Alex, clutching Gloria’s other hand, appeared pale and disoriented.
Despite her alarm at the children’s appearance, Robin forced a smile. “I will.”
Gloria raised her eyebrows. “So, it’s true. You’re here.”
“Yes.” Robin took a step toward her. “And you’ve brought the children. I’m so relieved you got them here safely.”
Gloria clutched the children to her sides, and Robin halted. Gloria’s eyes blazed. “They’re both very sick, you know. They need help. Why won’t anybody believe me?” She sounded petulant.
“I believe you,” Robin told her. “We made a bargain, right?”
Gloria licked her lips, uncertain.
“I keep my promises,” Robin said. “You know that.”
Alex slumped, and Gloria bolstered him with her arm.
The clock’s ticking.
Gloria eyed Robin warily. “But you turned us down back at Mountainview.”
Robin held her gaze. “I know. I couldn’t help you there. They wouldn’t let me.” She took a step forward. “But it’s a different story here. Alex can get the care he needs.”
“And Amber,” Gloria said.
Robin caught the girl’s eye. “Amber too.” She beckoned to Will, who joined her. “This is Dr. Kenton. He’s the head of oncology. He’ll take excellent care of the children.”
Will extended his hand. “Welcome to Johns Hopkins, Ms. Reyes. Nurse Perry has briefed me and brought your son’s records from Mountainview.”
Nice touch about the records.
Gloria studied Will, not yet taking his hand, clearly sizing him up. Tall and confident, he was a doctor anyone would entrust with someone they loved.
Maybe we’ll get through to her.As Gloria reached for Will’s outstretched hand, Robin noticed two men drawing closer behind her. Although their approach appeared nonchalant, she suspected they were the undercover police Brice planted. She hoped they would stay back and not make any sudden moves that might spook Gloria. Robin hadn’t used her ten minutes yet.
Gloria stiffened and pulled back her hand. Perhaps she’d seen Robin glance behind her. Her gaze darted back and forth from Will to Robin, like cornered prey. Amber took a step toward them, and Gloria clutched the girl back in her grip.
Robin eyed Alex, afraid he might be on the brink of unconsciousness. She willed herself to stay calm so Gloria wouldn’t sense her fear. Taking a breath, she allowed her eyes to wander the lobby, a silent invitation for Gloria to observe their surroundings. “It’s really something, isn’t it?”
Gloria glanced about, cautiously at first then lingering over the sculpture and bright colors. She nodded slowly.
“Quite a contrast to Mountainview.” She gave Gloria a few more moments to take it in. “Did you imagine we’d end up in a state-of-the-art medical center like this?” She hoped Will was right about the décor putting people at ease. “This is where we belong, Gloria. Everything will work out now, no more roadblocks.”
Gloria’s gaze softened. “Yes...”
At that moment, one of the undercover officers closed in. Reflexively, Robin met his eyes and shook her head. He stopped his advance.
Gloria whirled.
Amber wriggled out of her grasp and ran to Robin. “She drugged us. She’s making Alex sick.”
Robin slipped an arm around her. “It’s okay. We’ll take care of him.”
“Amber!” Ben’s voice rang across the lobby. He rushed over and scooped up his daughter.
Gloria flung both arms around Alex, holding the boy so tightly Robin wondered if he could breathe. Then she realized the drug had depressed his respiration. The boy was in a bad way.
Gloria spied Ben. “What’s going on? Why is he here?”
Suddenly, Alex went rigid. His breathing stopped.
“Alex!” Gloria’s eyes met Robin’s. “Help him.”
Robin moved toward them as Alex began to tremble violently. Gloria tried to keep her hold on the boy, but his convulsions grew too extreme. He fell to the floor, writhing. Amber shrieked.
Ben gently released her and started toward Alex. “Son...”
“Stop.” Will put out his hand. “Give him space. The boy’s having a seizure.”
With a grimace, Ben stepped back. His arm encircled Amber. “Don’t be afraid,” he told her. “It will be okay.”
Robin rushed to Alex, pulling off her jacket. She folded it and knelt beside him, gently placing it under his head. That was all she could do other than keep the others out of his way.
“You see?” Gloria cried. “I told you. Now it’s too late.” As she reached down to Alex, an undercover officer appeared on either side of her, pulling her back and securing her arms. A third joined them, brandishing handcuffs. After a brief struggle, she gave in, breaking into sobs.
As the officers led her away, Gloria cried out to Robin. “Save him. You promised!”
The look on Gloria’s face would remain indelibly etched in Robin’s brain, a mixture of terror, desperate hope, and resignation. “We will. Now please—go with these men. Let them help you.”
Will called out to the reception desk, “Have the ER bring a stretcher, STAT. He needs oxygen.”
He knelt beside Robin, the two of them watching over the convulsing child, allowing the seizure to run its course. Alex’s gaze was vacant. A yellow puddle streamed from him as he lost control of his bladder.
“A tonic-clonic seizure,” Robin murmured. Grand mal.
“And he’s cyanotic.” Will grimaced.
The bluish color of Alex’s skin meant his blood oxygen had plunged dangerously low.
“If this doesn’t stop within another couple of minutes, we’ll need to get some benzodiazepine into him,” Will said, referring to muscle relaxants that could quiet the convulsions.
“But we don’t know for sure what he’s already taken,” Robin said.
“I know.” Will shook his head.
Breathlessly, they watched and waited. Moments seemed like hours as Alex’s convulsions gradually eased then mercifully subsided, just as the emergency room staff wheeled up a stretcher.
Will gently shifted the boy onto his side to assist his breathing.
As he did, Alex’s eyelids fluttered. His gaze slowly focused on Robin. “Where am I?” he whispered.
She smiled and took his hand. “Somewhere safe, and your father’s waiting to see you.”
SIXTY-THREE
AMBER
LYING IN A BED feels really good, even if it’s in a hospital room. They said I have to stay here tonight. It’s not too bad. They brought me some scrambled eggs and toast. Somebody must have told them I like breakfast for dinner.
Robin sits by my bed, keeping me company. Dad’s still in that emergency room, where they took Alex.
Robin brushes my hair back from my forehead. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
I shake my head. “I want to wait for Alex. Is he going to be okay?”
“I think so,” she says. “We’ll take good care of him.”
“Robin? Why did she pretend he had cancer and give him those drugs?”
She sighs. “Alex wasn’t the sick one. Gloria was. She’ll get help now, and maybe one day she’ll be well.”
Maybe. But I don’t think I ever want to see her again. “Is he really my brother?”
She tells me he is.
At least Gloria didn’t lie about that. I guess we’ll still get to see each other. Jaden will be totally thrilled to have a brother of his own. He doesn’t know how great it is to have one. And I’ll have two. When he’s well enough, Alex can take a turn walking Nina. As I think about all that, my eyes start to close.
Next thing I know, I hear voices as people come into the room.
“Look who’s here.” Dad pushes a wheelchair with Alex sitting up in it. He’s pale, but his face isn’t all blue like before.
“Hey,” I say.
He grins. “Hey.”
That nice doctor follows them into the r
oom. “All right, young man,” he says to Alex. “Welcome to Hotel Martin. Let’s get you settled in.”
He and Dad wheel Alex to the other bed. In a moment, the curtain around it opens, and they tuck my new brother in, making him comfy. The doctor shows Dad a pull-out bed so he can sleep here with us, our own family suite. I can’t wait till Jaden hears about this.
A nurse comes in with a bag hanging from a pole and a tube dangling from the bag. I know that’s an IV line. I hope it’s not for me. She wheels it over to Alex and pokes a needle right into his hand. I cover my eyes, but he doesn’t make a sound. He’s really brave.
“Saline solution,” the doctor tells Dad. “To keep him hydrated. We’ll monitor him closely tonight.”
The nurse checks Alex’s blood pressure, but he can hardly keep his eyes open. He yawns.
“Goodnight,” I tell him.
“You too,” he says.
Dad leans over and kisses Alex on the forehead. “Sleep well, son.” Then he comes and gives me a kiss too.
Gloria lied. I know he loves me.
Dad shakes the doctor’s hand. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.” He looks at Robin. “Bless you, Bird. You saved their lives.” He gives her a hug.
My eyes close. I hear the doctor talking to Robin as they walk out. “So, how do you like working here so far?”
She laughs. “You mean I’m already on the payroll?”
“I’ll spring for dinner. Will that do for now?” he says.
“It’s a start,” she tells him.
She’s really going to stay and work with that guy, just when I started to like her—a whole lot. I guess I’ll have to come visit her, is my last thought before I fall asleep.
SIXTY-FOUR
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
ROBIN RANG BEN’S DOORBELL, having long since given back her key.
He opened the door and grinned. “Good to see you, Bird. You look sensational.” He gave her a friendly peck on the cheek. “Baltimore must be treating you well.”
“It is.” Robin smiled to herself, recalling Will’s sendoff that morning before she’d left for the train station. “My job is wonderful. Getting this opportunity was such a break. Now I’m actually learning something about clinical research instead of flying by the seat of my pants.” And I’m reporting to a brilliant boss instead of an idiot. She glanced around. “Where are the kids?”
“I sent the three of them out with Nina. It’ll give us a few minutes to talk. Come on.” He led her to the living room, and they sat facing each other. “It’s terrific of you to come up and take them out for the day.” He smiled ruefully. “I don’t mind admitting I could do with a day off.”
“I’m happy to do it.” Robin recognized the irony. All those times she’d wanted Ben to herself without his kids, and now the tables had turned. She recalled a proverb, Chinese maybe. When you save a life, you become responsible for it. “I’d like to take them to the Museum of Natural History.”
“They’ll love it.”
She grew serious. “How are they doing? They’ve been through so much.”
“Kids are resilient.” Ben shrugged. “Amber and Jaden are back to normal. Well, a new and improved normal now that she’s on ADHD meds. The family therapy is helping us all.”
“Alex too?”
“Yup. The four of us go for weekly sessions. He sees an individual therapist as well.”
“That’s good. Is he fully recovered from the drugs?”
“Fully,” Ben said. “He’s even starting school.”
A major milestone. “Even better. And Gloria?”
“Still in long-term treatment, thanks to the court order.” He shook his head. “I’m grateful she didn’t try to fight it. It made things easier for Alex. I suspect she hopes that being a model patient will allow her to see him again.”
Robin glowered. “Will she?”
“Only if she’s judged to be sufficiently recovered so as not to pose a risk. And even then, her visits would be supervised.”
“And Alex? Do you think he wants to see her?”
Ben pondered a moment. “He doesn’t talk about her—at least not with me. I’m hoping his individual therapist is broaching the subject.”
“I don’t know.” Robin winced. “The idea of her getting anywhere near Alex frightens me. On the other hand, maybe Gloria’s willingness to be the patient instead of making her son one is progress.”
“Hmm. Interesting spin to put on it.” Ben hesitated. “Bird? Before the kids get back with Nina, I—I want to tell you again how very sorry I am.” He swallowed. “For misleading you, for putting you in harm’s way.” He sighed. “For everything.”
Robin gave him a wry smile. “You must be seeing a really good therapist.” She reached over and patted his hand, feeling a wave of affection for him yet no regrets about having moved on. “I think it’s all working out for the best.”
The clamor of voices and skittering of canine claws on the entryway tile announced the children’s return.
Jaden reach the living room first. “She’s here!”
Nina barked. Amber and Alex rushed into the room.
“Robin!” Amber ran to hug her. “Are you really gonna spend the whole day with us?”
“Absolutely.” She gave each of the boys a hug, Jaden eager, Alex still shy. “Are you guys up for a trip into the city?”
“Totally,” Amber said.
“Sure.” Alex smiled.
“For real?” Jaden asked.
Robin tousled his hair. “For real. Now let’s go visit some dinosaurs.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Suffer Little Children is a work of fiction. For the sake of realism, the story is set against the backdrop of an actual research program conducted by the National Cancer Institute. MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) is a precision medical cancer treatment clinical trial using genomic sequencing to identify genetic changes in patient tumors that can be targeted by existing drugs. A Pediatric MATCH treatment trial is currently underway but had not yet launched during the time in which the novel is set. None of the characters or events are actual or intended to disrespect these state-of-the-art programs. The references to Johns Hopkins Hospital are a nod to a respected medical facility, where my late husband received treatment. The developments depicted as occurring there are entirely imaginary.
I’m grateful for the medical input I received from Linda Fleisher, PhD, MPH, Cancer Education Specialist and Researcher, and my husband, Dan Hansburg, MD, PhD, JD, research pathologist turned patent attorney. I doubt I would have had the nerve to attempt a thriller dealing with cancer research had Dan not been there to help launch me on the right track.
Many thanks to fellow writers Peter LaMaster and Valentina Pagliai (pen name, Sidney Nesti) and to John Agar for their thoughtful critiques and suggestions. And without the highly supportive and constructive content editing provided by Alyssa Hall and line editing by Amanda Kruse of Red Adept Publishing, Suffer Little Children would be a far less satisfying read than I hope you will find it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and winner of the 2020 Independent Press Award for Psychological Thriller for her novel Tell on You, which also won the 2019 NYC Big Book Award for Suspense and was a 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award Thriller Finalist. She also authored the psychological/medical thriller Shrink Rapt. Freda is co-author with Mel Silberman of two self-help books, including the bestselling practical guide, PeopleSmart: Developing Your Interpersonal Intelligence, translated into a dozen languages. Freda lives on Hilton Head Island, where she is working on her next suspense novel and her pickleball game.
www.fredahansburg.com
www.facebook.com/FredaHansburgAuthor
www.twitter.com/@FredaHansburg
About the Author
Freda Hansburg is a retired psychologist who uses her understanding of human nature to create novels of suspense. Her award-winning psychological thrillers feature compelling
characters and surprising plot twists.
Luckily for Freda, she lives on Hilton Head Island, an idyllic setting that furnishes sunny respite from her dark stories. She soothes her wild imagination by sitting on a dock that overlooks the intracoastal, where she watches the dolphins and pelicans fishing.
Freda is an avid Pickleball player, who has spent her entire adult life being mistaken for Carol Burnett.
Read more at Freda Hansburg’s site.
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