"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of caca de vaca."
It always made her laugh.
She was not in a laughing mood today. Two weeks ago the village had been in an uproar when Charles Wentworth had come to town looking for his supposedly kidnapped wife, Camilla. It turned out that not only had Camilla left of her own volition, taking two slaves with her, but she had once been engaged to Dr. Helm. Tessa couldn't quite forget that hollow ache in her heart when she watched the two of them getting reacquainted.
She wouldn't have been surprised if he had left with Camilla. But he didn't leave and when she pressed him for a reason, he had told her. But was it what she wanted to hear? 'Of course it was!' she scolded herself. And she had been an idiot to run from him when she heard it.
But it had scared her. It had scared her more than when he had referred to the Queen as the most remarkable woman he'd ever met. For it was now more than a passing fancy. He'd passed up the opportunity to be with his old love on the off chance that his new one might return his feelings.
Smoothing down the front of her red dress she took a few steps in the direction of his office. She really wanted to be with him, but if she went to him as the Queen, things might get out of hand...quickly.
'Would that be such a bad thing?' she asked herself, remembering the feel of his lips on hers after he'd killed El Serpiente to save her. If she went to him as Maria Teresa, he'd probably mock her, but at least the pressure would be off. And at least she'd be with him for a little while. 'Madre de Dios, I'm so pathetic!'
Swallowing her pride she opened the door to his office.
Dr. Helm was in the far corner of the room with his back to her, reaching for something on the top of a bookshelf. His lean form was stretched very nicely.
"Dr. Helm?" she queried.
"Ah let me guess," he replied without turning around. "You're here with a broken hand?"
"No," she answered uncertainly. "Why would you say that?"
He found the book he was looking for and turned back around. "Oh, I just attributed it to the lack of a knock."
Tessa returned his smirk as if to say, 'I never knocked before. Why start now?'
"I think the reason no one knocks on your door, doctor is because they feel so comfortable with you. You're so open and accessible to the people of Santa Helena."
"I hadn't thought of it that way, Senorita," he answered as he made his way to a pile of what looked like old medical books. Seeing the questioning look in her eyes he said, "Doing a little spring cleaning."
"But it's only February doctor," she grinned.
"It's only a figure of speech Senorita," he replied.
Dr. Helm tossed the book he held onto the pile and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
She was about to say her stomach was troubling her--after all she'd already used the headache excuse. The most he would do was give her more sugar water....but then she noticed the book that he'd thrown down.
"Dr Helm! You're throwing out your Bible?" she asked unbelievingly as she strode across the room to pick it up. She turned the volume over in her hands and noted the battered appearance and the various stains on the white fabric covering--grass stains, mud...was that blood?
"The battlefield isn't exactly conducive to keeping anything pristine Senorita," he answered her unspoken question. Taking the book back from her he explained, "After the war started, my mother sent this with me in my knapsack when I left."
"She must've worried a great deal about you," Tessa ventured.
"Yes, I suppose she did," he replied, watching something over her shoulder only he could see. "She wrote me almost every week. I could just imagine her sitting at her old roll top desk, penning her thoughts with her white feathered quill... She figured the good book would protect me from the evils that go along with war."
"It certainly looks well-used."
"It played a part in many a last rites ceremony," he answered, tossing the book back on the pile.
"I don't understand why you'd want to get rid of it," she pressed as she followed him across the room.
"It didn't exactly do its job, did it?" he said a little too abruptly.
"You made it home alive," she countered, hands on her hips.
"But hardly unscathed."
"None of us remains unscathed doctor!" she reprimanded before she realized what she'd said. Seeing the surprised look on his face, she fell back into her Maria Teresa persona. "Besides it's a beautiful book. It would decorate any room."
But now she didn't think Dr. Helm was buying her act. He crossed his arms in front of him and regarded her until she squirmed under his intense scrutiny. Swallowing hard she crossed toward the examining table and said, "It's my stomach that's bothering me doctor."
And at that moment she wasn't lying.
"Too many sweets lately, Senorita? Chocolate perhaps?" he asked glibly as he followed her to the table. "Or maybe it's too much stress. Also a guilty conscience can really irritate the stomach."
"What would I have to be guilty about?" she laughed as he helped her to sit down.
He looked at her but didn't reply.
"Open up please," he instructed as he picked up a tongue depressor. She did as he asked and while part of him was thoroughly examining her throat for any kind of infection, the other part kept trying to remember something. He realized he was staring at her. The shape of her lips...the even white teeth...the smooth unblemished skin of her face. Forcing himself back to the present situation he said, "Your throat is fine Senorita."
Next he gathered up his stethoscope and put it on. He placed the other end on her chest and then frowned.
"What is it doctor?" she asked.
"Well, either this thing is not working," he replied, tapping the end of the stethoscope, "or you're dead, Senorita. And I don't think your dead."
"Oh," she replied relieved. "What now?"
"If you'll forgive me, I'll just have to do this the old fashioned way," he told her as he put the defective device on the desk beside him.
Tessa was startled as he scooted closer to her and then leaned in to place his head against her chest. She held her breath for a few moments.
"You have to breathe Senorita in order for me to do this correctly," he said, not raising his head.
"Oh! Of course, how silly of me," she gasped and took a deep breath.
'Madre do Dios!' she thought for the second time that morning. His cheek and ear were smooth and warm against her bare chest. 'Why did I have to wear this particular blouse today?' she berated herself. As her chest rose and fell his soft hair tickled her skin. And she thought there would be no pressure in this visit!
Helm tried to listen to her heart's rhythm but the sound of the blood rushing in his own ears prevented it. He'd never reacted to a patient like this before. But there was just something about this particular patient. And what was that damn familiar sensation that kept washing over him! Some tiny niggling memory at the back of his mind. She smells so nice, he thought. I've smelled that scent before, but...no, that would be impossible....
Sighing he raised his head and for a moment his face was so close to hers she could almost--
"I'm sorry Senorita," he said as he stood up and broke the spell. "But I can find nothing wrong with you. Let me give you this--"
'Again with the sugar water,' she thought.
"Thank you doctor," she said as she took the small clear vial from his hand. "I'm sure this will do just fine."
He nodded and she couldn't ignore the suspicious look that now haunted his green eyes.
"Good day," she smiled and pulled open his office door.
"Good day Senorita," he replied as she closed the door behind her.
Running a hand over his eyes he took a deep breath and walked back to his pile of old books. He traced the scarred cover of the bible with his finger and then picked it up. Walking over to his desk he dropped down on the chair and began flipping through the faded pages. He noticed that one of them had been dog-eared.
He flipped to the marked page and read the first verse that jumped out at him:
"Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgement. John 7:24."
Raising an eyebrow, Dr. Helm looked at the door through which Senorita Alvarado had just gone and began to wonder.
