Saved by the Doctor

by Ivy Wonders

  As I drove to the hospital to make my rounds, the rain started getting heavier. Seattle rain wasn’t a thing we’d discussed. I hoped Cherry would make sure there would be adequate shelter in case of rain.

  More details to hammer out, but we should get them all done in time. Nothing could bring me down, it seemed. I just couldn’t get worried about a thing. All that really mattered was that Ky and I would be married in a month. Hopefully with a fetus inside of her, too.

  The idea of having a baby with Ky took over my thoughts. Again, my mind traveled to how our first child would look. My hair, her eyes, or vice versa? A mixture of us would be good—at least on the first one.

  When I’d run the number of children to add to our family by Ky, she frowned at me, saying we had to go with things as time went along. She didn’t want to settle on any number. My number had been three, and she wasn’t sure—too many or too few?

  We had so much life to live; it seemed almost impossible. I missed out on too much with Rachelle. Now I’d get the chance again with Ky. A second chance to live a life full of love and happiness sounded like a gift from above.

  As I pulled into the parking garage at the hospital, the entrance was blocked. A worker wearing an orange vest waved me to the side. Rolling down the window, I asked, “Are you guys almost done?”

  “No.” He pointed to the street. “You’ll have to park on the street today. The parking garage will be open again tomorrow.” He looked over his shoulder, then back at me. “I’m not supposed to say why it’s closed, but let’s just say there are more than a few celebrities in there.”

  “So, they’re filming some movie?” I nodded. “Gotcha. I’ll park elsewhere today.”

  As I drove off, I noticed all the cars parked along the street. Others were circling around to find a place to park.

  With the rain getting lighter, I went ahead and drove a few blocks further. Parking was a-plenty, but the walk would take me a bit. As I got out of the car, my cell rang, and I pulled it out. “Hey, babe, how’s it going?”

  “You know how it’s going, Alex,” Ky said with a tense voice. “Did you get the place?”

  “Well, kind of,” I teased her.

  “Kind of?” she worried. “What does that mean?”

  “I didn’t get the venue we talked about. The duck pond is out, and so is the grape house.” I smiled, knowing she was most likely chewing on one of her nails.

  “Maybe we can change the date,” she said. “Make it later in the year. A month’s time is short notice. I told you we’ll have a hard time getting anywhere good.”

  “You have so little faith in me, Ky.” I looked both ways, then crossed the nearly empty street.

  “What does that mean?” she whined. “Are you screwing with me, Alex?”

  Indeed. “What if we get married in a place that no one ever has?”

  “That sounds kind of good, but kind of bad, too.”

  “We’ll be the first couple to marry in that exact place.” Will she think that was pretty special, the way I did?

  “Where is this place?” she asked.

  “Bella Luna Farms.” I stopped at the next intersection as traffic picked up closer to the hospital.

  “You just said we couldn’t get it,” she moaned. “Stop playing with me, Alex. Just tell me where.”

  “We are getting married at the place we wanted to.” A car rushed passed me, making me take a step back. “Damn, this traffic is a nightmare.”

  Ky wasn’t letting up. “We are getting married there? But where there?”

  “There’s this little, wooded area I’m getting a venue set up in. We’ll be the first couple to get married right in that spot.” I hoped she liked the name I’d picked out. “I named it Fate on Squirrel Hill.”

  “Hmm,” she mulled it over. “That’s kind of cool.”

  More cars sped by, and I looked down the street to see if there was anywhere I could cross the busy street that had a stoplight at it but saw nothing. “I think fate brought us together; that’s how I came up with it.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet, babe. What are you doing now?” she asked.

  “Trying my best to get to the hospital, but this traffic is horrible.” I looked up the street to find a safe place to cross and saw some people waiting on the sidewalk. There must be a traffic light there, and I headed in that direction.

  “Traffic?” Ky asked. “You always use the parking garage. What traffic?”

  “It’s closed.” I sped up a bit as people were moving and figured the light must’ve changed as the cars stopped, too. “Apparently, they’re filming in there right now.”

  “Oh, yeah?” she squealed. “Johnny Depp’s in town. I heard that on the news this morning. How cool!”

  “Johnny Depp, huh?” I caught up to where the people had crossed and saw the sign was still showing, telling me I could cross. “That is cool. I’ll see you later, baby. Kiss my little princess for me. I love you, bye.”

  “I love you too. Bye, my sexy man.”

  Ending the call, I put the cell in my pocket, then heard the sound of an engine revving. Picking up my already fast pace, I still had half the street to go before getting safely to the other side. “Shit! I hate crossing streets.” I got uneasy anytime I had to cross streets. And to be left in the middle of one with so many cars on either side had my anxiety heightened.

  Just as my foot touched the curb, the sound of that same engine revved up again. When I turned to look, I saw only yellow before it all went black.

  Chapter 26

  Ky

  Pulling up the website for Bella Luna Farms, Tabby and I looked at the map on the screen to see where her daddy set things up for us. “Oh, right here, Tabby.” I pointed to where the trees were and saw they called it Squirrel Hill. “This is where your daddy and I will get married.”

  “In the trees?” she asked as she looked at me questioningly. “Where squirrels live?” She shook her head. “Nope. I don’t like it.”

  Trying to convince a three-year-old her daddy had excellent taste, I said, “Daddy said they’ll build something that we can get married in. I’m sure it’ll be something wonderful.”

  Her tiny forehead wrinkled as she squinted her eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, she nodded. “Yes.”

  Her arms wrapped around me, then her lips pressed against my cheek. “I want to call you Mommy, Ky.”

  The way my heart skipped a beat and a smile curved my lips told me I loved this little girl. “Oh, Tabby, I can’t wait to hear you call me that. It’s like a dream come true. I’m about to have my own family. And one day your daddy and I will have you some baby brothers and sisters of your very own, too.”

  “Baby sister, yes.” Her nose wrinkled. “Baby brothers,” she shook her head. “No.”

  Pulling her onto my lap, I spun around in the office chair in Alex’s home office. “Aw, come on, baby boys can be nice, too.”

  “Uh, uh,” she protested. “Baby girls are nicer.”

  I’ll have to do my best to give this kid a baby sister. Either give her a baby sister or make Tabby think she really wanted a baby brother.

  “When the time comes, I’m sure you’ll be happy with whatever we have.” I bounced her on my knee. “Right?”

  She laughed as her head shook once more. “No.”

  Oh, hell.

  Deciding to change the subject, I went turned back to the computer. “Help me pick out a flower girl dress for you!”

  “Yes!” Her green eyes sparkled with delight. “One with flowers. And ribbons in my hair. Nice shoes, too. And…”

  I stopped her with the page I opened. “Like any of these dresses?”

  Nodding, her eyes glued to the monitor, her little finger ran over each dress. “So many beautiful dresses. I like all of them!”

  “How about one that matches mine?” I asked clicking to the next page. “That way we can both look like brides.”

  “I like that.” We found the dress at the same time. “Th
at one.”

  “I agree.” I clicked it, got one in her size, then clicked the Order button. “The dress is on its way. Now the shoes.”

  The way she looked at me with arched browns nearly made me laugh as she asked, “Can I wear high heels?”

  Kissing the tip of her cute little nose “No way, little lady. Only flats for you. They’ll be very pretty and comfortable. You’ll have to wear them all day. You won’t want them to be uncomfortable.” I smiled. “I’m wearing flats, too. I don’t care what Carla says about wearing heels on your wedding day.”

  Tabby nodded. “Yeah, we like to be comfortable.”

  Already she followed my fashion lead. “Comfort over beauty” had become my motto since working with Carla concerning the bridal fashions. “If one searches hard enough, one can find beauty and comfort in one.”

  Tabby nodded. “Yeah. We like comfort.”

  I found shoes that had small red roses on the toes. “Oh, Tabby! Look at these.”

  The way her face lit up made my heart skip a beat. “They’re so pretty! Can I have them? Please!”

  “They’ll look adorable with the dress.” I clicked the button and made the purchase. “Shopping with you is easy, Tabby.”

  “And fun,” she said, nodding. “When’s Daddy coming home? I want to show him my dress.”

  We should do something sweet to include her even more than just as a flower girl. How can we include her in the ceremony? Tabby should feel a part of us. All us should feel like a real family.

  Taking a second, I looked up to give a silent prayer, thanking God and anyone else up there who might’ve had something to do with the love we had.

  Tabby put her hands on either side of my face, “Ky, when’s Daddy coming home?”

  Blinking at her, I came out of my prayer. “I’m not sure. He has rounds to make. He’ll be here in time to see your dress and shoes before you go to bed. Don’t worry about that.” I got up, carrying her with me. “What do you say we get a healthy snack and read a book while we eat it?”

  “Grapes.” She smiled at me as she took a lock of my hair, twirling it around her finger. “And tropical punch, too!”

  “Sounds good to me.” I had a craving for peanut butter and bananas that had come out of nowhere. “I’ll see if Rudy will make me something, too. This craving just snuck up on me.”

  “What’s a craving?” Tabby asked as I pushed open the kitchen door.

  Rudy heard her. “A craving is when a person really really wants a particular food. And who’s craving what?”

  I raised my hand as I sat Tabby on a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen. “It’s me. It’s peanut butter with slices of bananas.”

  “On bread?” he asked as he headed to the pantry to get the things.

  “No. Just a spoonful of peanut butter and one sliced banana. That’ll be good.”

  Tabby piped up, “I want grapes, please. And tropical punch, too, Mr. Rudy.”

  “You’re in for a treat,” he said. “I’ve made fresh tropical punch this morning. A pineapple, two oranges, a mango, a peach, and strawberries. This might be my best tropical punch ever.”

  It sounded like that, too. “Yummy. I can’t wait to try it.” Running my hand through Tabby’s blonde hair, I let her know how lucky she was to have such a great chef taking care of our nutrition, “We’re lucky to have what we have, Tabby.”

  Looking confused, she asked, “What do we have?”

  “Chef Rudy.” I looked over and gave him a smile. “He makes sure we get lots of healthy things to eat and drink. And they all taste great, too.”

  “Yes,” Tabby said as she nodded. “And they’re pretty, too.” She pointed to the way he was cutting the banana. “Banana roses, Ky.”

  “Rudy, you don’t have to go to all that trouble.” He didn’t have to make me a five-star snack.

  “It’s no trouble at all.” He proved that as he finished making our snacks in record time. “See?”

  “What can’t you do?” I asked him in amazement.

  “Lots of things.” He put the plates in front of us. “Like mowing the lawn or cleaning gutters. But in the kitchen, I am a star!”

  “You are a star!” Tabby agreed. “Thank you, Mr. Rudy.”

  “You are most welcome, Miss Tabby.” He looked at me as I used a tiny fork to eat my snack with. “And how do you like that, Miss Ky?”

  “I’m missing something. I can’t put my finger on it, but it needs more.” It just wasn’t hitting the spot for me.

  But Rudy did. He went to the pantry and came out with a jar of honey. “Allow me to drizzle some of this on top. I do believe you will find what’s been missing.”

  One bite told me he was right. “Yes. Oh, yeah. This is what I wanted. You’re a mind reader.”

  “I just know what foods pair well.” He put our glasses of punch in front of us. “Enjoy your snacks, ladies. I need to go to the market for tonight’s dinner. Beef Wellington is the main course.”

  I’d heard of that, but had no idea what it really was. “Rudy, what’s in Beef Wellington?”

  “Filet mignon and I make a pâté of grilled red onions and portabella mushrooms,” he explained. “It’s wrapped up in a crescent roll-type of dough.”

  Tabby’s eyes went wide. “Like a pie with meat?”

  “Sort of.” He shrugged. “It’s a bit fancier than a meat pie, though.”

  “It sounds delicious,” I said as my stomach grumbled, and I put my hand over it as my cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Oh! Seems my tummy thinks so, too.”

  He left us alone, chuckling all the way out. Then the house phone rang, and my heart stopped. Only the Vanderhavens called on that line—at least since I lived here anyway.

  I tried not to look nervous as we ate our snacks. Chloe would answer the call; she always did. My other fingers were crossed, and I offered a prayer that it would be a sales call.

  When Chloe’s voice drifted into the kitchen, “Ky?” a knot formed in my stomach.

  “Darn it.” I got up, and Tabby looked at me with confusion. “I’ve got to take this call, Tabby. Can Chloe sit with you for a moment?”

  “Okay.” Tabby went on, eating her grapes that Rudy cut in halves.

  Chloe met me at the door. “Ky, it’s for you. I’ll watch after Tabby while you take the call.”

  “Please,” I said, then looked out the door. “Where is the phone?”

  She handed me the cordless phone out of her apron pocket. “You can use the other room if you’d like.”

  Expecting Tabby’s grandparents on the other end of the line, I nodded. “Good idea.” Walking out, after closing the door, I said, “Ky here.”

  “Ky, this is Dr. Reagan Dawson at Saint Christopher’s. Is someone there to watch Alex’s daughter?”

  “The housekeeper is here.” I felt odd and sat on the nearest chair. “Is everything okay?”

  “No,” came her soft reply. “Alex was in an accident.”

  I stopped breathing. “No.”

  She went on, “I’m afraid so. You should come down here to the Emergency Room. They’ll bring you to us.”

  “Is he…” a lump formed in my throat.

  “Tell the driver to bring you down here. Don’t drive yourself,” she recommended. “You’ll hear everything when you get down here.”

  Numbness washed over me. “OK.”

  Please don’t die, Alex!

  Chapter 27

  Alex

  A flash of white light and the sound of electricity shooting through the air made me sit up and look at the sky. People all around me were whispering. Not being able to make anything out of what was said, I focused on the light that only became brighter and brighter. “Alex,” came the soft sound of a woman’s voice.

  A voice I recognized. “Rachelle?”

  Squinting, I couldn’t see anything but light. “Alex, you’re doing a great job with our daughter.”

  “Thanks, Rachelle.” I put my hand above my eyes to try to sh
ield some of the light to catch a glimpse of my deceased wife. And then it hit me. Rachelle is dead!

  “I don’t like to call it being dead, Alex.”

  Am I dead, too?

  “No, you’re not. Not by a long shot.” The light moved in slow waves as she went on, “You’re a doctor, Alex. What do you think happens after one is hit by a car?”

  “I was hit by a car?” I looked around, then felt myself floating upwards, and when I looked down, I saw it all. My body lay on the sidewalk and people circled around me. “Blood is pooling behind my head. Not much, though.” The hospital was close. “They need to get me over there. Harris can patch me up.”

  Rachelle’s voice came near my ear. I could feel her breath move over it as she said, “You’re not breathing, Alex. Try to breathe. That’s essential, you know.”

  A woman said, “He’s not breathing. Does anyone know CPR?”

  “I do,” a man called out. “Let me through.”

  “Sounds like the guy from Pirates of the Caribbean,” I said.

  Dressed all in black with his dark hair slicked back with shiny gel, a man moved through the crowd to get to me. “Everyone back. Give me room to work.”

  “Hey, it’s the guy from the movie!” I laughed as the famous actor gave me CPR. Then I wasn’t floating anymore. I was on the hard ground, the light was gone, and raindrops were falling on my face. And there loomed the man who’d saved me. “Hey, Johnny Depp.”

  He looked around, stunned. “Oh, no. I’m not him. I’m his stunt double.” He got up and looked at me. “Are you okay, Mister?”

  “Not really.” Everything hurt enormously. “But I am breathing. Thanks.”

  “Good luck then.” He disappeared into the crowd. Their eyes followed the man and murmurs of disbelief were heard above the wailing sirens.

  Trying not to move my head, I tried moving my fingers and failed to do so on the right hand. Shit!

  Paramedics walked through the crowd, dispersing it as they came through. “Out of the way, people. Go on. There’s nothing to see here.” They stopped as they saw me.

  Dale’s jaw gaped. “Dr. Arlen, it’s you.”