Watson - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,37
just took the test like you should have without questioning anything.” Mr. Elliot laughed hard. “I’ve never in all my life been so happy to tell someone that. You took the wrong test, and not only did you pass it with flying colors, but you aced it. You got every single question correct. Even the ones that most people get wrong. Congratulations, honey.”
“I don’t understand.” She was handed her paperwork. But only giving it a little glance, she handed it to Wats. “Shouldn’t you be upset? I mean, this means I can’t work in the hospital until I take the correct one, right?”
“Usually, but the board had a special meeting concerning you and your test score. They decided, after a few hours of research and deliberation, that your score stands as is.” She looked at Wats when he laughed. “You took the state boards for being a medical doctor, Rayne. You passed a test that should have tripped you up. But not only did you sail over that, but you also didn’t get a single question wrong. You’re going to be adding M.D. to your name from now on.”
He handed her a gift, and she opened it up. The paper was beautiful in that it had stethoscopes all over it with a pretty yellow bow. Inside it was a lab coat with her name on it. Dr. R. Wilkerson, M.D. She touched the letters there and looked at Wats.
“This is yours, isn’t it?’ He shook his head and told her it was hers, and rightfully so. “I really did pass the boards for being a doctor? And they’re going to let me be one?”
“Yes. There was only one other person that did that well. She missed one. I believe you know her too. Charlie Wessex. Her mother was the sitting judge for the county.” Was she the one that died? Rayne asked him. “Yes, that’s her. She and you were given the wrong test, as was one other nurse. Needless to say, she didn’t do nearly as well as you two did. And as I said, you are a qualified physician. More than qualified if you were to ask me.”
She didn’t know what to say. Had no idea how she had managed to not just pass her test, but one that was well above her head. Thinking of the questions that had bothered her, she realized she had questioned herself about the test and how well she was going to do on it. It had been difficult but apparently not as bad as she’d thought. Something occurred to her, and she looked at Mr. Elliot.
“You’re going to be still short-staffed with nurses. I can fill in for that if you need me to.” He said he’d not do that to a fine doctor such as herself. “But you’re short-staffed.”
“We are. We will be, I guess, but this is going to put a nice shot in our arms as a hospital. While I know you didn’t come from here, you’re a doctor that was at this hospital. That will have nurses coming here in droves.” She supposed there was that. “And when Charlie gets back from her leave, she has told me that she’s decided to live in her mother’s condo and work here. Like you, she wanted to have the small-town feel of working. As a doctor too. I’m just so thrilled about this I could dance a little jig.”
He did just that. Standing up behind his desk, Mr. Elliot danced around the room until he got to her. Pulled from her chair, she handed AJ to Wats, and he watched them dancing. It was cause for celebration, she thought. She was a doctor.
Going back to work was harder than it had been before. Questions were floating around in her mind that she wanted to ask someone. But with her still being on duty, she knew that now was not the time to find answers. It was like trying to hide her love for Wats or her daughter.
Sitting at one of the gurneys, she started just speaking to the little boy that had come in while she’d been upstairs until she realized his cut was much worse than it should have been for a cut from a piece of wire.
“I cut myself like this one time. I had to get twelve stitches in my arm. How many do you think you’re going to need?” He didn’t speak, but he did look at the woman that was with him. Rayne did