Ozark Nurse Read Online Free
required of a nurse. You think I don't know?"
"Oh, Andy." She looked embarrassed. "You just imagine all that, the way patients often do."
"No. I don't imagine it." His hand reached for hers, covered it gently. "You're a good girl, Nora, a very nice girl. You're sweet in your ways, and so very kind, so thoughtful of others."
Silent for a moment, he studied her. "There aren't too many like you, my dear. And—well, I just wanted you to know how deeply I appreciate all you've done for me. That's why I got the watch for you, as a gesture of appreciation. Please take it."
"But, Andy—" She hesitated, not sure what was the right thing to say or do. She didn't want to hurt him, and yet—a diamond wrist watch!
"Try it on, Nora. See how it looks. Please?"
She unfastened the beat-up leather strap binding to her wrist the cheap silver watch which had cost four ninety-five by mail order. In its place she fastened the little beauty, and pondered.
Why shouldn't she take it?
It would make him happy, and it would most certainly make her happy to have it.
Of course, there were all the comic jokes about middle-aged men becoming infatuated with young nurses. But he hadn't said a word about liking her in that way; only that he was grateful.
"Listen," she said. "I love this watch, and I'd adore keeping it. But if I did keep it, how could I know there wasn't a string or two attached?"
He surprised her. "There is." Then he modified that unexpected answer. "That is—in addition to everything else you've done, there's one more favor that would mean quite a lot to me. It hasn't anything to do with my giving you the watch. I expressed myself badly. But if you
could
do this one additional favor for me—"
"And exactly what favor is that, Mr. Fine?" Her eyes were narrowed now, her tone dripping suspicion.
"Andy," he corrected again. After watching her for a moment and reading her mind, he laughed heartily. "You're all wrong, Nora. This is what I have in mind. The doctors tell me I should take a good long rest after I leave here. I can't think of a more wonderful place to rest than right here in these mountains. Can you?"
"Well, no."
"But where would I stay? I'm told there are no rest homes for convalescents in this neck of the woods, and I suspect your one hotel is no great shakes."
"No, it isn't." The rooms didn't even have private baths. "You'd never stand it there for a week."
"Ummmm. Just what I figured. So I've been wondering, Nora, if you, or perhaps I should say your mother, would rent me a room for the summer. Would you consider doing that?"
She was astonished, but after a moment's thought, decided it was not an unreasonable suggestion. That barn of a house was big enough for a dozen people to get lost in. The rent money would come in handy, too.
"Is there any reason you can't at least consider taking me in for a few months?" Suddenly he was grinning. "I'll need somebody to check on my blood pressure, you know."
Nora stood up. "I'll have to think about it, Andy. I'd have to talk it over with my mother, too."
"Excellent. You take your time to decide." Apparently satisfied that he had won his point, Andrew smiled, patted her hand in a fatherly way, and closed his eyes.
As usual, he fell asleep in a minute or so.
Nora straightened the light covers over him, then spent the next ten minutes moving noiselessly about, doing the dozen and more things that always need doing in a sick room: closing the blinds, disposing of some wilted flowers, cleaning the already sterile-clean basin in the adjoining toilet room, then heading back to the bed to make sure that her patient was sleeping and breathing normally.
He was.
So what now? Oh, well, she could always think about Paul, who seemed to be changing into a man she did not know at all.
Chapter 3
Sometimes Nora wondered if she had fallen in love with Paul at first sight, on the day when he had walked into the children's section and said: "Hello, everybody. I'm told I'm to be in
"Oh, Andy." She looked embarrassed. "You just imagine all that, the way patients often do."
"No. I don't imagine it." His hand reached for hers, covered it gently. "You're a good girl, Nora, a very nice girl. You're sweet in your ways, and so very kind, so thoughtful of others."
Silent for a moment, he studied her. "There aren't too many like you, my dear. And—well, I just wanted you to know how deeply I appreciate all you've done for me. That's why I got the watch for you, as a gesture of appreciation. Please take it."
"But, Andy—" She hesitated, not sure what was the right thing to say or do. She didn't want to hurt him, and yet—a diamond wrist watch!
"Try it on, Nora. See how it looks. Please?"
She unfastened the beat-up leather strap binding to her wrist the cheap silver watch which had cost four ninety-five by mail order. In its place she fastened the little beauty, and pondered.
Why shouldn't she take it?
It would make him happy, and it would most certainly make her happy to have it.
Of course, there were all the comic jokes about middle-aged men becoming infatuated with young nurses. But he hadn't said a word about liking her in that way; only that he was grateful.
"Listen," she said. "I love this watch, and I'd adore keeping it. But if I did keep it, how could I know there wasn't a string or two attached?"
He surprised her. "There is." Then he modified that unexpected answer. "That is—in addition to everything else you've done, there's one more favor that would mean quite a lot to me. It hasn't anything to do with my giving you the watch. I expressed myself badly. But if you
could
do this one additional favor for me—"
"And exactly what favor is that, Mr. Fine?" Her eyes were narrowed now, her tone dripping suspicion.
"Andy," he corrected again. After watching her for a moment and reading her mind, he laughed heartily. "You're all wrong, Nora. This is what I have in mind. The doctors tell me I should take a good long rest after I leave here. I can't think of a more wonderful place to rest than right here in these mountains. Can you?"
"Well, no."
"But where would I stay? I'm told there are no rest homes for convalescents in this neck of the woods, and I suspect your one hotel is no great shakes."
"No, it isn't." The rooms didn't even have private baths. "You'd never stand it there for a week."
"Ummmm. Just what I figured. So I've been wondering, Nora, if you, or perhaps I should say your mother, would rent me a room for the summer. Would you consider doing that?"
She was astonished, but after a moment's thought, decided it was not an unreasonable suggestion. That barn of a house was big enough for a dozen people to get lost in. The rent money would come in handy, too.
"Is there any reason you can't at least consider taking me in for a few months?" Suddenly he was grinning. "I'll need somebody to check on my blood pressure, you know."
Nora stood up. "I'll have to think about it, Andy. I'd have to talk it over with my mother, too."
"Excellent. You take your time to decide." Apparently satisfied that he had won his point, Andrew smiled, patted her hand in a fatherly way, and closed his eyes.
As usual, he fell asleep in a minute or so.
Nora straightened the light covers over him, then spent the next ten minutes moving noiselessly about, doing the dozen and more things that always need doing in a sick room: closing the blinds, disposing of some wilted flowers, cleaning the already sterile-clean basin in the adjoining toilet room, then heading back to the bed to make sure that her patient was sleeping and breathing normally.
He was.
So what now? Oh, well, she could always think about Paul, who seemed to be changing into a man she did not know at all.
Chapter 3
Sometimes Nora wondered if she had fallen in love with Paul at first sight, on the day when he had walked into the children's section and said: "Hello, everybody. I'm told I'm to be in
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