the hospital conference room

until she caught Marcus Bell's eye. He pointed to the far corner, away from the table where the committee members were seated. She eased into the chair and looked around, wondering if one of the physicians assembled here tonight was responsible for the harassment. Maybe after the meeting she'd have a better idea.

Marcus tapped his water glass with a spoon. Conversation died down, coffee cups were pushed away, and six men looked expectantly toward the head of the table. Marcus took a sip of water. "I guess we'd better get this meeting underway."

Cathy let her eyes roam around the long table, putting names with faces. At the head of the table, Marcus, as Chief of Staff, was the chair of the Credentials and Privileges Committee of Summers County General Hospital. There were six other members, but Cathy had already been told that votes were generally swayed by the opinions of two men: Dr. John Steel and Dr. Arthur Harshman. They were seated opposite each other. Somehow, the positioning seemed right to Cathy.

Steel was middle-aged, a bit portly, and casually dressed. He had an easy air and seemed to smile freely. Cathy had referred several cases to Steel and considered him a competent surgeon who cared about his patients. He, in turn, had recommended her to some of his patients who were looking for a family practitioner. Their relationship had been good to this point. She hoped it wouldn't change because her request included privileges for appendectomies and a few other surgical procedures.