Kinkaid's Heir

Chapter Two:

         “It looks great Dr. Logan!”

         “It's Sarah. How many times do I have to ask you to call me Sarah?” Sarah Logan looked at her new receptionist and tried to put on a convincing smile but was sure it looked more like a grimace.

         “Really, old Doc Harold never really did much with the place. Don’t get me wrong he was a great man and a good pediatrician but he never cared much for aesthetics and wasn’t open to the idea of toys or other kid stuff in the waiting room.” Shrugging her thick shoulders Amy looked back at the new pediatric clinic, clearly proud of the fresh look they had given the old building.

         “Thanks Amy.” I have to admit it does look pretty good Sarah admitted to herself. Cheerful but clean with plenty of brand new exciting looking toys, books and play centers in the waiting room for over anxious children to occupy themselves while they waited to be seen.  The interior walls were decorated tastefully but brightly in fun colors that would spark any childs imagination. It had taken months but the old pediatricians clinic had been completely remodeled inside and out. Sarah didn’t think anything had been changed or updated in the old place since before old Doc Harold had taken over more than forty years before. Now it looked good enough to be in the best neighborhoods in Dallas or Fort Worth for that matter.

         “You ready for tomorrow Amy? It’s our first day open and we already have a full schedule.” Sarah called out as she re-entered the building behind Amy.

         “Yep. I worked for old Harold for a long time. Don’t you worry, everything will run as smooth as silk.” Amy’s frizzy brown head disappeared underneath the reception desk.

         “What are you doing down there?”

         “Just making sure everything is in working order for tomorrow. All these cords!” She grunted waving a handful of Velcro strips above her head. “Just getting them all tied down and organized. I don’t want to be tripping up in them come tomorrow.”

         “Ok. But then you go home ok. We’ve been here all day and I can’t think of anything else that will make us any more ready than we already are. Go get some rest.”

         “I’ll be done in one sec… There done!” She popped back into view slightly rumpled but as cheerful as ever.

         As they walked out together and waved goodbye, each going to their own cars, Sarah was again grateful for having Amy there to help her out. There was no way I would be ready for this if it weren’t for her. I’m not even worried about tomorrow. She knows everyone and is familiar with all the files. Everything is going to be great! I just knew moving home was a good idea.

         Truthfully, Sarah had been scared of returning to her hometown. Although, thankfully, so far no one had connected her, Sarah Logan, with Seraphim Kennedy who had been kidnapped eighteen years ago. She had been able to keep the details of her childhood a secret and so far no one had poked to deeply about it.

         Luckily Doctor Harold Greene, the old towns pediatrician and family friend who had offered her the practice upon his recent retirement, was the only person in town who knew who she was and had agreed to keep her secret. So far she had been able to avoid giving any details of her early childhood which seemed to rouse only mild curiosity in this laid back Texan township. 

         Her first day open, went as well as she and Amy had hoped it would. Sarah was an instant hit with the kids and though the parents seemed to be taken aback at first with her apparent youth it wasn’t like they hadn’t known her age beforehand it was just a different thing to be faced with a young woman doctor who looked more like a high school student than the fully certified doctor that she is. Doc Harold, as he insisted on being called, had prepared everyone for the change over and assured all the parents that she was an excellent pediatrician and personal friend.

         After graduating high school at the age of sixteen she had immediately gone after her medical degree. Having flown through all her classes with unprecedented speed she was, at twenty eight, a fully certified and experienced pediatrician. She was used to people not really trusting her at first. She understood it was hard to trust your children to someone who looked barely old enough to drive themselves. Sarah also knew that it would be much harder if it hadn’t been for Doc Harold’s recommendations.

         Sarah was only too aware of how small and petite she was. And that she looked much younger than her years with a childlike quality about her face that made her look more like a kid than a grown woman. And, if she was anything like her mother, which she was, it wasn’t something that was going to change anytime soon. Her mother Danielle still looked like a teenager and she was in her late forties.

         Sarah didn’t worry about the apparent reserve the parents felt. She was an excellent doctor and had been through this before. She knew that the parents would come around and trust her soon enough. Although she couldn’t help but miss the other doctors she used to work with and the kids she had come to care so much about back in New England.

         That night she was exhausted but happy.

         “It’s only going to get better Rufus.” Sarah said aloud as she cuddled the aging Labrador as she settled into bed that night.

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         The bell over the clinics outer door tinkled and Amy glanced up to see who was arriving so close to closing. There was no one else scheduled to be seen this afternoon.

         “Hello my dear Amelia.” came the robust and cheerful greeting from the slightly pudgy man striding toward Amy. Only Doc Harold ever called her by her given name.

         “Doc Harold! It is so good to see you. I’m sorry I wasn’t expecting you today. I’ll go tell Sarah you’re here.” Amy hopped up with a warm smile to do just that but before she could move away from her desk Doc Harold was already swinging through the inner door toward the office.

         “Don’t worry yourself Amy. I’ll just go on back. She’s not with a patient is she?”

         “No, Davie Jenkins just left. Poor thing. Still has that rash.”

         “Ah. They usually outgrow it in time. Lets hope he does too.” His warm hearty voice bounced off the walls as he headed down the hallway.

         Amy sat back down at her desk smiling, pleased that he had stopped by. Although she knew Sarah would be happy for his visit she still buzzed the office and let her know he was on his way back, not wanting him to surprise her. She was happy that the old doctor and Sarah seemed so close. Neither one really seemed to have anyone else in their lives. Amy knew Sarah’s mom lived in Florida with her boyfriend and Doc Harold’s wife had been in that institution for almost twenty years now.

         Amy finished the days paperwork thinking how lucky she was with her family. I wonder if Sarah will ever go out with any of the men who have shown such interest in her. She deserves to be happy. I wonder if she might like cousin Tim. Still speculating on hooking Sarah up with various relatives and friends she locked the front doors and went to tap on Sarah’s office door. She smiled when she heard the familiar sound of Doc Harold booming out his usual order to ‘Come in!’ that she had been familiar with for so long.

         Upon entering she found Sarah and Doc Harold sitting in the two guest arm chairs in front of the desk. They were both relaxed and comfortable and obviously had been chatting away as they usually did about the work. Probably discussing patient diagnoses and treatments.

         “All locked up and ready for tomorrow then. Do you need anything else Sarah?”

         “No. That’s all for today. Thanks Amy.”

         Amy walked over and leaned down to give Doc Harold a short affectionate hug. “It’s always good to see you Doc.”

         “Can’t say I don’t miss you too.” He hugged her back warmly. “Sarah here tells me you are her right and left arm here. I told her you were the best there is.” He winked at Sarah.

         “You old tease. John and I were going to invite Sarah for dinner tomorrow. Would you please join us Doc? We would love to have you there too.”

         “As long as John shares his Irish Scotch, I would love to come my dear.”

         “As if he could hide it from you! Seven ok for you both?”

         Once both had agreed they shooed her out the door urging her home to her own family.

         “She’s wonderful Harold! I don’t know what I would do without her. Though I think she has some idea about getting involved in my dating life. She is far too interested in my lack of a social life.” Sarah sighed sitting back down.

         “Amy means well but she is so happy with John and the little ones that she seems to feel it is her mission to make sure everyone around her is as happily settled too.”

         Sarah snorted.

         “She even tried to fix me up with Mrs. Marshall once.” Harolds pained grimace giving clear testament to his feelings on that subject.

         Sarah couldn’t help herself and let out a loud guffaw.

         “No really she did. It took awhile to make her finally understand I didn’t want to be fixed up with anyone.” He laughed softly but his eyes got a distant look they did sometimes.

         Sarah felt for the old doctor. She knew he loved his wife and missed her very much. Reaching out she placed her hand over his and squeezed gently. “How is Mattie? I keep meaning to go visit but just haven’t done it yet.”

         “No! You shouldn’t.” His hasty reply caught her by surprise. His face so animated a moment before seemed to fall in on itself probably in grief. “She isn’t herself Sarah. She doesn’t recognize anyone and is often…violent.” the last word said so softly that she barely caught it.

         “Oh, Harold I am so sorry. It must me just awful for you. Poor Mattie.”

         Giving her a weak smile he pulled himself up and took her hands into his looking down at her with warmth and some unidentifiable emotion.

         “Don’t you worry about me and Mattie. You have yourself to look after. Besides you should be more concerned with Amy’s well intentioned but likely disastrous blind dates!”

         “Very cheerful thought Harold. Thanks.” Sarah replied dismally.

         He kissed her cheek and they hugged before he escorted her to her car and they took their leave of each other. All the way home Sarah thought about what Harold had said to her before Amy had joined them.

         She just wasn’t sure it was something she wanted to do. She had loved riding as a child but that was before. She hadn’t tried it since the incident. Harold thought it would help her to pick it back up. Help her to move past that time by connecting with something that, in a way, had been taken from her by the ‘incident’. Doc Harold had even offered to let her use his own horse that he kept at his ranch house. She knew though that even if she did decide to do it she would need lessons since it had been so long and she was not at all confident in her skill. It had been eighteen years since she last rode and she was only ten at the time. Sarah wasn’t sure what she thought of this idea but knew she would ask her therapist the next time she saw her.

         Frowning as she thought of Doctor Sykes, her therapist, who had been encouraging her to expend more effort in her personal relationships. To deepen her friendships and become involved with a man at least sexually. She seemed to think that Sarah held herself separate from others too much and though Sarah didn’t really disagree with that, she just didn’t see it as such a bad thing. She had friends, Amy and Doc Harold. And she had dated before. She just hadn’t found anyone really interesting was all. Sarah made a sour face remembering what Dr. Sykes had said about that. Dr. Sykes was convinced that Sarah didn’t give anyone a real chance.

         What if she’s right? What if I don’t give anyone a chance? Sarah sighed again. I guess I really haven’t met anyone I felt was worth the effort to give a chance. She felt absolutely no desire to strike up a relationship with anyone she had met so far in town. In truth she had never felt about a man the way other girls and women had always gone on about. She had never experienced real sexual attraction. She knew when someone was attractive of course but hadn't felt a desire for more. Well if I find a guy I like maybe I should give him a chance. The low likelihood of finding anyone she would like in town gave her spirit a decided lift as she locked her car and went into her cozy little house.

         That night she couldn’t help but think about Harold’s wife Mattie locked up in that asylum. Mattie had always been so kind to Sarah and the thought of her in a place like that brought tears to her eyes. Mattie had her breakdown after the incident so Sarah had no idea what she was like now. The last she had seen of Mattie was the week before she had been abducted. Her last memories of her was of a smiling kind woman sharing freshly baked cookies with her while visiting with her parents.

         She wanted to go see Mattie but didn’t know what to do now after what Harold had told her. He seemed so emphatic that she shouldn’t go see her.

         Shaking her head she tried to free herself of the depressing thoughts. Sleep never came easy to Sarah and after tossing and turning for several more hours she gave in and took a sleeping pill. Under the sedatives influence she was finally able to rest.