Distant Relatives: A Nurse Morgan Series, #3

By Kate MacInnis

Just when Emergency Nurse Morgan Cutler thought her life was under control, spirits from the other world interfere. AGAIN.

 

Her best friend's mother is getting married and Savannah is overdosing on chocolates and alcohol every chance she gets! What's a best friend to do but travel with her for the extravagant social event. It figures, just when Morgan Cutler thinks everything is going along as normally as possible, something triggers the dominoes to fall around her. Once again, her world is being turned upside down and she's in the center of the storm. Some days you have to embrace the chaos in order to survive but Morgan isn't only dealing with Earthly issues -- but Ghostly ones, too!

 

There's a new ghost who wishes her harm and another spirit is stalking her. Then there's her ghostly roommates. Jonathan Wilkerson is depressed and inconsolable and his wife, Elisabeth, is worried about him and wants Morgan to help. Gloria, the Good Sam Hospital resident ghost, pressures Morgan to help solve cold cases involving murders, so the dearly departed can enjoy eternal peace. With all this on her plate, it's a wonder Morgan has time to sleep!

 

Dr. Caleb Lightfoot, the perfect man for her is giving hints about settling down. But she can't even think about commitment and a future when her life is so chaotic. Will he be patient and wait for her to get a handle on her psychic abilities and a house full of ghosts from the other side? Or will he keep his distance and let the flame of their passion burn out?

 

What's a girl to do?

 

 

Settle in folks and grab a scotch, this storm is heading south from Detroit to Atlanta and overseas! Just when you thought it was safe for Morgan to consider a life and true love, the ghosts are set to drag her back kicking and screaming to settle their debts. But don't worry, Morgan approaches everything like she does her life—with a dose of laughter and snarkiness! DISTANT RELATIVES is the third book in this best selling series featuring zany ghosts and lively characters who get into more trouble than humanly possible. Looking for a Ghostly Romantic ER-like story…DISTANT RELATIVES is it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
• Release date: Apr 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781958136430

Book preview

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

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If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this stripped book.

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Distant Relatives

A Nurse Morgan Series: Book 3

Copyright © 2022 Kate MacInnis

All rights reserved.

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ISBN: (ebook) 978-1-958136-43-0

(print) 978-1-958136-44-7

Inkspell Publishing

207 Moonglow Circle #101

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

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Edited By Rie Langdon

Cover Art by Fantasia Frog Designs

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This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

DEDICATION

My sincere thanks to my husband, family, friends, publisher, and readers of my books. I’d be a hermit if it weren’t for you.

CHAPTER 1

The Emergency Center of Good Samaritan Hospital in Metro Detroit rarely had down time, mostly because it was known for superior trauma care. They were first on the list when severe injuries occurred and equipped to respond to mass casualties. Despite the quiet tone throughout the EC, there was still something electrical in the air. Charge nurse Morgan Cutler couldn’t identify what it was or when it would arrive, but she was positive it would. She tensed when her boss spoke a bit loudly.

Morgan, have you arranged coverage for the EC while you’re at my mother’s wedding in Atlanta? Savannah Holt, MD, asked as she sipped a cup of coffee and balanced the EC desk phone between her head and shoulder. If Morgan tried to do the same thing, she’d pour hot liquid all over herself, but Savvy, as she was known to her friends, managed to do it and look regal at the same time. With strawberry blonde hair, worn up off her shoulders, and green eyes that never missed a thing no matter how hard you tried to hide stuff from her, Savvy was getting close to retirement age and still looked twenty years younger. She was also blessed with the grace and finesse of a much younger woman. Savvy closed her eyes and savored her drink.

Of course, I’ve arranged coverage. It’s a little late to ask me that now, isn’t it? We’re on a plane in two days, Morgan answered. Do you honestly think I’d go off and not have anyone work in my place?

Savvy sighed as she put the phone receiver back in the cradle. No, I don’t think you’d go without making proper arrangements. Forgive me, Morgan. I’m so tied in knots about my mother getting married, I don’t know what I’m doing or saying.

"Savannah, you are the medical director of this department. You are fearless. You never flinch no matter what or who is involved. But you’re unnerved by your mom’s wedding? You have to be kidding. Your mother is a grown woman in her nineties. She met a man her age, rekindled a lost love, and decided to make it legal. He’s rich. He’s in love with her. Why not be happy for Audrey and let it go?"

I can’t imagine my mother even dating another man. My daddy was such a powerful source of energy, I don’t want to think about her with someone else.

Uh, then don’t. I hate to be the bearer of unwelcome news, but chances are pretty good that she crossed that bridge many times and with more than one man. Your mother is a stunning beauty, even in her tenth decade, and always was, so it’s likely that the males around Atlanta found her attractive. Your father passed away over forty years ago and besides, it’s none of your business. It doesn’t change who she is and might even make her a better judge of male character. As long as there is a pre-nuptial agreement to protect each person, let them have at it. Keep your nose out of her private life. Really, Savvy, I’m surprised at you. Morgan pulled at her short, dark hair and found something in it that she couldn’t readily identify with her fingertips. She felt her scalp and retrieved something small and hard—a pumpkin seed. She threw it into the garbage can under the desk. I bet that was from the bagel I had this morning in the car.

Savvy wrinkled her nose at Morgan’s search and rubbed her neck. I’m just as surprised at myself, actually. I don’t know what’s wrong. I keep getting this tension in the back of my head and that usually means something isn’t what I expect it to be. I’m going to get a shock at this wedding, Morgan. I can almost taste it.

That’s funny, because I’ve been feeling itchy and tense all over, too, but I think it involves the EC today. I could be wrong and I’m really picking up your anxiety about Audrey. Can I do that now with my new superpowers? How do I learn to interpret these feelings when I get them? Who can answer these questions for me?

My mother, the psychic. Ask her when we get to Atlanta. Savannah picked up the phone again and punched in a number.

Morgan turned away and listened to a noise that was far away, a crunching of metal followed by screams. She looked at her watch and timed it. The noise lasted fifteen seconds. Then silence again until the crunch restarted.

Since Morgan’s brain surgery nearly a year before, her senses had been constantly heightened. Sometimes she could feel the level of devastation on its way. Today was not the end of the world, but it was more than ordinary. She gave it a six on a scale of one to ten, with ten being worst. Then again, it was always unnerving when the EC was quiet and every person on duty waited for the other shoe to drop. Everyone knew they’d pay for the peace they enjoyed all morning. Savannah was pretty sure that her own concerns were focused on the future wedding of her mother. Morgan, however, was positive it was about the EC. Only time would tell—or maybe they were both right.

Desk clerk Tiffany Burke, affectionately known as Tiffany the Goth, was stationed at the EC nursing desk, where she handled physician orders and the phone. She had an anatomy and physiology book stashed in the drawer, which she pulled out and propped open.

Dr. Holt, are you sure it’s okay to read as long as I keep the desk running? Tiffany asked. She usually called her Savvy, but today she kept a formal distance.

Savvy hung up the phone and answered, Of course, Tiffany. Going to school and working full-time is tough. You can do it as long as no one gets mistreated or overlooked. Savvy stood, squeezed Tiffany’s shoulder, and then walked away from the desk toward the trauma rooms.

Morgan turned in her chair to face Tiffany. That’s impressive. Savvy rarely touches other people. She must really like you. Hey, how is nursing school going?

Tiffany smiled and said, I’m on week three, so it’s hard to say. So far, I think it’s the right thing for me, but I’m not positive yet.

You’ll be fine. Are we going to lose you as our clerk anytime soon? You’re the best, you know.

Not exactly, but my hours will change a bit. All of my classes are early morning right now. I’ll be here by noon and work until 8:30 p.m. You go home by five or six, so I’ll be here most of the afternoon with you. Dr. Holt said she would use clerks from the staffing pool and not post my job. That way, I can work full-time regular hours during semester breaks and summer.

Oh, thank goodness. I hate to think of you not being here. I know exactly how selfish that sounded, but it can get so crazy busy down here. Having you at the desk is one less worry for all of us. Seriously, Tiff, I’m so thrilled that we could one day work side by side. I will love that.

If I make it through school and then pass the licensing exam.

I have no doubt that you will fly through the textbook science and your clinicals. You’re going to be fantastic. And you can take any test any time. Morgan hesitated for a moment and added, Well, I’m off to check on the few patients we have. Call if you need me.

Morgan went around the desk and into the hall on the right. Like the others in the EC, she carried sterile gloves in her scrubs pockets and put them on as she walked toward the rooms. All EC employees also carried cell phones in their pockets—usually both the unit phone and their personal phone so they could be reached instantly. Morgan could remember when only snacks were found in pockets and she truly missed those times.

The Good Sam EC was set up in the shape of a capital T with the nursing desk at the bottom. There were two very long halls of exam rooms and one shorter hall across the top, some of which was used for storage. The designated trauma rooms were located in the first hall, closer to the ambulance entrance doors. Behind the desk, the elevators to the nursing units and operating rooms were to one side and a family waiting area was to the other. The employee kitchen was also located behind the desk, and accessible only from inside the desk area for security reasons. Tiffany could see most of the unit and up and down the exam room halls from her seat. There was a hall on the other side of the elevators that led to the door to the main hospital, where employees could enter or exit with an ID card. This kept strangers from wandering into the EC through an unguarded back door.

Tiffany turned the pages of her textbook with her pink marker clutched in her hand, ready to underline details. A moment later the warning buzzer on the console screeched and she jerked to look at it. The system was designed to prepare the EC staff for numerous casualties or life-threatening incoming injuries. The panel indicated a plane crash had occurred at the local airport about fifteen miles away from the hospital. The EMT in charge called immediately and reported that one dead, two critical, and seventeen moderate to severe casualties would arrive at the EC in less than four minutes. Tiffany put the EMT on hold and called Savvy.

Savvy appeared at the desk within seconds and went into this is my house mode. Savvy spoke with the EMT on the phone briefly and verified that every patient from the accident could be brought to Good Sam. Because the morning had been so slow, there were plenty of available rooms to care for the victims. Tiffany then pressed the button to notify on-duty EC personnel about the warning. Morgan and the rest of the frontline staff raced to the desk and waited. More than twenty doctors, nurses, residents, lab technicians, respiratory technicians, and social workers were present when the ambulances arrived. Savvy triaged the cases as they were wheeled in while Morgan managed room assignments and then kept track of who they were and what injuries were suspected.

Tiffany was on alert to call for consultations, orders, tests, and obtained the phone numbers for next of kin. Residents usually made the calls to the relatives, but it helped to have the numbers ready for them when there were numerous patients at once to evaluate.

Ten minutes after the ambulances arrived, Caleb Lightfoot, MD stepped through the EC pneumatic doors looking like a superhero. Savvy had asked Tiffany to call him to assist. Caleb was tall, lean, and broad-shouldered with long, black, slightly curly hair that hung in a ponytail down his back. The man even smelled heavenly. Caleb went to Savvy immediately to get a status report. He had years of metro EC experience before his arrival to Good Sam and was a widely respected and well-trained emergency physician.

Lately, Dr. Lightfoot, or Dr. Hotpants as Morgan referred to him in her head, had been staying at Morgan’s house several nights a week. Fortunately, he’d been there when the call came from Tiffany and he was able to get to the EC very quickly. Morgan’s house was eight minutes from the hospital while his own apartment was twenty minutes away, in light traffic. Although Savvy was completely delighted by their relationship, she had strict rules about displays of affection while on duty in her EC. Caleb and Morgan followed these rules and treated each other as no more than co-workers during their time together on the unit. Morgan had to admit, it wasn’t always easy for her to do since the man made her mouth water. She watched as Caleb replaced Savvy at the entrance so she could return to the desk.

The phone rang and Tiffany answered. She hung up and turned to Savvy.

That was the lab manager and she reported their stock of blood on hand for transfusions is very low.

Savvy pulled out her phone and found a list of local blood bank numbers. She picked up the landline and punched. Morgan heard Tiffany and quickly assessed the incoming patients. She thought most of them looked like they had more blood on the outside than inside.

Do you need my help calling blood banks? Morgan asked.

No, you keep track of the action and I’ll handle this. If I need help, I’ll ask Tiffany to jump in, Savvy answered as she contacted the next number on the list.

Tiffany nodded in agreement and turned back to answer the main phone for the EC. Morgan went back to the trauma rooms.

No one spoke loudly as patients were identified, placed in rooms, evaluated, and IVs started. As usual, it was an eerie quiet when there was a disaster underway. Orthopedics for bones and Neurosurgery for back and head injuries were called first. Less than an hour after arrival, all patients had been seen by a doctor and determined to remain under observation for a few hours, sent to the operating room, or admitted to the hospital. A very tense but well-oiled machine, this team knew how to work together and save lives.

The most serious cases were already in the operating suites for repairs of critical head, chest, and spine injuries. The next eight cases were stabilized until the OR was ready for them. The rest were severe lacerations, broken ribs, legs, arms, and neck injuries from being jerked and banged around in their seats during the plane’s rapid descent. They would be patched up and kept overnight or released later in the day. She glanced at the clock on the wall behind Tiffany and it was almost two in the afternoon. No one had lunch, breaks, or time for the bathroom. Her legs felt tight and stiff from standing so long. She verified the status of each patient, then stepped away from the exam rooms.

Morgan went outside for some fresh air and leaned against the cool building. She remembered when she used to smoke out there, but that was more than twenty years ago. It was a habit she’d picked up in nursing school. Smoking on the campus was not allowed anymore and there were moments she genuinely ached to have a cigarette. Just one. She sighed and moved from under the carport and into the sunshine. This was life in the EC—quiet, contemplative, and then all hell broke loose. At times, her emotions struggled to keep up.

After the adrenaline rush, which happens to everyone in crisis mode, her nerves relaxed and she was hungry. Starving, actually. She heard the whoosh of the door and turned to see Caleb a few feet away.

He smiled and said, Hey. She moved closer to him. He shivered and put his hands in his pockets. When the adrenaline recedes, I seriously get chilled. I’m always fine until it’s over. He joined her in the sunshine.

Yeah, I guess you’re human after all. You look too good to be real, but the chills prove you’re just a mere mortal. She grinned at Caleb and added, I’m cold now and sometimes get the massive goosebumps, too. Knowing Savvy’s rules, they spoke without a single touch.

Savannah is really an amazing physician. The tougher and more dangerous the cases, the better she responds. She’s one of those who thrives on the challenge, Caleb said.

So are you. That’s why she handpicked you to replace her when she retires. It’s an effective way to be in this business, Morgan replied.

The door whooshed again and Tiffany stuck her head out. Savvy is looking for both of you. Now.

They hurried back inside. Tiffany went to her chair at the desk; Morgan and Caleb stood nearby. Savvy came from one of the exam rooms in the second hall.

Good, she found you. The Good Sam Public Relations people will oversee the media and keep them away from the EC. Hopefully, no one will get through. Just don’t offer any information to anyone. She glanced around the EC and back at Caleb and Morgan. Are you both ready for my mother’s wedding? Packed, ready to go?

Yes, ma’am. Can’t wait, Caleb chuckled. You seem a little tense.

My mother has that effect on me. She’s a terrifying, tiny little woman. Besides that, she’s psychic with almost perfect accuracy. She reduces me to rubble every time she’s near and I’m almost a foot taller than she is. Savvy smiled and continued, I will survive this. Somehow, some way, I will survive this wedding and return to my happy, comfortable home and life here. Savannah nodded as she spoke the last word, almost as if she’d convinced herself, then hustled back to the second hall.

"Have you been to Savvy’s comfortable home? Morgan asked. Caleb shook his head and she continued, It’s a mansion on Lakeside over on Lake St. Clair. It’s worth a few million. She was married to an auto executive years ago and came home early one day and caught him in her bed with his admin assistant. Savvy got that house, a boat, one of the cars, and enough money to stop working altogether. But she still comes in every day. Never married again and didn’t really get close enough to anybody to even consider a relationship."

Sounds like he broke her heart. She deserved to get everything, Caleb said.

I agree, she replied to his back as someone called for him down the hall.

She looked around and decided to check the empty trauma rooms and see if they had been cleaned and restocked in preparation for the next patients. She waved at Tiffany and pointed to the first hall to make sure that someone knew where she was. Tiffany nodded and Morgan headed for Trauma Room One.

She pulled on her sterile gloves, walked into the room, and saw that it had been cleaned. The smell of disinfectant was strong and she made sure she didn’t touch anything. She left there and opened the door to Trauma Two and stopped in her tracks. A man sat on the side of the bed wearing an airline pilot’s uniform. She watched as he tried to put his hat on his head and it fell to the floor every time, no matter how he tried to place it. He struggled to pick it up again when he saw her and said, Nurse, can you help me?

Morgan kept her eyes on the patient. The man had a handsome, innocent face and she could see right through him. His clothing was fading but not as fast as his flesh. His smile wavered as he looked at his own hands grow faint.

Sir, uh Captain, what is your name? she asked softly. Now his edges were blurry. She knew he was a ghost, but he didn’t know he was a ghost.

I’m Captain Zack Meyers. I was brought here in an ambulance. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I would guess there was a crash. Am I right?

Morgan nodded.

How is everyone else? We had seventeen passengers and then the crew of three, including me. Did they all make it? Captain Meyers asked. He gripped his hat in his faint hands and turned it over and over.

I haven’t had a full report on all of the victims yet. Some went right to the operating rooms and some are waiting for surgery. One or two may get discharged home today or tomorrow, and the rest will be admitted to the hospital. That’s all I know so far, Captain Meyers.

Oh. I don’t know if that’s good news or sad news, nurse, he said, placing the hat on the bed. I’m a little surprised that I haven’t been taken to surgery or for x-rays or something. My head hurt really bad and the pain is completely gone now. I’m not sure what kind of injury I have. Do you happen to know?

Well, Captain, um, do you have any idea what happened? She watched as a blue aura shone all around him. She knew blue meant that he was highly intelligent.

I had a headache, which is odd for me. I asked my copilot for some aspirin and that’s the last thing I remember. I don’t think he ever gave it to me. We were getting ready to land and I was going to turn the controls over to him before I took the aspirin. Does that help you?

Uh, I don’t know how to tell you this, sir, but...

The door flew open and the radiant redhead, Good Sam ghost extraordinaire Gloria Vanderveer stood in the doorway. She stepped into the room and said, Morgan, you need to leave right now. I need to speak privately with Captain Meyers.

Okay, Gloria. Whatever you say. Morgan glanced at Captain Meyers again and could see parts of the uniform, but not much else. Okay, I’m gone. Nice to have met you, sir.

She hustled out of the room and waited in the hall. A puff of smoke came from the crack at the top of the door to Trauma Room Two. It circled in the hall and disappeared into the ceiling. Suddenly, Gloria appeared in front of Morgan. She wore a very expensive designer black jacket and skirt with a white blouse and heels. A single strand of pearls hung around her neck. She smiled at Morgan and said, You almost botched that one. Your expertise is with the physical, not the metaphysical. I led him to the right path.

He faded so fast. As many patients as I have lost in the EC, I was still caught off guard by a disappearing body. I truly didn’t know what to say or do. Thank you for showing up in the nick of time. How did you know I needed you? Morgan asked.

I’ve been hanging around here all day. I planned to go talk to him but you beat me to it. It was my pleasure to escort him to the other side. I have to get back to work, so you take care. Gloria turned to leave and waved goodbye over her shoulder. A few ghosts were waiting for her farther down the hall. Gloria waved to them and hurried her step. Morgan knew they were ghosts because some were only heads, some were only legs. She didn’t see any complete people.

Wait, wait. I haven’t seen you for a while. How’s business? You called it JIMI, right? Morgan asked as she followed her friend. You look like you’re on your way to an executive board meeting.

Gloria stopped and laughed. "It’s funny to hear you say it, but yes, JIMI is the name. Our project JIMI only considers cold case requests, so time is not a factor, but it’s still a business. Money never changes hands, but the etiquette and politics of big industry are alive and well in this world. I am on the way to a board meeting to manage some issues about priority and who gets helped first. We have to establish protocols. You won’t believe it, but we have more than 2,000 requests right now and they go back more than eighty years. I’m busy day and night. Look, we’ll get together for some ice cream and talk soon." The ghosts laughed and waved at Morgan as she watched them fade to nothingness.

Gloria Vanderveer had been shot and killed a few years before by her identical twin sister, who wished to assume her identity, husband, and wealth. Gloria had been a model for a local department store and married well with a terrific country club life and a husband who adored her. Her tragic death came far too soon and Gloria didn’t rest until she proved that her sibling was guilty of murder. Morgan was given the evidence anonymously—at least that was what the homicide detectives believed, and Gloria’s sister was arrested, tried, and sent to prison.

Having been a successful model during her life, Gloria