Warning at Eagle's Watch by Christine Bush Read Free Book Online Page A

one from his point of view, had set her heart to pounding with a newfound excitement.
    And these reactions were very strange to her. In nursing school, she had driven herself with the compulsion to succeed in the field of medicine. She had built a barrier around herself, not unlike the medieval suits of armor that stood in the castle. She had worked every waking hour on her dream, and had never allowed herself to become close to anyone she came into contact with. She stood alone.
    She never bothered with the lighthearted crushes and interpersonal games that so many of her classmates had thrived on. Indeed, she looked upon their moonings as childish, immature. And now she was not so sure. Was she so different from them, after all? To have enjoyed the company of the young man she just met, a man she didn't really even know, and of whom she probably wouldn't even approve. After all, wasn't he self-admittedly here to be in Scotty's good graces? Grovelers, she called them.
    Hillary sighed and pulled the covers tightly around her. She had a feeling that there was much she needed to learn about life. Her life had changed drastically in the past few days. She was having to face ideas and situations that she had had no experience with. How would she do?
    She felt a flutter of anticipation in her stomach at the thought. She closed her eyes and drifted into a restful sleep, eager to see what tomorrow would bring at Eagle's Watch.

 
     
     
    Chapter 4

     
    Hillary awakened soundlessly in the middle of the night to make a check on her patient's condition, and found her sleeping well. When she returned to her own bed, she slept until the insistent clamor of her alarm clock announced that the hour had arrived to begin a new day.
    It was early, and the sun was casting a pinkish glow to all she could see from her bedroom window. From the second floor, high above the rocks and crashing waves below, she was filled with a kind of awesome respect for the power of nature unleashed in the foamy tide.
    She bathed and dressed quickly, feeling eager to begin the therapy program that would bring Scotty closer to recovery. She was spotlessly dressed, hair in place, looking cleanly scrubbed and fresh when Mrs. Raymond arrived with the breakfast tray. She greeted the woman cheerfully, ignoring the icy silence she received in return, and thankfully accepted the steaming platter of eggs, bacon, and toast. She was ravenous.
    Scotty was propped up in bed when Hillary arrived a short while later, and she was wearing an expectant look on her face. It confirmed Hillary's instincts that she was more than ready to face the steps that she would need to take to improve her physical condition.
    "Good morning, Scotty," she said gaily as she took her blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
    All were normal. She gave her her daily dose of digoxin, a medication prescribed by the doctor in the medical report, necessary to control her heart condition.
    The next half hour passed quickly as Hillary helped Scotty to bathe and dress for the day, voicing encouragement as she eased her patient into her waiting wheelchair.
    "Of course, the path ahead of you will be a strenuous one, Scotty. You'll need to rest often while we work on your recuperation. But since you can sit up so well, and move your arms a bit, I see no reason to doubt that you'll be up and around again."
    She saw the pain of fear in Scotty's eyes. "I do hope you are right, Hillary. I really do. I have to admit to you that I've never felt so desperate and worthless in my entire life. But I'm starting to hope again, now that you're here. I trust you." Her eyes began to regain their teasing glimmer. "Though why, I don't know. But I'll work hard, you'll see. Much harder than I did for those silly pampered therapists in the hospital. My, I certainly did shake things up around there!"
    "I can just imagine. And it's a good thing you didn't have me as your nurse then. I may have assisted you out a window." She delighted