THE DENVER EDITION – CHAPTER 5
Ruth Camden was just about on her last nerve, and it showed. She was frazzled and snappish and a complete pain to be around. Nif had given up trying to reason with the girl and just closed her ears when the Californian got off into one of her rants. The problem was that there was no real focus for her frustration, not one she could deal with at least. You could say that Quark might be directly responsible, but he had taken to bolting into the apartment and hiding under the bed until Ruth left. Obviously she was having trouble with the paper, the kind of trouble that Gary had dealt with a time or two.
It had been five days since Ruthie's parents had gone back to Glen Oak, and in all that time she hadn't been able to have the conversation she wanted to have with Doug. The conversation that was about how they felt and where things might be going. In that five days, every time Ruthie thought that there was a clear patch of time, something would come up. A story would mysteriously appear in the paper and demand her attention at precisely the time that she had told Doug to expect her. She wanted to talk to him, but it seemed like the paper wouldn't let her. Hence her frustration.
The biggest problem wasn't that she hadn't seen him, she saw him every day at play practice; the problem was that they couldn't seem to get more than ten seconds alone, and Ruthie wasn't quite confident enough to just blurt out how she felt.
Doug was beginning to wonder just what was going on, she could see it in the way he looked at her during practice. Ruthie couldn't really blame the guy, she had begged off three times in the last week after all, but the fact that the look was there at all hurt more than she cared to admit. By Friday, hurricane Ruthie had pretty much blown itself out, and she as actually willing to listen, but by then, most people didn't want to talk to her. Fortunately Nifer hadn't been permanently put off, so when Ruthie approached her friend, Jennifer was at least willing to listen.
"Uhmm, Nif; I just wanted to apologize for this last week, I've been pretty irrational, and you caught the brunt of that. I'm sorry; even if you were my worst enemy you wouldn't deserve the way I acted towards you."
Nif just looked at her friend for a moment "it's OK Ruth, I didn't like it, but I did understand it. All I ask is that you please think before opening your mouth in the future."
Ruthie hugged her friend "I promise" she said.
Nif looked at her with laughing eyes "now that the touchy-feely stage is over, what's the paper got for ya today kiddo?"
"Nothing" Ruthie said "there's not a thing in here", she held up her copy of the Post, waving it around. "I guess after this week, it decided I needed a day off."
"Maybe" Nif said "but that seems kind of weird to me.
"It seems weird to me too" Ruthie responded "but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth."
"So, since there's no paper business, what's on your schedule today, as if I couldn't guess."
"Just Doug" Ruthie said "I guess I get to talk to him today."
"Sounds like it" Nif agreed "you figure out what you're gonna say yet?"
"Sure, I figured I'd stick with a simple 'I'm in love with you'."
"Are you?"
Ruth thought for a moment "yeah Nif, I am. I'm just afraid he'll freak."
"So you're telling him about the paper as well?"
"Not today, I just want to get over this hurdle before taking on the next one."
"I don't like it, but that makes sense. Just don't put it off too long, or it could be disastrous."
"I know" Ruthie said "I just hope this thing lets me have something with the guy."
Nif laughed "you make it sound malicious."
"Sometimes I wonder" Ruthie replied "I mean how would you explain this past week."
"Honestly I thought it was doing you a favor" Nif replied.
Ruthie was incredulous "a favor, how the heck was it doing me a favor?"
"You were prepared to dash off on Monday and confront the guy about his feelings and what kind of a relationship would be possible, weren't you?"
Ruthie just nodded so Jennifer continued "by slowing you down, it's given you both some time to think about what it is you have and what it is that you both want. This way, both your heads will be clearer, so it'll be a conversation you both can deal with, and you won't overwhelm the guy."
Ruthie thought for a moment, what Nif was saying made a heck of a lot of sense. "So you think that the paper slowed me down for my own good?"
"Yeah" the older woman replied "I think so".
"That's something that never occurred to me" Ruthie said with a laugh.
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Maggie was concerned. Doctor Howser had been preoccupied all week, and he hadn't looked happy either. His personal life wasn't her business, but when it started to affect his job and patients, then it became her business. He had just finished up stitching up a man that had cut his leg badly on some broken glass when she walked up to him "are you alright Doctor."
"Sure Maggie, why do you ask?"
"Well you've seemed a bit out of it all week; I was getting a bit worried. It's not like you to be distracted."
"No, I suppose it isn't." He sighed heavily and turned to the nurse "it's Ruth. Ever since her parents were here, it's like she's blowing me off. Three times we've made plans this week and each time she's backed out. It's got me wondering if I wasn't just building something up in my head that wasn't there."
"What do you mean?"
"I think I really care about the girl, and I'd gotten the feeling that she cared about me as well, but now she seems to be in this total avoidance mode, and it's got me thinking."
"What do your instincts tell you" Maggie asked.
The thought for a moment and answered "they tell me she cares" he said simply.
"Then stick with that and try not to worry so much. My guess is she has some issues to work out, and each time she thought it was under control until it actually came time to be with you, then she realized that she wasn't as ready as she hoped. Give it a bit of time Doctor, you're both young; you can afford to be a little bit patient."
"Thanks Maggie" Doug said with a smile "I appreciate the advice." Then he picked up another chart and went back to work.
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Ruthie was out front with some customers while Jennifer was in the back catching up on the books. A sharp bark brought her head up from her task. Quark was sitting on Ruthie's desk, staring at her. 'This can't be good' she thought, and after shooing Quark off the paper she picked it up, the front page made her blood run cold. "Dozens Die in Fog Related Accidents" was splashed across the front page. Nif looked up in panic "Camden, I need you back here right now" she yelled.
A moment later Ruthie popped her head into the back office, "what's the urgent" she asked.
Nif just held up the paper so Ruthie could see the new head-line. Ruthie turned pale and dashed in and grabbed the paper from Jennifer. "You have got to be kidding me" the young woman said.
After a moment or two of reading, she looked up at Nif "there's no way I can stop fog, all I can hope to do is minimize the damage."
"Could you drive up to the pass and block traffic?"
"Only in one direction; no, we need the pros in on this one."
"So what are you gonna do" Nif asked.
Ruthie just smirked at her partner "lie my butt off" the girl replied as she picked up the phone.
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"State Police, trooper Wallace here."
"Hi, this is Camden with the Post, we had reports of a severe fog bank east of the Loveland Pass, I was wondering if you could comment on that? Any incidents that you know of; anything like that?"
"Well it's the first I've heard of it, but I'll check. Please hold."
Trooper Wallace picked up the radio. "This is central to any troopers east of Loveland, we just got a warning about fog, anyone see anything?"
After about thirty seconds a voice replied "this is trooper Vincent; yeah a pretty dense bank looks like its coming down right now. I'm in Lawson; do you want me to initiate emergency procedures?"
"That's affirmative Trooper Vincent, do so immediately. Attention all troopers east of the Loveland Pass, initiate highway emergency procedures immediately."
Trooper Wallace looked back at the phone and picked it up. "Yes, emergency procedures are being taken as we speak. So far as I am aware, there have been no incidents yet."
"Thank you Trooper Wallace, I appreciate your time."
As soon as Ruthie had hung up with the state police, she was on the phone again, this time to the Post. "City desk this is Garner"
"Hey Phil, it's your favorite artist."
"What do you want Camden."
"Hey, I just got a call from a buddy of mine in the state police. He said something about a fog bank on I-70 east of Loveland, you might want to get someone to cover that."
"How good is this" the City Editor asked.
"This is A-one material, and right now, you're the only media outlet that knows about it." Ruthie could feel the editor tense up on the other end of the phone.
"Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack."
"Thanks Camden, if this pans out I owe you one."
"I'll remember that Garner" the girl laughed and hung up.
Ruthie made three other phone calls, two to radio stations and one a TV station that knew her. Her only hope was to get the word out before anyone was hurt, so that's what she was trying to do. She flipped the paper over again and saw that people were still going to die. Reading further she found that they wouldn't die in the accidents, but when a local hospital was caught unprepared for the rush of casualties. 'Not if I can help it' she thought and picked up the phone again.
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"Emergency Room, this is Nurse Selneck, how can I help you?"
"Maggie, it's Ruth Camden; is Doug available?"
"Yes he is Ruth, could you hold for a moment?"
"Sure, and thank you Maggie." She heard the click from being put on hold, then less than a minute later she heard his voice "Howser".
"Listen close there Skippy, you're in deep shit."
"Ruth, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the thirty accident victims headed to your hospital, the ones that will be sitting around for hours because you're short staffed today."
"What accident victims" Doug asked, at the same time wondering if the girl was insane.
"From the fog on I-70."
"And how do you know they're headed this way?"
"The paper called me. There's someone out there covering, and they knew where the vics were going. She knows that I know you, so she wanted some information about you, background kind of stuff. I remembered you saying at practice last night how short staffed you'd been lately, so I called to warn you."
Suddenly he was sweating, despite the cool conditions of the hospital. But as soon as the panic came, it left and he knew what had to be done. "Any idea on when they'll get here?"
"In under half an hour, I suppose" Ruthie said.
"Listen Ruth, I've got to go now, thanks for the heads up."
Ruthie let out a heavy breath, he had believed her. "Not a problem Doug, just do your best today, promise."
"Easier done than said" he replied "take care, and thanks again".
"You're welcome Doug, bye for now."
"Bye" he replied and hung up the phone.
Immediately he turned to Maggie and the rest of his ER staff "we're gonna have about thirty guests here in under half an hour, get the OR's warmed up and call in everyone available. Scrounge every nurse and orderly you can and have admin send over someone just for the paper-work. I'll be setting up a triage area here in the lobby. Let's go people, we've got a crisis on the way" he snapped and they moved.
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Ruthie checked the paper, there were still some people with critical injuries, and one amputation, but no one was gonna die, and that was good. "So what are you gonna do now" Nif asked.
Ruthie thought for a second, and then said "I'm gonna head down to the hospital, I know I can't do much, but they'll need help."
"Plus it gives you a chance to be around Doug" Nif added with a little grin.
Ruthie just blushed, which answered Nifs unasked question. "That may be a consideration as well" she finally muttered.
Jennifer just laughed at her friend "head on down there kiddo, this place'll be here when you get back."
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Doug couldn't remember when he'd worked so hard, the victims had started flooding in, but thanks to the alert they'd gotten it hadn't overwhelmed them. He was taking a five minute break when he saw a familiar face in the lobby. Not revealing his presence he just watched her. She was joking with a man while doing a little sketch for the little girl sitting next to her. Idly he wondered how long she'd been there.
"She's been here since the first ambulance rolled in" a voice said at his side.
He turned to see Maggie standing there, as solid as ever; but the nurse's stoic façade was cracked, her voice tinged in admiration. "What's she been doing?"
"Running errands, keeping everyone's spirits up, doing some sketching, and listening; to the victims, their families even the staff."
"Does she have any friends or relatives here" Doug asked.
"She doesn't seem to; she's been talking to everyone."
Doug just stared at the woman who might just have the key to his heart for a moment more, then went back to work.
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Ruthie was exhausted, but she didn't care. She was sketching the children of one of the victims. They had fallen asleep in the lobby waiting for word about their mother, when Ruthie had caught them in a moment of peace. She was putting the finishing touches on when a voice came from behind her "that's very good work".
She smiled in recognition, and turned to see Doug standing there with two cups of coffee in his hands. "I know it's not your beverage of choice, but it's hot and it's free."
"Right now that's perfect" she answered him. Taking a sip from the cup she asked "how's their mom gonna be?"
"Fine" he answered "it was a little touch and go there for a while, but I was having a good day."
"Can they see her soon" she asked, indicating the woman's children.
"Not till in the morning, right now she's wiped out from the anesthesia and has about a dozen machines hooked up to her. She'll be in a regular room tomorrow, and look a lot better."
"And how are you doing Doctor?"
"I'm exhausted" Doug replied honestly "they've got a place set up for the doctors to snooze in, and I'm gonna take advantage of it soon enough."
"So what brings you out here?"
"I just wanted to thank you. If you hadn't given us the heads up, this day would have ended a lot worse. And I wanted to thank you for what you did for everyone here. The caring you showed us all was incredible."
"This from the guy who pulled off ten emergency procedures in the last twelve hours" Ruthie said; you guys are the hero's in my book."
"That's our jobs" Doug answered "you're here because you choose to be, and that's a lot more heroic, at least to me." His voice faded out because he found himself staring into Ruthie's eyes, and he didn't feel like looking away. She had started to answer him when he closed the distance and kissed her; softly but insistently. He pulled back, and noticed a lazy smile on Ruthie's face. Suddenly feeling unsure of himself he started to pull away, but her arm snaked around his neck and pulled him back into the kiss. Eventually oxygen became an issue for both of them. They eased back a moment, never breaking eye contact, then just held each other close. Questions and answers would come later.