The Family Next Door

by Heather D'Agostino

  “What? What’s wrong?” the panic rose in her voice as her eyes went wide.

  “Sean has a ventricular septal defect,” he barreled on before Katie could jump in. “Your mom says it’s small, and can be easily corrected with surgery.”

  “A hole? He has a hole in his heart?” Katie’s lip quivered.

  “It can be fixed,” Patrick grabbed her hands and turned to face her. “This is something that happens quite often. I know, remember? I’m a cardiologist.”

  “But I didn’t think it would happen to us. Why didn’t anyone tell me before?” a tear ran down her cheek.

  “Sometimes we don’t see them until later. I’m actually surprised that they caught it this early. Babies usually live with these for years before they’re discovered. The only time they get noticed is if the baby starts losing weight or stops eating right. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Patrick wrapped his arm around his wife pulling her to his side.

  “I know…”Katie mumbled into his shoulder. “The doctor in me knows this, but the mom wants to protect her child. When is my mom going to do the surgery?”

  “She’s not,” Patrick whispered. “The hospital won’t let her.”

  “What?” Katie’s head popped up. “Who’s going to do it then?”

  “Your mom wants Dr. Covington to do it. He’s here today,” Patrick grimaced.

  “No!” Katie shook her head vigorously. “I don’t want anyone from that family near my son.”

  “Baby…he’s the best around. I don’t want them near us either, but I do want the best,” Patrick rubbed his hand along Katie’s back.

  Conflicting emotions ran wild through her, but the concerned mother side finally won out. “Ok,” she whispered. “He can do it. I want Sean to have the best care. Dr. Covington can do it.”

  “I’ll tell your mom to tell him yes. I need to get the paperwork. They want to do this tonight,” he placed a kiss to the top of her head as he stood, and made his way toward the door.

  ooooooooo

  As the evening wore on, Katie nervously fidgeted in her bed. She was going to be discharged in the morning, and the idea of leaving her son behind was eating away at her. As a doctor, she knew it couldn’t be helped, but as a new mother, the thought of her baby staying here when she couldn’t nearly broke her heart. Patrick had signed the forms earlier that evening, and Sean’s surgery was supposed to be starting within the hour. He was torn between staying with his wife and going with his son.

  “You can go,” Katie mumbled as she watched her husband pace the length of her room. “I know you want to.”

  Patrick’s weary gaze met his wife’s, “I do, but I want to stay with you, too.”

  “I’ll be fine…Hannah’s coming back. I called her,” Katie chewed on her lip. “Go!” she pointed at the door. “He needs one of us there.”

  Patrick rushed over to her bed and enveloped her in a crushing hug, “I love you.”

  “I love you too…now go,” she pointed toward the door and nodded. “Go watch over our son.”

  ooooooooo

  Once he was out in the hallway, Patrick strode in the direction of Cardiology. The sight when he rounded the corner stopped him dead in his tracks. Tinsley was heading straight for him with a cunning smile on her face.

  “Fancy meeting you here…couldn’t stay away, huh?” she grinned at him.

  “I don’t have time for you,” he grumbled as he tried to step around her.

  Tinsley sidestepped him, blocking his path as she giggled and lifted her index finger to her lips.

  “Get out of my way,” Patrick growled.

  “Sheesh…what’s got you in such a twist today? I thought being a dad and all you’d be on cloud nine,” she nibbled her fingernail.

  “Get out of my way!” he growled again as he tried to get around her.

  “Tinsley!” Mason Covington bellowed from behind them. “Let the man pass.”

  Tinsley spun around to face her father, “Daddy? You remember Patrick…right? He quit on us?” a cunning smile spread across her face.

  “I don’t have time for this honey. I’m performing surgery on his son in the next thirty minutes.” He then turned toward Patrick, “I was coming to see if you’d like to observe from the gallery.”

  “Yes Doctor…I would,” he stepped around Tinsley leaving her baffled in the hallway.

  ooooooooo

  After the two men disappeared leaving Tinsley standing there, she slowly turned and headed toward the maternity floor with a little extra bounce in her step. If she couldn’t talk to Patrick, she’d go see Katie. After all…they really hadn’t talked much over the last few months, and they used to be friends…right?

  ooooooooo

  “It’s going to be ok,” Hannah soothed as she sat beside an anxious Katie.

  “I know…I can’t help but worry though,” she continued to twist her hands in her lap.

  “Patrick’s down there. He won’t let anything happen,” Hannah continued to try to ease her sister’s nerves.

  Before Katie could respond a soft knock came from the door.

  “Must be Matt,” Hannah smiled at Katie. “He told me he’d come up after he gave us some girl time.”

  “Come in,” Katie called as the door swung open.

  “Hi,” Tinsley’s smile was so wide Katie thought it might break her face.

  Katie went stiff as Hannah moved to stand between her sister’s bed and the intruder.

  “Get out!” Hannah pointed toward the door. “You’re not welcome here.”

  “I was invited,” Tinsley grinned before adding, “by her husband.”

  “I doubt that,” Hannah rolled her eyes as she moved closer to Tinsley. “Now get out!”

  “Letting everyone else fight your battles now?” Tinsley peered over Hannah’s shoulder as she directed the jab at Katie.

  “Don’t answer that,” Hannah glanced back at her sister.

  “No, I don’t mind,” Katie sighed as she tried to come off unaffected. “I just don’t have anything to say to you. You’re not worth the effort,” she shrugged in Tinsley’s direction. “There’s no way my husband invited you anywhere. I know him, and he wouldn’t do that. The only reason you’re here is because your daddy is helping me, and you can’t stand that. So…get out before I call security and have you removed,” Katie’s gaze narrowed on Tinsley as Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at her.

  Tinsley’s mouth opened and snapped shut as nothing came out.

  “Nothing to say to that?” Hannah cocked her head to one side as she walked over and stood by the door. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”

  As Tinsley stepped into the hallway, Hannah closed the door, and Katie flopped back against the pillows of her bed.

  “That bitch has some nerve,” Hannah shook her head. “I have to admit…that felt good though.”

  “That felt great,” Katie smirked. “Thanks for having my back.”

  Hannah shrugged, “That’s what sisters are for.” She giggled, “I haven’t had to throw down since high school.”

  “Throw down?” Katie lifted her brow.

  “You know…set someone in their place?” Hannah flopped back down in the chair beside the bed. “You seem to bring out that side of me.”

  “Hey!” Katie crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I didn’t say it was a bad thing!” Hannah defended as she watched Katie relax a little. “It got your mind off things though, right?”

  “Yeah,” Katie laughed lightly.

  As the night wore on, the two sisters sat and reminisced about their childhood, and all the things they’d done over the years for each other. Time seemed to pass more quickly, and before long, Katie had drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

  Chapter 26

  Once Sean was in recovery and resting peacefully, Patrick made his way back to his wife’s room to relay the news. When he pushed open her door, he stood smiling at the sight before him. Katie, along
with Hannah, was curled up in her bed. Matt was sprawled out in the chair beside them. As he surveyed the room, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the events of the day. The birth of his son, and then heart surgery on top of that. He was amazed that he was still standing. Exhaustion had threatened to overtake him several times that evening.

  “Hey,” he nudged Matt’s foot that was propped up on the end of the bed. “How did you manage to stay? It’s way past visiting hours.”

  “Our mother-in-law is pretty bad ass,” he grinned. “She pretty much told the nursing staff that they could deal with her if they had a problem.”

  Patrick chuckled lightly, “We’re lucky. We married into a great family.”

  “That we are,” Matt nodded as he righted himself in the chair. He yawned as he rubbed his eyes, “I need to get my wife home, and you need to get some rest.”

  “Thanks man…for everything,” Patrick clamped his hand down on his best friend’s shoulder.

  “No problem…we’re brothers now… that’s what we do,” he nodded as he stretched and stood. He walked over to where Hannah was curled up beside Katie, and rubbed her shoulder, “Honey? Let’s go home.”

  “Mmmm,” Hannah mumbled and shifted in the bed.

  “Let’s go home,” Matt tried again. “We’ll come back tomorrow.”

  Hannah nodded absentmindedly as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, “Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” she yawned as she stumbled out of the room with Matt at her side.

  Once they’d left, Patrick rounded the bed, toed off his shoes, and climbed in to take the spot Hannah had just vacated. Katie mumbled something incoherently as she snuggled into his embrace.

  As he felt her melt into arms, Patrick smiled contently as he let sleep overtake him. It had been weeks since they’d slept in the same bed, and after the day they’d just had, he couldn’t think of a better way to end it.

  ooooooooo

  When morning finally came, Katie’s eyes fluttered open before flashing wide. Snuggled beside her with one toned arm wrapped around her middle was her husband. Her eyes moved around the room as reality began sinking in.

  She stiffened as the events of the night before played like a movie through her mind. Her son had surgery, her nemesis had come for a visit, and her husband…well he had somehow gotten in bed with her and she didn’t even feel it.

  “Patrick?” she nudged him in the side. When he didn’t move, she poked harder, “Patrick!”

  He grumbled before opening his eyes. When he saw where he was, and remembered why he was there, he whispered, “Morning.”

  “Is he ok? Why didn’t you wake me? Where is he?” Katie rattled off questions as fast as they were popping into her head.

  Patrick sat there stunned for a moment as the final bits of sleep left his addled brain, “Slow down.”

  The panic that the new mother was feeling was evident just by looking at her face, “Well?”

  “He’s fine. Everything went well. You were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you last night. He’s in NICU for observation now. I stayed with him until he came out of recovery, and then I came in here with you,” Patrick rubbed her arm softly as he tried to calm her down. “We can go see him as soon as you feel up to it.”

  “Now,” Katie’s head bobbed vigorously. “I wanna go see him now.”

  “Ok,” Patrick nodded as he rose to a sitting position. “Let me get my shoes back on and go to the bathroom.”

  While Patrick went into the bathroom, Katie slowly slid out of bed. She stood still for a minute as her body adjusted to being upright once again. She’d been lying down so much over the last twenty-four hours that she swayed slightly as she found her equilibrium.

  Once Patrick emerged, he helped her slip into a robe, and they began to walk down to the NICU hand-in-hand.

  ooooooooo

  “Hey Susan,” Patrick waved to the nurse that was standing just outside the door. “Can we go in?”

  “Sure Dr. McKinley. There are clean robes, and fresh towels by the sink,” Susan, a petite dark haired nurse smiled at Patrick.

  Patrick pulled open the door to the NICU and ushered Katie in. He helped her drape the yellow gown over herself, and secure it before working on his own. After they had washed their hands, Patrick motioned Katie in before him.

  “He’s over there,” Patrick used his head to point to the right. “It’s the last one on this row.”

  As Katie shuffled in the direction of the incubator, a small tremor made its way through her. As a pediatrician, she’d been in there many times and knew the routines of the nurses and their policies. But as a new mother coming to visit her baby…it was a whole new experience. Gone was the self-assured doctor who spent countless hours visiting this floor, gone was the confidence that poured off her when speaking to a new set of parents who were feeling the same way she was at the moment. No…now she was just like them, worried and timid.

  When she reached the incubator, Katie peered in through the top and smiled down at her son. He looked so small, but peaceful as he slept. She smiled softly at the way his lip curled in his sleep as if he was grinning at her.

  “We can hold him if you want to,” Patrick leaned down and whispered in her ear.

  Katie nodded as her eyes filled with unshed tears. She turned and sat herself in the rocker beside the tiny infant bed as Patrick worked to remove Sean from his incubator. Once he’d lifted him into his arms, the tiny infant squirmed slightly before settling back down. Patrick chuckled as Sean rooted around as if he was trying to nurse.

  “I think he’s hungry,” Patrick murmured as he placed his son in Katie’s arms.

  She nodded wordlessly as she shifted the baby to allow him to nurse. He latched on almost instantly and began suckling with gusto. As Patrick leaned back against the wall, watching his wife rock their newborn son, Katie began humming. Her soft voice soon filled the nursery as Patrick looked on in awe.

  You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say

  You’ll be here in my heart, always…

  “Mommy loves you so much,” she whispered as she leaned down to kiss his soft cheek as she added, “and so does Daddy.”

  Overcome with emotion, Patrick wiped at his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. Never did he think he would feel this way. He knew he’d love his son, no matter what, but this feeling…the one that had infused his heart only yesterday…it was something he couldn’t put into words. Seeing your wife and your child, the way he was at that moment, brought a whole new meaning to ‘love at first sight’.

  When Katie looked up at Patrick and saw him just standing there, she smiled softly and asked, “You want to hold him?”

  “I will in a minute, you enjoy your time,” he leaned over and kissed her softly on top of the head. “I’m going to see if I can find his doctor. I want to know how long they’re going to keep him in here.”

  Katie released a deep breath as the thought of leaving her son when she was discharged today began to creep back into her mind. “Ok,” she murmured.

  ooooooooo

  As Patrick made his way over to where a group of nurses were talking, he kept glancing back at his wife. He hoped what he’d heard the night before was true, that Sean was only in here as a precaution and that he could leave in the evening. Everything had gone well, and he was reacting as a normal healthy newborn would. One would never know he’d had surgery the day before.

  After speaking with the nurses, and reading the aftercare instruction Mason had left on Sean’s chart, Patrick strode back over to where his wife was still sitting with their son.

  “I’ve got some good news,” he smiled broadly.

  “Yeah?” Katie glanced up at him and then back down at her son.

  “We can take him home this afternoon,” he grinned. “The doctor on call has to come and check him out one last time, but as long as everything is fine…he can leave with us.”

  “Really?” Katie’s face broke into a huge grin.

  “Reall
y,” Patrick smiled down at his wife.

  “That’s great news,” she giggled as she rose to hand off the baby to Patrick, “Your turn Dad.”

  As Patrick held out his arms to take the infant from his wife, he smiled awkwardly down at his son. Sean grunted as he attempted to stuff his tiny fist in his mouth.

  “I think he might still want to eat,” Patrick chuckled.

  “He’s finished, he just wants to suck on something,” Katie shrugged. “He’s not suffering from malnutrition, that’s for sure.”

  “No…he’s a butterball in comparison to some of the other babies. I think that’s why they’re letting him leave today. He’s met the weight requirement to get out of here,” he nodded toward the door.

  At six pounds twelve ounces, Sean was a healthy size. He hadn’t lost the weight that most babies do after birth, either.

  “He’s gonna be big like his daddy,” Patrick crooned as Sean wiggled in his arms again.

  “You think?” Katie wrinkled her nose. “I think he might be small like my mom.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Patrick’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Have you seen the size of this head?” Patrick rubbed his hand softly over the blond wisps on Sean’s head.

  “Yeah,” Katie groaned. “That had to come out of me…remember?”

  “Oh I remember,” Patrick chuckled lightly. “It was worth it though…right?”

  “So worth it,” Katie smiled softly as she watched her husband rock their son in his arms.

  “So…you ready to go get your things together so we can go home?” Patrick cocked one eye in her direction, already knowing the answer to his question.

  Katie nodded, “More than ready.”

  ooooooooo

  After arriving home, Katie put baby Sean in his crib in the nursery she and Patrick had spent so many hours preparing. Katie had made her way back down to the living room and was awkwardly sitting on the couch.

  “I’m glad you decided to come back here instead of Hannah’s,” Patrick mused as he brought his wife a blanket.

  Katie glanced around the room looking at anything but her husband, “We’ve been through a lot the past two days. I didn’t want to be apart anymore. Besides…after the visit I got in the hospital, I don’t think we’ll be bothered anymore.”