Mending the Doctor's Heart

by Sophia Sasson

  “He told me he would leave Guam. If that’s what it took to get you back, he would leave here forever.”

  What? Not once in their entire courtship or marriage had that notion been on the table. Nico had made it very clear that Guam was his home. Even after she threatened to go to California, he had never once considered leaving.

  “His father, he didn’t just betray us.” The words were spoken so softly, Anna wasn’t sure whether they’d been spoken at all. From the day she was introduced to Nico, she’d heard the story of how Nana had fallen in love with a marine who left her pregnant, then took up with another woman Stateside. Anna knew Nico felt responsible for his mother, who had sacrificed a lot to raise him.

  “Nico’s father left because he stole money from half the island. He convinced everyone to invest in this community center. It was supposed to have private tutors for children so they could be more competitive for colleges on the mainland, job training programs, computer classes, a place for kids to play after school so they wouldn’t get into trouble. That’s what attracted me to him, his spirit, how much he wanted to do something for the community. We all put our savings into it. They all trusted him because he was my husband.”

  Goose bumps prickled Anna’s skin. She had never heard this part of the story. Not from Nico, and not from the community.

  “One day I wake up and there’s a note on the bed stand that he’s been deployed. I didn’t think much of it—we all know soldiers get sent away. After months went by and I didn’t hear from him, I started to get worried. So I called his commanding officer. The man tells me he didn’t even know Michael was married. By now I am seven months pregnant with Nico and people are starting to ask about their money. The land Michael said he had bought for the community center was being sold to a developer to build a resort. No one knew what was going on...”

  The pain in Nana’s voice was so raw, it was as if she were describing events that happened four months ago, not four decades in the past. “There was no money in our bank account. I had to get myself a job cleaning one of the government buildings. My fourth cousin gave me the job out of pity so I could buy food. Then I get the divorce papers. I call his CO again and he tells me Michael has taken up with another woman and his tour of duty is up with the military so there’s nothing he can do.”

  Nana fell silent and Anna let the quiet linger in the room.

  “I didn’t have money to hire a lawyer. Bruno’s friend tried to fight for the money Michael took from all of us, but it was long gone. No trace of it. He was unemployed and the court in Texas where he went wouldn’t ask him to pay child support. I was fighting the case from here, now with a baby in my arms and no way to even pay for long-distance calls.”

  Anna rubbed her back. The woman was sobbing, reliving the worst pain of her life.

  “The community helped me out. They took care of me, bought me food so my baby could eat, knitted me clothes for Nico. And when I was well, the women watched him so I could go to work and take care of us. No one asked for their money back. No one filed a court case against me. No one said a word. They lost everything, their savings, their hopes and dreams, and they said nothing.”

  Anna swallowed against the lump in her throat. So that was why Nico wouldn’t leave the island. He was paying everyone back for what his father had done.

  “The only time in his entire life that Nico has said he would leave was after you went.”

  Anna closed her eyes.

  “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child. I thank the Lord every day that he gave me Nico. It’s the only reason I’ve found peace in my heart for Michael. I understand why you wanted to leave, and I don’t blame you.”

  Opening her eyes, she found Nana patting her hand. “When Nico married, you became my child too, and my heart still weeps for the pain you hold inside you.”

  Anna couldn’t hold it back any longer. Tears flooded her face and Nana pulled her close and held her, stroking her head the way a mother would when consoling a small child.

  It was as if a dam had broken inside her. Her own mother had been too focused on her various husbands to pay much attention to Anna when she was growing up. As the older sibling, she’d been responsible for making sure she and her younger sister, Caroline, made it home from school. There were always take-out meals in the refrigerator. Husband number two had been a decent man who at least tried to make them dinner. He hadn’t lasted very long. Both Anna and Caro had gone to college as far away from home as possible. As children they’d been moved from one place to another with every husband upgrade. They never belonged anywhere; home was whatever apartment or house they happened to live in. Even their furniture was often rented. All of Anna’s belongings could fit in a suitcase.

  The community in Guam, the island itself, had filled a hole in her heart. But it had also ripped it to shreds.

  “I won’t take Nico away from here. I promise you that.” And she meant it.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ANNA WAS SPENT physically and emotionally. Nico had been unconscious for twenty-two hours and six minutes. She had caught a couple of brief naps but hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since the night at the church two nights ago. Hopefully Linda Tucker would give her a few hours to rest so she could recharge and feel human again.

  When she finally found Linda, Anna couldn’t believe this was the same straight-backed rear admiral who had greeted her a few days ago. Her ginger hair was finger raked, eyes bloodshot and there was an indeterminate stain on her scrub top.

  “Are you okay?”

  Linda shook her head. “I’m running on fumes. The DMAT teams are helpful but they are still getting up to speed. Word has spread across the island that we have medical supplies and people just won’t stop coming in. I just got a call that Congresswoman Driscoll-Santiago is coming in on a military transport. Her helicopter lands in two hours.” She blew out a breath. “I don’t have time to be nice to a politician.”

  Anna bit her lip. While she’d been tending to one patient, two if you counted Nico, Linda had been running around picking up her slack. “Why don’t you go sleep for a few hours,” Anna offered. “I’ve met Congresswoman Driscoll-Santiago. We go way back—I can show her around. She’s actually very reasonable and I think she’s coming so she can ask Congress for more relief funds.”

  Linda looked at her gratefully. “How’s your ex-husband?”

  He’s not my ex yet.

  “Stable but still not able to wean from the ventilator.” Anna didn’t have to say the rest. It was understood that Nico would either heal or he would die. They had done all they could; now it was a matter of wait and see.

  Grabbing a cup of stale coffee from the makeshift canteen, Anna got to work. The first thing she did was call the medical supply company in the Philippines and ask them to prepare to ship the ECMO machine. She wasn’t giving up that easily. If Kat Driscoll-Santiago was coming, Anna had hope that they could make something happen. After checking on more than a hundred patients, she finally took a moment to wash her face. Her image in the mirror almost scared her. Heavy bags weighed down her eyes, her skin was blotchy and red in several spots. No amount of cold water would fix that, but she did manage to find a clean uniform to put on.

  Kat Driscoll-Santiago was scheduled to arrive on the helipad, and Anna wanted to look presentable. From what she’d seen of Kat’s governing style, she used the media to promote her message. There would definitely be pictures. Making sure her name tag and shoulder lapels were aligned, she walked out.

  Anna had only met Kat once, when she’d gone to see Senator Roberts’s chief of staff, Alex Santiago, who was now Kat’s husband. Kat was the senator’s daughter, and had been observing the meeting. Anna’s sister, Caro, had talked her into approaching Senator Roberts. As a lobbyist, Caro believed anything could be done if you found the right sympathetic ear. So Anna had
gone in to make a plea for more medical infrastructure on Guam while she was in Washington, DC, in between deployments. Alex Santiago had given her the brush-off but Kat Driscoll showed interest. Months later, when Kat Driscoll became Congresswoman Driscoll, she had called Anna to send her information and invited her to come to Guam. Anna sent the information but had refused to accompany the congresswoman on her trip. Even though she’d worried her refusal to come to Guam would jeopardize Kat’s support, Kat had promised Anna she would do everything she could to change the situation, and she had.

  As a territory, Guam didn’t really have representation in Congress. They had a nonvoting delegate who had little influence or power. All of the members of the House and Senate were responsible for representing their own constituents, so no one ever wanted to take up the problems of a Pacific territory that was far away from the hearts and minds of most Americans.

  But not Kat Driscoll. The congresswoman from Virginia was out to change the world and the political system. She had made quite a name for herself by being the renegade who spoke out against many unfair institutional practices. The media loved her and she had a permanent entourage wherever she went. Unlike most people in that situation, she never promoted herself, but rather used it as a platform to get support for the issues she was tackling.

  While Anna understood Linda Tucker’s annoyance at the visit, she knew Kat wasn’t coming to garner ratings or further her career. She was here to help, and maybe together they could save Baby Emma. Anna had checked on Troy and Aurelia, who were still holding their precious baby. While Emma was not out of the woods, she was hanging on, and Kat knew that if she got the ECMO machine within the day, she could save her. Just thinking about it gave her the adrenaline boost she needed to put pep in her step as she left the hospital.

  The helicopter was landing when she arrived on the front lawn. The helipad was on the roof, where two cars had landed during the tsunami, so a temporary landing zone had been cleared on the front lawn.

  Kat Driscoll-Santiago stepped off the helicopter in jeans and a T-shirt and Anna couldn’t help but smile. Most bigwigs showed up in suits and immediately melted in the tropical heat and humidity. There was only one other person with the congresswoman.

  She greeted Anna with a hug. Kat’s blond hair was tied in a ponytail, which whipped around her as the helicopter rotors slowed. Her face looked a little fuller than before, and so did her figure. Anna had learned a long time ago never to make assumptions, but her medical training told her that Kat was pregnant.

  “I’m so sorry, Anna.”

  Although the two women had only met once, Anna felt a kinship with Kat. She had given Anna hope when no one else would. Made Anna feel like she was doing something to make sense of Lucas’s sacrifice.

  “How much do you know?”

  “Only that your ex-husband is critical and things are rough here.”

  He is not my ex. Not yet.

  “Nico is strong, he will pull through.” She said the words to remind herself to believe in them.

  “I’m here to help.”

  “Good, because I need some.”

  Kat turned to introduce the woman who had accompanied her. She had green eyes and auburn hair. Even before being introduced, Anna pegged her as Vickie Roberts, Kat’s half sister and chief of staff. “Vickie is here to make sure we understand what you need and try to make it happen.”

  Vickie stuck out her hand. “I’m also Tweeting and putting pictures on social media. The regular media will pick it up and ask us for comment. The Red Cross has started a collection fund for their relief efforts here, but the only way to get real resources is to make people on the mainland care.”

  Anna nodded. That was always the problem. Every hospital in the country was chronically underfunded and had its own community to serve. No one cared about a Pacific island that was closer to Asia than it was to the United States.

  The pilot’s door opened and a man hopped down. He was wearing a polo shirt and jeans, sunglasses shading his eyes. His sandy-brown hair shone in the sun as he strode up to them. Anna got the distinct impression from his close-cropped hair and fit physique that the man was military.

  He stopped in front of Anna, then saluted. Laughing, Anna gestured for him to stop. PHS officers with medical degrees were automatically given a high rank and it was almost comical when hardened soldiers who ranked lower than her saluted. Anna still hadn’t gotten used to it. She knew the uniform created that dynamic, which was why she hated wearing it during deployments.

  “Captain Atao.”

  “Please, just call me Anna, especially since you’re out of uniform.”

  He extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Luke.” Anna smiled and took his hand. He wasn’t the kind of stiff army guy she was used to dealing with and she liked him immediately.

  “Anna, this is Lieutenant Luke Williams from the US Army, but he’s not here in an official capacity. He’s a personal friend and agreed to fly me over from Japan so we wouldn’t tie up one of the relief organization’s resources.”

  Adrenaline surged through her as she eyed the helicopter. “Can you fly that thing to the Philippines and bring back a machine?”

  Luke grinned and lifted his sunglasses, mesmerizing Anna with clear, baby blue eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

  And just like that, she felt a hundred years old, even though Luke was probably the same age as her. But it didn’t matter. Clapping her hands, she resisted the urge to hug him. He might be the answer she’d been looking for.

  Not wanting to waste any time, Anna ushered them into the hospital, explaining how they had gotten it running given the collapse of the regular hospital. She talked about the challenges of dealing with back-to-back disasters. Vickie was taking pictures with her smartphone, which apparently had a satellite connection.

  “I’m already getting a bunch of re-Tweets and shares—this will get picked up by the media in no time.”

  Making a beeline for the NICU, Anna filled Kat in on the situation with Emma. “I know the ECMO is an expensive purchase, but we’ll be able to use it on the island long after this situation.”

  “Do you plan to stay on?”

  Of course not. My deployment ends in seven days.

  “I will stay as long as I’m needed. Emma needs the machine now, and we don’t have enough doctors yet”

  Kat nodded. “I can’t make Congress move that fast, but let me make a phone call to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and see if she can repurpose some of the Ebola and Zika funds. Vickie, check if we have any chits with House Appropriations that we can use as a carrot.”

  Anna watched with a mixture of relief and horror as Kat and Vickie worked the phones, trading one favor for another. Anna lost track of how many deals they made to get to a point where they could promise the assistant secretary more funding for countermeasures in exchange for releasing the funds to purchase the ECMO.

  “Why does Health and Human Services need countermeasures?” Luke had shared Anna’s bewilderment at the entire process.

  “Medication countermeasures. It’s the assistant secretary’s pet project. Drugs to treat radiation poisoning, for example.”

  “What a cheery thought.” Maria had snuck up on them. Anna was glad to see the woman looked a little better than she had yesterday. There was a genuine smile on her face. Maria had brought “Governor Tom” with her. Once all the introductions had been made, Tom started chatting with Kat.

  Luke pulled Anna aside. “I’d like to get going right away. I know it’ll take some time to assure the Filipino company that they will get their money and to release the machine, and it’s a three-hour trip there. I’ll also have to stop at the base to get fuel. I don’t want to waste time—that baby girl doesn’t look too good.”

  Anna wanted to kiss the man. She gave him instructions on how to check the machi
ne to make sure it was the correct equipment and transport it as safely as he could given that he had to rig it in a passenger helicopter. There were still a million things that could go wrong, not the least of which was the fact that the machine itself might not work.

  Troy and Aurelia were still in the NICU. After briefly introducing them to Kat and Vickie, Anna had shooed everyone back into the hallway so the parents could still have some time with their daughter. Until the machine was here and Anna had a chance to verify that it was in working condition, she was not going to tell the parents what was going on. The constant yoyo between hope and despair was worse than dealing with bad news. If Anna couldn’t pull this off, she didn’t want to have given them false hope.

  After Luke took off in the helicopter, Maria pulled Anna aside. “Nico’s stirring. He opened his eyes. Dr. Balachandra is going to take him off the vent.”

  Anna grabbed Maria’s hand. “What are we doing here? Let’s go.”

  They excused themselves, leaving Tom to continue charming Kat. He would escort her through the rest of the hospital, then take her on a tour of the island and stop for photo ops. Kat planned to stay the night.

  When they got to the ICU, Dr. Balachandra was already there. “You made it just in time.” Anna’s heart thumped in her chest. Nico was awake.

  As their eyes connected, she put a hand to her lips, silently letting him know that he was okay and to bear with the next few minutes. He blinked to let her know he was coming back to her. It took every ounce of energy she had to remain standing.

  “Okay, Nico,” Dr. Balachandra said. “I know you understand me, so I’m going to pull the tube out. I need you to cough when I pull to expel it. Blink twice if you understand.”

  Nico blinked rapidly, then looked at Anna pleadingly. Without thinking, she flew to his side. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard. He squeezed back. Dr. Balachandra deflated the balloon that kept the tube in place and pulled it out. Nico came up coughing, his hand crushing hers. After he was done, Dr. Balachandra checked his lung sounds and proclaimed him well and breathing.