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him.”
    “I see. Well, I’d like to examine you today.”
    Tracey nodded and stood up compliantly. “I’m still taking birth control pills. Will that hurt the baby?”
    “I hope not. We’ll watch it closely. And of course, you need to stop taking them at once.”
    After the examination, Caroline said, “Everything appears normal. I think you’re about two months along.” Smiling, she told her friend goodbye, wishing she could wave a magic wand to make the new baby a happy event. But she couldn’t.
    Her mind was still on Tracey when she found the sheriff in the next room. She barely greeted him. Telling him to lie down, she rang for a nurse. “Please open the sheriff’s shirt so I can look at the wound.” After examining it, Caroline spread a topical antibiotic cream on the cut and then bandaged it. “Please leave this bandage on and don’t get the area wet for a week.”
    Then she sent the nurse away. “Sheriff, do we have many cases of wife beating?” she asked abruptly.
    Frowning as he sat up and buttoned his shirt, Mike said, “Not since I’ve been here. Do you know of any, or have suspicions?”
    She looked away and shook her head.
    “Caroline? Are you sure?”
    “I—I’m not certain.”
    “Let me know if you do. I’ll try to improve the situation.”
    She nodded. From the tension in her body and the look on her face, she knew he could tell she was still worried. But she couldn’t help it. She feared for her friend and the two little girls.
    Mike stood and tucked in his shirt. Then he reached out and cupped her chin. “You can’t change the world, Doc. Just do what you can.”
    Much to her surprise, she found his touch a comfort. She nodded, grateful for his reassurances and his advice. Then Mike left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts and fears.
    They were her constant companions all day. No matter what patient she saw, Tracey remained on her mind.
    Her fears turned prophetic at nine that night when her home phone rang.
    “Doctor, we have an emergency with a patient you saw today. Tracey Long.”
    “I’ll be right there.”
    Caroline grabbed her coat and flew out the door. Usually the walk took her a couple of minutes. Now she reached the clinic door in about thirty seconds. She could already guess what had happened. She found Tracey cleaned and prepped for examination, but Caroline winced at the angry bruises on her friend’s slim body.
    “Tracey, did your husband do this?”
    The woman nodded.
    “Where are the girls? Are they okay?”
    “They’re sleeping. He…didn’t touch them. But, Caroline, I—I think I lost the baby.” She ended with a sob.
    Reassuring her friend, Caroline started her examination, but told the nurse to summon the sheriff at once. Wide-eyed, Alice hurried from the room.
    After the examination, Caroline determined that the baby was indeed lost. In addition Tracey’s arm was broken, and she had several painful bruises and cuts.Caroline had the nurse give Tracey a sedative that would put her to sleep right away.
    “Transfer her to a long-term care room,” Caroline told Alice. “She’ll be staying for several days, at least. Is the sheriff here yet?”
    “Yes,” Alice assured her. “He’s in the waiting room.”
    Caroline nodded and pulled off her gloves. She went out to the waiting room.
    Mike stood as soon as she entered. “You okay?” he asked quickly.
    “Me?” She looked down at the blood on her clothes. “Oh, yes. But I need you to arrest Jerry Long for murder.”
    “Murder?” Instantly Mike’s face tightened and his back straightened. He went into sheriff mode. “Who’s the victim?”
    “It’s an unborn infant. He beat his wife and caused a miscarriage.”
    Without saying anything, Mike turned to go.
    “Wait. I’m coming with you.”
    “Why?”
    “Because they have two little girls. I have to make sure they’re all right.”
    “Okay. Get changed.”
    She hurried into her office and changed into a pair of clean scrubs,