Nick Rose had just turned away from the door, when Matty opened it.
"Nick?"
Nick turned.
"Hey Matty."
"Why are you standing here?"
"I was debating whether or not to knock."
"Nanny Dove told us there was a stalker outside the front door. Did you want to see us?"
Nick took a deep breath.
"I did, but ..."
Matty opened the door, fully.
"Come in, Nick."
"Well Matty, I don't want to bother you and Bill."
Matty stepped outside and took Nick's arm.
"Get in here. Its freezing out there."
Matty pulled him inside and closed the door.
"Why didn't you come to the veranda door?"
"Like I said Matty, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to bother you guys."
"Come on. Bill and I are just having a drink and listening to some music."
Matty lead the way from the old section of the house to the new section.
Bill met them, as they walked into the living room. He passed a scotch to Nick.
"Come in and sit Nick."
Nick took the drink.
"You sure I am not intruding?"
"Sit."
Bill pointed to an arm chair, while he and Matty sat on the couch.
"Those things will kill you," Nick joked, as Bill lit a cigarette.
"I know. But you did not come here at ten o'clock at night to remind me to stop smoking."
Nick sipped his scotch.
"No. I didn't."
Matty stared at Nick.
"Do we have to play twenty questions?"
"No. Its just that ..."
"Spit it out Nick," Matty urged him.
"Okay. The deal with the St. John's company fell through. We are not getting the equipment that they promised us and the ambulance I had set up, turned out to be a piece of crap. Would cost more to fix it up than what it is worth."
"So we have to find another source for the equipment you need?"
"That would be the simple answer, Matty, but a lot of the places that Nina and I have checked out don't have the equipment we need. They have antiquated versions of the equipment. Now it will work, but what they want for it is ridiculous, given the age of the equipment and the outdated technology."
"Okay," Bill nodded.
"What are our alternatives?"
"I have found a supplier in Vancouver, but they want a premium for the equipment."
"Is the equipment worth the price that they want?" Matty wondered.
"I would have to see the equipment for myself," Nick explained.
"It all looks good in the pics on the internet, but we all know about that shit."
"So. Do you want to fly out there and check the equipment out for yourself?"
"That would be an alternative, Bill, but because of the premium they want, it raises another question."
"And that would be?"
"Warranties and support. This company, MedicalTech Industries, has a decent reputation, but they have been known to fall down on their follow up and tech support. The prices they are asking are about sixty percent of what the equipment would be worth new and they only offer limited warranties and they don't have a support team, in this area of Canada."
Matty took a deep breath.
"So, I guess this raises the question of whether or not it would be more feasible to buy the equipment new."
Nick shook his head.
"I don't think that is an option. Or more so, I could limit the equipment I feel I need and concentrate on the basics.
See the problem that we have here is that I have the equipment I need for a basic practice, but, as with many clinics, they have access to other equipment that is shared by all the doctors in the clinic and it is that equipment that we are lacking.
It is the basic items that we call infrastructure items, that range from basic refrigeration equipment for vaccines and such to proper sterilization equipment and ...."
Bill put up his hand.
"What would this stuff cost?"
"From MedicalTech, it would ..."
Bill shook his head.
"New, including an ambulance."
Nick sat back in his chair.
"I have a list here, if you want to see?"
Bill shook his head.
"Wouldn't do me any good, Nick. I'd just have to ask you what everything was."
As Bill sipped his scotch, Matty continued.
"We trust you Nick. All we want to know is what will it cost."
"Well, I could trim the equipment some."
Matty shook her head.
"We are isolated here, Nick, especially in the winter and there is a chance that you will get patients from someone the smaller communities around here, who are not as fortunate as we are.
And we have to look at the future, when we will have tourists here. Sure as hell, we will have incidents that will have to be dealt with.
We are spending money to have every employee here in the Bay trained in advanced first aid procedures and trained to use a defibrillator. We want the best medical care here in the Bay that we can possibly have, to the point where, if necessary, we have a surgical room here in the Bay."
"But I'm not a surgeon, Matty. I can do some basic procedures, but surgery would have to be done in either Deer Lake or Corner Brook."
"What about basics, like lets say someone breaks a leg or something, or a gunshot wound?"
"Ah, fuck," Nick sighed.
"I can only do basics, Matty. Stopping the bleeding, cleaning the wounds."
"So let me ask you this. In the case of a gunshot wound, what do we do?"
"If they came in here, I would do a triage treatment, but I can't do an actual surgery. Not by any standards."
"So we have to get that person to Deer Lake or Corner Brook?"
Nick nodded.
"So we need a fully equipped, functioning ambulance?"
"It would certainly be an asset. At least I would be able to provide ongoing treatment, until we got to a hospital."
"So, an ambulance. A proper ambulance would be an asset?"
Nick nodded, as he sipped his scotch.
"It could save the persons life."
Matty looked at Bill.
"So?"
"How much are we looking at for the ambulance?"
"Around three hundred grand," Nick answered, sheepishly.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
Bill smiled.
"The ambulance is approved. Let's get this on the move immediately. The sooner we get it here, the sooner we find a couple good drivers to operate."
"Not Freddy," Nick snapped.
"Say what you want about Freddy, Nick. But that man has never had an accident and he is a great driver. But that is another question for another time."
"So the ambulance is a go?"
Bill nodded.
"Now what about this other equipment."
"The ambulance will do for now. The rest can wait."
Bill shook his head.
"No. Winter is coming and we want you fully equipped."
Nick took a paper from his pocket.
"Well some of this can be put on hold."
"May I see?" Bill motioned.
Nick leaned forward and passed him the sheet.
Bill sat back on the couch and Matty moved closer to him.
"These are MedicalTech prices?" Matty inquired.
Nick nodded.
"And new equipment, at worst, would be double this?"
"A little less, but, yea," Nick sighed.
Bill passed the sheet back to Nick.
"Do you have suppliers for this equipment?"
"Well there is Med ..."
"New, Nick."
Nick took a deep breath.
"I have a list of suppliers."
Bill looked at Matty.
"Do we contact the others?"
Matty shook her head.
"I believe we already crossed that bridge, at the committee meeting."
"Yea, we did."
Bill looked at Nick.
"Get everything that you need."
Nick's eyes opened wide.
"All of it?"
Bill nodded, as he snuffed out his cigarette.
"Let me put it to you this way, Nick. We are giving you a one million dollar budget, to outfit your clinic and have the best possible medical care we can give to our people. And that budget does not include the ambulance. Matty and I are donating that."
Nick started laughing.
"Are you serious?"
He stood up and walked to Bill and Matty.
Bill and Matty stood and hugged Nick.
"Whatever you want, Nick," Matty assured him.
"Even if you need an extension in the spring, we will build it. We need a doctor."
"And if there are any courses or seminars or whatever, that you need to attend, then let us know. And as far as Nina goes, if she needs any training, we will see that she gets it."
Nick wiped his eye.
"I don't know what to say."
Matty took his glass.
"I think this calls for a toast."
Matty poured drinks for all three.
"To Dr. Nick."
The three clinked glasses and drank.
Nick thanked Matty and Bill and left.
Nina was sitting in the living room, listening to music and sipping a glass of wine.
"So?"
Nick sat beside her.
"They approved everything."
"I told you they would. I will get hold of Medical Tech in the morning."
Nick shook his head.
"No. They want us to get all the equipment new. They have given us a one million dollar budget. They want the best care they can get for their people."
Nanny Dove appeared in the living room.
"Ise tolds youse dat they wud."
Nick stood up and walked to Nanny Dove.
"I wish I could hug you."
Nanny Dove smiled.
"Knowing dat youse feels dat way, bes all Ise needs, Dr. Nicky."
She looked at Nina.
"Colin bes asleep. Ise told 'e a bedtime story."
Nina smiled.
"You know you don't have to come here every night and tuck Colin in."
"Ise knows, but it makes me feels gud and it bes gud fer Colin too. 'e bes used to da spirits now. Dey won't be scaring 'im."
Nanny Dove looked at the clock.
"Ise best bes goin'. Ise wants to say gudnight to Willam and Matty before dey goes and tries fer my grandchild.
Ise gots to see dat dey is excited."
With that she disappeared.
Nick poured a glass of wine.
"I think we made the right choice, my love."
Nina nodded.
"I know we did, sweetie."