Kelly knew from the technician’s face it wasn’t good. She walked into the control room to look at the screen. Kelly wasn’t an expert, but even she could see the ventricles in Denny’s brain were enlarged. When the shunt malfunctioned, it allowed excess spinal fluid pressure to build up in the brain, hydrocephalus—“water on the brain.” And that caused symptoms like headaches and vomiting. Left untreated, it could cause brain damage.
“What’s next?”
“We need to do a shunt series x-ray, too. Then the doctor will talk to you.”
Kelly knew the drill. Radiology techs wouldn’t give her an answer, only the doctor could do that. But it was easy enough to guess the outcome.
They transferred Denny to a regular room on the floor and waited for the physician’s assistant to return. Paulie and Mart were back from breakfast when the PA walked in.
“I talked to Dr. Arslowe. He agrees Denny needs a new shunt.”
Mart said nothing and put a comforting arm around Kelly’s waist.
Denny teared up. “I want to go home.”
“I know you do, buddy,” the PA said, “but don’t you want your head to feel better?”
Denny nodded. The PA continued. “Look, Dr. Arslowe is good, and he’s fast. Quicker than lightning. You’ll be pounding back a cheeseburger by tonight, you wait and see.”
Denny looked suspicious but nodded. “I’m hungry.”
The PA patted him on the hand. “I know you are. We’ll take care of that after you wake up.”
Denny nodded again and rolled over. They’d already started an IV and put him on antibiotics.
The PA looked at Kelly, gave her a reassuring smile. “Dr. Arslowe is one of the best in the country. He’s in good hands.”
“When?”
“He’s on his way in now. They’ll come take Denny to pre-op in a little while. You’ve been through this before, I’m sure. I’ll have the nurse give him a little something to make him happy and calm him down. As long as all goes well, he’ll be out of here tomorrow morning.”
Kelly nodded. “Thank you.”
“You hear that, buddy?” the PA said to Denny. “The nurse will put something in your IV so you’ll feel really good. Hopefully, tomorrow morning, you’ll be out of here.”
“Thank you.”
He patted Denny on the shoulder and left the room. The nurse walked in shortly after and pushed the meds into Denny’s IV. Within ten minutes, Denny was smiling, chatting, without a care in the world.
Mart teased him. “You’re going to get a funny haircut in a little while.”
Denny grinned, the medicine in full effect. “Yep. You want one?”
Mart smiled. “No, thank you. I don’t need one.”
“What’s the doctor’s name?”
“Arslowe.”
“I wish he was Ar-fast.” Denny giggled maniacally.
Mart, Kelly, and Paulie exchanged looks and laughed. Yes, Denny was feeling no pain.
A doctor walked in, an older man with a hefty build and kind face. He carried Denny’s chart. “Are you Daniel?”
Danny grinned. “Only when I’m in a lot of trouble.”
The doctor laughed. “I see someone’s had their happy juice. Who are you normally?”
“Denny.”
“Nice to meet you, Denny. I’m Dr. Arslowe,” he said, shaking Denny’s hand.
Denny grinned. “I know you are slow, but I wish you are fast!”
Everyone groaned except Dr. Arslowe, who laughed. “That’s a good one. Haven’t heard that one before.”
Denny laughed. “I like you.”
“I like you too, kid. You ready to feel better?”
Denny nodded. “I want to eat.”
“I know you do, champ. We’ll take care of that after you wake up.”
A nurse walked in. Dr. Arslowe handed her the chart, gave her instructions, then turned to Kelly. “He’ll be fine. I don’t know if it’s the tube or valve that’s the problem, but if we have to, we’ll replace the whole thing. He’s not running a fever, so I doubt it’s infected, and the shunt tap looked normal. I don’t expect it to take more than an hour. I talked to his regular doctor’s PA. He gave me a chart overview on the phone. I don’t think there will be any problems.”
Kelly nodded. Mart took her hand, sensing she was close to breaking.
They followed Denny to pre-op. Normally, Kelly waited with Denny in holding, but the nurse reassured her. “He’s only going to be here long enough for us to get his monitors hooked up, then he’s going straight through to the OR. Less than five minutes at the most, I promise. Have you had anything to eat today?”
Kelly shook her head. The nurse turned to Mart. “Take her to the cafeteria. Stop at the desk, they’ll get you a beeper. It’ll take them at least a half-hour for the OR to prep him. Once they start, someone will call the waiting room. If they can’t get you there, they’ll beep.”
Mart nodded. “Thank you.”
Kelly gave Denny a hug. The medicine first made him goofy, now he was sleepy. “Love you, honey. See you in a little bit.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Paulie hugged him. “Love you, Squirt. Thanks for getting me out of school tomorrow.”
Denny brightened. “We miss school.”
Paulie laughed. “You just now realized that?”
“Cool.”
Mart wheeled over. He stretched up and hugged Denny. “Love you, buddy.”
Denny hugged him back. “Love you too, Dad.”
That nearly finished Kelly. She watched as the door closed behind them, then let Mart pull her into his lap. He hugged her as she cried. She felt Paulie’s arms around her too, and she cried even harder as she realized they already were a family.
Kelly let Mart take charge and realized this was how normal families worked. She wouldn’t have to bear the brunt of the responsibility alone anymore—she had Mart.
Mart got a beeper and, holding Kelly’s hand, led her to the cafeteria. She didn’t feel like eating but picked at her food at Mart’s insistence.
“Oh, no,” she said. “I need to call Mom.”
“Done. I told her I’d call her back as soon as we know anything.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll call Beatrice, too. Later.”
She looked at Paulie. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I know Squirt will be fine, but I want to punch my father.”
“Paulie—”
Mart, seated next to her, put a hand on her leg under the table. “Paulie, I’m sure your father loves you guys the best he knows how.”
“Well, he’s a jerk.”
Kelly’s phone vibrated. She looked at it and handed it to Mart to answer.
“Hi, Beatrice,” he said, wheeling away from them. He returned a few minutes later. “She’s a good person.” He handed the phone back to Kelly.
“Too bad my dad sucks.”
“Pau—”
Mart interrupted her. “Paulie, some people can’t handle differences. That doesn’t make them bad people, it just makes them not as strong as we are.”
“He’s a drunk. And after what he did to Mom and us—”
“He’s still your father. Don’t compare him to me. You can still love him and not like or agree with the things he does.”
Paulie chewed that one. After a few minutes, he asked, “Do you mind if I call you my dad?”
Mart and Kelly exchanged a quick glance. “I don’t mind at all,” he said.
Mart coaxed enough food into Kelly to make him quit worrying. Then they went to the waiting room. A few minutes later, a nurse came in asking for Kelly. She held up her hand. The nurse walked over and smiled.
“He’s doing fine. There’s no sign of infection. It looks like the valve was blocked. Dr. Arslowe’s replacing that, and he’ll replace the bottom too, just to be sure.”
Kelly nodded, her eyes tearing again. Mart took Kelly’s hand and squeezed it.
“Thank you,” Kelly said.
>
“Dr. Arslowe said he’ll talk to you personally when he’s finished.”
Mart nodded. “Thanks.” He looked at Kelly. “He’ll be fine.”
Kelly nodded, wiping her eyes.
True to his word, the doctor walked in about an hour later, smiling. “He’s doing great. I replaced the whole shunt. We’ll do a CT scan early tomorrow morning. As long as everything looks okay, he can go home tomorrow. He’s in recovery. They’ll bring him back to his room as soon as he’s awake. You can wait up there for him.”
The weight lifted from Kelly’s shoulders. “Thank you.” One-night stays were the norm.
“Call his regular surgeon when you get home, get an appointment. I’ll leave orders for you to get copies of all the films and reports at discharge.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Mart said.
They made their way back to Denny’s room to wait. Kelly left Mart with Paulie while she took the phone, making a stop in the bathroom. Locking herself in a stall, she let the tears come, trying to be quiet, wanting to get it out of her system. When she’d recovered, she washed her face and went downstairs where she’d have reception to make the calls.
Her mom first. “He’s okay. He’ll be back in his room in a little while.”
Sharon sighed. “Thank God. Tell him I love him.”
“I will.”
Kelly called Beatrice next.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s in recovery.”
“Oh, good.”
“Where’s David?”
Beatrice hesitated, and Kelly almost checked to see if the call had dropped when Beatrice said, “I don’t know. He left about an hour ago. He’s not answering his cell.”
“Oh.”
“Kelly, I meant what I said. Whatever you need, let me know, I’ll do it. I’ll sign it or testify or whatever.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated. “Look, I’ve never had anything personal against you. I know you care about my sons, and I appreciate it. I hope everything works out for you.”
Beatrice sounded choked up. “Thank you, Kelly. I know I was hostile to you in the beginning, but I was going by what David said. I didn’t know—”
“It’s okay, really. I understand.”
Boy, did she.
“They’re good kids. Denny is so cute.” There was another pause. “Martin seems to love them. The boys told me they like him a lot. I think David is jealous about that.”
“That’s David’s problem.”
“I know. Please tell Denny I’m glad he’s okay.”
“I will.”
Kelly tried to call David and got his voicemail. Taking a deep breath, she carefully measured her words. “David, it’s Kelly. Denny is out of surgery. They replaced the shunt. He might be discharged in the morning. You can call my cell. Good-bye.”
That took a lot of self-restraint.
Denny wasn’t in his room when she returned. Mart looked up from his book, and she forced a smile. He put his book down and handed Paulie some money.
“Can you go downstairs and bring us some coffee? Get yourself something, too.”
Paulie nodded.
Mart pulled Kelly into his lap, put his arms around her. “You okay?”
“I want to go home.”
“I know you do, babe.” He rubbed her back. “I think we need to have a talk.”
“What?”
“We need to call your attorney when we get back, get David’s visitation revoked.”
“I can’t afford that. David will drag it out—”
“Stop.” His firm tone immediately cut off her protest. “We can afford it. The boys can’t afford not to have it changed.”
“But—” She realized what he said. “We?”
“You call your attorney. Whatever it is, I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t have to ask. Kel, you’re going to be my wife. I’m not Bill Gates, but I can afford this.”
She didn’t like the idea of taking his money. “They’re my sons. I need to—”
“Kelly. They’re our sons,” he said quietly. “You will let me do it, I’m not backing down on this. You’re not alone anymore. I’m not going anywhere.” He hesitated. “Paulie asked if I would adopt them.”
“What?”
“You need to talk to him. I doubt David will allow it without a fight, but if you agree, I’ll do it. In a heartbeat.”
She studied him. “You’re serious?”
He nodded. “I’m not just marrying you. I’m marrying you and the boys. And your mom. Who, by the way, offered to take David out.”
“My mother is just so helpful.”
“I told her I thought we’d try the legal route first, but I’d keep her offer in mind.”
“She must really love you.” Kelly rested her head against Mart’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “I know I do.”
* * * *
Denny was awake but groggy when they wheeled his gurney into the room.
“Hey honey, you okay?” Kelly asked, taking his hand.
Denny looked at her. “Can I eat now?” A dressing covered the shaved spot on his head where the shunt was replaced.
Mart reached through the bed rails and touched Denny’s shoulder. “As soon as they say you can, I’ll go get you a cheeseburger.”
Denny smiled weakly. “Mart. You’re here.”
“Well, yeah. Where’d you think I’d be?”
“I don’t know. My dad’s never here when I wake up.”
“Like I told your mom, I’m not going anywhere.”
Denny slept most of the morning. When the PA checked on him later, he cleared him to eat. “Clear stuff first, Jell-O, applesauce, broth. He keeps that down, then in a few hours he can have solid food.”
Denny inhaled what they brought him and asked for more. He sat up in bed while watching TV with Paulie. “You said I could have a cheeseburger,” he said to Mart.
Mart nodded. “Once they okay it, I’ll get it.”
Kelly looked at her watch. “I need to run to the hotel and get my stuff.”
Mart put a hand on her arm. “I’ll go. Tell me what you need.”
She looked at him, lost in his eyes. She truly loved him—deeper than she’d ever felt about David. And having him there when she needed him the most only cemented her feelings, erased the few lingering shadows of doubt. “Okay.”
Paulie went with him. They returned a while later with her overnight bag. Paulie carried a fast-food sack. “Look what I have, Squirt.” He dangled it in front of Denny.
Denny grabbed for it. Paulie played keep-away, laughing. “Give it to me,” Denny yelled. “Mom!”
Kelly smiled. “Go ahead, Paulie. Give it to him.”
Denny snatched the bag from his brother and ripped into the burger. Plain, with cheese only. The only way Denny would eat them.
Mart remembered.
She took Mart’s hand in hers. “You’re a good dad, you know that?”
He kissed her. “You’re a good mom.”
* * * *
Denny slept through his three a.m. CT scan while Kelly stood, yawning, in her SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas, and wrapped in a Halloween-themed lead apron. She was used to hospitals scheduling in-patient scans for the middle of the night. It didn’t matter to her, because she couldn’t get more than short naps in the bedside reclining torture chair anyway.
Dr. Arslowe made his morning rounds a little after six-thirty and met her with a smile. “Our racer can go home today.”
Denny smiled around his mouthful of pancakes. “I’m okay?” He woke up starving.
“Yep. Your ventricles are already smaller.” He looked at Kelly. “Did you fly or drive?”
“We drove. I’ll call his regular neuro-surgeon as soon as we get home.”
Dr. Arslowe nodded and scribbled some notes in Denny’s chart. “I’ll have them copy everything for you. I think he’s going to be fine. Except for the funny haircut.
”
Denny laughed. “I’m used to those.”
“Good. No extra charge for that, by the way,” he joked.
They discharged Denny before noon. Mart didn’t want to push all the way home and make Denny uncomfortable. When they stopped early near Tallahassee, Kelly called Beatrice with an update. She didn’t ask where David was, but Beatrice assured Kelly she would tell him.
They pulled into Kelly’s driveway late Tuesday afternoon. Mart helped her unload. He wanted to spend the night but had to catch an early flight out of Tampa the next morning. He was already a day late leaving for a business trip to L.A..
Kelly wrapped her arms around him. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate you right now,” she said.
“It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“I’ve spent too much time doing it myself.”
“Not anymore.” He kissed her one last time. “You okay? You sure you don’t want me to cancel? I can reschedule.”
She shook her head. “I’ll live. I’ve put you behind enough already. Call me when you get there.”
“I will. And I’ll be home next Tuesday, all right? Don’t forget, weekend after, you’re all mine.”
“Boston.”
“You forgot,” he teased.
She smiled. “Guilty.”
“I already have our tickets. And I’ll have you all to myself. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She waited until he loaded and waved as he drove off. Home felt lonely without him there, she was so used to having him around. But she was more than consoled by the peace she felt knowing he would return to her.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kelly took Denny to his regular neuro-surgeon the next day, and they did another CT scan. The doctor reviewed the charts from Dr. Arslowe.
“Everything looks okay, as far as I can tell. We’ll see you back in a week to get those stitches out, and you’ll be all set.”
It was nearly five o’clock when she returned home after picking up Paulie from her mom’s to find a strange car parked in the driveway. When Kelly pulled in, a woman got out and walked up to her.
“Are you Kelly Alexander?”
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