"Medical director?" Jonah chuckled. "Never thought of myself as anything like that, but I do like the way it sounds." So he said, but there seemed to be a bit more permanence to it than he cared for, and that actually frightened him in a way, although he supposed he could look on it as a challenge to live up to a commitment. But then, he liked neither challenges nor commitments! And he certainly didn't want anyone to have confidence in him whatsoever, be it his skill nor his commitment, but then, he was in it this far, and he really didn't want to disappoint the lady.
"And I suppose I can't argue with a bit of luxury now and then, although I'd prefer it didn't come with hard work!" He chuckled, but there was more than a jigger of truth to the statement. "What about you?" he asked impulsively, "What do you get from all this?" Altruism could only go so far.
"And I suppose I can't argue with a bit of luxury now and then, although I'd prefer it didn't come with hard work!" He chuckled, but there was more than a jigger of truth to the statement. "What about you?" he asked impulsively, "What do you get from all this?" Altruism could only go so far.
“What about me you ask, simple, a certain measure of revenge.” She said coldly, then, “And being able to do some good in the process. Yes, you heard me right. The Steelgrave name is synonymous evil doings, lying, cheating and stealing. Well, if I am able to do something good, where I benefit not at all, then I’ve truly accomplished something...well, something unheard of.”
She smiled as she spoke, but the words were in earnest. It was what she wanted to do, and with her fathers money to top it off. The risks were substantial for her, she had no doubt Elias Steelgrave would treat her actions as the worst form of betrayal. That could cost Leah her life, she had no doubt of that.
“So, we will have the hospital, and in time the orphanage. I promise you that you will have the luxuries you dream off, with almost no real work. Might not happen all at once, but soon after it’s built and then on going.”
"Ah, so you are going to defy the family and do the good thing?" Well, he had to admire that, and the fact that she cared to make better of herself than what her family expected. It couldn't be easy, even if your family was as bad as the Steelgraves appeared to be. "I'm more than happy to help you in that venture." At least until she was in a place where he wasn't as necessary to her goals. Funny, though, that her effort to remove herself from her family's taint, he was violating his own self-serving tenets.
"I suppose my luxuries would mean good for the community, since we'd have a hospital." He laughed and raised his wine glass. "Here's to my luxury and your revenge!"
“Jonah, the venture is not about revenge, or defiance, it’s about filling a very real need. In order to do that I must defy my family as they could care less about this town or it’s people.” His cavalier attitude stuck a chord. “And no Jonah, your luxuries will be in the way you live, the money in your pocket, along with the satisfaction of running a hospital, and not just a clinic.”
She paused and then resumed, “if you would rather not, that’s fine, I can bring someone to run the hospital and you can either run your clinic or be on staff. That is up to you, but there will be a hospital in Kalispell, and hopefully on it’s heals an orphanage.”
Seeing her mother had upset her and she realized she may have misjudged what he had said, or misinterpreted the tone. Of course she would be in defiance of her family and that came with substantial risk to life and limb, of that she was sure.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to imply that your motivations were less than noble, and I'm more than honored to help you in these projects. I just had never thought of doing anything like this. And I don't expect to become wealthy at it, after all, it seems that there will be a good deal charity work, especially if we have trouble from investors."
After all, there would still be patients paying in the form of critters and foods, and an orphanage could hardly turn down children in need, even if they didn't have the resources, so it didn't seem to be propositions that would lead to wealth. But there was no harm in seeing what it was all about.
"Just tell me what you need from me, and I'll do the best I can, considering I have no experience in any aspect of this!"
“Oh Jonah, forgiven for what, you were just being you.” Leah responded. “Understand though, I know just enough business from Elias to get this hospital built and running. Perhaps some state monies to help keep it going. What you have to do is study what a medical director does.
Of course, at first it will just be you and hopefully a staff of nurses. Other physicians will be added as we need them. Then you get to become an administrator.” She explained, not really understanding the job she was tasking Jonah with. “If we need help for anything, I’ll get it. My father taught me that much.” She was, if nothing else, confident.
“The investors will be my problem, the day to day running of the place will be yours. We’ll have a large area to service. It’s going to be grand!”
It was difficult not to get caught up in her enthusiasm, and the way she presented it, it almost seemed possible. "Well, there is time while you are laying the groundwork for me to so some research. I have colleagues in Saint Louis that I can consult with, perhaps get a book or two, so I'll be more prepared when the time comes." He grinned. "I'm thinking that there is a good deal of delegating!"
He realized that administering had to do with all manner of aspects such as ordering supplies, paying doctors and workers, maintaining the buildings and hoped there were books on the subject, it was just a matter of finding a good one.
"It is going to be grand, isn't it?" He'd never been involved with anything 'grand' before, and at the moment, the idea of being involved in a legitimate venture was intriguing.
Leah noticed that his tone was more excited than previously when it had been somewhat humorous. He was beginning to sound like a man beyond passingly interested to a man that saw the possibilities of his roll in all of this.
Jonah, it is going to fabulous!” She exclaimed. “You and I, and hopefully Miss Mercer, will actually provide this community, and the surrounding area, with the best of medical care. It will indeed be grand. Hard work at first, to be sure! But we will persever and be victorious in the end.”
She had a number of plans to make this a reality. There were contacts in the State capitol she access to, grants and funds that she could tap into. Politicians whose votes would be as critical as the funding that she could and would recruit. Hard work, but nothing she felt she could not do.
"Next thing you know, we'll have a library and a university, and be a civilized city!" He laughed, but then had to wonder if he would want to live in a place that had become so civilized that it was over-moralized and unlivable. Of course, that was a long way off, and by then he could just slip away to another wild town where he wouldn't be noticed.
"Actually, a library might not be a bad idea..." Has he actually suggested that? Boy, he was getting soft! "I might even have room now to dedicate, and we can ask around for donations." Then he laughed again. "See now what you've started? I'm too ambitious, I should just finish dinner before I start making more grand plans!"
“Jonah, a hospital and possibly the orphanage will not make Kalispell into a city, that’s going to take some time to happen, and I suspect it will one day whether we build the hospital or not. She responded, knowing that one way or another, the town would grow beyond what it was presently, which may or may not be a bad thing. “I would think the university would be a long way off, since what we have is a one room school.”
She listened to the idea of a library and she had to agree it was a great idea. Books would be easy to gather in Missoula, or Billings, or even Helena. A library would certainly be an asset for not only the school, but the citizens as well.
“Your library idea would be easy to make a reality, most certainly, but the hospital, that’s the main project we need to focus on. Well, it’s what I need to focus on and I need to get to Helena and back before the snow flies”