Chapter One

Amanda Wagner sat ramrod straight, waiting for the family practice doctor's recommendation. Taut muscles buttressed her back. Her hands were sweaty, yet icy. She clutched Hilary, her two-year-old daughter, close. Still as a statue, the child cuddled Floppy, the bedraggled once-white rabbit that accompanied her everywhere.

Doctor Mercer shuffled a stack of papers, peering through his horn-rimmed half glasses. "If the indications are what I think they are, Hilary's shunt is closing down. She needs care from a specialist. Let's see," he said running his finger down the list in his hand. "I'm afraid I can't offer you much choice, Amanda. Your insurance company approves one pediatric cardiologist in Omaha and one in Minnesota. As we've discussed before, those are the only two places between Chicago and Denver where the kind of surgery Hilary needs is performed."

"I assume you're telling me Doctor James isn't the cardiologist approved in Omaha," Amanda stated, referring to the specialist who had treated her daughter in the past.

"That's right. You can always take her to Minnesota."

Needing something to do with her hands, Amanda twisted one of Hilary's dark curls around her finger. "But we still can't continue seeing Doctor James."

"Not unless you change your insurance coverage. Many doctors canceled their affiliations with HMOs because of their excessive restrictions and red tape."

"I can't change insurance companies." Having little choice of doctors bothered her a great deal. Under the terms of her divorce, her ex-husband was required to provide group medical insurance for the daughter he had rejected because she wasn't perfect. Last month Roland Wagner notified her that his company had changed insurance plans. As of January first, Hilary was covered by a health maintenance organization. Amanda preferred a less restrictive policy, but the HMO complied with the divorce decree. She supposed she should be grateful Roland obeyed without argument. Self-employed, she did not have a group plan and could not insure Hilary with the same policy she carried on herself. Hilary's heart defect was considered a pre-existing condition and would not be covered.

"Everything else being equal, I'd prefer to take Hilary back to Omaha. I'm familiar with Children's Hospital, and it's closer to home, which is easier for me and my family. But before I decide, tell me about both doctors."

"I went to medical school with Nils Jorgenson, the cardiologist in Minnesota. He's a fine diagnostician."

"I hear some reservation in your voice." Doctor Mercer hesitated, obviously reluctant to elaborate. "Please explain," Amanda urged.

He glanced down at the papers on his desk. "Of course I haven't seen him in action in years." He paused and his mouth tightened, as if he'd come to some decision before he plunged on. "But when I knew him he didn't relate well to his patients. He was brilliant academically and totally lacking in people skills."

"You don't recommended him," Amanda stated flatly.

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm sure he's an excellent cardiologist, however, unless he has changed a great deal, he is very aloof."

"And the doctor in Omaha?"

"Gray Townsend."

The name registered; her head snapped up. "Did you say Gray Townsend?"

"Yes. He's new in Omaha. You've heard of him?"

"I knew a Gray Townsend once, but it couldn't be him." He couldn't possibly be the Gray she had known! "What about Doctor Townsend?"

"I understand he trained down in Houston. He's a real hot shot by reputation, one of the best young pediatric cardiologists in the country. He opened his practice in Omaha last fall." Doctor Mercer stopped and looked Amanda straight in the eye. "This is your decision, of course, but I recommend Doctor Townsend."

Doctor Mercer had taken care of Hilary and herself ever since Amanda had moved to Sioux City. She trusted him implicitly and knew him well enough to know he would never have said the slightest word against a colleague if he hadn't felt it was in her best interest. Besides, having Hilary hospitalized in Omaha was the more convenient of the inconvenient choices. Doctor Townsend's reputation, along with Doctor Mercer's recommendation, was encouraging and in the long run, the deciding factor. She pushed away any thought of the possibility of "her" Gray and Doctor Townsend being one and the same. It didn't make sense. "Omaha it is," she said.

Copyright © 2002 by Ginny McBlain