ErHnda Perez came to the door and inspected Kerney's badge. "What does the Forest Service have to do with this?" she asked. Nurse Perez, a thin, middle-aged woman with a long, narrow nose, had coal-black eyes and a rather stern demeanor. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer. "We found the gentleman," Stiles said in Spanish, before Kerney could speak, giving the nurse his most winning smile. "We're interested in how he's doing." Erlinda relaxed a bit. She answered in English for the other man's benefit. "Mr. Padilla will be with us for a while. He had a stroke a few hours after he was admitted." "Is he oriented?" Kerney inquired. "Not to time, place, or person," Erlinda responded. "We have him stabilized, but it will be some time tomorrow before the doctor can determine the extent of the cerebral damage." "What's your prognosis?" Kerney queried. "I'm not a doctor," Erlinda replied. "That's why I asked." Erlinda smiled.
