Two

"I'll be in Judy's room if you need me," offered, continuing down the corridor when his companion turned into Tony's room.

Jeremy silently chastised himself for speaking bluntly about the Harden woman's request for transfer. Her trusted Avery's ability to pick and choose her staff with utmost care. A noncommittal shrug from him would have sufficed.

Feigning indifference had been impossible once he'd read the complimentary comments on Bella's evaluation sheets. It ticked him off. Jason Malone's evaluation had suffered greatly because of her. Mark had lost track of the number of times Jason had arrived on

duty late, bleary-eyed, but he vividly remembered Jason's excuses. Invariably they began with, "Bella wanted to go..." and ended with, "Who can sleep with a woman like Bella sharing my bed?" Mark's memories of dragging himself to work after one of Cleo's social outings made him more lenient than he should have been with the young intern. By

the end of Jason's three-month stint in pediatrics, Mark had been thoroughly sick of hearing about

Bella Harden's virtues and flaws. He wasn't about to let Nurse Harden sink her claws into another intern.

He'd said what he had to say to prevent that from recurring.

"Preventive medicine," he argued aloud.

"Far more effective than treating another wounded intern."

Nevertheless, Jeremy could have kicked himself for breaking his self-imposed, ironclad rule against repeating tales. His policy had earned him the reputation of being aloof. That didn't bother him. He preferred it.

Few people dared to question him about

his private life.

"Dr. Mark? Is that you?" Judy Gadsworth

asked, touching the remote control button and switching off her television.

"Um-hmm." A warm smile curved his lips. "You should be sound asleep, little princess."

"What about you? Don't doctors need sleep?" She scooted to the side of the bed, patting the covers with

one pudgy hand. Mark heard the rustle of paper between the sheets. The eight-year-old's eyes held a look of dismay. She forgot about her questions and stammered,

"Uh, I only had a nibble off one, uh, peppermint. The girl next door had a whole box of them."

"Sue isn't a diabetic."Judy grinned. "I won't tell her I'm a diabetic if you won't."

Jeremy shook his head tolerantly and held out his hand. "No candy."

"No lecture?"Judy bargained, reaching under the sheet. She pulled out a half-eaten mint wrapped in sticky cellophane. She glanced at the plastic wastepaper container, raised her hand and sighed as she released the sugary treat. "Other kids get candy when they're in the hospital. All I get are oranges. I hate

oranges. I'd like to stab them with needles."

Jeremy realized being different from other children was a source of frustration for Judy. Bending at the waist, he removed the plastic bag inside the waste can, then straightened.

Where'd you stash the rest of them?

"Me, hide candy? Don't be silly!" Judy batted her eyes innocently. Seeing that her ploy wasn't working, she sighed and dug despat beneath the sheets. She dropped five more pieces into the bag he held. "That,

all of them."

"You know how you'd feel tomorrow if you' eaten these tonight, don't you?"

"Yeah. But, Dr. Mark, I have a sweet tooth

her thumb and forefinger spread a good three inches apart "this big!"

"What happened to those sugar-free candies your parents bought?'?

"They're yucky. My sweet tooth isn't going to be fooled by imitation candy. It wants the real McCoy?" Jeremy flashed her one of his rare smiles that he reserved for children. At eight, Judy was already able to wrap the opposite sex around her little finger. He teased, "Maybe you need a dentist more than a pediatrician. The tooth fairy ought to pay plenty for a tooth that big, Princess."

Judy giggled. "Can't put it under my pillow. A huge tooth under my pillow would keep me awake all night. You know how important it is for me to get my sleep,don't you?" She faked a yawn.

Jeremy tucked her sheet under her chin, alert for the fruity odor symptomatic of ketoacidosis. This late at night her drowsiness was normal. Her respiration appeared normal. Jeremy winked. "Sweet dreams, little

princess."

"Sleep tight. Don't let the flu bugs bite." She tried to return his wink, but both eyelids closed instead of only one.

Her alteration of the quip, sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite, tickled Jermey as much as her attempt to wink.

Judy was an irresistible imp despite her

illness.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Jeremy quietly moved to the door, into the corridor.

He recognized Tony Miller's voice shouting,

"I hate you, you old battle-ax! You're supposed to take my blood pressure, not use that thing like a tire pump. Whaddaya think I am? A flat tire?"

Unfastening the Velcro, Avery tried to ignore the tirade. She made a quick notation on his chart, then set a paper cup on the nightstand. Tony knew what she expected without her asking. Hospital routine hadn't changed since the last time he'd been there.

"Where'd you get your nursing diploma? Out of a Cracker Jack box?""

Avery bit her lip to keep from responding

angrily. His constant complaining combined with his tantrums made caring for him difficult. Nurses were human. Tony's discomfort made him forgetful of that

fact.

"What's the problem, Tony?" Jeremy demanded, his voice stern.

Tony pointed one accusing finger toward Nurse Avery. "She's the problem. That she devil and her assistant demons enjoy ordering me around. Nobody, but nobody tells Tony Miller when to-"

Jeremy made a slicing motion with his hand.

That's enough, young man."

Regaining her composure, Martha said, "I expect a specimen first thing in the morning."

The boy's chin thrust forward belligerently. Slowly and deliberately he picked up the cup and squeezed his fingers closed. His final spiteful act had Avery grinding her teeth in anger. Tony tossed the crumpled paper against the wall. Jeremy heard her

quick intake of air. The glint in her eye signaled not impulse to commit mayhem. Ready to mediate if necessary, Jeremy inched closer.

"We'll discuss it in the morning," Avery said,

controlling herself admirably. Her soothing voice concealed her justifiable anger.

"I know you're uncomfortable. I'll instruct the nurses making morning rounds to be careful of your elbows." Her kindness took the steam right out of Tony. He slumped against the pillows. For a moment, the way

his chin wobbled, Jeremy thought the boy was going to cry.

"G'night, Tony? Nurse Avery motioned for

Jeremy to precede her from the room.

Once they were out of hearing distance, Jeremy said,

"You handled that situation very well. For a second there, he almost had me. He's too

sick to be violent, so his wicked tongue does the dirty work for him."

"Do you think Bella Harden could have handled him as well?"

Avery smiled. "We'll have to wait and see, won't we?"

Groaning, Jeremy realized that he'd pushed Avery too far. Bella Harden's application for transfer would be approved.

Two weeks later, Bella consciously straightened her shoulders to keep them from sagging. She'd worked her eleven-to-seven shift in the emergency room, and started in pediatrics on the seven-to-three