“I’ll do just that.”

Rachel hurried down the hall with purpose.

"Finally...something to occupy my time."

She was the envy of her graduating class, because most of them worked at one of the area city hospitals, and a few had taken positions out of state, while the remainder worked in a number of low paying jobs.  After graduating from nursing school, Rachel had been at the right place at the right time.  It was also one of those 'a friend of a friend' kind of deals.  Rachel's roommate Sahara was close friends with a girl named, Cynthia who just so happen to know Sahara's brother Judd.  Judd had just started dating one of the city’s richest and most eligible bachelorettes; a woman named Fawn Gustafson.  Before Fawn’s father arrived at one of his parties, Judd had stopped by, at the request of Fawn.  She’d introduced him to some of her friends, and when her father arrived, fawn had hurried him out, using the servants entrance.  Judd had not been put off.  He'd lit a cigarette heading for the streets using a narrow alley.  When he stepped between two buildings, he ran headlong into a woman exiting the party.  She'd seen him inside and when he walked in the direction of the street corner to hail a cab, she’d offered him a ride in her limo.  Judd accepted, then he learned her name.  Eliza Pendleton.  She told him that she was on her way to the open house of a new private hospital.  Judd had heard his sister talking incessantly about Rachel, and how she'd been looking for a job.  He’d shamelessly given Eliza his sisters name and number as a contact for Rachel.  He'd further added, that Rachel was pretty and had graduated at the top of her class.  She smiled at the memory, because when Eliza had conducted the interview as a favor to the Delors, she had told him about her conversation with Judd.  Eliza had also told her, that if she was smart, she would take the job.  For most of the year, the Delors wing is empty, and the staff of five nurses are left to perform menial task to keep the wing in readiness; this explained her excitement.  Rachel had agreed with Eliza Pendleton because this was a cream job and the pay was outlandishly generous.  She skirted around the desk, swinging the chair on its wheels to face her.  She was poised to sit, when the elevator chimed.  Her eyes found the displays on the wall.  Atomic clocks with readouts displaying every major timezone in the world; she checked them all.  It wasn't dinner time, and the robotic pharmacy cart wasn’t due to arrive until the next oncoming shift.  Rachel pulled out her seat, and when the person rounded the corner, she nearly peed in her pants.

Caleb’s brain was a swarm of frustrating thoughts, and he wanted to clear his head.  He didn’t want to be blamed for this fiasco but from where he stood, everything was falling apart.  Before arriving at the hospital this morning, he’d known that the stakes were high; too high for him to accomplish the impossible.  And from the moment his feet hit the pavement, leaving the hospital in his rear; he'd done all he could do, and still, his efforts had not been enough.  Frustration strained his face, and he dreaded that he'd be the bearer of bad news.  But before he did his worse, he noticed the nurse seated at the front desk.  Caleb was in is own world of worry, he didn't noticed Rachel's surprised expression.

He greeted her, much like he’d done in the past.

"Good evening Rachel."

"Good evening" she said in a high pitched voice.  Again, Caleb was distracted and he didn’t notice her odd behavior.  He pressed on saying...

"This is a first for me...and I know that I've never visited Ona this late in the past but, well...there is a problem...actually, there are a few problems and these aren't the normal, run of the mill kind of problems."

"Oh no..." her voice sounded flat.  She cared...but she didn't show true emotion.  Her mind was on Ona...and Lucien.  Everyone on the Delors wing knew that Caleb Zelle did not want Lucien visiting his sister.  And here he was...visiting his guest, on a hospital wing that belonged to him.  She had allegiances....and her loyalties had nothing to do with her income or her job.  She really liked Ona, and she truly respected all the Delors and recently, she'd come to know Lucien on a more personal level.  She told herself that she could do this.  She could stave off a catastrophe of epic proportions.

Rachel thought fast, then she said...

"I've lived in this city and I've seen some things that would shame most, and cause others to shutter.  So...not many things are a first for me...and well...you appear to be at a loss.  How can I help?  I wanna help...so, let me"

She was rambling, and she hoped that her sputter sounded helpful instead of insane.

For the first time, Caleb looked at Rachel.  He didn’t glance, like he’d done in the past; this time, he really looked at her.  Good God, he thought to himself; this woman was extremely beautiful.  How had this slipped his notice and he wondered how could he have missed it.  He considered that perhaps over these past few months he’d been consumed with worries concerning Ona and her injuries; given that he’d volunteered for the job.  If that was true, how could he have missed this vision of utter charm.  She had a face that would make angels take notice and sing.  As a young child, he'd seen a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and an African American actress.  He couldn't rightly recall her name, but the movie was called ‘Eraser’; that's who this nurse reminded him of.  She looked just as beautiful as that actress in the movies.  Caleb became aware that he was staring at her, when he finally registered what she'd just said.  He recalled hearing the word ‘help’.

He stumbled over his words, when he replied.

"Uhm...maybe, you might be able to help me.”

His eyes studied her, and he noticed the light color of her eyes.  He took a whiff of her perfume when she stood, then leaned across the desk saying...

"I'd love to help.  I’m an all hands on deck kinda gal.  You know, when I was in college, I was always the one in charge.  Team captain was my nickname.  Some nickname, huh"

She was rambling again, so she redirected her focus.  Keep him occupied, she’d thought.  Then what?  At some point, he would seek the refuge of Ona’s room, if it meant not having to endure her nonsensical blathering.  In truth, Rachel felt like her efforts were being pulled in opposite directions.

Caleb lifted his hand, and it wasn't until then that she noticed he'd been carrying the iPad.

Flatly, he said...

"It doesn't work.  Stopped on me, right in the middle of my meeting at the Conclave.”

“Conclave?”

Caleb smirked, because this was the first lighthearted thing that had happened to him all day.  He supplied a brief explanation.

“Do you know what role the Vatican plays in connection to the Roman Catholic Church?”

Rachel nodded, then he said...

“The Conclave...  It’s the same thing.  Long story short--the Conclave council finances and oversee charitable projects.  Each commune has their own Conclave.”

He sighed, heavily when he said...,

“That’s where I’ve been the vast majority of the day.”

Rachel wanted to ask specific questions but she really didn’t have to.  Caleb was wound so tight, it was obvious that he’d endured a difficult day.  He said...

“Samaritan’s value spiritual birthrights.”

He said the words, and he could still hear the council members when they belittled him, using words meant to be diplomatic, civil and courteous.  He felt a tenseness in his neck; veins bulged, suffusing with blood.  He would never understand how he could be considered one of them, while at the same time be reminded that he wasn’t.  He didn’t say this because he knew that Rachel would never understand; because after all these years, for him, the duality was a brain stunner.