Twice Upon A Train by KA Moll
Hear an excerpt from Twice Upon A Train by KA Moll @ka_cade_writes narrated by Emily Beresford on this episode of Book Clips, the mini podcast that gives you a taste of a book.
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Synopsis
Can you imagine falling for a girl so hard that through the years, with no hope of being reunited, that love remains as strong as ever?
At 40, Dr. Keegan Wade is the Chief of Trauma Surgery, a rising star at NYC General. She’s immersed 24/7 in work that she once loved. No one waits for her at home and she has nothing to offer. Anxiety has her in a choke hold and she’d give anything to sleep more than two consecutive hours. At the urging of a friend, she takes a long overdue vacation, a cross country trip on a restored steam train, in hopes that time away from the pressures of her job will solve her problems.
At 39, Willow Lord is a recent college graduate, a social worker in desperate need of a job. Divorced nine years, she’s lived in poverty, saving coins to buy cat food. Next month, the first payments on her student loans are due. She has no time for a vacation, but when her friend, a friend who won’t take “no” for an answer insists, she sends out resumes, and boards The Frisco Express – New York City to California.
As young teens, on a steam train, these two women fell in love. And on a steam train, 26 years later, they’re given a second chance. But the years have taken them to drastically different places. Can they straddle their worlds and seize it?
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Transcript for Today’s Show
Please note this transcript has not been edited and is automatically generated meaning certain words will be incorrect.
you were listening to book clips a mini podcast in which authors and erasers do readings from novels check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book twice upon a train written by ka Moll narrated by Emily Beresford chapter 1 keygen caught sight of movement in her peripheral vision pre-meds stepping closer to anesthesia lifting on to their toes peering wide-eyed over the drapes thank God NYC generals policy prevented them from scrubbing in alright that’s it she barked all of you move right now move to that perfect position the one you’ve obviously been searching for and stay there until I say you can move again this patient deserves better than to have her surgeon distracted by the constant shuffle of your feet it was a routine gallbladder operation one that she should have been able to do in her sleep but she’d lost her edge lost what top surgeons took for granted the ability to remain cool under pressure distractions an unexpected movement a loud noise a negative thought in recent days maybe weeks they’d gotten the best of her if my hand slips she continued even by one millimeter I’ll pierce this patient’s bile duct is that what you want no no dr. Wade no dr. Smythe Sherlock let everyone know you’re worried about making a beginner’s error that’s the way to build confidence she returned her attention to the hot gallbladder thinking about the stress of her new position chief of trauma surgery from there her mind wandered back to her students you were just like them you know eager to learn determined to change the world to make a difference like them you wanted to help the less fortunate to be better than the doctors who served as your teachers to repair a broken system she removed her skullcap making her way to the family waiting room trying to remember the precise moment when she’d lost her passion for medicine the surgery went well she said sitting next to the husband she’ll be in recovery for a couple of hours she answered his questions providing an appropriate amount of detail as she stepped off wanting nothing more than to slip back to her office unnoticed an attractive brunette joined her are you okay Naomi asked because you seemed stressed in the you are short with the students not yourself this familiarity this crossing of boundaries it was why doctors should never sleep with their nurses not even once I’ve been working around the clock for days Kagan responded I’m exhausted and dehydrated other than that I’m good as gold if only that were all it was we’re through the worst of it Naomi said referring to the interstate pileup that had filled the ER with mangled limbs and head traumas you should take some time off you never take time off she brushed Kagan’s hand with her fingertips come on it’ll be good for you it had been a year since that night the one where their ethical boundaries had blurred and still there were times she acted as if they were lovers maybe so Kagan answered I’ll think about it it had been five years since her last vacation maybe a trip would be helpful God knows she needed to do something so do it then Naomi persisted playfully bumping into her what’s stopping you surely it can’t be the money I mean with all the surgeries you do you must be rolling in dough in the grand scheme of things what’s a week or two off I said I’d think about it Kagan responded entering the ICU twelve hours and three grueling surgeries later she stepped outside fatigued to the bone looks good doesn’t it a colleague greeted crossing paths with her on the sidewalk that ran in front of the hospital he can wrinkled her brow looking up the new facade it looks good oh yeah yeah it does Kagan answered surveying the updates to the main building nothing screams cutting-edge medicine shiny glass lush landscaping and blue stone tiles walking toward the parking garage she experienced irrational jealousy of the building and of the young doctor who’d just gone inside at 40 she felt old maybe Naomi was right maybe she did need some time off driving home she considered how she might carve out two weeks without causing hardship if she rescheduled her elective surgeries it was doable but if she did go somewhere where would she go she parked in the lower deck crossed the checkerboard floor and rode the elevator to her building’s rooftop lounge dr. Wade the bartender greeted didn’t figure you were gonna make it in tonight he lifted his cloth from the bar smiling broadly the usual yes he can answered but make it a double she slid on to a high backed stool near the window tall for some patrons but not for her peering down at the streets of Manhattan to her left were designer shops to her right were brownstones and high-rises it had been a decade since she’d moved here and still the place didn’t feel like home she doubted that it ever would home where was home was it Alabama her birthplace a place connected to the ebb and flow of the tides no not since she’d come to terms with who she was was it California the place she’d attended medical school a place of foods and traditions from all over the world no not anymore home where was home she felt disconnected alone in a hectic world here you go the bartender said setting a glass of Pendleton whiskey in front of her Thanks Kagan responded answering the first of three calls from the hospital all post-op complications on infection a case of anesthesia induced delirium and vomiting hold on I need to relocate she said picking up her glass and moving toward the elevator she pressed the got off on the sixteenth floor and traversed the carpeted hallway her condo was next to the one occupied by mrs. Schmidt and her nippy chihuahua she had three bedrooms 11-foot ceilings crown moldings and a decorative fireplace in her kitchen were a butler’s pantry and a full-size dining table with a bag of pita chips in hand she set her drink on a coaster and settled onto the sofa go ahead I’m listening she said prompting the second of three nurses to continue an hour later she stepped in for a hot shower an activity that at one time had relaxed her mind and muscles she stepped out fingering through her dampened hair clipped brown and silvering at the temples wondering if this was all there was she dressed in tailored silk pajamas propped on to an extra pillow and read an article about the aorta in her preferred medical journal when she slept she slept soundly for all of two hours tossing and turning she kicked off the covers this must stop if it doesn’t you can’t continue to operate she knew the statistics if she didn’t do something to resolve her insomnia and the anxiety that accompanied it it wouldn’t be long before she’d make a critical error in surgery if she didn’t do something she’d wake up one morning after two lousy hours of sleep and find herself embroiled in a malpractice lawsuit if she didn’t do something before long she’d kill someone it could happen she’d watched the scenario play out destroying a good friend and colleague but she was at a loss she’d tried everything she could think of she’d self prescribed medications for sleep and anxiety she’d taken one hot shower after another she’d relied sometimes too heavily on the bottle she’d tried everything everything except the one thing that she needed to try seeking professional help and that wasn’t and never would be an option not if she wanted to practice medicine at the level practiced medicine she reached for her nightstand twisting the cap off of a fresh bottle of Pendelton tomorrow or rather later today she’d find time to visit a travel agency a vacation she thought swallowing her first glass in one gulp that’s what you need you need a nice long vacation twice upon a train written by ka Maul narrated by Emily Beresford you have been listening to book clips check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book if you are interested in showcasing your novel then check out the show notes for more information
