Chapter Fifteen

With one hand on the door frame and the other on the door knob, Trapper leaned into Arnold Slocum's office. "Arnold? You got a minute?"

"Trapper, I'm in the middle of something. Can it wait?"

"No, Arnold. It can't."

Motioning to a chair, Arnold put down the report he was reading and waited for Trapper to be seated. "I'm listening."

"It's about Leah Haverty."

"Trapper, I don't have time to hear any more complaints. She's doing what she's being paid to do."

"Well, it is about her work, but it's not a complaint. It's a favor. Dr. Gates has checked Leah into the hospital. She needs surgery to repair an atrial aneurism."

"What?" asked Arnold anxiously.

Trapper smirked. "Why Arnold. I didn't know you cared."

"This could put the project behind."

Cocking his head, Trapper glared for a moment, and then closed his eyes and shook his head. "It will put the project behind. That's why I'm here. I want you to approve the delay. If we don't go in now, she'll die, and if a schedule change isn't approved, she won't have the surgery. She'll work until she drops dead."

"Can't Mark continue without her?"

"Leah says there are things that need to be done before Mark can take over. Mark agrees with her. She's the one who's designing all this from the mechanical engineering to the programming and training. It's her baby."

Leaning back, Arnold studied Trapper. "This isn't one of your little games, is it? She really will die if you don't operate?"

"She will die, Arnold. It's not a game."

"When her company calls, I'll agree to an extension," said Arnold, letting out a long sigh.

"We've already contacted their HR department, but I'm sure someone in their oversight department will want to work on the schedule. We won't know how much of a delay until we go in." Rising to leave, Trapper added as he headed for the door, "I'll let you know as soon as I can."

Trapper walked into Leah's room and stood at the door for a moment, listening.

"The schematics are on my desk, Mark," she said quietly. "The guys have just started pulling the new cable. They can continue unless they have questions, and then they'll just have to wait. I've started the new program designs, so you can get the programmers to start the ones I've finished, but after that they'll have to wait. I have a rough outline of the next few courses of training ready to write, so why don't you take a stab at those? You're familiar enough with the way I write the training to know how that should go. Beyond that, I don't know. But there's enough work there to keep everyone busy for the next couple of weeks. Needless to say, no more overtime for anyone."

Clearing his throat, Trapper stepped to the side of Leah's bed. "That's enough, young lady. You're not supposed to be working." She gave him an annoyed look. "Slocum will approve a delay in the project, and we've already contacted your HR department for your medical coverage."

"That's a little premature, isn't it?" she asked, pushing herself up in the bed.

Trapper put a hand on her shoulder. "Lay still, Leah. We don't want to aggravate your condition. Mark," he said, turning. "I don't mind you asking questions until surgery, and even after she comes out of recovery if she's up to it, but I don't want you to bring her any problems. We need to give her heart time to heal without raising her blood pressure."

Smiling, Mark nodded, and then took Leah's hand and kissed it. "Leah, we'll be fine. Don't worry about a thing."

"Oh, I'm worried. I'm worried you'll take over my job," she said, smiling. She moved her hand on top of his. "Seriously Mark, you've done this with me enough to know what to do. Trust yourself."

"I'll see you after your surgery," he said, turning and leaving the room.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Trapper took her hand. "Any questions?"

"You seem sure I'm going to do this."

"I don't see you have a choice."

"Don't I?" she said, looking away. "Isn't this what I wanted? To die with them?"

Trapper covered the hand he was holding with his other hand. "It's been four years since the accident. Don't you think if you really wanted to die, you'd have found a way by now?"

"You don't know how close I've come," she whispered.

Raising his eyebrows, Trapper said, "Oh, I can imagine. But you haven't gone through with it. Something has always stopped you. I think you owe it to yourself to figure out what that something is." Reaching over to the night table, Trapper grabbed a clipboard. "I need you to sign some consent forms," he said, holding the clipboard in front of her.

"I need more time to think about it."

"This is the form you need to sign so I can get copies of the autopsies. Sign right there," he said, pointing to a line on the form. After she signed, he flipped the top paper over and pointed again. When he presented the third sheet, she looked up at him with an arched eyebrow. "Everything is in triplicate these days," he said, shrugging and looking over the top of his glasses as she signed the third sheet. "I'll be back in a little while. In the meantime, I'm going to ask Nurse Shoop to give you something to help you relax."

"I don't want anything."

"It won't necessarily cloud your mind, and I'd feel better knowing that your thinking isn't going to cause more problems with your heart."

"But you're not my doctor."

He stopped in mid-stride toward the door and turned back around, smiling. "Dr. Gates will sign the order."

Ernie and Gonzo were leaning against the wall just outside Leah's door when Trapper stepped out. "Here are the consent forms, Ernie. Go ahead and prep her. And don't tell her you're prepping her for surgery. You're just giving her something to help her relax."

Taking the forms, Ernie said, "It's your hide," as she walked away.

"You didn't tell her what she was signing?" asked Gonzo.

"I told her what the top form was. She didn't exactly ask about the others." Gonzo looked sideways at him. "Look, just do the surgery. I'll deal with the fallout."

"You're assisting, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't miss it," replied Trapper, walking with Gonzo toward the elevator.