Diagnosis Death Read Online Free PDF Page A

it." Dr. Gross tapped her glasses on the legal pad to emphasize her words. "But I think this is the best you can expect with such short notice. I wouldn't turn it down if I were you."
    "Did she give you any more details?"
    Dr. Gross shook her head. "She'll do that herself." She tore the top sheet off the pad and handed it to Elena. "Call her. She'd like you to come up this weekend to meet with her. It's only about an hour and a half drive. She'll show you the setup there, talk with you about possible arrangements." She put the pad on the coffee table in front of her and returned the glasses to her pocket. "I've given you a high recommendation. I also told her a bit about your history, about Mark. In fairness, I think you should give her the full story. I believe you'll find her quite understanding."
    "Dainger?" Elena said. "I'm not sure that's a very reassuring name."
    Dr. Gross chuckled. "I commented on that when we talked. Cathy tells me it was named for some early settler. I don't think you'll find it very dangerous at all."
    "Well, I'll certainly be glad to meet with her. Thanks so much for your recommendation."
    Dr. Gross rose and extended her hand. "Get someone to look in on your hospitalized patients while you're gone. And I really hope this works out for you."
    It was almost seven when Elena pulled out of the medical center parking lot, and traffic had thinned a bit. All the way home, she alternated between elation at the possibility she'd have a position when her residency ended and fear that she was about to jump into a bad situation.
    Who had ever heard of Dainger, Texas, anyway? She had a vague notion that it was somewhere northwest of Dallas. Well, driving directions would be the least of her problems, thanks to MapQuest and Google. What worried her more was not knowing what she'd find when she got there. Other than what she'd learned about how the name came about—and that was pretty vague—she had no idea what the town was like. But it didn't matter, did it? It sounded like a chance to get a fresh start. And she certainly needed that.
    What about Dr. Cathy Sewell? Right now, that was a familiar name, nothing more. She had a vague recollection of a petite blonde doctor who did her work well and seemed pleasant enough. When Cathy finished her residency, she disappeared off Elena's radar screen. Of course, even if she'd still been around, Elena wouldn't have noticed. She was too busy with Mark, first their courtship, then their marriage, and then . . .
    Elena felt her eyes clouding. Her breathing came faster. The shaking of her hands made the car jitter back and forth. She pulled off the busy street and into a mall parking lot, where she put her head on the steering wheel and let the tears flow freely.
    "Excuse me?"
    She looked up to see an older man, dressed in jeans and a sport shirt, standing beside her car. He tapped on the closed driver's side window. "Ma'am, are you okay?"
    She pulled a tissue from the box on the seat beside her and dabbed at her eyes. She felt her nose dripping but wasn't about to blow it in front of this man. She gave it what she hoped was a lady-like wipe and crumpled the tissue in her hand before lowering the window. "I'm . . . I'm fine. I just—" She bit off her response. No need to explain. He didn't need to know.
    The man leaned down to her eye level. "Is there anything I can do?"
    There was nothing anyone could do. What was done was done. But there was no reason to go into that, either. "Thank you, but no. I need to sit here a moment and collect myself."
    It seemed that he might be ready to start a conversation, and she steeled herself to rebuff any efforts to get her to open up about her problem. No one needed to know about it, because no one could help. Instead, he nodded and straightened.
    She had the window halfway up when he turned back and said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I'll pray for you." Then he disappeared between the parked cars.

    Elena entered her apartment