Free Mercy & Mayhem: A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery by Ava Mallory Page B

a handsome woman. She even sounded like a kind woman as she spoke to Jeb. I wouldn't have been able to pick this Kathy – the kinder, friendlier Kathy – out of a lineup.
     
    I sat in stunned silence as I listened to the two chat back and forth with each other. I wouldn't have made Kathy for a good conversationalist had I not heard it myself.
     
    When Jeb walked out, I thought it was time to make amends now that I'd seen the softer side of Kathy. I guess I'd jumped to conclusions and hadn't considered the amount of stress she must have been under. I mean, from her perspective, I showed up and within a couple of hours a snowstorm hit and a man dies on her unit during her shift. That couldn't have been how she intended her day to go either.
     
    “So, are there any treatments I should know about that need to be done on the night shift?” I asked, feeling much better about the possibility of us being able to get along.
     
    The smile that she'd plastered on her face for her discussion with Jeb vanished just as quickly as it had appeared and now she glared at me, her cheeks flushing.
     
    “If you bothered to study their treatment plans, you'd know what the residents needed.” She hissed as she gathered her bags and made a point of securing a drawer with a key that she shoved into her smock pocket.
     
    “Really? We're doing this again?” I asked, not expecting her to answer me.
     
    She turned just as the door was about to close. “Before I forget, the administrator wants to talk to you today and Betty's family will be picking her up later this morning. Try not to kill anyone while they are here and feed that mutt, but don't let it in the office at all. Do you understand?.” She let the door slam behind her.
     
    “Why can't I have just one normal day? Is that too much to ask for?” I watched Kathy walk off the unit, waving at the nurse's aides as she left.
     
    As soon as the doors sealed shut behind her, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least, I wouldn't have to listen to her insensitive, condescending remarks all day long.
     
    Knowing that she was no longer nearby to wreak havoc on my nerves, I took the opportunity to become familiar with the resident's care plans and medication lists. I figured getting a jump start before all of the patients were awake was the best thing I could do while listening to what I was sure would be a very informative report from Kathy.
     
    No sooner had I started to get familiar with the resident's charts when I looked up to find a pair of baby blues looking right at me and they weren't happy eyes. I jumped up to open the door and was surprised by not one, but three sets of eyes staring back at me.
    Now, what do they think I did?
     
    I opened the door, tentatively, preparing for more devastating news. Barney nearly knocked the trio over by taking a flying leap into the office, knocking a chart right out of my hand.
     
    “Hello. Mercedes, right?” The blue eyed woman asked, offering me a friendly smile and her hand.
     
    The two women behind her weren't quite as friendly. They both stood with their arms folded over their chests, not one hint of a smile on either of their faces.
     
    “Yes and you are?” I asked, looking for a name tag on her blazer.
     
    “I'm Carol Higginbotham. I'm the administrator here. Do you have a few minutes, so we can get acquainted with each other?” She seemed friendly enough. Her eyes shined brightly as she smiled. Her tone was warm and relaxing. I had no reason to feel nervous, but that's exactly what I felt – nervous.
     
    “I was just looking at treatment plans before I started rounds.” I pointed to the pile of charts on the desk and the one that the dog was trampling on.
     
    “That's okay. It won't take too long. I'm going to have Trisha and Marie here cover for you while you and I talk. Why don't you let your staff know that you'll be stepping off the unit for a little bit and, then, we can take a walk down to my office.” She smiled