Page 53 of Nightingale

“I was,” she replied letting go of Preacher Girl and taking a step back.

“This is what happens when I work on my customer service skills,” Preacher Girl said with a sigh. “I’m sorry Red, I may have—”

“Quoted The Bible?” he said.

“Among other things,” she admitted.

“Great, Amber, breathe, we’re not all crazy and I can give you a better explanation for the kid here.”

She needed a job. And if she didn’t want to burn up her van? travelling around doing homecare in a hundred mile radius? this was her option.

Red led her back to a breakroom.

The black woman from the accident was getting some yoghurt from the fridge with a mix raced child on her hip. “Amber right?” the woman said. “I’m Lil’ Mama, not sure if you remember me. Sorry I can’t shake.”

“It’s okay, I do remember you just not your name so thanks.”

“Lil’ Mama or Amelia, I’m Cass’ Ol’ Lady.”

Unlike Preacher Girl, Lil’ Mama was dressed in business casual with long pumpkin colored maxi skirt and black knit sweater set.

“You work here too?” she asked.

“Billing, I’m the number cruncher and demander of Red’s signature,” she said. “This is Maddox my youngest, we were grabbing a quick snack I’ll take it back to my office.”

Amber sat down across from Red.

“Well, Roadkill is my nurse and there you go you’ve met all the clinic staff.”

“Four of you?” she questioned having thought Berrington’s staff of twelve was small.

“Let me give you some history,” Red said. “Got through residency, heard my dad passed, and came to Montana. Found Roadkill along the way.”

“Okay, isn’t her name Nova?”

“Novalee actually, but she didn’t know that when I found her.”

Amber sat back in realization, he was selling her on joining the clinic and not the other way around.

“My mom let it slip I was home, bragging on her son the doctor. Soon the yard was filled with people and we decided I’d open a clinic. My way, not the way I’d been trained.”

“What exactly does that mean?” she questioned.

“You understand SOP right?”

“Standard operating procedures.”

“Exactly, the,you can do this or that within a very thin line on your own,” he said. “I was an Army Ranger before I went to med school. Medic trained in the field. I had SOP there and when I was in school. But SOP doesn’t work for real humans. In real situations. Much like with Nova.”

“Roadkill?” she said more to verify for herself.

“She lost her license over saving a man,” he said. “I made sure it was reinstated, but I’m not an idiot and neither are my staff. I know the importance of a good nurse. Better yet, I know nurses don’t have the whole God complex us docs can get.”

“Keep stroking my ego like this I might get one,” she joked.

“Closest ER is over an hour away,” he said. “Even the damn clinic in Berrington is limited. I know limits. I understand keeping a man alive while being shot at overhead might mean I’ll need to do a surgery in the field.” Red rapped his knuckles three times on the table. “Here’s the deal. I’ve trained in most of the members for basic level one care. You and I both know Montana raised people, the ones out in the middle of bum-fuck-Egypt like we are don’t run to the ER with a stuffy nose,” he explained. “But big enough cut, chest pains. They will knock on that door twenty-four seven. We’re not an urgent care or an emergency room, but we do have someone who will let you in at night.”

“Wait, night shift?”

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