A Very Special Christmas

by Jessica Matthews

  Claire smiled at him. "Clear the area for the ambulance crew."

  While he and one of his assistants did as she'd instructed, Claire explained the situation to the couple. "Dr Ridgeway is going to meet us at the hospital."

  "I'm losing the baby, aren't I?"

  "There's a possibility you'll need a C-section if the baby's in distress," Claire explained, "but they'll do everything they can for both of you."

  "They have to save my baby. They have to. I can't go through it again."

  "I know," Claire said, feeling the woman's pain more acutely than Eddie would ever know. "It's important for you to relax. Take normal breaths." A distant wail slowly increased in volume and she could see flashing lights approach.

  "Just a few more minutes and you'll be on your way," she told Eddie. "How's the pain?"

  "I feel pretty good now that I'm lying down."

  The ambulance careened to a stop in front of the door and Claire quickly briefed them on the situation. While one paramedic took Eddie's vital signs and listened for the baby's heartbeat, the other started an IV.

  As soon as they'd done all they could, they bundled her onto a stretcher and headed for the hospital.

  "Will you come with me?" Joe asked. "It would mean a lot to us if you were there. At least until we know if...if..." His voice choked and Claire's eyes filled with moisture.

  She didn't want to feel Eddie's and Joe's anguish if Alex couldn't save their baby, but she couldn't refuse Joe's request.

  "I'll follow in my car," she promised.

  By the time she and Joe arrived, Alex and Jivanta were already attending to Eddie. Several minutes later, nurses wheeled Eddie to surgery and Alex stopped to talk to Joe.

  "The baby's in distress," he said. "We're running out of time."

  "Will he...will he make it?" Joe asked.

  "We'll do our best. The good news is, their condition isn't as bad as it could be."

  "What went wrong?"

  "Part of Eddie's placenta is tearing away from her uterus, and that means the baby is losing blood and not getting all the oxygen he needs."

  "Once he's born, he'll be OK?" Joe asked.

  "We'll do everything we can," Alex answered. "I'll find you when we're done." With that parting remark, he hurried toward the surgical suites.

  "Would you like to call someone?" Claire asked Joe. "Your parents?"

  He shook his head. "I'd rather wait until it's over. One way or another." His voice was flat, as if he didn't dare hope for a positive outcome. "If she loses this baby, she won't pull through. I'll lose her, too."

  Claire understood, but couldn't find the words of encouragement he so desperately needed. Telling him to think positively and hope for the best seemed trite. Fate didn't always listen to positive thoughts or fulfill desperate hopes.

  "Would you mind staying a little longer?" he asked. "I know you have your own family..."

  Aware of how waiting was the worst and waiting alone made it even more so, she simply couldn't desert him. "I just need to let Josh's sitter know I'll be late. In the meantime, how about a cup of coffee?"

  By the time she'd explained the situation to Nora and their coffee had cooled, Alex had reappeared in his surgical scrubs.

  "Congratulations, Joe. You have a beautiful little girl."

  Joe's mouth dropped open. "I do?"

  "Five pounds seven ounces."

  "Is she...is she OK?"

  "She's struggling a bit right now, so you won't be able to hold her. We want to make sure her oxygen level stays where it should. She lost some blood, so we're replacing it."

  "And Eddie?" he asked.

  "Eddie's fine. She had what we call a grade one separation, which means that less than ten per cent of the placenta became detached. It's too soon to tell what—if any— problems your daughter might have, but her Apgar scores aren't bad, considering what she's been through."

  "Can I see both of them?" Joe asked.

  "Eddie's on her way to Recovery, but you might catch a glimpse of your baby through the nursery window. Our pediatrician, Dr Tuttle, intends to airlift her to a. neonatal center within the hour, though. They're more equipped to handle situations like this than we are but, honestly, everyone is optimistic."

  Joe enthusiastically pumped Alex's hand up and down. "Thank you, Doctor. For everything. I guess I have a few phone calls to make, don't I?" He hurried off to the desk in the corner where a telephone was available.

  "They're both going to be OK?"

  Alex smiled at her. "I'd say so. Tuttle will want to be on the safe side, and I can't blame him."

  "I'm glad. All I could think of was how devastated Eddie would be if things went wrong at this stage of the game. Do you know when it might have happened?'

  'Relatively recently. Maybe even while she was shopping. If so, it was probably a good thing."

  "Why?"

  "She said after the initial pain, it wasn't so bad. She might have dismissed it until the situation got out of hand." He paused. "This wasn't easy for you, was it?"

  Claire shrugged, minimizing her own bad memories. "I managed."

  "You didn't have to stay."

  "Joe asked me to," she said simply. "Even if he hadn't, I couldn't leave without knowing. One way or the other."

  Alex touched the side of her face. "I would have called you."

  "Yeah, but for some things, I'm rather short on patience."

  "I'll file that away for future reference," he teased. "Does this mean I can't put your present under the Christmas tree until December 24th?"

  His thoughtfulness in buying her a gift filled an empty spot in her heart. "If it's under your tree and not mine, I can survive the suspense."

  "Then I'm glad we're coming to your house tomorrow night instead of mine," he said. "I'd hate to treat you like I treat Jennie. Any sniffing around the packages results in waiting an extra day to open them. One year, she wasn't supposed to unwrap hers until December 26th."

  "You didn't make her wait, did you?"

  He chuckled. "Actually, we only postponed the excitement until after breakfast on Christmas Day."

  She poked his hard chest. "I knew it. Underneath that tough exterior is an old softy."

  "Yeah, well, don't tell anyone. Especially Jennie because, believe it or not, she learned her lesson." Suddenly, he pulled her into the vacant hallway to kiss her. "I'll call you later."

  "I'll be home," she promised. He wouldn't phone until after Josh was in bed, but she'd count the minutes until then.

  She watched him stride confidently down the corridor. He'd brought so many changes in her life, good changes that she might never have seen if she hadn't moved to Pleasant Valley. He and his daughter had helped her in ways they would probably never fully realize.

  One thing she did know, however. Without a conscious effort on her part, the most surprising thing had taken place.

  She'd fallen in love.

  Alex returned to the OR changing rooms, his spirits as high as the kites he'd flown as a boy. Not only could he celebrate with the Butlers—some cases of abruptio placentae didn't end on such a positive note—but the fact that Claire had stuck by Joe when she could have gone about her business impressed him mightily.

  He knew it had been tough for her to wait for news that could have been bad. No doubt, she'd probably relived her own sad memories, yet she hadn't run away.

  She hadn't run away. Suddenly, he realized it was the one standard by which he subconsciously judged the women he dated. The truth was, there had been several opportunities for Claire to take the easy way out and leave without a backward glance—the episode with her mother-in-law had been one of the most recent—but she hadn't. Until Claire had successfully ridden this latest emotional roller-coaster, he hadn't known he'd been bracing himself for her to follow in his ex-wife's footsteps.

  He'd almost given up hope of finding a woman who would stand by him through thick and thin, who possessed enough strength of character to place someone else's needs
above her own, but he'd found her in Claire. He wasn't going to let the woman he loved slip through his fingers.

  He wasn't the only one who thought she was a gem.

  His mother thought she was wonderful and Jennie sang her praises. Claire had become such a part of his life that he couldn't imagine passing a day without hearing her voice or seeing her smile.

  Claire had gone Christmas shopping tonight. He didn't know if she'd found what she'd been looking for, but he knew exactly what he wanted—no, needed—to buy before the stores closed for the holiday—something that would change his life and the lives of three others forever.

  "Who brought cookies today?" Alex asked as he walked into the staff lounge adjoining the receptionist's office.

  Claire popped her last bite into her mouth. "Nora. I was going to indulge later, but they looked delicious, especially on an empty stomach."

  "Skipped breakfast?"

  "I overslept," she explained. "Joshua didn't sleep well. He had a bit of a tummyache, but he's fine this morning. How's Eddie and the baby?"

  "The baby's stable and Eddie's indulging herself with chocolates. After Jivanta discharges her tomorrow, they plan to visit little Miss Butler."

  "Did they decide on a name?" As of last night, they hadn't chosen one for fear of jinxing Eddie's pregnancy.

  He grinned. "Alexis Claire."

  "Oh, my gosh. Are you serious?"

  "As serious as a heart attack," he said. "They're going to call her Lexie."

  "No one's ever named their child after me before."

  "Same here."

  "You mean there aren't a lot of Alexanders and Alexises in the world because of you?''

  "Not a one. Until now. I obviously don't leave a lasting impression on my pregnant patients."

  Claire privately disagreed.

  "Say," he asked, "did you finish your shopping last night?"

  "And my wrapping. Everything's under the tree, so now I can kick back and relax while the rest of the world spends, the next few days rushing around for their last-minute gifts."

  "Lucky you."

  "I was wondering...would you and Jennie like to come early tonight and share our pot of beef stew? For some reason, I can't make a small batch. I tend to add a little of everything, and before I know it, I have enough to feed a platoon."

  "You don't need to offer twice. What time?"

  "Whenever. The stew and I are flexible."

  "How about six?"

  That would give her about an hour to hurry home, open her mail and change her clothes. "Six is great."

  For the rest of the morning, nothing could dampen Claire's good mood. Nothing, that was, until Joyce Morris appeared in the waiting room.

  Claire ushered her to an exam cubicle, noticing how she cradled her right wrist.

  "I think it's sprained," Joyce said as she held it out for Claire to see.

  The joint was swollen and purplish and Claire winced sympathetically. "How did it happen?''

  "I tripped and fell on it," she said.

  "Doctor will want X-rays."

  "I guessed as much."

  "Let me do my usual, and then I'll check with him." Claire pushed up the woman's sleeve to take her blood pressure and saw five black marks around her upper arm, as if someone had held her in a bruising grip. She didn't comment on their presence, but intended to tell Alex about them when she saw him.

  As soon as she'd finished, she hunted him down and reported her observation. "I don't think she fell at all."

  His gaze grew intent. "You don't know that for sure."

  "No, but I'm right. Deep down, I'm positive."

  He let out a long breath. "It wouldn't surprise me, but if she won't admit it, there's nothing we can do. Send her to the clinic radiology department and put a rush on those films. Maybe those will tell us something."

  Thirty minutes later, the technician delivered the X-rays. Alex slid them onto his view box and whistled. "I hate it when my patients don't tell the truth."

  "She didn't fall?"

  "She may have fallen, but she didn't break her arm when she did. She has an oblique fracture."

  "Doesn't a twisting motion cause that?"

  "Usually."

  Claire followed him into Joyce's room and stood in the background while he greeted her with his normal equanimity.

  "It's broken, Joyce," he told her.

  She brushed at her red-rimmed eyes. "Sorry. My arm hurts like the dickens. Are you sure it isn't a bad sprain?"

  "The bone's broken," he said firmly.

  She squared her shoulders. "Can you slap on a cast and send me on my way?"

  "You have an oblique fracture, which means the bone snapped when it was being twisted. Aligning those edges is a little more tricky than if it was a clean break. I'll call Dr Wheatley and arrange for him to see you."

  "Can't you just splint it for now?"

  "The bone has to be set so it will grow straight," Alex said. "Splinting is only a temporary fix."

  "Can't you do it?"

  He paused to look over Joyce's head at Claire. "I could, but it would take longer for me to do the job than Dr Wheatley. He does this sort of thing all the time. Wouldn't you rather allow a specialist to do the honors?"

  "I'd rather have you," she said stubbornly.

  He hesitated, and Claire mentally urged him to do the job. He was fully capable, although she understood why the physicians referred orthopedic cases. Like anything else, setting bones wasn't always as easy as it sounded.

  "All right, but after I give you something for the pain, you can't drive."

  Joyce nodded. "My brother is using my van. I'm supposed to call him when I'm finished."

  Claire retrieved the necessary supplies while Alex left to study the X-rays again. When he returned, Claire had everything laid out and he started to work.

  "Want to tell us what happened?" he asked as they waited for the painkiller to take hold.

  Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose and her voice sounded dull. "Rick and I got into a fight. He won't come back for more tests because he's convinced he has a pinched nerve. He made an appointment with a chiropractor.

  "I told him he wouldn't get better, just like you said," she continued, "but he got mad and wouldn't listen." She swiped her eyes and Claire handed her a facial tissue.

  "So he grabbed you," Alex supplied.

  "Not then. I said if he wouldn't take care of himself and make sure he didn't have cancer, I would leave. I'd put up with enough from him and if he wanted to die slowly or become completely helpless, I wasn't going to stick around and watch. That's when he got upset and grabbed me. I was trying to get away when this happened."

  "Did he realize you were hurt?" Claire asked.

  "I don't think so."

  She stared at Alex, then at Claire. "Rick is working out of town for the next two days on a job site and won't be back until tomorrow night. I intend to move out before he gets home. My mother and Wendy are at my place now with my brother, packing up as much as they can, but I want to be sure they only load our stuff. I don't want Rick claiming I stole his things."

  "Have you taken any legal action? Asked for a restraining order?" Alex asked.

  "No. Should I?"

  "It would be for your protection. And Wendy's," Claire added.

  "When should I do that?" She rubbed her injured arm.

  "As soon as we set your arm, we'll call our staff social worker. I'm sure she can manage something at her end."

  "I hate to cause everyone all this trouble," Joyce began.

  "We're here to help," Alex told her.

  Joyce's eyes brimmed with tears. "You don't know what this means to me."

  Claire hugged her. "I think we do. Now, try to relax," she said as she slipped the stocking-like sleeve over Joyce's arm to protect her skin. "If it helps not to watch, then don't."

  Joyce obediently closed her eyes and Alex maneuvered the edges into place. "I'm going to splint this so we can take another X-ray. If the bone
is aligned, we'll add the cast."

  Claire escorted Joyce back to Radiology and when they'd taken the required pictures, she escorted her back with the new set of films.

  Satisfied with his efforts, Alex quickly wrapped the pre-plastered strips around her arm before they hardened. After he'd finished, he said, "If you notice your fingers swelling or if the cast feels tight, come back immediately. Otherwise, I'll see you in about six weeks."

  Claire slipped away to call Paula Tucker, the social worker, and privately brief her on Joyce's situation. When she'd ended the conversation, she walked Joyce to Paula's office and left her in the other woman's care.

  "Good idea to take her there yourself," Alex said when she returned.

  "I didn't think you'd mind if I slipped away. I was afraid she'd have second thoughts."

  "I was afraid of that, too. With luck, Joyce and Wendy will be gone before Rick realizes she's left him."

  Claire nodded. "I can't understand how he could believe his co-worker's diagnosis instead of a physician's. A pinched nerve?"

  "I'm not discounting the work a chiropractor does, but in his case a spinal adjustment won't help," Alex stated.

  "Once he realizes that, maybe he'll come back."

  "Let's hope it won't be too late."

  Alex received word later in the day that young Lexie Butler was doing well and staying at the neonatal center for observation. Victor Kohls's surgery showed the tumor hadn't spread outside his intestine and Dr Jensen was satisfied that she'd removed it in its entirety. He'd need some chemotherapy to make sure the cancer didn't return, but the prognosis was excellent.

  The social worker had taken Joyce in hand and had set the legal ball rolling for her. Alex hoped that Rick would deal with his wife's leaving far better than he did with his health problems.

  All in all it had been an eventful day, and at Claire's house later, Alex was more than ready to sit back and shelve his patients' problems in the back of his mind. Good food and good company were the two things he wanted and at the moment he had them both.

  "Your stew was delicious," he told Claire as he helped her rinse the bowls and stow them in the dishwasher.

  "Thanks. Would you like to take some home? There's more than enough."