Free Alex by Vanessa Devereaux

size of the hospital in Denver, and she’d gotten lost twice in
the first week. She’d put it down to the learning curve,
but her mind hadn’t been on the job she’d coveted for the last year or so. She
missed Alex, plain and simple. She had to get her head together because
patients were counting on her. The next one was an eighty -year-old
who’d been brought in because she’d lost weight and her daughter had said she’d
hadn’t been eating much in the last month or so.
      “Hi Ruth, I’m Dr. McQuire ,”
said Eva putting out her hand. The woman slipped hers into her palm. It was
cold and Eva felt every bone. She pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, noting
Ruth’s collarbone’s jutting out from the hospital
robe. Her skin looked pale and her hair unkempt.
    “I’m here to figure out why
you’ve lost so much weight, but I suspect that maybe you’re not eating as well
as you once did. Maybe it’s a digestive issue or…”
    “Nothing physically wrong with me
it’s just not worth cooking for myself anymore. I’ve tried, but I just can’t bring myself to do it so
sometimes I just skip a meal. It’s that plain and
simple. I’ve no idea why my daughter’s making such a big fuss about a little
weight loss.”
    Eva had noted that Ruth had
become a widow ten months ago.
    “No, there’s nothing wrong with
it but you can’t afford to keep losing weight or you’ll become malnourished.”
    “Well, at least I’ll speed up my
death. I miss my husband so much, and I’m getting depressed.” She shrugged her
shoulders. “I don’t know if it will pass or maybe you should give me some pills
to help.”
    Broken heart, no medication for that.
    “I can certainly do that but
sometimes they take the edge off your appetite so I’d like to try a few other things
before we go that route.” Eva crossed her legs and made a few quick notes to
herself so she’d remember who to contact once she left
Ruth’s room. “I’m going to make a referral to a social worker and also Meals on
Wheels and that way you won’t have to worry about cooking for yourself.”
    “It’s not the cooking part; it’s
the eating alone that isn’t much fun.”
    This lady was almost fifty years Eva’s senior, but she knew exactly what Ruth was talking
about. Since she’d met Alex, eating on her own had
somehow lost its charm. No conversation, no witty banter, no sneaky glances
across the table, no winking, and no foot sliding onto your own, her foot
inching up under the hem of his jeans.
    “The social worker might be able
to help you find a senior’s group. Sometimes being with other people in the
same situation can help you adjust.”
    “Adjust, I’ll never do that. The
perfect man only comes along once in a woman’s life.”
    Eva looked up from the notes she
was making. She’d been on the line about actually
taking this job or staying with Alex, but she’d kept quiet about it. Not
telling her mother, Mike or Missy and no, she hadn’t said one word to Alex. What if she gave this up this opportunity at one of the
best hospitals in the West, and it didn’t work out
with him? She’d end up regretting it for the rest of
her life. She’s hate herself and maybe Alex too. On
the other hand if she didn’t take a chance on her and
Alex and being in a long-term relationship with him, she’d also regret that
until she was this patient’s age.
    She looked at Ruth who she was
sure was reading her mind. How crazy was that?
    “You’re in love with someone,”
Ruth finally said.
    Eva nodded. She had fallen in
love with the sheriff from the small town in Montana. He had every single
quality she had on her must have list so it was inevitable he’d steal her heart.
    “Then you know what I’m talking
about?” asked Ruth.
    “I do, yes, and I’m going to help
you in every possible way I can.”
    Eva stood. “I’ll have the social
worker stop by and together we’ll set out a plan to get you back on track.”
    Eva left the room and