by Rhonda Bowen
“So you want to induce?” Sheree asked.
Simon paused. “Because of the extent of the separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, the safest option for you and the baby right now is a C-section.”
Tears pooled in Sheree’s eyes almost immediately, and although Simon kept his face relaxed, he felt like a hand had tightened around his heart. He had spent so much time with Sheree and her family in the past few weeks that he had formed an emotional bond with her, and he hated seeing her upset. But he knew this would be best for her.
Simon watched Dean take her hand and her fingers tighten around his.
“But you mentioned that you were trying to avoid that,” Dean said.
Simon nodded. “And before last weekend, it might have been possible. But with the level of blood loss you experienced, Sheree, we believe that the separation may now be severe. This is the best way to ensure that both you and baby come out of this with the best health possible.”
Sheree nodded, swiping at tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Okay. If you say this is the safest way, I believe you. When can we do it?”
“We booked tentatively for you early tomorrow, but if you think you could manage it, we would like to try for this evening. I have contacted the anesthesiologist and the surgical team, and they can be available.”
Simon avoided mentioning his other worry, that Sheree was showing preliminary indicators of declining kidney function. If unchecked, that could lead to a new set of health problems that would make delivery even more complicated and dangerous if delayed much longer.
“I can have everything ready for you to sign off on in a couple minutes, and then the nurse will prep you for the surgery,” Simon explained. “We’re going to have to move you to an operating room, but that’s just down the hall. If there’s anyone you want to call, you should do so now.”
“JJ,” Sheree said, turning to Dean. “I want to talk to her.”
Dean glanced up at Simon at the mention of his sister’s name. Simon met his gaze blankly. He knew less about where JJ was and what she was doing than the rest of them. And as he prepared to take Sheree’s and her baby’s lives in his hands, he couldn’t afford to be thinking about JJ even a little.
“She’s gone,” Dean said, dropping his eyes back to Sheree. “You know that. She got on the bus to Boston two days ago.”
“I know,” Sheree said, the tears rolling down her cheeks. “But I need her. Can you try to call her again? Please? I just need to talk to her . . .”
Simon knew he didn’t need to be here for this. He stood up.
“I’ll just be outside.”
He pushed through the hospital door and strode down the hall, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. This was one of the times he wished he was better at separating himself from his patients. Nigel was excellent at that, at compartmentalizing everything. That’s what made him great with MSF. They could send him into situations that went completely against his morals, that challenged every fiber of his being, and he would go in and do his best work. Simon? Simon’s emotions were a little less flexible. They were like a river constantly running through him, which he sometimes found difficult to dam up.
“Nurse Thompson, can you call Dr. Brighton and let him know the surgery is a go for this evening?” Simon said, stopping at the nurses’ station. “And can you call the anesthesiologist and let him know he can come down in about forty-five minutes? You should be done prepping Mrs. Isaacs by then, right?”
“Should be,” Janice said. “Shouldn’t take long.” She gave Simon a sympathetic look. “So you finally broke it to her about the C-section.”
Simon nodded. “I really hoped we could have done a natural birth. She’s young, and it’s her first child.”
“Who’s going to be born alive and at full term, thanks to you,” Janice said reassuringly. “Don’t beat yourself up. You’ve been great for her. She’s lucky to have you. All of them are.”
Simon chose to ignore the last comment. “I’m gonna go put together the consent forms. I’ll see you down there in a bit.”
Tension slipped into Simon’s shoulders as he walked into the doctors’ lounge. He had known for a few days that this might be necessary, but he still didn’t like it. There were so many risks with a C-section. Potential injuries to the bladder or bowel, higher risk of infection, longer recovery time. He would do his best, but there were so many things that could happen.
Glad that the room was empty, he sank onto the couch, put his head back, and closed his eyes. This was his God time. He didn’t know if he would have time for it again before the surgery, so he had to get it in now. He needed it. Needed the peace that came from just those few moments with the God who was in control of everything. Simon already knew that he wasn’t doing this surgery; the one who knows the intricacies of every human being was doing it. He was just using Simon’s hands.
In the stillness of the room, he remembered all the times that God had used his hands to do so much more with so much less. So many times he had delivered babies with nothing more than clean towels and hot water. Times when he had correctly diagnosed conditions just like Sheree’s, without ultrasounds or extensive blood tests. That voice of quiet assurance had guided him in those moments, and it would guide him now.
Peace flowed quietly over Simon in waves so gentle they rocked him into a calm state only shades away from sleep. When he finally opened his eyes and stood up, the tension was gone. His limbs were relaxed, his body and mind refreshed.
By the time he got back to Sheree’s room, it was full. All of JJ’s sisters were there, even one he had never met before but recognized from JJ’s descriptions. JJ’s mother was clasping Sheree’s hands and saying something quietly to her. On Sheree’s other side sat a very tall gentleman who Simon had never seen before but whose resemblance to Sheree declared him to be her brother. Sydney’s hands on his shoulders confirmed that he was also the fiancé that Simon had been told about over JJ’s kitchen counter. The whole family was here.
“Whoa, looks like we have a full house,” Simon said, barely able to get into the room.
“Hey, Dr. Massri,” Sydney said. “We know we can’t stay, but we just wanted Sheree to know we’re all here for her.”
Sydney’s fiancé stood and Simon had to look up a bit.
“I’m Sheree’s brother Hayden,” he said, stretching his hand out to Simon. “I hear you’ve been taking great care of her. Thank you so much.”
Simon nodded. “God’s been taking care of her. So has this amazing family that you’re marrying into.”
Hayden smiled and exchanged a look with Sydney. “I know.”
With the forms signed and everyone kicked out of the room, the anesthesiologist arrived to give Sheree a spinal block to numb the lower part of her body for the surgery. Once she was all prepped, it was time. Simon opted to walk with her as they wheeled her into the operating theater. Dean was nearby, dressed in scrubs, looking more nervous than Sheree.
“You guys are doing great,” Simon reassured them. “The whole thing should take an hour, and then your baby will be here.”
However, as they began the process of transporting her from the room, Simon could see the panic start.
“Wait.” Sheree’s breathing was accelerated as she gripped the sides of the gurney. She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can,” Dean said, leaning down. “You’re almost there.”
“No, I can’t . . .” She was crying now. Simon slipped his fingers around her wrist, checking her pulse. He glanced up at Nurse Thompson and shook his head. It was racing slightly. This was not good.
“Sheree,” he began in the calmest tone he could muster, “I’m gonna need you to try and relax. Try taking a deep breath . . .”
She was still sobbing. Dean looked up at him helplessly. Simon took a deep breath of his own. This was not what he wanted to be happening right now.
Just then the door to the room flew open.
“I’m here
, I’m here. Has she had the baby yet?”
Simon felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him as Judith burst into the room. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she had been running, but her eyes were bright as they swept the room, pausing a moment on him but ultimately settling on Sheree, whose face broke into a huge grin.
“JJ!”
Sheree reached out and grabbed the woman’s arm like a lifeline. JJ managed to embrace her sister-in-law without pulling out any of the cords attached to her. They both were crying.
“Thank God you’re here!”
“I couldn’t miss this. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here before, hon.”
“It’s okay, you’re here now,” Sheree said between sniffles.
“Oh, I can’t believe you’re having the baby!”
“I know! Oh God, I’m going to be a mother!”
“I know!”
Simon cleared his throat, hating to interrupt the two but knowing that there was an operating room full of professionals, prepped and waiting to perform the surgery.
“We have to go,” he said gently to Sheree.
JJ untangled herself from Sheree. “I’ll be right outside, honey.”
“No!” Sheree gripped JJ’s arm so tightly Simon could see her fingers pressed into the woman’s flesh. “You have to come with me.”
“Sheree, I can’t,” JJ said, glancing between Simon and her sister-in-law. “You already have Dean.”
“No, I need you too,” Sheree insisted, her voice bordering on hysterical. “Dr. Massri, please, please let her come in with me. I can’t do this without her.”
“Please, Doctor,” Dean added. “JJ’s been here through all of this. I know Sheree would feel more relaxed during surgery if she was there.”
Simon took another deep breath then glanced toward the clock. They were already a few minutes late. He looked over at Nurse Thompson. She shrugged, silently telling him it was up to him, but he could see the slight smile that played at the corner of her lips.
“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “But you need to be in scrubs. And we can’t wait more than five minutes for you.”
JJ’s face broke into a smile that nearly did Simon in.
“Thank you.” She jumped up and rushed back through the doors.
“Go to—”
“I know!” he heard her reply from the hallway. His eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“She volunteered here all through college,” Nurse Thompson explained. “She probably knows more about where everything is than you do.”
Simon sighed and nodded toward the door. As they wheeled Sheree out of the room and down to the OR, he said a silent prayer for Sheree, for the baby, and for himself. They were all going to need God if they planned to make it through the next hour.
Chapter 48
He was beautiful.
Dominique Royce Isaacs was the most gorgeous thing JJ had ever seen, and as she gazed at him through the glass at the hospital nursery, tears sprang to her eyes. How could she have even considered missing this, the birth of her first nephew?
“God, you are truly awesome. Thank you for bringing me here in time for this,” she whispered.
“Thank you for coming back for this. Sheree got through this so much easier because of you.”
JJ smiled at her brother’s comment but kept her eyes on Dominique.
“I think Sheree was the one who got me through everything. Dominique too,” JJ said. “Look at him. It really puts everything into perspective, doesn’t it?”
Dean chuckled. “That it does.”
She looked over at her brother as he gazed at his son. “Congratulations, Daddy.”
His grin spread wider. “Thank you.”
They stared at the little bundle of happiness, fogging up the glass with their coos and smiles until their mother came down and eased them aside to make space for herself.
“Look at my little grandson,” Jackie cooed. “He looks just like his grandma.”
“What?” Lissandra said, squeezing between JJ and her mother. “He does not. He clearly looks like me. Do you see those eyelashes?”
“You all have got to be joking,” Hayden said, coming up behind them. “You know he’s got those Windsor genes, strong and mighty. Look at those shoulders.”
“Aww, baby, you’re seeing things again,” Sydney said, slipping an arm around his waist. “I told you, you need to go get your eyes checked.”
They all laughed, and a warmth that JJ hadn’t experienced in a long time spread through her. She had missed her family, more than she realized.
“Quit hogging the window, JJ.” JJ’s younger sister Zelia wiggled her tiny frame in front of JJ, effectively stealing her spot at the now crowded window. “Isn’t it enough that you got to be in the room for the delivery? You think you can just win favorite aunt like that? You’re gonna have to fight me for it.”
JJ laughed but willingly surrendered the spot to Zelia, who promptly put her arm around her brother in a hug. JJ sighed. Zelia was right. She had spent a significant amount of time ogling Dominique. It was time to go back and see how the new mother was doing.
By the time she got to Sheree’s room, the woman was stirring.
“JJ, how is my sweetheart?”
JJ smiled. “So perfectly beautiful and so beautifully perfect. Can you believe Lissandra was right about it being a boy?”
“I can, actually,” Sheree said with a weak smile. “You know your sister is a know-it-all.”
JJ laughed. “You’re right.”
She slipped into the chair near Sheree’s bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired and sore, even though I’ve been sleeping for so many hours. But Dr. Massri said it will be like that for a while. He said everything looks fine though. They’re keeping me under observation for a few more days, then I should be able to go home.”
“We’ll have to switch your bedroom to the one downstairs,” JJ said. “That way you have everything on one level.”
Sheree bit her lip, and JJ raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, spit it out,” JJ said.
“Dean wants me to move in with him at your mom’s guesthouse,” Sheree said.
JJ opened her mouth to respond, but when she saw how closely Sheree was watching her, she pressed her lips together. After a long moment, she spoke. “What do you think?”
Sheree sighed and put her head back. “I think he’s caught up in the moment and wants to think he can be super dad. He doesn’t realize how difficult things will be while I’m recovering.”
JJ let out a sigh. Thank God Sheree was thinking the same way she was. There was no way Dean would be able to take care of Sheree on his own. But he wouldn’t understand if anyone other than Sheree told him that.
“I want to stay with you, with Sydney, even Lissandra,” Sheree said. “I like having all of you around all the time. I feel safer. You think your sisters will mind having a baby around?”
“Ha! I think they’ll love it,” JJ said. “You should see the way they’re staring at that poor fellow in the nursery. They are going to spoil him rotten.”
Sheree smiled. “What about you? Will you be around to spoil him rotten?”
JJ smiled. “As much as I can be.”
“That’s what I like to hear!”
“Speaking of being around, where is that doctor of yours?” JJ asked. “I haven’t seen him since he left the OR yesterday. And that was almost twenty-four hours ago.”
Sheree’s smile faded. “He didn’t tell you?”
JJ felt coldness slice through her. “Didn’t tell me what?”
Sheree shifted uncomfortably. “That he is leaving. He passed my care on to Dr. Brighton. The baby is born and healthy, and I’m stable, so his work with me is mostly done. Whatever specialist care is still needed can be handled by Dr. Brighton.”
JJ stood up. “He’s gone?”
“As far as I know,” Sheree said with concern. “Today was his last day. In fact, he came by to say good-bye right be
fore you got here.”
JJ ran her fingers through her hair, shreds of panic ripping through her.
“He’s gone. Again.” Her breathing was starting to disintegrate into short gasps. “I’m never going to see him again.”
“What are you talking about?” Sheree said. “You know where he lives. Didn’t you say you went to his house? Just go talk to him. Fix this thing between the two of you.”
JJ shook her head. “No . . . you don’t understand. He’s leaving. He has a job in Malawi waiting for him . . .”
“Oh no,” Sheree said, her eyes widening
But JJ was already grabbing her purse and heading toward the door. “I gotta go.”
Chapter 49
She rushed down the hallway toward the stairs, holding on tight to the railing as she flew down the steps. Thank goodness she was wearing running shoes, or she would have fallen on her face a hundred times over.
How could he just leave without saying good-bye? Was he that done with her? How could their feelings for each other just dry up like that?
They couldn’t. She refused to believe they could. She had to talk to him. She wasn’t going to let him walk away again without a fight. She just had to find him first.
Her memory was firing on all cylinders and she found her car without a problem, swinging it out of the hospital parking lot so fast she almost hit a black Lamborghini coming out from a side lot. She heard brakes screech and smelled burning tires, but felt no impact. Thank God. She did not need to add a car accident to this day.
The door to the luxury sports car flew open and the driver jumped out.
“Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing! This is a four-hundred-thousand-dollar car!”
JJ couldn’t have been happier to see the angry face glaring at her windscreen.
“Nigel!”
She jumped out and raced over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Where is he?”