A Doctor's Confession

CHAPTER TWO

“HOW FAR ALONG are you?” Alain asked as he checked Mellette’s blood pressure.

“Twenty-four … no, twenty-five weeks now.”

“And when did your symptoms start?” He pumped up the blood-pressure cuff and deflated it slowly.

“A couple of days ago, but only swollen ankles. I honestly didn’t think anything about it because of the heat.”

“In this heat, swollen ankles are common.”

“How high is my blood pressure?”

“One-forty over ninety. Not extremely high, but I wouldn’t want to see it going any higher.”

Mellette gasped. “And the baby?”

“I don’t have anything here to do any tests, but I heard the heartbeat, and it was strong.”

Justin and Maggie, who’d finally joined them, sighed in relief.

“Look, you need to be in the hospital at least for the night so your doctor can get tests done. I think you have a mild case of preeclampsia, which can be controlled by drugs and lots of rest, but we need a blood panel, and most of all we need to get a fetal monitor on you. The problem is, the trip out of here is rougher than I want you to take.” He looked up at Maggie. “Is there any way to get a helicopter in here?”

“No!” Mellette gasped.

“It’s for your own good, Mellette,” Alain said. “But most of all it’s for the baby’s safety.”

Mellette shut her eyes and a tear squeezed out the side and trickled down her cheek. Immediately, Justin was at her side, pulling her into his arms. “Alain’s a good doctor,” he said. “If he thinks we need to evacuate you by air, that’s what we’ll do.”

Even before Mellette had a chance to agree, Maggie was on the phone, making the arrangements. “Thirty minutes?” she questioned. “We’ll get her down to the pickup spot as fast as we can.”

“Already?” Alain asked, clearly impressed.

“Done deal. We need to get her down to the grocery in Grandmaison where an ambulance will take her out to Flander’s Meadow where she’ll be picked up. The ambulance will be there in half an hour, so I’d suggest we get going. If that’s okay with you?” she asked Alain.

“Perfect plan.” He gave her an admiring glance as she helped Justin bundle up his wife for the trip.

“Please,” Mellette said, “I can walk down the stairs.”

“And I can carry you down just as easily,” Justin said.

“I want you to come along, as well,” Alain said to Maggie. “I don’t anticipate anything happening, but I want you to keep watch on her blood pressure while I drive.”

“I can do that.”

“It’s going to be that proverbial bumpy ride.”

Maybe it was, but Maggie was glad with everything inside her that Alain was there taking charge. No matter what the article said, she trusted him.

Maggie stared up into the sky as the helicopter lifted off, carrying Justin and Mellette. She’d already called her parents, who would be at the other end when it landed. And she’d called her sisters, as well as Pierre Chaisson, Mellette’s brother-in-law from her first marriage, who would watch Leonie when everybody else was at the hospital. “You never think in terms of a pregnancy having difficulties when the mother is in such good shape. I mean, prenatal problems are for other people.”

“They’re for everybody, Maggie. Sometimes they can be predicted, sometimes they can’t, sorry to say. I mean, Mellette doesn’t seem to carry any of the risk factors, but you see the results on someone who’s perfectly fine. It’s frustrating for everybody.”

“But Mellette’s going to be okay, isn’t she?”

“Once they get her blood pressure stabilized she’ll be much better. The thing is, she’s really going to have to be careful now, because she’s not far enough along to deliver. But we have our ways of taking care of these problems, lots of new drugs and techniques, and odds are your sister is going to do just fine and deliver a healthy baby at the end of her pregnancy.”

“Wish you could make guarantees,” Maggie said on a sigh, as Alain slipped an arm around her shoulder. “Or promises.”

“Wish I could, too. But the one thing I can guarantee is that you did a good job, catching it quickly and responding the way you needed to. A lot of women think all that pregnancy puffiness is just part of the course. Mellette got lucky.”

“That’s what nurses are supposed to do.”

“You’re a nurse? I guess I’m not surprised because of the way you responded, but I didn’t know that. I’d heard you were in law school.”

“I am, but I’m a nurse first.”

“Busy lady. But a very astute one. Your training shows.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I come from a long line of medical people. I think it comes naturally when your name is Doucet.”

“Doucet, as in …?”

She nodded, enjoying the feel of his strong arm. It was steady, something to give her comfort. “Yes, that Doucet family. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we’re known far and wide. Or should I say my parents are.” She smiled. “The rest of us just try to maintain the family reputation as best we can.”

Alain chuckled. “Well, you maintained it today. Did it proud. So I wonder if that gumbo is still simmering, because I could sure go for a bowl of it right about now.”

“I’ll bet it is,” Maggie said halfheartedly.

“You want to go to the hospital, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Then here’s the plan. Gumbo first, and that will give the doctors enough time to get your sister looked at and under treatment. Besides, she’s not going to be allowed any visitors for a while—just her husband, and I’m sure your mother. So you might as well wait a little while here with me, then I’ll drive you in to the hospital.”

“You’d do that?”

“It’s not out of the way. My … house is just a few blocks from New Hope, which is where I’m assuming she’ll be going, so it’s no big deal.”

“Then I say let’s go have some gumbo.”

“So here’s the thing,” Maggie said to Alain over gumbo. “I’ve been giving this some thought. We need a doctor here. I’m here part time, and my sisters manage to squeeze in some hours, along with my dad when we need him. Mellette and Justin are the driving force, though, and that’s over with for a while now. So I need someone who, first, is licensed here, which you are, according to the internet, and also who can guarantee me something near full-time hours for a little while, as Justin’s going to be staying home more to watch over Mellette. With both of them gone, that leaves the clinic closed a good bit of the time, and since you’re not working as a doctor right now …”

“I’m not working as a doctor, period. Hence the hammer in my hand.” She’d been reading about his past and he wasn’t sure if he liked that or not. It was all still so … touchy with him.

“But I read up on you. You’re an obstetrician and a war hero. You ran a military hospital in Afghanistan so I’m sure you’re up to some work here, in this clinic.”

“Ran a hospital, past tense. And if you read up on me, you’ll know why.”

“You were involved in a lawsuit and I’m sorry about that. Sincerely sorry it happened to you. But if every doctor who got sued stepped away from medicine, there wouldn’t be any doctors left.”

He cringed. “It wasn’t that simple. But that’s the bottom line, yes. I did get sued, and the hospital stepped back from me because the people suing me are, shall we say, prominent. They make big donations to the hospital. I did what I believed was right, which left a perfect bikini body with a scar, and the hospital walked away from me. Took a step back, threw collective hands into the air and told me I was on my own.”

“Which is enough to make you bitter, and I understand that. And like I said, I’m sorry about that,” Maggie said in earnestness. “It’s never easy, getting sued. I saw how it devastated my parents the few times they were sued. But they were lucky that the hospital stood behind them and they came out victorious. I take it you’re not doing so well in your lawsuit?”

“To say the least,” he repeated. “And it’s not just the lawsuit itself. It’s all the other things on the periphery that get to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t get it off your mind. You go over everything you did, wondering if you missed something or left out something that was crucial. You wonder what you could have done differently that might have changed the outcome. But, damn, in the end it was just a scar. She has a perfect baby boy to show for it.”

“Well, your insurance company should figure it out. They don’t pay out on bad or false claims.”

“That’s the other part. I took two years off and went to serve in the military before the lawsuit was filed and the hospital revoked my insurance in that time and fired me while I was laid up in rehab, trying to figure out whether or not I’d ever walk again. So I’m hanging out there on my own in this. Welcome home, Captain Lalonde”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “I did read about your injury, and I’m sorry.”

“Old news,” he said. “I recovered. But while I was focused on that, the hospital did me in. And the thing is …”

“There’s no loyalty,” Maggie said. “It was owed you, and they took it away. But after that long?”

“Statute of limitations in Illinois is generous. The thing is, I talked to the woman who’s suing me—”

“Your attorney let you do that?” Maggie interrupted.

“I don’t have an attorney. Can’t afford one.”

“And the hospital where you worked really, truly isn’t backing you up at all?”

“They claim my insurance coverage ended when I went into the military and became a military doctor, therefore they’re under no obligation to cover me in a suit that was filed after I left the military. I mean, there was almost a three-year lapse in there.”

“Seriously?” Maggie said indignantly. “That’s what they’re trying to pull?”

He shrugged. “I got some pro bono advice, which was basically to try to reach a settlement. But the settlement they want is higher than I can afford. I damaged a model’s perfect body with a scar and they want a bite out of me.”

“But the baby was healthy.”

“It was in fetal distress. Her own doctor wasn’t responding to the calls. They came in, I got assigned and knew there was no way she was going to push that baby out in time, maybe not at all because her pelvis was so small, so I did what I had to do. And now, with the lawsuit hanging over my head, no one back in Chicago will hire me because along with the lawsuit they went after my reputation, so here I am working as a carpenter, probably not inclined to ever go back into medicine, anyway. Bottom line is I appreciate the offer you gave me, but I come with built-in liabilities.”

“Maybe you do, but are you contented to stay a carpenter? After all your years of education and experience, are you ready to simply throw in the towel and keep that hammer handy?”

“I’ve had a couple of friends who were knocked to their knees by malpractice suits. It was ugly. And while the insurance usually pays up one way or another, there’s no way to fix a damaged reputation. For me, that’s as important as anything in this whole mess.”

“And it’s a stigma for life, if you don’t have the right people representing you. My parents have both been unjustly sued—my mother on behalf of the hospital more times than I can count, and it’s always a horrible time for her. For Daddy, too, when he got sued, because of all the emotions involved.”

“Then you understand.”

“More than know, Alain. That’s what I do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m a registered nurse, and I work part time in medicine just to keep up, also because I love patient care. But I’m also a medical malpractice investigator, and within a few months I’ll be an attorney who’s going to specialize in med malpractice cases, not representing the people doing the suing but the medical personnel being sued. Besides putting on a vigorous defense where it’s deserved, I also want to do some reputation fixing. The thing is, insurance companies are so eager to simply give in and settle, but that doesn’t vindicate the doctor or nurse being sued who doesn’t deserve it. Like you, for example. You’d never seen this patient before, and she presents with fetal distress. Yet she’s wanting to get into your pockets for something that wasn’t your fault.”

“It’s not about the money. They have enough for two lifetimes. It’s all ego. I suppose they want a story to tell. And they sure as hell got it. On top of that, he wants to run for some elected office and campaign on medical reform as part of his platform. He just happens to want to build that platform on my back.”

Maggie paused for a moment, then a smile slowly spread to her face. “Then here’s what I propose. I’ll have to check with my superiors first, because I’m just the investigator. But if I can convince them to take you on as a client, in return I’d like hours here at the clinic. We’ll pay you, of course. Not much, but some kind of stipend for living expenses.”

“You can work in Illinois?”

“We have a registered agent in Illinois so yes, I can work there. And the thing is, Alain, while this isn’t the kind of action that’s going to put money in your pocket, unless you want to countersue, which I wouldn’t recommend since you turning around and suing back turns you into some kind of aggressor you don’t want to become, it’s one that will prevent you from having to go through this alone. And there’s a good possibility we can restore your reputation once we win it and it’s over with.

“In other words, the best outcome would be giving you some peace of mind, and maybe the will to go back out there and practice medicine on a full-time basis. So … interested?” Her heart really did go out to the man. He was taking a beating he didn’t deserve. Even without all the facts, it sounded as if he’d unwittingly stepped in then gotten hammered with a situation that couldn’t have possibly been salvaged.

“Maybe,” he said cautiously. “The thing is, if they sue me they can’t really get anything. I wasn’t kidding when I said I needed this job as a carpenter to get by. So wouldn’t it be just as easy to let them sue then find out I’m not worth two nickels? I mean, I’m living in my aunt’s house, fixing it up for her. She’s moved to Florida and told me I can do with it what I want. She’ll deed it over to me in due course if I want the place, but I don’t want it right now because if I’m being sued I don’t want them taking her house.”

“Your reputation’s worth more than a couple of nickels, isn’t it?”

“It used to be.”

“You’ve got a mighty good reputation in the military. Got a medal of honor, didn’t you?”

“Are you just full of facts about me?”

“Just read the headlines, not the details.” She smiled. “And that headline needs to be protected, Alain. You did something good, and you deserve to be proud about it rather than simply giving in to defeat.”

“I’m not defeated. More like practical.”

“Which is why I want to practice medical defense law. Someone’s coming at you, going to ruin you if they can, and you don’t deserve it.”

“So what if you do get your law firm to take me on? What happens?”

“First, they’ll assign me to investigate the case. And if I do say so myself, I’m the best at what I do.”

He chuckled. “And modest, too.”

“Only when I have to be.”

“Anybody ever called you a pit bull?” he asked.

“A time or two. The thing is, I believe in what I do. Doctors and nurses are an easy target, especially doctors who are required to carry so much insurance. My mother runs a hospital where doctors are sued unjustly all the time, and it takes so much away from the patient care she should be giving because she has to get involved in the legal proceedings.

“The worst, though, was my dad. He suffered a huge suit, and it depressed him for weeks. He didn’t do anything wrong, and the hospital eventually just settled on his behalf. He wanted to defend himself, though, and he never felt good that by settling it seemed like he was guilty of medical negligence. It broke his heart, and that hurt all of us.”

“Which is when you decided you wanted to be a crusader?”

“Not a crusader. Just someone who wanted to make sure that the innocent weren’t being punished. And I’m not saying that all cases are unfair, because I’ve seen some that are well deserved. But I’ve seen too many that are not.”

Alain took a sip of his water then squinted up at the sun. “So what you would want in return are hours at the clinic, doing what I’m assuming will be general medicine.”

“Are you good with herbal medicine? Because we do a bit of that, as well.”

“I’ve never gone near the stuff.”

“Then that’s where I can help, because Mellette’s been teaching me.”

“You’re going to be my nurse?”

“Probably. But I do have my other work, as well as law school.”

“Meaning you never sleep.”

“Meaning I sleep only when I have to.”

“Well, I do have a commitment to work on the addition, and Tom Chaisson—”

“Mellette’s other brother-in-law from her first marriage,” Maggie interrupted.

“You keep things very cozy down here, don’t you?”

“We try to,” she said.

“Anyway, Tom just made me project foreman. He’s got another job in Baton Rouge that he’s got to oversee, so he asked me to take on this project for him. And I can’t back out on that. So if I agree to this, when I don’t have a stethoscope around my neck I’ll be wearing tools on my hips. Can you deal with that?”

Could she deal with that? The fact that she could still watch him in carpenter mode was an added bonus. “I can,” she said, her voice just a bit on the wobbly side.

“Then I guess we have a deal. You take my case to your law firm and see what they have to say about it, and I’ll work here as your doctor on call.”

“You can live here, too, if you want,” she added. “Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms.”

“Might not be a bad idea, as I’ve got my aunt’s house practically gutted and I’m reduced to living on a cot and cooking on a hot plate. Her house was one of those projects that the more I got into it, the more I found that needed fixing.” He grinned. “And it’s a big old plantation house, turning into a big old plantation money pit.”

“Well, no promises or anything, but I do have some pull at New Hope, which could be a consideration for you after we get your lawsuit straightened out.”

“Anyway, I think it’s time to get you on the road. I expect that by the time we get there the doctors will know more about what’s going on with your sister.”

Maggie reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re a good man, Dr. Lalonde, and it’s my intention to make sure you hang on to that reputation.”

“I like your passion,” he said.

And she liked his abs.

“So you’re a doctor?” Mellette said. She was on bed rest now but allowed to travel out to Eula’s House with Justin when he took calls there. Her condition had much improved in a couple of days and for now she was allowed light activity.

“Depends on the time of day,” Alain said as he eyed her ankles.

“They’re much better, Doctor. Swelling’s gone down, and they’re almost back to normal. You caught it in the early stages and my physician is treating me for preeclampsia. He doesn’t think I’m going to have any strong complications, though. And while I have to curtail my activities, I’m not on total bed rest yet.”

“As long as you’re sensible,” Alain warned.

“That’s what everybody keeps telling me. And with six sisters, trust me, I’m never alone to do something insensible, not that I would. But I just wanted to thank you for helping me, and for taking over the clinic.”

“Your doctor’s aware you’re coming out to Big Swamp?”

“He’s aware, and he’s consented, provided I strictly limit my activities to giving advice from a lounging position. Got to have someone to oversee the medicinals,” she said, smiling. “Maggie’s coming along in her knowledge of herbs, though. I expect she’ll know everything she needs to in the next couple of weeks. She’s awfully smart.”

“Nurse, herbal practitioner and lawyer-to-be. I’d call that well-rounded.”

“Somebody talking about me?” Maggie asked, as she took a seat next to her sister on the porch swing.

“Saying horrible things,” Mellette teased.

Alain liked the way they interacted. He’d never had brothers and sisters. In fact, his parents had been very old when he’d been born—one of those menopausal miracles that happened to a couple who’d been barren for twenty-five years and had adjusted their lives accordingly.

While he loved his folks dearly, there’d never been any youth in his life. With a mother who had been near fifty when he was born, and a dad in his mid-fifties, he’d been raised in an older world than most of his friends, and as a consequence he’d always seemed too old and stodgy. There’d been no youthful pranks, not even when he’d been in college. No frat parties. No wild and crazy dates. Just seriousness, studying and responsibility.

Yet when he saw the way Maggie interacted with her sister, it caused him to realize what he’d missed out on. And made him feel a little envious. Stirred something up in him. “She told me what a bad girl you were when you were young.”

“Maybe just a little bit. But I wasn’t in it alone. There was always another sister joining in, then blaming it all on me.”

“Who, me?” Mellette asked, laughing and holding her belly to stop it from jiggling.

“You, Sabine, Delphine, Ghislaine, Lisette or Acadia.”

Alain shook his head. “It’s hard to imagine your mother having seven of you and still running one of the best medical centers in the South.”

“We’re strong women,” Maggie said. “Had parents to support that in us.”

“Strong, as in overachievers?” he asked.

“Call it what you want,” Maggie went on. “But that’s who we are. My mother was raised in an era where women were just on the brink of coming into their own, only in her family, because they were of a certain social status …”

“And from a very traditional Southern family,” Mellette added.

“That, too,” Maggie agreed. “Anyway, what was expected from her was to be just like her mother, who was … I guess the best way to describe our grandmother is a social butterfly. That’s the way she was raised, and it was the world in which she raised our mother. For my grandmother, who is involved in more charitable work than anyone I’ve ever seen, it works. Her life exists for her causes, and she works hard at them, but she also finds time to sit down to tea with various friends every day of the week.

“But for my mother … that social hour of tea was wasted when there were things to do. She was hard-driven, I guess you could call her. So instead of following in the family tradition, she started one of her own. And we all seem to be following her example in one way or another.” She smiled, then added, “As overachievers.”

“So what about your family, Alain?”

“Teachers. My mother taught high school math and my father taught college chemistry. They’re both retired now, living in a condo on a Costa Rican beach.”

“No brothers or sisters?” Maggie asked.

“Just me. A late-in-life kid who surprised the hell out of my parents when I popped into their lives.”

“Sounds like an interesting story,” Mellette said.

“More like typical. We were just an ordinary family. No prestige. No bells and whistles.”

“But close?” Maggie asked.

“More so now than when I was younger. But I’ve grown up. It happens to most of us sooner or later.”

“And what do they think about you not practicing medicine any longer?” Maggie asked.

“Actually, they don’t know I’ve given up the stethoscope for a hammer. They think I’m in Louisiana practicing medicine, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s the way I want to leave it.”