Jesus loves you, this we know,
For the Bible tells us so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves Jason.
Yes, Jesus loves Jason.
Yes, Jesus loves you,
The Bible tells us so.
She ran her fingers through his curls, taking in his flushed cheeks and the spread of his dark lashes on them as his eyes stayed closed. He was her heart. Everything good in her world.
Sometime later, her phone rang, drawing her attention from Jason. She didn’t get to it in time, but as she pulled it out of the diaper bag, it chirped with a message.
Maya: Are you heading out to the cabin soon? We’re leaving in a few minutes.
Hannah stared at the message and the time stamp on it. 10:14. Though it felt like time was dragging as they waited for the test results, apparently it wasn’t, as she’d had no idea it was already that late.
Might not make it up there. Jason is running a fever. Not sure I should bring him out if he’s not feeling well.
All of that was true, but it left out any reference to the absolute panic she was in, and the fear she was dealing with.
Her phone rang almost immediately.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“You ready to head out soon?” Bennett asked Gabe as Ryan walked into the kitchen. “Mom and Dad left early this morning with Max and Yuka to start getting things set up.”
“We’re going to be heading out a bit later than planned, I think,” Gabe said from where he sat at the table in the breakfast nook with Maya.
“Why?” Bennett asked. “You were the one who was chomping at the bit to get up to the lake.”
“True,” Gabe said. “But Maya’s been texting with Hannah, and it sounds like she won’t be making it up there. I think Maya wants to check on her before we head up.”
“What’s wrong with Hannah, Maya?” Ryan asked, tuned in to any reference to her or Jason.
Maya looked up from her phone, concern on her face. “She said that Jason has a fever, so she wasn’t sure about taking him to the cabin, which is understandable.”
Ryan frowned. “A fever? Has he been sick?”
“Not that I was aware of,” Maya said with a sigh. “I hate that she’s not living here anymore. Makes it easier for her to not let us help her when she needs it.”
“Have you tried calling her?” Ryan asked as he pulled his phone out.
“I did, twice, but she didn’t answer. She has been texting though.” When her phone rang, Maya quickly answered it, putting it on speakerphone on the table. “Hey Dad, did you find out anything?”
“Well, you know that a doctor can’t reveal anything without permission from the patient, so I had to get creative.”
“What did you do?”
“I called Davis Colson and asked if he was at his office or the hospital, and when he said the hospital, I then asked if he knew where Jason was. When he said yes, I just left it at that.”
“So you think he’s in the hospital?” Maya asked.
“I think he is, yes.”
“Oh no.” Maya frowned. “Why wouldn’t Hannah just tell me that?”
“You know why, sweetheart,” her dad said, his voice soft. “But now that you know where she is, you can go to her.”
“Definitely,” Maya said with a nod. “I guess we’ll be a little late getting out to the cabin, depending on what’s happening with Jason.”
“You do what you have to do, sweetie. And we’ll see you when we see you. Be sure to let us know what’s going on, okay?”
After Maya agreed, she ended the call. Turning to Ryan, she said, “I guess we’re making a trip to the hospital to see if she’s there.”
“Actually, it makes sense now,” Bennett said. “When we left the apartment building earlier, her car was gone. We just assumed she was already here.”
“If she needs someone to stay with her, I will,” Ryan said as he got to his feet.
“Are you sure?” Maya asked. “I can stay with her if you want to spend time with your family at the cabin.”
Ryan gave her an indulgent smile. “Surely you know that a big part of my being here is for Hannah. If she needs someone, I’ll be there for her.”
Maya smiled, the concern on her face fading away for a moment. “I’m glad to hear that. Now let’s hit the road so we can figure out what’s going on.”
Ryan debated just going with Gabe and Maya, but in the end, he decided to take his own car. Doing so would give him a bit more flexibility in case the couple decided to leave the hospital before him.
If Max was right, Hannah had her car at the hospital, so part of him wanted to be able to drive her, if she needed to go someplace. However, with all the family heading up to the cabin, he’d have no way of getting out to the house without a hefty taxi bill if he didn’t have his car.
He followed Gabe and Maya, pulling into a spot near them once they’d reached the underground parking lot at the Children’s Hospital. They were just in the lobby waiting for the elevator when Ryan’s phone rang.
Glancing at the display, Ryan was surprised—and a bit concerned—when he saw Hannah’s name. Over the past few weeks, she had texted him first a few times—usually with pictures of Jason doing something cute—but she’d never been the one to call first for a phone conversation.
He tapped the screen, then lifted it to his ear. “Hannah? Is everything okay?”
There was a moment of silence before she finally spoke. “I know…I know you’re in town to go up to the cabin with your family, but I…”
When her voice broke, and she fell silent, Ryan lifted a hand to his forehead as he said, “Hannah, what’s wrong?”
“I need you here with us…me. If you can come...”
Ryan had never heard sweeter words before. Even knowing what had likely prompted them, she had chosen to call him over everyone else. “I’ll be right there. Where are you?”
“At the Children’s Hospital with Jason.” She gave him the room number then said, “I’m sorry to—”
“Do not apologize for calling me, Hannah. Not now, not ever. We’ll be right there.”
“We?”
“Maya, Gabe, and I are just waiting for the elevator. We’ll be there shortly.”
“Really? You’re almost here?”
“Really. We’ll be with you soon.”
When he heard her take a gulping breath that sounded like a sob, Ryan had to hold himself back from shoving past the other people waiting for the elevator to get inside and push the button, so he could get to the floor where Hannah and Jason waited for him. Instead, he allowed the others waiting to get on the elevator first before he joined them alongside Gabe and Maya.
“We’re just getting on the elevator, so we might lose this connection,” Ryan told her, not wanting Hannah to think he had hung up on her. “We’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She hesitated then added, “I can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you.”
And those were even sweeter words. He had missed her so much over the weeks since he’d returned to his life and job in Minneapolis. If there was any chance that Hannah had missed him even half as much as he’d missed her, it would be an answer to prayer. Maybe absence really had made the heart grow fonder.
As he’d expected, the call dropped as the elevator began to rise. Murmurs of conversation went on around him, but Ryan ignored them all. All he wanted was to get to the right floor and find Hannah and Jason.
When the elevator stopped on their floor, the three of them stepped out. After a brief discussion of what direction to go, they ended up at a nurses’ station. Ryan was worried that the nurse might keep them from going into Jason’s room, but in the end, she gave them directions they needed.
Ryan slowed his steps as they approached the room, then looked inside, wanting to make sure it was the right place. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Hannah seated in a chai
r with Jason in her arms. A Jason who was far less active than Ryan remembered him being from recent video messages.
“Hannah?” he said as he stepped into the room.
She looked up at him and immediately tears began to spill down her cheeks. Ryan rushed to her side and went down on his knees so that he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. Leaning into him, Hannah pressed her face into his neck and cried.
Ryan held her tight while he reached out and ran his fingers down Jason’s cheek, feeling the warmth there. “How’s he doing?”
It took a minute for Hannah to take enough breaths to calm herself. She sagged against Ryan for a second, then straightened. Ryan loosened his grip but left his arm around her shoulders and placed his other one around Jason. Maya and Gabe moved in front of her, and Maya sank to her knees as she cupped her hand around Jason’s head.
“We’re waiting on test results,” Hannah said. She let out a long breath and let her head drop back against the chair she sat in. “I’m sorry. I’m probably overreacting.”
“Why do you say that?” Maya asked. “From what I understand, a fever isn’t something to mess around with in babies.”
Hannah nodded. “You’re right, but I feel like I’m falling apart. Like I should be able to cope better than this. After all, I’m a nurse!”
“Haven’t they given him anything for his fever?” Ryan asked, worried about the warmth he felt as he cupped Jason’s head in his hand.
“They have, but they don’t want the fever gone completely because it’s obviously fighting something in his body. We just don’t want it to go so high that it could cause a seizure.”
“What can we do for you?” Maya leaned forward to rest her hand on Hannah’s arm. “Have you had anything to eat or drink?”
Hannah shook her head as she looked up. Ryan could immediately see the exhaustion etched on her face and guessed from the puffiness of her eyes that she’d been crying more than just when they had arrived.
“What time did you get here?”
“He woke up around one, and we came in as soon as I realized how high his fever was.”
As Maya got to her feet, Gabe said, “We’re going to grab you something to eat and drink. You want anything, Ry?”
“Biggest coffee you can get,” Ryan said.
“Will do,” Gabe said and took Maya’s hand. “We’ll be back in a bit.”
Once they’d left, Ryan pulled up another chair so he could sit beside Hannah. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m a mess.” She gave him a weak smile. “I’m a nurse, I should be able to handle this better.”
“You’re also a first-time mom. I’m pretty sure that both my sisters and Grace have had meltdowns when their babies have been sick.”
Hannah’s head dipped forward, her hair sliding along her cheek and hiding her expression from him. Ryan reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her.
She turned to look at him, her brows drawing together. “I’m sorry that I’m interrupting your family time.”
“I’m right where I want to be,” Ryan assured her. “And my family understands completely. I think Mom would have disowned me if I would have showed up at the cabin while you were here with Jason.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said.
“Have they said what might be wrong with Jason?”
“Not specifically, but I know from my work that it could be something like sepsis or meningitis. Maybe a bacterial infection. They’re giving him antibiotics through the IV. They just started that a little while ago because he’s been so lethargic, and his fever isn’t dropping.”
“So I guess they’ve admitted him since you’re not in the ER?”
Hannah nodded. “I think the fact that the fever was so high, plus he wasn’t taking a bottle made admission a necessity.”
They fell silent when a nurse came into the room. She smiled at them as she checked the IV. “How’s he doing? Has he woken up?”
“Not yet,” Hannah said.
The nurse nodded. “Okay. Has he had a wet diaper?”
“Not the last time I checked.”
The nurse came over, and after a little maneuvering, she checked his diaper. “Hopefully we’ll see one soon.”
Ryan could see the worry on Hannah’s face and couldn’t deny that he was concerned as well. At first, his concern had just been to get to Hannah and Jason, but now, as he sat beside them, he definitely felt worried for the little boy.
“Has the doctor been by?” Ryan asked when the nurse left them alone.
“Yes. He’s actually stopped by a couple of times.” Hannah looked back down at Jason. “He’s concerned about the fever, and, I think, meningitis because one of the tests they did was a spinal tap. A lot of the worry is because Jason isn’t up to date on all his shots. He hadn’t had any vaccinations when we were released, so we’ve been taking it slow to get him caught up.
“Also we’re still trying to get his weight up to where it should be.” She sighed as she ran her fingers through his curls. “The doctor and I were just talking about his vaccinations at his last appointment because I’ve found a daycare that would have a spot for him in two months as long as he is up to date on his shots.”
“I’m glad that at least the doctor is being proactive with this fever, and that they didn’t just send you home.”
Hannah nodded. “How did you know we were here?”
“Maya was worried when you said Jason had a fever, so she asked her dad to call Dr. Colson.” Ryan smiled as he shared the conversation they’d had with Max. “So the doctor didn’t spill the beans.”
“I’m glad you were nearby.” Hannah shifted in the chair, so she faced him more directly. “I meant what I said earlier. I really have missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Ryan sighed at the memory. “That first night in my house there in Minneapolis was so difficult. I missed my family, but I really missed you and Jason.”
She glanced away as she said, “Did you bring friends with you for the weekend?”
“No. I had asked if it was okay to bring someone from work, but he backed out at the last minute. Guess he got a better offer.”
“What offer could possibly be better?” Hannah asked, a small smile playing on her face.
“I know, right? His loss. But I do have to say, that since I’m hanging out here with you, it probably worked out for the best.” Ryan looked down as Jason moved on Hannah’s lap. It wasn’t an energetic movement, but he was glad to see it nonetheless. “Do you want me to hold him for a little while? Your arms must be getting tired.”
“Would you? I think I need to stretch a bit. Maybe use the bathroom too.”
It took a little maneuvering, but soon Ryan was seated in the chair with Jason. Hannah stretched her arms above her head then let them hang limply at her side.
“You’ll be okay with him for a few minutes?”
“Definitely. Take a bit of a break. Maybe Maya and Gabe will be back with some food and coffee by the time you get back.”
She gave him a quick smile then after a look at Jason, she left the room. Ryan let out a long breath as he settled back further in the chair. He had held Jason plenty, even as he slept, but this felt different, and he could understand why Hannah was panicking like she was.
Holding Jason close, Ryan prayed for healing and for wisdom for the doctors who were caring for him.
“Hello, Ryan.” He opened his eyes to see Davis Colson standing next to him. “It’s good to see you again. How have you been doing?”
“I’ve been well. Thank you.” He looked down at Jason. “A bit worried about the little guy though.”
The doctor nodded then sat down on the chair Hannah had vacated. “Is Hannah around?”
“Yeah, but she needed a break. She should be back in a few minutes.”
“Good. She could probably use some sleep as well, but I knew she wouldn’t even nap while she was here on her own.”
“I’ll see if I can
get her to sleep a bit. I plan to stay as long as she needs me.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Being alone in a situation like this can be difficult. I know she’s reluctant to ask for help.”
“That she is.” Ryan wanted to ask for information on Jason, but he knew it wasn’t his place to do so. Yet.
As it turned out, Gabe and Maya reappeared before Hannah did. They came bearing coffee, hot chocolate, muffins, and bagels. The doctor didn’t seem to be in any rush to leave and continued to chat with them until Hannah showed up.
“Are the test results in yet?” Hannah asked as soon as she saw him.
The doctor shook his head. “Probably in a couple more hours. I just wanted to see how you were holding up. “I’m glad to see you have some support now.”
The doctor checked Jason over quickly before leaving them with a promise that he’d be back again later. When Hannah went to take Jason back, Ryan insisted that she eat and drink something first.
“Thanks,” she said as she sat down.
Maya dispensed the food and drink, handing Ryan the extra-large coffee he’d requested. Since he’d had breakfast at the house earlier, he wasn’t hungry. It was more important that Hannah get some food into her while she had the chance.
Once they were done eating, Gabe and Maya decided they would head back to the house.
“Do you need to go as well?” Hannah asked Ryan.
He shook his head. “I’m here for as long as I’m needed.”
“I’ll give you a call later,” Gabe said. “Is there anything else you need before we go?”
“I think we’re good,” Ryan told him. “And now with two of us here, one can stay with Jason when the other needs a break.”
“Keep us informed,” Maya said as she leaned over to give Hannah a hug. “You’re not alone, hun.”
“Why don’t you try and get some sleep?” Ryan suggested once Gabe and Maya had left them. When Hannah looked uncertain, he said, “You need to get some rest. No doubt you’re exhausted, so let me keep watch over Jason for you.”
“You’re sure? You don’t mind?”
“Not even a little.”
A Little Ray of Sunshine_A Christian Romance Page 29