by Syndi Powell
“I haven’t given up. Not entirely.” Greg peered at him until Mateo sighed. “Okay. I gave up. But my heart couldn’t take watching most of these kids enter the prison system and come out hardened criminals. It never ends.”
“I don’t know what you want from me—”
“I want you to get your fire back. What happened to that young lawyer out to save the world? What happened to the guy who helped connect troubled youth to upstanding men and women to show them a better way?”
“I told you. He got tired of seeing his efforts result in nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re responsible for many young folks having graduated high school and gone on to college or the military. One young woman got into Harvard on a full-ride scholarship because of the meeting you set up between her and my daughter, Shelby.”
“And for each one of them, I have six who are sitting in jail or buried in the cemetery.”
“So we give up on the ones we might be able to help?”
Mateo stood and pulled out a few bills from his wallet and threw them on the table. “Greg, I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”
“Don’t give up on the neighborhood that didn’t give up on you.”
Mateo didn’t look back as he exited the diner. Determined to visit Detroit General, he hustled back to his car. Greg didn’t know what he was talking about, he told himself. He hadn’t lost his fire. Wasn’t he helping Page with not just the foster care of Ruby, but now the adoption of her baby? He might not be taking juvenile crime cases, but he could still help his neighborhood by doing these things.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, he’d almost convinced himself that he was still making the same difference. He thought of Scotty sitting in the adult jail and shook off his doubts.
He strode into the hospital and took the elevator to the sixth floor. The route had become too familiar. Page had been in ICU for the entire weekend. While her doctor was optimistic that she was fighting the infection, her pale and silent form seemed to contradict his words.
Mateo stopped in the waiting room and noticed that none of her friends were present. He could have checked the cafeteria, or perhaps they were visiting Page’s room.
“Mateo, you’re here.” Ruby rushed in and greeted him. Ruby put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. “She looks better today.”
April, who had followed Ruby, gave a small nod. “She has a little more color.”
“That’s good news.” He patted Ruby on the shoulder, and she released him. “Do you think they’ll let me see her?”
“Probably in a half hour or so. The nurses are in the middle of a shift change and going over the notes on each patient.” April pawed through her purse and handed Ruby a few dollar bills. “Can you do me a favor and get me a bottled water from the cafeteria?”
The girl nodded and left the waiting room.
April sat in a chair and motioned for Mateo to sit next to her and he did so. “I didn’t want to say this in front of her, but the infection seems to be spreading despite the medical team’s efforts.”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
April rested her elbows on her knees. “It means she’s still got a huge fight ahead of her. I can’t believe I’m admitting this but I’m kind of starting to lose hope.”
“Hey.” Mateo nudged her arm and April looked up at him with wet eyes. “Page is a fighter.”
“I know. But sometimes the battle is too big. I know I’m supposed to be the optimistic one. That I should be saying we need to stay positive, and not to give up. But I’m afraid of losing my best friend.”
Mateo put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “I’m scared of that, too.”
“Page is the one who always hopes for the best, but expects the worst.” April took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “No. I’m not going to give in to my fears. I’m going to expect her to recover. I’m planning on her standing beside me at my wedding next week.” She gave a sharp nod at her words. “She will recover.”
He wasn’t sure what to say. Wanting to agree, he was still worried for Page.
“She’s going to be waking up soon and making us look like fools for doubting her.”
He blinked, wishing he had such faith and hope.
When his turn came to visit Page, he walked into the room alone. Sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand in his. Her color looked worse than it had before. How could this be the same woman he’d walked with by the Detroit River not too long ago?
He pressed her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes. “Please fight this, Page. We all need you.”
He opened his eyes and peered at her. No response. “I need you, so you have to get better. Come back to me.”
A machine started to blare, and Mateo looked around to see what was wrong. A group of nurses ran in and immediately began pressing buttons on the machine. One checked her heart rate while another prepared a syringe. One of them looked at Mateo. “I’m sorry, sir. We have to ask you to step out.”
“Is she okay?”
“Please, sir.”
Mateo backed out of the room as a doctor pushed past him and started shouting orders to the nursing staff. He stood for several minutes watching them work on Page.
The more he watched, the more scared he felt, so he ambled back to the waiting room. April glanced up at him as he entered. “You’re all white. What happened?”
“I don’t know. A machine started going off, and a bunch of staff rushed in. They asked me to leave.”
April brought up a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. “Please, Page. Fight this.”
Mateo sank into the closest chair. He had hoped to guard his heart from exactly this kind of worry. And yet, here he sat in the hospital, waiting for word on her condition. It wasn’t supposed to have happened. She was supposed to be a client only, maybe even a friend. But this ache in his chest spoke of more than friendship.
After an excruciating wait, a doctor entered the waiting room and approached April. Mateo stood and joined them. “She stopped breathing for a moment, but we were able to clear her airways. She’s resting peaceably now.”
April nodded. “Thank you, Brad. We appreciate the update.”
“So she’s not dying?” Mateo croaked.
“No. She’s still fighting.” The doctor gave him a soft smile. “Her refusal to give up just might save her.”
“I hope so.”
The doctor left the room, and April sat down again. Mateo took the chair next to her. “I thought we’d lost her...” he said.
“I know.” She used her thumb to wipe away the moisture from her eyes. “We can’t give up on her, though.” She peered at him. “Have you?”
Mateo wasn’t sure how to answer that. He held on to the hope that she’d recover, but he wasn’t sure if he could wish for anything more.
* * *
PAGE OPENED HER eyes and glanced around the room. Okay, she wasn’t at home. The beige painted walls and medical equipment told her that she was in the hospital. She tried to sit up, but it took too much effort so she eased back down. A call button had been tied to the metal barrier on the side of her bed, so she pushed it. What seemed like an hour later, but surely wasn’t, a nurse entered the room. “You’re awake.” The nurse started to take her vitals.
“How long have I been asleep?”
The nurse made notes on her tablet. “Almost seventy-two hours. There’s family waiting to see you and I’ll call the doctor to let him know you’re awake.”
Family? Please don’t let her mother be here. She could handle almost anything except that. Her mouth was dry, but it didn’t seem like she had any water. She’d probably have to ask for ice chips when the nurse returned.
The door to her room opened and April and Ruby bu
rst inside. Page sighed with relief. Ruby ran toward her and put her arms around her, crying. “I thought you were never going to wake up.”
Page looked over Ruby’s shoulder to April. “What happened?”
“You came down with a bacterial infection that raised your temperature. They’ve been pumping you full of antibiotics to fight it.” April sat on the edge of the hospital bed. “But I agree with Ruby. It seemed you were never going to wake up.”
Ruby took a step back and wiped her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” Page closed her eyes for a moment. “Like all I want to do is sleep.”
April said, “We won’t stay long, but I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
Page opened her eyes. “I’m fine, but tired.”
Dr. Brad Wittman, a friend and colleague, came into the room. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He glanced at April and Ruby, who took turns touching Page’s hand before leaving with promises to visit later.
Page adjusted the blankets around her. “Okay, Brad. Give it to me straight.”
He put the stethoscope in his ears and listened to her breathing sounds and heartbeat for a moment then nodded and stepped back. “Good news is that you’re on the upswing. A few more days of antibiotics and rest, and you’ll be fine.”
“And the bad news?”
“You’ll probably feel as if you’ve been run over by a truck for a while. Because of the cancer, it’s going to take you longer to bounce back.” He peered into her face as if to gauge her reaction. “That means being off work for at least the next two to three weeks. I’d say to be on bed rest, but I know better than trying to keep you down for that long.”
“You’ve got to be joking. Two to three weeks?”
He looked her over. “I’ll make you a deal. If you can get out of that bed and walk across the room, I’ll change it to a week of bed rest.”
Fine. She’d prove that she could do this. She struggled to get the blankets off, but the effort overwhelmed her. Finally, she laid back on the pillows. “You win.”
“Figured I’d might. I’ll get you moved to a step-down unit now that you’re awake. We’ll get you up and moving tomorrow. As soon as you can make a lap around the ward, I’ll send you home. But I’m serious, Page. No working. Only resting. Or you could end up back here.”
She frowned at him. “Trust me. That’s the last thing I want.”
“I’ll get your transfer started. In the meantime, I’ll send your friends back to see you. They’ve been living in the waiting room since you were brought in.”
Brad left and moments later the door to her room opened. Sherri entered first, followed by a pale-looking Mateo. “You gave us such a scare,” Sherri said.
“Sorry about that.”
Sherri hugged her and then let go. Page looked up at Mateo. He stayed several feet away from her, his back to the wall, and then he began speaking. “I’ve placed Ruby in Sherri’s care until you’re 100 percent better. Judge Bond signed off on it and expects to be kept updated on your condition. He also asked for a progress report on the search for Ruby’s family.”
Page frowned at the cold, professional tone he used. He could barely look at her, wouldn’t approach her. What was his problem?
* * *
PAGE SEEMED SO FRAGILE. So unlike the feisty woman that he knew. He kept the conversation on a professional level because he couldn’t trust himself to make it more personal. If he did, he might end up crying and clinging to her.
He thought he’d lost her last night. When he’d been given permission to visit her and he’d sat at her bedside, holding her hand. Willing her to wake up. And then machines had started blaring, and medical personnel had pushed him out of the way. He’d hoped, prayed, that she’d be okay. But at the same time, he knew that he couldn’t pursue anything with her. That he wouldn’t sign up for a future of hospital rooms only to end their relationship at a grave site.
Finally, he shifted his eyes so he was looking right at her, and she frowned at him. “What did Judge Bond say about my adoption petition?”
Did she really want more bad news? He cleared his throat. “He recommended that the proceedings be placed on hold until Ruby gives birth and your health improves.” If it improves had been the judge’s actual words.
“Right.” The sour expression on Page’s face told him exactly what she was thinking. “I’m fighting a lost cause, aren’t I?” She sighed and her shoulders sagged. “Ruby will be so disappointed.”
Sherri put a hand on her shoulder. “What about you?”
Page looked up at her. “Not sure I actually expected it to happen. Hoped it would, but I figured something like that wouldn’t be possible for me. I’m sorry that I wasted your time, Mateo.”
He couldn’t stand to see her looking so defeated. “Don’t throw in the towel just yet. You’re a lot better than when I saw you last night.”
Her eyes widened at his admission. “You were here?”
Sherri nodded. “He’s been here every night since they’ve admitted you. Claims that he’s watching out for his client, but...whatever.”
Mateo wanted the floor to swallow him up. Page was paying him to look out for her interests, he’d told himself numerous times. And he’d done just that with getting Ruby into temporary foster care with his cousin and keeping Page’s hopes of adoption alive. He’d found a British case where a single woman fighting cancer had successfully adopted a toddler. When he’d brought it to the judge’s attention, Bond had warned him that one foreign scenario wouldn’t hold much sway. Especially considering Page’s current situation.
Mateo so admired that Page’s first thought had been for Ruby and her feelings. She seemed to always put other people’s feelings ahead of her own. He admired that. More than that, he loved the woman.
If only...
He looked around the room. “I should get going. Let Ruby come back again to see you.”
“Will you return later?”
He tried to ignore the hope in Page’s voice. His cousin stared, waiting for his answer. He gave a short nod. “Yes. Sure. Glad to see you doing better.”
He left the room quickly and returned to the waiting area. “Ruby, you can go back and see her.”
The girl smiled and almost ran down the hall at his words. April asked, “Did you tell her the news?”
“I told her that the adoption is on hold. That Ruby is staying with Sherri.”
April eyed him. “What about Ruby’s father?”
“That can wait until she’s stronger. I haven’t even told Ruby that I found him.”
“You can’t keep it to yourself much longer.”
“I shouldn’t have told Sherri, but she overheard the conversation and made conclusions on her own.”
“Page is stronger than you give her credit for. She can handle whatever is thrown at her.”
“I’m realizing that now.”
He greeted Dez and Zach before taking off. Page’s friends had rallied around her, which was good to see. Hopefully they’d do the same when Ruby met her dad.
* * *
“YOU ARE NOT postponing the wedding.” Page stared at April. Her condition had been improving and she hoped to be released by the end of the week, so there was no way she’d allow her best friend to do anything as crazy as change her wedding date. Plans had been made. Dresses bought. A hall reserved and food ordered. “You can’t do it.”
“I won’t get married without you.” April set down the magazine she’d been reading. “So it can wait.”
“What does Zach say?”
April smiled at the mention of his name. “That he’ll go along with whatever I want.”
“That’s sweet of you to offer to wait for me, but I can’t let you throw away everything you’ve been working toward.”
“If you’re not out by this weeke
nd, then we’ll wait.”
Brad walked into the hospital room. “Did I hear someone is ready to go home?”
April stood and moved so that he could get closer to Page. “Yes, doctor. I’m supposed to get married this weekend with Page as my maid of honor. But I told her that we can wait.”
“And I told April that she can’t postpone,” Page insisted.
The doctor removed his stethoscope from his ears and smiled. “What if April didn’t have to?”
Page frowned. “What? Like getting married here at the hospital?”
“No, what you said. About going home. The nurses told me you’ve been making circles around the floor. Your temp is down. Your energy is slowly coming up. I’d say we can send you home today.”
When Page stared at him with an open mouth, he said, “Unless, of course, you’d rather stay.”
“If you’re kidding, Brad—”
“But I want you to rest when you get home and no working for at least two weeks. Nothing more strenuous than walking and no dancing, unless it’s slow.” Brad put a hand on April’s shoulder. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thanks!” April clapped her hands. “This is the best news ever.”
Page shrugged. “Some hot Hollywood actor coming as my date would be the best news ever, but I’ll take this.” She started to scoot toward the edge of the bed so that she could change into her clothes. “I’m hoping that you’ll drive me home.”
April handed her the plastic bag with her belongings. “Of course, I will. And I’ll stay with you and Ruby until the wedding. My house is packed and ready to be moved over to Zach’s anyway.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Funny. Your foster daughter said the same thing.” April pulled the curtain around the hospital bed to give Page some privacy.
It’s funny, but the word daughter made Page smile. She’d missed living with Ruby. Seeing her face every day. She missed their routine together. Talking at night while the TV droned in the background. Eating breakfast together in the morning. Even the tiny things like seeing Ruby’s toothbrush in the cup next to hers gave her a sense of completeness.