Part 34 (2/2)
”Both.”
Cliff nodded. ”Good. We can work out the compensation later. It won't restrict your private surgical practice, so you should come out pretty good financially.”
”I'll manage. I would like to do this,” she said with finality. ”I think I can make a difference.”
”Then it's settled. We'll clear up the Ruiz case, and Laura, on a most positive note, your former patient, Mr. Harvey Weintraub, has offered to donate another huge sum - five million - to the hospital for use at your discretion.”
”That's terrific. I'd like to use some to modernize the ER - oh, do I have ideas,” Laura said with a smile. ”And, Cliff, there's one more commitment I need from you. It's Roxanne Musing. The hospital's been giving her a hard time over her involvement in the Ruiz case. Can you stop hara.s.sing her and permanently a.s.sign her to my surgical cases? She's an excellent surgical nurse.”
After Cliff agreed, Laura headed upstairs to her next meeting in the hospital cafeteria - with Greg Klingman. They sat at a far table with cups of coffee.
”I've got news to tell you.” A grin covered his face. ”Celeste and I are getting married. In two weeks. Small family wedding in Maine, where she's from.”
”Oh, Greg, that's wonderful! She's a fortunate woman. I'll never forget how wonderful you were to me when my whole life was coming apart. And in the midst of it, your fiancee was shot trying to save that little girl! You two are really lucky you have each other.”
”I know. We're each planning to slow down our professional lives. She quit the interior design firm that kept her out of town so much, and I just promoted both Rob and Carrie to senior partner. We want to have a family right away, and, well, things couldn't be better.”
”What about Celeste's physical condition? I mean, from the gunshot wound?”
”Well, as you know, the bullet went through a section of her lung, which made the lung collapse. When they removed a portion of it, they said there shouldn't be any long-term problems, and so far, she's been feeling great. Does that sound right?”
After a moment, Laura said, ”Yes, but if you don't mind, I'd like to see Celeste myself - just to make sure.”
”Absolutely. Thank you. The bullet eventually lodged in the shoulder. Almost nicked the axillary artery, but missed by a hair. She has a scar from the surgery. I hope it never goes away. It'll always remind me of how lucky I am.”
Smiling, Laura reached over and squeezed his hand.
”And what about you,” he asked, ”will you be okay?”
”Now that I'm back in the OR I'll be fine. And it looks like I'll be taking on additional responsibility in the ER.”
”That's terrific. And how're the kids doing?”
”Everyone's back in school. Including Patrick, who's doing fine. They'll be stopping his medication soon. Mike and Kev are glad to be home with their friends and spending every free moment playing baseball.”
”Bet they were pretty annoyed that the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the World Series.”
”'Annoyed' is too nice a word.”
Greg smiled, then paused. ”It's going to be hard to raise three boys without a father. Hard on the girls too.”
Laura nodded. ”I can only imagine. I even had to take Nicole to a child psychologist. She's become even more difficult, and moody, depressed, maybe.”
”They say kids should work through these things, right?”
”That's the idea. Natalie's always been shy, but we talk a lot, and she seems fine. I think Nicole's carrying the guilt of Steve's death. She always resented how much time he spent with the boys and was pretty vocal about it. I hope going back to school will help.”
”I don't see how she can blame herself. Steve's death has nothing to do with her.”
”We know that, but it's hard to tell what goes on in a kid's mind. Anyway, it's awful to say, but I'm glad that Santiago's dead. At least there won't be a trial.”
”Right. It didn't take the 'organization' long to snuff him out. Bullet through the head in the transport van from Michigan to Florida. How cla.s.sic is that? Just wish the same would happen to that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Gonzolas. Imagine killing a child for money. But once he skipped bail, I doubt he'll ever get caught.”
Laura winced. ”You know, I still don't know what made Detective Lopez show up in Detroit that day.”
”It was Chuck. He didn't tell you? He'd gotten a tip from that old friend of Kim Connor's, that Carmen woman? I remember specifically because I spoke with her on the phone that very day.”
”What day?”
”That day in Detroit, when Steve was killed.”
Laura winced again. ”Oh, that's something I didn't know.”
”Apparently, she'd seen Santiago and overheard him talking about what he was planning to do.”
”I see. So Chuck contacted the detective and he showed up in Detroit? It's amazing how fast it all happened, isn't it?”
Greg nodded. ”I agree. Turns out that Lopez had a personal vendetta against Santiago - he'd killed the detective's former partner.”
”Oh, that's terrible. What an evil man he was. I just can't imagine, choosing to kill another human being.”
”You and me both.”
”I wonder how many other people Santiago killed or had killed or executed?”
”Too many, I'd guess, but his death was a big loss for Jake Cooperman, he wanted to try that case so bad. But Lopez got a promotion for bringing him in. You know, turned out he was a pretty good guy, even Chuck got to liking him.”
”Not me, after what he put me through,” Laura breathed. ”I wonder why Chuck didn't tell me about Carmen?”
”Keeping a confidence?”
”I see. Well, as for Santiago, at least we won't have to rehash all that speculation about Kim Connor and Steve. I'm not sure how the kids could've handled that.”
”Well, now they won't have to.”
”In large part that's thanks to you, Greg. Celeste is getting a wonderful guy.”
Now it was the day before Thanksgiving and Greg and Celeste were already expecting their first child, while Roxanne and Louis had begun building a new life together with his three sons.
”Laura, tell me the truth. Do you think I'm too old for him?”
”Louis? Rox, you're only thirty-eight.”
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