Doctor, your next patients in room five. Anita Sorenson stepped into the room. She was one of a staff of three that Ben and his partner, general practitioner Steve Thomas, shared. Marching straight to Bens desk, Anita straightened the books spilling out of his store bag. Whats all this? She rifled through the stack, reading titles aloud. Is there something you havent told us? Are you trading pediatrics for child psychology? Or are you and Steve collaborating on another parents guide?
Ben didnt want to tell his nurse how many times he woke in the dead of night worrying about the girls. Anita, how did you raise six kids on your own? Is there a secret?
The nurse tipped back her head and laughed, but she must have seen the misery in her employers eyes, because she sobered midstream. Gosh, I guess I never thought about it. Except I raised my kids from birth, so I set the house rules. Even then, there were months after Lorne died that I had to take it one day at a time.
Time. Thats my biggest problem. I never seem to have enough hours to spend with Erin and Mollie. On short notice, with half the city in chaos, I spent two weeks locating a suitable housekeeper-caretaker. But Mrs. Clark still doesnt understand that medicine isnt an eight-to-five job. She wants a regular schedule I simply cant deliver.
According to an article in the newspaper, the quake did more damage to this side of town. Our death toll is sixty percent of the more than one hundred reported. Area schools have added crisis counselors. I dont know which elementary the girls attend, but you might want to have a chat with school staff if youre seeing behavioral changes. The article also said individual schools plan to form parent support groups.
Ben scowled. How would that look, Anita? Half the parents at the girls elementary school bring their kids to me. Since the quake, my patient load has doubled. Most come for direction related to tantrums and other disruptive behavior.
Oh, well, if youre the expert Anita snorted, crossing her arms.
Ben gave her a sheepish smile. Sorry. That sounded more like something my old man would spout. At the mention of his father, and totally unexpectedly, Abby Drummonds face appeared in his mind. Ben had last seen her at Marlos funeral. Abby looked harried, pale and drawn. Given her circumstances, itd pleased Ben to see her there. Hed meant to call and thank her for the rosebuds shed sent the girls. And shed written each one a thoughtful note, too. All other expressions of sympathy had been directed to him. But hed barely found time to scribble his name at the bottom of the gilt-edged thank-you cards his secretary provided.
That was another issue that grated. Hed suggested his fathers current live-in take over thanking the friends whod sent remembrances. Kirk threw a virtual fit. He let it be known in no uncertain terms that Millie or Lily, or whatever the hell her name was, served as arm candy and nothing more. Wella lot more, Ben assumed. But nothing Kirk would ever discuss with him. And after the reaming out Kirk delivered when Ben proposed the blond bombshell collect the girls from Abbys friend the day of the quake, one might think Ben would have learned his lesson. If not then, certainly after Kirk made it clear that his role as grandfathera term he dislikedwas confined to gifts at birthdays and Christmas. Foolishly, Ben had thought his dad might want to have a say in who took care of his granddaughters.
Why Kirks response had surprised him, Ben didnt know. After all, it was the way his old man had handled fatherhoodvia his checkbook. Ben and Marlo had never been able to figure out why their dad went through a court battle to retain custody of them after their mom announced she was leaving. Eventually theyd decided it was a matter of pride to the great Kirk Galloway. No one left his exalted sphere except by his edict.
Which Marlo did when she married a no-account who later walked out, leaving her pregnant, and with Erin a toddler. A self-fulfilling prophesy, according to Kirk.
But Ben had dealt their father a blow when he chose a pediatric residency over the more prestigious orthopedic post hed been offered at a hospital where Kirk pulled strings to get his son considered.
Sweeping aside old irritants and unproductive thoughts, Ben closed the book on braids. Again he wondered how Abby was getting along. Admittedly hed put her out of his mind once it became evident that his carefree bachelor days were over. Except, dammit, they werent over. The carefree part, yes. But he was still as single as single could be.
Ben snatched the chart from Anitas hand. Would you see if Pat can get me out of here at a decent hour today? By two-fifteen. Ill phone Mrs. Clark and tell her Im picking Erin and Mollie up from school. Im friends with one of the teachers. I havent wanted to bother her, knowing shes in a similar spotworse, since shes been left to raise her brothers five boys, one of whom was injured in the quake. I shouldve contacted her before this. If anyone has the lowdown on support groups, itll be Abby.
Five boys, you say? Anita shuddered. The poor woman has my sympathy. I raised six of em. Frankly, Ben, I always thought girls would be a whole lot easier.
From a womans perspective, maybe. From where I stand, two tearful girls and their finicky cat present the most daunting challenge Ive ever faced.
This time Anita did laugh as they departed Bens office. Maybe you ought to combine forces with your friend who has the five boys. You could help with her boys, and she could advise you on dealing with emotional girls.
Ben mulled over Anitas suggestion as he greeted his next patient and her triplet daughters. If theyd been more than two months old, he might have asked her for advice. But the poor beleaguered new mother needed all the help she could get. Before she left, though, she said something profound that stuck with Ben. Somebody missed the boat, Dr. Galloway. Every college should offer classes in parenting. At some point in life, most people become one. Yet the only people who get training are those going into early childhood education. Or maybe pediatrics, she said, tossing him a tired sigh. I think teacher training is best. Teachers have to be in control of kids six or more hours a day. No offense, but pediatricians only see kids ten minutes at a time.
He considered her words for the rest of the day. And he recalled the ease with which Abby Drummond had handled Erins class. Shed had twenty-two or so kids in that class. The few times Ben had dropped by at the end of the day, Abby appeared calm and unruffled. Who better to teach him the skills he needed to raise his sisters girls than a woman he already knew and admired?
Anita! He met up with her and traded charts. Was Pat able to rearrange my afternoon schedule?
Yes, she managed to clear your afternoon. Actually, she said if you used the time to relax and quit biting off everyones head, shed blank out one afternoon a week.
Ouch. Have I gotten that bad?
In a wordyes. But the staff can suffer through for a while. We recognize the strain youve been under these last weeks, Ben.
Ill have to make a conscious effort to watch myself. I meant what I said during the initial interviews before Steve and I opened the clinic. People spend more hours a day at their workplace than at home. The environment should be pleasant. It shouldnt contribute to a persons stress.