LITMIR.BIZ

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then a low whistle. “So you’re the guys who stole our whiz kid.”

      Ivy raised a brow at Jarvis. She mouthed the words, “Whiz kid?”

      Sal continued. “He’s awful at hospital politics, so his colleagues tend to resent him. He’s great with patients and diagnoses and he puts on a good show of confidence, so his colleagues tend to resent him.” He chuckled at his own attempt at humor. “Give him time. He’s not obnoxious. He’s just got a small problem with social graces. He’s not as cocky or self-confident as he seems.”

      Jarvis saw the relief in Ivy’s expression.

      Sal’s voice came again. “Those guys over at Cunningham Memorial lost themselves a good internist when they kicked him out of the residency program.”

      Ivy’s head jerked up.

      Jarvis stiffened, trying to control the surge of hope he felt. “What?”

      “You know he’s not board certified, don’t you? That’s why. The hospital’s board of internal medicine decided he was endangering patients, and they fired him. He never got into another residency program. I know the trainer Bower had over there. Vicious man, very vindictive. He didn’t like being shown up, and I’d hazard a guess that Bower did so without even realizing it. The director of internal medicine backed up Bower’s trainer. They even tried to block Bower’s permanent licensure. I hear he had to take them to court to get it through.”

      “I see,” Jarvis muttered, glancing at Ivy. “Is that all you know about it, Sal?”

      There was a pause. “I’ve heard other rumors, but nothing was substantiated.”

      “How did they feel he was endangering patients?”

      “You’ll have to get that information from somebody else. Remember, I liked the guy. All you have to do is ask Bower about it. He’s an innocent, and he’s never learned to keep his mouth shut.”

      “Thanks, Sal, I owe you. See you soon.” Jarvis hung up and looked at Ivy. “I know some people at Cunningham. I’ll give them a call later and see if I can come up with more info.”

      “Why don’t you just ask Dr. Bower?” Ivy suggested.

      Jarvis shot her a skeptical glance. “I’ll call Cunningham.”

       Chapter Five

       L ukas didn’t often visit a patient after admitting, because he didn’t want to interfere with the family docs. Friday morning, however, he’d received a special request from ICU that he could not refuse.

      Mr. Franklin Verris had apparently just awakened from his mysterious deep sleep late yesterday evening, and he wanted to meet the doctor who, according to Dr. Robert Simeon, had probably saved his life. Dr. Simeon must be mistaken, and Lukas intended to tell Mr. Verris that.

      Mr. Verris looked different in a hospital gown, but someone had been kind enough to bring him his teeth and help him comb his full head of white hair. His skin appeared pink and healthy this morning. Shelly had probably been by to see him already.

      “Mr. Verris?” Lukas said quietly as he stepped up to the bed. “I’m Dr. Bower. I saw you in the emergency room Wednesday.”

      The man glanced at Lukas, nodded and reached up to take Lukas’s hand in a firm shake. “Call me Frankie. My doctor tells me you kept me from doing something terrible. I thank you.” He looked away. “I don’t…don’t know what got into me.”

      Lukas bent closer. “Frankie, did you take too much medication?”

      There was a slight pause, then the man nodded, still not looking at Lukas.

      “But your prescription bottle was almost full.”

      Frankie sighed. “I know. Tuesday evening I was going through the medicine cabinet for the first time since…since my wife died. I came across her bottle of Xanax. She used it sometimes to help her sleep when her arthritis acted up.”

      “So you did take hers.” Lukas had noticed that the script was for sixty pills.

      “She’d used about half the bottle before she died.” Frankie closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at Lukas. His eyes were pale gray. It made him seem more vulnerable. “Tuesday was the sixtieth anniversary of our first date. When I saw that bottle, it occurred to me that I enjoyed life with Doris so much more than I enjoy life now, I just wanted to be with her again. I didn’t want to live.” He shrugged. “No reason to. No children or family.”

      “I’m sorry you felt that way. You do seem to have some neighbors who care about you a great deal.” Lukas could have kicked himself for not trusting his own instincts. “How do you feel now?”

      Frankie considered the question for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about Doris a lot today. When I allow myself to believe, as she insisted, that her spirit still lives, I feel better.” A gentle smile lit his face.

      That was it. Lukas realized that the lines of this man’s face held humor. That was another reason why Lukas couldn’t believe he had tried to kill himself when he came into the emergency room the other day.

      “Was Mrs. Verris a Christian?” Lukas asked.

      “Yes. Oh, I know a lot of people claim to be Christians, then live like the devil, but my wife…my sweet, giving wife…” The man’s eyes filled with tears. “She lived it.” He looked out the window for a moment and waited for his eyes to clear. “How she put up with an old reprobate like me for so long, I don’t know. When the drug started taking effect the other day, it occurred to me that I probably wouldn’t follow her anyway.”

      “Why is that?”

      “God would kick me out of heaven.”

      “He doesn’t kick His own children out. You don’t share your wife’s faith?”

      Frankie continued as if he hadn’t heard Lukas. “My wife was the most beautiful woman in the world.” He said it softly, as if he were recalling her face. “She was beautiful inside, as well as outside, and she just grew more beautiful over the years.” His attention returned to Lukas. “I want to thank you for giving me another chance.”

      “I’m glad I was here to help.” Lukas paused, then cleared his throat. “There is a way to make sure that you follow Doris when you do leave this earth.”

      Frankie shook his head slowly. “I could never be the kind of person Doris was.”

      “You don’t have to be. God created you as you are, and He wants you as you are.”

      Frankie continued to shake his head.

      “Tell me,” Lukas said, “would Doris be silly enough to worship a useless God?”

      Frankie glanced sharply at Lukas. “My wife was a very wise lady. She wasn’t silly.”

      “Then wouldn’t the God she worshiped at least be able to love you and accept you as generously as she did?”

      Frankie watched Lukas for a moment. “You’re a Christian.”

      “Yes, I am.”

      “You talk just like Doris used to.” His eyes filled with tears again. “Sure do miss her.”

      “Then why don’t you start making your travel plans—and not the way you did Wednesday. Why don’t you make sure you can be with her again? Get to know her Savior personally. Then when the time comes, in His time, not yours, He will see to it that you find her. Meanwhile, Frankie, He will be with you here, and He’ll give you peace you never believed you could have…or deserve.”

      “What makes you think He’d do that for me?”

      “He did it for me, and He keeps forgiving me every time I mess up. I keep asking Him to use me, and He sent you my way at just the right time. He loves you and wants you to join

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