by Laura Iding
The Hmong were a very patriarchal society, so he understood how it might be that no one in the family dared to go against the grandfather’s wishes. With a sinking heart he realized they’d have to force the man into treatment in order to preserve the health of the community.
Where was Holly? He glanced at his watch. Despite the kiss that had shattered his piece of mind, he was anxious for her help. He really could use her expertise.
“Gabe?” As if he’d conjured her by will alone, Holly stepped into the room, wearing a tight-fitting face mask just like his. “I’ve been in touch with health department officials—they’re on their way.”
Thank heavens.
Holly swept her gaze over the group. “Do they understand they will all need to be evaluated for treatment?” she asked in a low tone.
He shook his head. “Not yet. Although I believe the grandfather is the original source.”
Holly stepped forward. “I think Dr. Martin explained how the three girls you brought in all have tuberculosis. We believe your grandfather has passed the lung infection to the children. I’m afraid this means you have all been exposed as well. Each of you will need to be evaluated for treatment.”
Those who understood English gasped and several translated to the family members who didn’t. Gabe watched the shocked reaction go through the group and knew with a sinking certainty they didn’t understand the bigger issue. Treatment for active TB wasn’t as easy as taking a pill for a week. The drugs were highly toxic, with many possible side effects, and the usual treatment regimen lasted a full nine months.
The family asked lots of questions. Between them, he and Holly answered them the best they could. Once they had generally calmed the family’s fears, Gabe and Holly left.
Outside the conference room, he tugged his face mask off and scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “Now what?” he asked.
Holly stripped her mask off too, taking a deep breath. The masks were very restrictive. “We keep them here until the public health officials arrive. At least most of the family members appeared to be in pretty good health.”
Gabe nodded. “I think I’d better give the ED at Minneapolis Medical Center a heads-up. The kids can be evaluated here, but the rest of the family will need to be taken to the Center.”
“Good idea. And what about the people who were in the waiting room when they came in? How on earth are we going to identify them?”
He’d had the same concern. “They all have to register when they come in, so we can pull the list of all the people who registered within fifteen minutes of the Yang family, and maybe fifteen minutes afterwards, to capture them all. If the family had pretty much kept the grandfather surrounded, we probably don’t have to do much more than TB skin tests on the rest of the people who were in the waiting room.”
“All right, let’s get that list.”
He led the way back to the arena, already feeling much calmer about the situation. How was it that Holly’s presence helped him to relax? She’d had the same effect on him last night, dealing with JT’s sore throat.
“Dr. Martin? You have a call on line two. Something about being late to get home?”
Damn, how could he have forgotten JT? Appalled with himself, he grabbed the phone and punched the button to connect. “Marybeth, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right, I don’t have major plans for this evening.” He was so lucky to have someone as understanding as Marybeth helping to watch JT. And it was Thursday, a day she didn’t have class. “But JT was worried, so I figured I’d give you a call.”
“I understand. Put him on the phone.” After a few seconds, he heard JT’s voice come on the line. “Hey, buddy, I’m sorry I got stuck here at work. We have lots of sick kids here who need my help.”
“When are you coming home?” JT asked in a plaintive tone.
Good question. One he wasn’t sure he had an answer for. He shouldn’t have forgotten about picking him up in the first place. And now, as much as he wanted to be there for JT, he couldn’t just walk away from this mess. “I’ll be home by six o’clock, okay? Marybeth is going to make you dinner but I promise I’ll be home right afterwards.”
“Okay. Tell the sick kids to get better.”
Gabe had to laugh at the child’s logic. If only it were that easy. “I will. See you soon, JT.”
He hung up the phone and turned, bumping right into Holly.
“Gabe, I can stay and handle things here.” Her compassionate gaze confirmed she’d overheard his conversation with JT. “You should go home.”
For a heartbeat he imagined what his life would be like if he had someone like Holly to help him with JT. A wife to come home to, a true partner rather than a college-student babysitter.
As quickly as the tempting thought formed, he pushed it away. JT was fragile enough—the boy didn’t need any more complications in his life.
Losing his head and kissing Holly had proved she was a major complication and more.
“I’m staying. But thanks.” He forced himself to step away, more tempted to share his burdens with her than he wanted to admit. “Let’s get this resolved, shall we?”
Holly admired Gabe’s dedication, especially as the torn expression in his eyes when speaking to JT showed how much he really wanted to be home. Since he didn’t take up her offer to cover for him, she left him to take care of the girls while she met with the public health department officials to deal with the rest of the Yang family.
Luckily, the health department agreed with her assessment and, as Gabe had anticipated, got the entire group of adults moved over to a secure location at Minneapolis Regional Medical Center, located adjacent to Children’s. Despite his wishes, the grandfather would need to be admitted immediately.
When she had that problem solved, she decided she should check on the three girls, who were the most sick. As she entered the isolation room she found Gabe was already there, holding the youngest girl, YiKa, who was only four years old, against his chest. The tender expression in his eyes squeezed her heart, stopping her in her tracks.
The poignant picture was enough to steal her breath. He was so caring, so compassionate. She could easily see him cradling his daughter the same way.
He was a wonderful father.
JT was very lucky to have him.
She wanted to leave, to wipe this compelling vision from her mind. Gabe was clearly the father she’d wanted Tom to be. But instead of being there for her, when the cramping pains of her placenta breaking away from her uterus had started, Tom had been with some other woman. He’d betrayed her in more ways than one.
Squaring her shoulders, she fought the sudden urge to cry. The last thing she wanted was Gabe to see how much his presence affected her.
There was no point in longing for something she could never have.
CHAPTER FIVE
HOLLY kept herself occupied with work, the tuberculosis situation consuming most of her time. Thankfully she didn’t have to interact with Gabe much, especially once the three girls were admitted up on the fifth-floor general medical unit.
So far the girls were tolerating their treatment well, but it was also very early. Most of the side effects of the medication hit after about a week or so. She’d heard from the public health department that there were two other adults, aside from Tou Yang, who also had active TB, but the rest of the family only needed outpatient prophylactic treatment.
A part of her wanted to tell Gabe the news, yet another part of her wondered if she was simply looking for an excuse to see him again. There was really no reason to go down to the ED. She didn’t really even know his work schedule. In the end she decided that if she happened to run into him, she’d let him know the outcome of the Yang family. For all she knew, he might have heard the news from some other source.
On Friday evening she gratefully wrapped up her first week of work. Mark Kennedy was finally starting to wake up, the infection having been beaten by the antibiotics. Looking back, she wanted to laugh at her init
ial nervousness. Five days and she already felt like an integral part of the team.
Her first week had been full of challenging cases, what with the meningitis and active tuberculosis.
In less than a week she’d also broken her cardinal rule by kissing Gabe.
She sighed and reached for her purse, knowing she needed to get over this strange obsession with him. He was a friend, nothing more.
Her cellphone rang. She recognized the number and realized the caller was her friend, Lisa Waltrip, from Phoenix, Arizona.
“Hey, Lisa, how are you?”
“Great. Hey, guess where I am?”
Holly frowned. “Um, Phoenix?”
“No, silly.” Lisa laughed. “I’m here in Minneapolis. How would you like to get together for dinner?”
“I’d love to!” Holly was thrilled her friend had come to visit. “Where are you staying?”
“At some hotel across from the airport.” There was a slight pause. “Ok, I can see a restaurant from my window—a Mexican place called Chili’s. Are you in the mood for a margarita?”
Holly laughed. Spending time with her friend was just what she needed. “Absolutely. Would it be all right if I met you there, say, in about an hour?”
“It’s a date.”
Holly hurried out of the hospital before her pager could go off and keep her from meeting Lisa. On the ride home she called her mother to check on how she was doing. Friday was another dialysis day and because she’d been so tied up with the TB cases, she hadn’t been able to give her mother a ride home.
Her mother sounded tired as usual after her treatments, but her spirits were good.
“I’m meeting a friend from Phoenix for dinner. Do you want me to stop by afterwards on my way home?” Holly asked, feeling a little guilty for going out at all.
“Oh, no. Georgia is stopping by. Don’t worry about me. Just go out and have fun.”
Georgia was her mother’s youngest sister. Holly was glad her mother wouldn’t be all alone tonight. “All right, but call if you need me.”
She ended the call as she pulled into her driveway. Dashing into the house, she quickly changed into a comfy pair of jeans and a royal blue sweater that made the most of her creamy skin and dark hair. For a moment she wished Gabe could see her like that, but then just as quickly pushed the thought aside. What on earth was she thinking? Spending time with Lisa was supposed to help her forget about Gabe, not bring him to the forefront of her mind.
Annoyed with herself, she headed back out to meet Lisa. The traffic was backed up, so she arrived a few minutes late. Standing at the hostess desk, she scanned the restaurant and found Lisa sitting at a table in the middle of the room. She hurried over.
“Lisa! It’s so good to see you.”
Lisa stood to return her hug and it was then that Holly noticed her friend was pregnant.
Very pregnant.
“Surprise!” Lisa’s laughter bubbled out as she stared at Holly’s dumbfounded expression.
“Oh. My. Goodness.” Holly felt the blood draining from her face and fought to keep her shock from showing in her eyes. She forced a smile. “Congrats.” Belatedly she gave Lisa another tight, enthusiastic hug. “When are you due?”
“In two months, just before New Year.” Lisa beamed as they took their respective seats. Her pregnancy obviously agreed with her. “I’m ready any time, though.”
Holly was happy for Lisa, truly. But at the same time she couldn’t deny a twinge of envy. Beneath the cover of the table her hand went to her own stomach, as if seeking the familiar bulge, the reassuring sensation of the baby moving. She’d been thrilled to be pregnant, just like Lisa was, but hadn’t made it to her seventh month.
Kayla. Sweet, innocent Kayla. She still had a picture of her daughter, the tiny pink dress they’d put on her and the footprint in clay they’d made, all courtesy of the caring, compassionate nurses in the neonatal ICU.
“Holly?” It took a moment to realize Lisa was talking to her.
“I’m sorry, I was daydreaming for a minute there. What did you say?”
Lisa’s smile faded. “You’re upset, aren’t you?”
“No.” Her denial was a little too quick. “Of course not, Lisa. I’m very happy for you. Honest. Tell me everything. What did Ben say when you told him the news?”
“Holly, it’s okay. I understand.” Lisa reached across the table to give her hand a squeeze. “I know you’re happy for me, but that doesn’t mean you don’t miss your daughter.”
Her throat tightened and she nodded. “Yes, I’ll always miss Kayla. But now is not the time for you to think about pregnancy horror stories.” Like hers. “Seriously, tell me everything. I know I haven’t seen you in about five months, but I didn’t even realize you guys were trying to have a baby.”
Lisa stared at her for a long moment, and then went into a detailed explanation of the events—how they hadn’t really been trying, but had gone on a weekend getaway and had forgotten protection. “I think Ben planned it all along, but I guess I won’t complain,” Lisa finished with a broad smile. “Having a baby is a perfect way to start the new year.”
Holly tried not to think about how she’d lost her baby right before Valentine’s Day. Holidays didn’t always hold good memories. At least Valentine’s Day was nothing special, especially when you were single.
The waitress came and took their order. Lisa requested a non-alcoholic margarita, and Holly did the same.
Her mood was volatile enough, without adding alcohol to the mix. Lisa described how she was really in town for a work-related presentation, but soon the conversation turned back to her baby.
Holly didn’t try to stop her from discussing her pregnancy. After all, she remembered what it was like to have a baby be the center of your world. Soon, though, the topic of conversation turned to the people they’d both worked with.
“Kris has been nothing but a pain in the butt ever since…” Lisa’s voice trailed off.
“Ever since what?” Holly asked. Kris had been one of the nurses in the ICU who had been extremely annoying to most of the physicians at one time or another. The woman was young but had the personality of a scorpion and always thought she was right, even when she wasn’t.
“Never mind.” Lisa picked up her drink and took a huge gulp, avoiding her friend’s gaze. “It’s not important.”
Suddenly she knew. “Kris is dating Tom, isn’t she?”
Lisa sighed and hung her head. “Holly, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to bring it up.”
“It’s all right.” Holly picked up her water, wishing it was full of whiskey. “My marriage to Tom is over.”
“True. And, really, Kris is such a witch, she deserves him. She should know better than to marry a guy like Tom, especially knowing his reputation.”
Holly carefully set her water glass down. Little had she known Tom’s reputation had been common knowledge long before she’d discovered his infidelity. And because she’d been blind to the truth, her reputation had suffered too. It was one of the things she regretted most.
She was fiercely glad she wasn’t still in Phoenix, especially now that she knew there was a chance Tom might get married again. If she thought the whispers and stares had been bad then, they’d be a million times worse now. She couldn’t bear the thought of people talking about her behind her back.
Holly managed to get through the rest of the meal, but the jeering voices in the back of her mind followed her all the way home.
Poor Holly. Losing her baby and her husband in the same day. How tragic. Too bad she didn’t figure out Tom was cheating on her before she got pregnant.
Now she has nothing.
By Saturday Gabe was relieved to see that JT seemed better. His headache was gone but the boy was still more tired than normal. JT had a Cub Scout field trip planned at a local dairy farm and the boy had been very excited, waiting very impatiently for this day to come.
Gabe struggled with a feeling of strange desolation as he waved at J
T, watching him ride off in a large vehicle with a group of five other boys, all from the same pre-school class. Was he a bad parent because he hadn’t volunteered to chaperone? Being a guardian to JT was more complicated than he’d imagined. Once again he wondered if he should move to Florida with JT. Staying here in Minneapolis, where JT’s life could have almost the same routine as before Claire’s death, had seemed to be the best option. So why was he doubting his decision now?
There was plenty to do around the house but, rather than be happy to have the time to himself to get things done, he couldn’t escape the feeling he should be spending more time with JT. Originally, he’d been scheduled to work this Saturday but then a colleague had needed to switch weekends so he’d ended up being off. Maybe he should have added his name to the chaperone list for this trip, even if it had been at the last minute.
Deciding he was doing his best at being a guardian for JT, he picked up the gallon of blue paint JT had picked out for his room and headed down the hall to the bedroom. He quickly pulled all the furniture away from the walls and into the center of the room, then went to work. Slathering paint on the walls was a mindless job, which was good in a way yet he couldn’t stop his mind from drifting to Holly, wondering how she was spending her weekend.
She wasn’t working the weekend, because he’d checked.
If he was interested in seeing Holly on a personal level, this would be a perfect opportunity, considering JT would be gone for most of the day. What would she say if he asked her out for lunch?
The selfish part of him, the part that relived her kiss over and over each night in his dreams, wanted to see her again, even though he knew that starting something with Holly was the last thing JT needed. JT would latch on to Holly, or any other woman he chose to date, because of how much he missed his mother. Yet at the same time, if things didn’t work out, his nephew would be the one to suffer. Logically Gabe understood the dynamics, the reasons he’d made the firm decision to avoid relationships, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about the possibilities of seeing Holly anyway.