by Ann McMan
Syd smiled at her. “I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“I do, too.” Elise looked back at Maddie. “I haven’t seen Ada yet today. I was hoping we’d hear from her doctor while we’re here. No one has updated me on her condition yet.”
Maddie nodded. “I spoke with the head of the unit last night. He told me that Dr. Patel would be making rounds midday today, so hopefully, we can speak with him. We’re in luck. I actually have a slight connection to him. He studied at UVA with a good friend of my father’s.”
“Really?” Elise sounded amazed. “That’s a small world.”
Maddie smiled. “Medicine is really like a big game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. If you look hard enough, we’re all connected in one way or another.”
Henry tugged on Maddie’s sleeve. “What’s kevin bacon?”
Maddie looked at Syd. “Do you wanna take that one, Shortie? I’m gonna go talk with the charge nurse.”
Syd rolled her eyes. “Come on, Henry. I brought some photos of Pete to show you. We can sit down over here while Maddie checks on your grandma.”
“Okay.” He took hold of Syd’s hand without hesitation. They walked to the waiting room, while Elise excused herself to call her husband.
Maddie approached the nurse’s station.
A harried-looking nurse, carrying an armload of patient folders appeared from behind a large center kiosk. She noticed Maddie standing there and looked up at her over the rim of her glasses. “May I help you?”
Maddie gave her one of her biggest and warmest smiles. “I hope so. I’m Dr. Stevenson, and I spoke last night with Dr. Grainger about your patient, Ada Lawrence. I’m here to visit with her, and, hopefully, to get a few minutes to confer with her attending, Rashid Patel. Can you tell me if Dr. Patel is making his rounds yet?”
The nurse nodded as she dropped her stack of folders on top of a desk and turned to address a tall, white-haired man in bright green scrubs. “Larry, have you seen Dr. Patel yet this morning?” Larry shook his head. “No, but I’ve been down at the pharmacy all morning, so I might have missed him. I’d ask Lisa. He usually checks in with her.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Stevenson. Let me try to locate Dr. Patel for you. In the meantime, I’ll get Lisa Atkins—she’s been taking care of Mrs. Lawrence this morning and she can update you on her condition.”
Maddie nodded gratefully and glanced down at the nurse’s nametag. “Thank you, Wendy. I really appreciate your help.”
Wendy smiled. “It’s no problem.” She pressed an intercom button. “Lisa, can you come by the front desk when you get a second?”
“Sure. Be right there,” a crackly voice responded.
“ARE YOU A doctor like Maddie?” Henry asked Syd, once they were seated on a mauve- and teal-colored sofa in the waiting room. It was covered with a vivid and random pattern of indiscernible shapes.
Syd wondered absently why the upholstery on hospital furniture always looked like it was about ready to leap from its frame and suffocate you.
She shifted her full attention to Henry. “No, sweetheart. I work in a library. Have you ever been to a library?”
He nodded and pulled out two, shopworn hardback books from a small Transformers backpack. “Mrs. Manning took me to the library with Jason, and I got these books about Harry.” Syd took the copies of the Gene Zion classics from him and smiled when she noticed the Cabarrus County Public Library stamp on the covers.
“I read these books when I was little, too.”
“You did?” Henry was incredulous. “Harry must be really old.”
Syd laughed. “Well, he’s a very special dog.” She held up one of the books. “I especially liked this story about the awful sweater.”
“Me, too.” He looked at her. “Does Pete have a sweater?”
“No. Pete has very thick, yellow hair, so he doesn’t need a sweater.”
“Does he get hot in the summertime?”
“Sometimes. But he has a big pond to swim in, and that keeps him cooled off when the days are too hot.”
“I like to swim. My daddy taught me how in the big Army swimming pool.”
“I know you miss your daddy. I bet he’s really proud of how well you’re trying to help your grandma.”
Henry nodded. “I talked to him last night. He told me to be good and to do whatever Gramma says. I told him about Maddie. He said that Gramma told him she was coming to visit and to see me. He sounded happy about that.”
“I’m glad. Maddie likes you a lot.”
“I know.”
Syd smiled at the simple truth of his acknowledgement. “Do you want to see my pictures of Pete?”
He nodded vigorously and scooted closer to her. Syd reached into her bag and withdrew an envelope full of pictures she had collected that morning. She showed him snapshots of Pete lounging on the front porch of the farmhouse, swimming in the pond, and catching tennis balls. She also had a photo of Maddie posing with Pete, next to her blue and yellow airplane. Henry was fascinated with the photo and looked at it over and over.
“Would you like to keep that picture?” she asked.
His blue eyes grew round. “Can I?”
“I’m sure it would be fine. I think Maddie would like for you to have it.”
“Thanks.” He tucked the photo inside his backpack. “Do you live on the farm with Maddie?”
Syd was uncertain about how to answer him. “Sort of. I’m staying there with her for a while.”
“Do you like it?”
She smiled. “Very much. It’s a wonderful place to live.”
“Maddie said I could come and visit if it was okay with Gramma.”
“I’m sure she’d like that. We both would.”
“You’re really nice. I’m glad you’re Maddie’s girlfriend.”
Syd wanted to hug him. “I am, too. She’s very special.”
“Like Harry?”
“Well, sort of. But unlike Harry, Maddie doesn’t like to dig in the dirt.”
He giggled. “I do.”
“That’s because you’re a little boy, and that’s what little boys do.”
“I could dig in the dirt with Pete.”
“You could. Pete likes to hide his tennis balls.”
Henry looked confused. “Why?”
“I’m not sure.” She leaned closer. “Maybe you can ask him.”
“Okay,” he said.
MADDIE WAS STILL in conversation with Lisa Atkins when the elevator doors opened, and a man wearing blue scrubs and a short white jacket stepped off and approached her. He went to where they stood.
“Are you Dr. Stevenson?” She nodded, and he extended his hand. “I’m Rashid Patel—Mrs. Lawrence’s doctor.” They shook hands. “I understand you know Arthur Leavitt? He was my adviser at UVA.” He smiled. “How is he? I haven’t seen him in years.”
Maddie smiled back. “He was well enough when I saw him at the end of March. Feisty as ever.”
“That sounds like him. Is he still running the ER there?”
“Yep. As tight a ship as ever.”
Patel shook his head. “Some things never change. Has Lisa been bringing you up to speed on Mrs. Lawrence?”
“She has.” Maddie turned to the duty nurse. “And I thank you for your time, Lisa. You’ve been very helpful.”
“No problem, Doctor. Now that Dr. Patel is here, I’ll let him finish briefing you.” She handed Ada’s chart to Patel, before nodding to them both and turning to head back to the acute care wing.
Patel touched Maddie on the elbow. “Let’s get out of this hallway so we can talk more privately.” They walked a few feet and entered a small staff break room, where they sat down at a table topped with chipped Formica. “Would you like some coffee?” He gestured at a pot that looked like it had seen better days.
“No, thank you for offering.” Maddie sat back and folded her arms. “I appreciate your willingness to discuss Mrs. Lawrence’s condition with me. I am certain this probably seems a tad irr
egular.”
“Not at all. I’m actually relieved to know that she has someone knowledgeable interested in her recovery. She told me about your friendship with her grandson. I know she’s very worried about how to manage his care during her convalescence.”
“Lisa indicated that she might be facing some inpatient rehab. Can you elaborate on that?”
“Of course.” He opened her folder. “As near as we can tell, she suffered an ischemic stroke from thrombosis related to atherosclerosis.”
Maddie nodded. “Any hemiparesis or aphasia?”
“Mild hemiparesis on the right side with compromised balance and loss of some motor control. Slight aphasia. She tires easily. She’ll need a better dietary regimen to keep her diabetes in check and to lower her cholesterol. She won’t be returning to work any time soon—if at all. I am recommending inpatient rehab—probably three to six weeks—followed by in-home care.”
“Do you know if she has adequate insurance?”
He nodded. “Fortunately, she works for one of the few textile mills in the county that actually provides health care coverage to its full-time employees. And she has some supplemental income from her late husband’s social security pension.”
“Have you talked with her son?”
“Yes. The Military One Source field officer was very helpful getting us in touch with Corporal Lawrence. He understands the situation and realizes that we may have to look into a foster care arrangement for Henry. There are no other living relatives, and the neighbor, Mrs. Manning, is unable to care for him full time. His tour of duty in Afghanistan is likely to last another twelve to fourteen months. The Army has a Child Development Center office in Salisbury, and they’re sending a case worker over to assess the situation and make a recommendation for Henry’s care.”
Maddie sighed. “Does Henry know any of this?”
“No. Mrs. Lawrence wanted to talk with you before telling him anything.”
“Me?” Maddie was surprised. “Why?”
Patel shrugged. “I honestly can’t say. Would you like to go and see her now? I was just about to start my rounds.”
“Yes, that would be great. I can’t thank you enough, Dr. Patel, for your consideration, and for the interest you’ve obviously taken in the Lawrence family.”
“No need to thank me. I was an Army brat myself, and I know what it’s like to get shuffled around in the system. I always do whatever I can to help out another service family.” He stood up. “Come on. Let’s go and talk with her. I know she’ll be glad to see you.”
Maddie stopped and stole an anxious glance down the hallway toward the waiting room before they made their way back toward the acute care area. She could see Henry huddled close to Syd on the end of a couch. It looked like they were reading a book. Elise Manning was nowhere in sight, but Maddie could see her large quilted bag on the floor at Henry’s feet. Syd looked up as Maddie stood watching them, and their eyes met. Maddie raised an eyebrow in question, and Syd smiled at her, before returning her attention to Henry and the book.
Ada Lawrence recognized Maddie at once. She was wan and tired, and her speech was slightly impaired, but there was no mistaking her surge of adrenalin when she saw Maddie enter her room.
“Thank you for coming. I hope it was okay to ask Elise to call you. I didn’t know what else to do. She can’t keep him. She has four kids of her own.” The words tumbled out of her.
Maddie walked to the side of the bed and rested her hand atop Ada’s forearm. “I’m glad you thought to have her call me. I want to help out in any way I can.”
Dr. Patel checked the stats from the chart at the end of her bed. “How was your night, Ada? Did you rest any better?”
Ada shook her head. “Not really. It’s so noisy here. I wanted to get up, but they told me I wasn’t ready for that yet.”
He made a notation on her chart before hanging it back on the hook at the end of her bed. “Well, they’re right. We want to get you a little bit stronger before you go trying to stand up.” He picked up her right hand. “Can you squeeze my fingers, Ada?”
Maddie saw the effort it took for Ada to move her fingers ever so slightly.
“That’s just fine.” He walked back to the end of her bed and lifted up the blanket covering her legs. “How about your foot. Can you push your foot against my hand?”
Her foot barely moved.
“One more time, Ada. Push your foot against my hand.”
She made a very slight movement.
Patel replaced the blanket and patted her leg. “Good job. I’m going to go and see a couple of other patients, but I’ll be back in to talk with you before I leave today. You have a nice visit with Dr. Stevenson now.”
He smiled at them both and left the room. Maddie pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down.
“Dr. Patel tells me that you might be looking at some inpatient rehabilitation services. That’s a good thing. It will expedite your recovery.”
She met Maddie’s open gaze with anxious eyes. “I know, but I don’t have anyone to take care of Henry. The Army will put him in foster care, and I just can’t do that to him. He’s already been through so much. I think I just need to try and manage at home—see if they can’t get us some in-home childcare help. He’s such a good boy. He isn’t any trouble.”
“Ada, you need to listen to Dr. Patel. He’s got your best interests at heart—yours and Henry’s. It’s going to be better for both of you if you can recover quickly. And your best shot at doing that is getting yourself into a concentrated, inpatient rehab program.”
“But what about Henry? Where will he go?”
“What did your son say?”
She waved her hand in frustration. “He said he would go along with whatever I decided. He said I’d just have to figure it out. The Army won’t let him come home. He said that’s why I’m Henry’s legal guardian.”
Maddie’s heart sank. “I’m sorry. I know this is very difficult for you. And you need to be putting all of your energy into getting stronger. Being anxious about Henry isn’t going to help your recovery.”
“So what do I do?”
Maddie shook her head. “I wish I knew, Mrs. Lawrence. I guess you need to give the Army a chance to figure something out—see what they recommend.”
They were silent for a moment.
“You could take him.” Ada’s voice was so low that Maddie was sure she had misunderstood her.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said that you could take him. He knows you. He’s done nothing but talk nonstop about you ever since he got here from California.”
A sense of panic washed over Maddie. “Mrs. Lawrence, you can’t be serious.”
“Why not? You like him, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, but . . .”
“And you have a big house, and someone who could help you?”
“Well, that’s true, but I’m hardly—I don’t—I’ve never . . .” Maddie was completely flustered.
The truth was, she had no good arguments for not considering it—not really. But how on earth could she even think about such a step without consulting Syd? She shook her head. I must be crazy. She met Ada’s desperate gaze. Syd’s gonna think I’ve completely lost it. She shook her head again. I’m crazy.
“Mrs. Lawrence, you don’t even know me. Not really. How can you suggest this? What makes you think Henry’s father would go along with it? I—we—are complete strangers to him.”
“I know enough. I know that you love Henry. I could see that when I met you at the airport. I know that you’re smart and successful—that you have a great job and a wonderful home. I know that you could afford to take good care of him, and that you’d want to, and wanting to matters more to me than any of the rest.”
“Mrs. Lawrence, I don’t live alone. I have a . . . I’m in a committed relationship with . . . someone.”
“I know. It’s with another woman. Henry told me. I don’t care about that, Doctor. I do care about
my grandson. Please.” She plainly was getting tired. Her speech was getting thicker and harder to decipher. “Please say you’ll think about it. The Army said it was up to me to decide what to do. It’s only for a month or so. I’d like to have him with someone who cares about him. I’d like to have him with you.”
Maddie was stunned. She felt like something was spiraling out of control, and she didn’t know how to rein it in. She needed to talk with Syd. She needed to have her head examined.
“All right. I’ll think about it. Let me talk with—let me talk with my partner, and I’ll let you know something tomorrow. Okay?” She patted her on the arm. “You get some rest now. I’ll go and check on Henry.”
Ada nodded and closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
Maddie stood up and left the room. She stopped to stand for a moment with her head pressed against the wall outside the door. Her pulse was racing. God. I need a drink. Too bad I gotta fly us home. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and headed for the waiting room.
LUNCH WITH HENRY was an eye-opening experience for Syd. Maddie and Henry functioned like two halves of a whole, and Syd was amazed at how much alike they were—right down to their quirky eating habits. She quickly found herself playing proctor to both of them, having to take up the unfamiliar mantle of adult supervision.
It amazed her that Henry was actually easier to manage than Maddie. He, at least, seemed to respect her authority. Maddie was hopeless. She laughed and giggled and teased and was every bit as intractable as the worst behaved child in a Vacation Bible School class. Syd was amazed. She always knew that Maddie had a playful and irreverent streak, but she’d never seen her quite as relaxed and spontaneous as she was with Henry. Only with David did she ever come close to this level of playfulness.
Instead of feeling jealous, Syd was charmed by Henry’s effect on the normally reserved Maddie. She found their sweetly inspired antics mesmerizing, and it was hard for her to maintain her feigned posture of parental disapproval.