MERCY: A novel

MERCY: A novel

Catalina Richardson is both dedicated nurse and black sheep of Mercy Hospital where, in the chaos of the infamous Ward Two, she is torn between the demands of being a nurturing caregiver and being choked by hospital politics. With little sanity left in her packed days, and with only the sanctuary of a cramped linen closed to sustain her, Cat is slowly losing her patience and her mind. That is, until an intriguing police detective investigating the brutal beating of a celebrated artist brings a ray of hope into Cat's frantic and lonely existence. Before romance, however, comes the care of the patients who pull her back from burnout to compassion: <br />CROSS—the famous young artist whose psychopath boyfriend nearly kills her. He tries again, only to have Catalina get in his way <br />CORKY—the All American teen from a happy family, except Corky has attempted suicide and will do it again before telling anyone the nightmarish truth behind it <br />PROFESSOR DEAN—a victim of AIDS whose gentle courage and love of life bring the fight home to Cat <br />STELLA—95 years old and full of piss and vinegar, but her determination to keep a 45 year old bloody tragedy hidden is slowly beginning to wane <br />WALKER—A San Francisco bartender and father of the precocious 8 year-old Zoe, is dying from cancer. He refuses to let go until he finds the answers to what his life was all about