Wellfleet was a tourist town that tripled in population over the summer. Winters in the small town were desolate in comparison, and because of that, doctors tended to practice in larger cities, like Hyannis, which was forty-five minutes away. It was only nine o’clock in the morning, and every chair in the waiting room was filled with coughing, sneezing, and puffy-eyed patients as well as two people with wrapped appendages. The clinic was a godsend for the tourists, handling everything from strep throat to broken bones.
Bella waited in line behind three women, the first of whom was speaking to a stern-faced, middle-aged receptionist who held a clipboard in one hand while writing on a notepad, while also speaking to another employee, a skinny woman with tattoos snaking around her neck and shoulders. The skinny woman’s pitch-black hair was sculpted into spiky points that darted out from her head at various angles, complemented by eyebrow and nose piercings.
The door opened, and a man carrying a screaming baby entered the lobby, followed by a heavy woman with a toddler attached to her hip.
The tattooed woman shot a glance at the door, then called over her shoulder, “Bones. Front and center.”
A tall, rangy guy wearing jeans and a P-TOWN ROCKS T-shirt, who couldn’t have been more than twenty, looked up from behind a metal desk.
“Got it.” Bones hustled to the counter and took the clipboard from the stern-faced woman. His thin lips curled into a smile that softened his bony features and further confirmed his youthful appearance.
“Please fill out your name, insurance information, and—”
“I don’t have insurance,” the patient whispered.
Bones leaned closer, softening his gaze. “No worries. You can still receive medical care. We have a benefits specialist who will work with you. Just fill this out, and we’ll call you when it’s your turn.”
“God bless you,” the woman said.
When she turned toward the waiting area, Bella noticed a red rash covering the right side of her face. Bella had been lucky enough not to need medical attention while at the Cape, but she was pleased to hear that the clinic didn’t turn patients away.
Bones handled the next two people in line with the same effortless patience. A woman in scrubs peered into the office behind him.
“Perry, Mary needs you,” the woman in scrubs said.
The tattooed woman said something to the stern-faced woman that made her smile. She touched her shoulder as she passed on her way to tend to whoever Mary was.
“Ma’am?” Bones thrust a clipboard toward her.
“Oh, sorry.” Way to space out, Bella. “I’m not here as a patient. I’m Bella Abbascia, here to see Ms. Blankenship.”
“Sorry about that. If you can find standing room in the waiting area, I’ll track her down.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” Bella was impressed by the swift efficiency of the operation. While she waited, a woman in scrubs had come out three times to call patients into the back, and each time the woman’s eyes were compassionate. Though they were obviously overwhelmed with patients waiting to be seen, she didn’t appear to rush them through the door.
The tattooed woman came through the door. “Bella Abbascia?”
“Hi, I’m Bella.”
“I’m Perry Blankenship. Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on back.”
Bella followed her down a wide hallway lined with patient rooms. She’d first guessed Perry to be in her midtwenties, but as she took a closer look, she noticed fine lines around her eyes and mouth and eyes full of wisdom that came only from experience and probably put her closer to her mid to late thirties.
“We’ll be in here.” She led Bella into an office barely big enough for the metal desk, file cabinet, and chairs inside. “Fridays are pretty crazy around here.”
Bella sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, and instead of sitting behind the desk, Perry sat in the chair beside Bella. She let out a breath before turning a warm smile to Bella.
“Welcome to our busy little clinic,” Perry said.
“It’s run very efficiently. Thank you for taking the time to see me. I’ll make this quick so you can get back to work. I’ve been hired by the school board to put together a work-study program for high school seniors.”
Perry smacked her thigh, and her eyes widened with excitement. “Great idea.”
“Yes, that’s what we thought, too. The goal of the program is to provide hands-on training for kids who are looking to better themselves, to encourage self-confidence and independence and help them learn skills they can use toward a productive future.”
Perry waved her hand to silence Bella. “Responsibility, self-worth, it’s all wrapped up in helping others. Like I said, great idea. What do you need from me?”
Bella swallowed the urge to say, Really? “I’d like you to consider making the clinic part of the program and committing to hiring two seniors through the work-study program. They’re limited to no more than fifteen hours each week and paid minimum wage.”
“We drug test.”
“Fine. We don’t want kids using drugs any more than you do.” Hope swelled in Bella’s chest.
“They’d have no access to medications, obviously, and until we can gauge their abilities and trustworthiness, they would be confined to working in the admin area.” Perry leaned forward with excitement in her voice. “But if we find a stellar student who shows promise, I’m not opposed to keeping them on after graduation to learn the ropes of becoming a certified medical assistant or a lab tech.”
“Thank you. That’s all we can hope for.” Bella’s feet lifted up onto their toes in a silent happy moment. “We’re finalizing the documents, and I’ll be happy to—”
Perry’s office door opened and Bones poked his head in. “Perry, Doc Winston is on line four. He said it’s urgent.”
“Oh good. Tell him I need one minute. Oh, Bones, this is Bella Abbascia. She’s coordinating a work-study program for the high school.”
He thrust a hand toward Bella. “Barry Goodman, but everyone calls me Bones. Nice to meet you.”
“Bella, would you mind wrapping up the details with Bones? I need to take this call.”
“Not at all.” Bella rose to her feet.
“I wish there was a work-study program when I was in high school. Having something to do with my time might have saved me from a pregnancy at eighteen. Not that I begrudge my daughter. She’s amazing.” Perry’s voice filled with pride. “Thankfully, she graduated last year without a baby in her belly. Let’s hope this catches on.”
When Bella left the clinic half an hour later, for the second time that week, she felt like she was walking on air. This one definitely came in second to making love with Caden, but it was a really good feeling. She climbed into her car and headed toward Orleans for her next appointment.
CADEN PULLED INTO the parking lot of Nauset Beach to take another report on a vehicle break-in. Evan was at Nauset with his friends today, and Caden had texted him when he left the station to let him know he’d be there shortly and would like to touch base. He knew Evan would only get the text if he was by the snack area or parking lot, but at some point he’d see it. He’d texted Bella hours ago, and he assumed either her meetings were going well or she’d forgotten to take her phone into the cottage, because she still hadn’t responded. When his cell vibrated, he hoped it might be her. He was surprised to receive a return text from Evan so quickly, since cell phones didn’t work on the beaches. He read the text.