Free Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) by Mavis Applewater

job right, you change someone’s life. Make a mistake and people die. If you don’t know something, for the love of whatever God you worship, ask.” Jamie’s eyes narrowed when she spied a late arrival trying to sneak into the back of the group. “Rounds begin at exactly seven-fifteen a.m. That means you are here and prepared at seven-fourteen. Am I clear Dr. Tierney?”              The young woman hiding in the back seemed surprised that the formidable Dr. Jameson knew her name. She nervously shifted from one foot to another before making eye contact with Jamie.
    “What? I was here.” She made the mistake of trying to argue.  “I was in the lounge.”
    “Here is here,” Jamie said with a cold smile. “Dressed, fed, watered, and whatever else needs tending to before you get here. Not being here means you’re absent. I know most of you think you’re ready. You’ve finished school, and we call you doctor. You’re not ready. Again, screw up and people die. I don’t care about whatever excuse keeps you from being here on time. What I do care about is the health and welfare of our patients. You should also know that I hate repeating myself. Let’s begin.”
    Jamie’s head was throbbing by the time she finished rounds with the residents. It was always the same: too many of them were trying to earn a place of grace or show off. A couple showed promise, asking questions instead of trying to show Jamie how smart they were. She hated that she had to shame most of them into humility. But as she said when she first greeted them, make mistakes and people die.
*   *  *
                      Jamie watched her young charges carefully. Tierney and Alvarez were doing their best to keep their tempers in check. Raymond Windsor was one of the patients that proved some people just shouldn’t leave their homes. Jamie had caught snippets of his triage where he insisted that the nurse give him a brand new pen and clipboard. He also insisted that she sanitize her hands every two seconds.
    Germ phobia wasn’t uncommon in this day and age. He insisted that the young doctors sanitize their stethoscopes three times, use a brand new blood pressure cuff, and change their rubber gloves every time they moved. After four agonizing hours, Mr. Windsor was still suffering from a common cold.
    “Put the fear of God in them?” Stella, the charge nurse, grinned as she handed Jamie a cup of coffee.
    “Thanks.” Jamie wearily accepted the coffee. “‘First do no harm’ sounds simple doesn’t it?”
    “You would think.” Stella snorted. “Don’t worry, I’m certain they hate you by now.”
    “I did warm and fuzzy once. Didn’t really work out.”
    “So long as they fear you and respect my people, they’ll be okay,” Stella said. “As for warm and fuzzy, it’s highly overrated. CC get home all right?”
    “Yes. And no, he didn’t get out.”
    “Wasn’t going to ask. If that weasel squirmed out of his trap, I doubt tall, dark, and deadly would let you out of her sight.”
    “Tall, dark, and what?” Jamie laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like my wife. Oh, here comes one of my kids.”
    “She was the quiet one.”
    “Don’t let that fool you. She was studying everything.”
    “Really?”
    “Is it true that the nurses have a pool going on who’s going to wash out first?”
    “Now, Dr. Jameson, would I allow such a thing?”
    “Uh-huh. Put twenty on Tierney for me.”
    “You got it.”
    “Dr. Alvarez, can I help you?”
    “I don’t mean to interrupt,” the petite young brunette said. “I just had a question about the schedule.”
    “Yes?” Jamie’s response was cool and controlled.
    “I have a daughter, and I know that doesn’t matter, but—”
    “It does matter.” Jamie was pleased that her time wasn’t being wasted with a ridiculous request. One year she had a new resident request starting his rotation a little late so he could go skiing in Aspen with his girlfriend. He was