had been listening in. “We might know where Joel is.”
“I heard.” The expression in her eyes didn’t change. Maybe she already knew that finding Joel didn’t mean the end to her problems. There was no guarantee he’d be back to help her with Tucker.
Brock turned his attention to Tucker. The baby wasn’t eating very well and had stopped taking the sugar water.
After trying without success to get the baby to take any form of nourishment, he gave up. Three hours had passed, and Tucker had only gotten worse instead of better.
“Lacey, we need to take Tucker to the hospital,” he said, trying to hide the extent of his concern. “I think he needs IV fluids and IV antibiotics.”
“Okay.” Her listless response wasn’t encouraging. But she rose to her feet and began dressing the baby in his quilted jacket before securing him safely in his infant car seat.
He drove Lacey and Tucker to Children’s Memorial Hospital, located opposite the Trinity Medical Center. Because of Tucker’s young age, the triage nurse didn’t make them wait but hustled them straight back to one of the empty ED rooms. Since Lacey was still looking frazzled, he took the baby into his arms, unzipping his outfit so he wouldn’t get too warm.
“What’s going on with this little guy?” Dr Barb Wynn asked as she came into the room.
He recognized the doctor from an emergency medicine conference in Las Vegas last year, even though he didn’t really know the woman personally. He was happy to see a familiar face. “He has bilateral ear infections but isn’t keeping the antibiotics down. I think he’s dehydrated and may need IV fluids.”
“So why did you come to see me if you have everything all figured out?” Barb teased, taking the baby so she could set him on the edge of the crib to examine him.
“Because you’re the pediatric expert, and I’m not,” Brock said dryly. “And as long as you’re looking at him, his lungs have sounded a bit congested as well; it’s possible there’s more going on than just a bilateral ear infection.”
“Hmm.” Barb Wynn listened to Tucker’s heart andlungs. “I agree; I don’t like the way he sounds,” she admitted. “His ear infections may have already progressed to something more serious, like bronchitis or pneumonia. We’ll get a chest X-ray and some blood cultures. I’ll have one of the nurses come in to start an IV.”
Lacey made a small sound of protest but didn’t voice her concern. Brock belatedly introduced them. “Lacey is Tucker’s mom; my brother, Joel, is the father. Joel’s not available at the moment.”
“Nice to meet you, Lacey. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Tucker, I promise.”
Lacey’s attempt at a smile was truly pathetic. As Barb Wynn left to get her orders written, he tried to put her at ease, suspecting she was blaming herself for not being a good mother.
“This isn’t your fault, Lacey. Kids get sick all the time. Once Tucker gets a few doses of IV antibiotics, he’ll be much better, you’ll see.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Lacey said in a quiet voice.
“Of course I’m right.” Brock glanced at his vibrating phone. “I’ll be right back, all right?”
Without waiting for her to respond, he opened his phone and walked out towards the waiting room so his cell phone wouldn’t interfere with any of the monitoring equipment.
“Hello?”
“Brock? Rufus here. I’m at your uncle’s cabin. The good news is that Joel has been here: the fire in the fireplace is fresh, and there are muddy footprints outside. The bad news is that he’s gone.”
Gone? How was that possible? He glanced back through the doorway leading into the emergency department and the small room where he’d left Tucker and Lacey. Even now, he could hear the baby crying, no doubt as he was getting poked with the IV.
Joel should be here, supporting Lacey. And Tucker.
Where on earth could his brother be?
Elana went into work early on Monday, a few
“I heard.” The expression in her eyes didn’t change. Maybe she already knew that finding Joel didn’t mean the end to her problems. There was no guarantee he’d be back to help her with Tucker.
Brock turned his attention to Tucker. The baby wasn’t eating very well and had stopped taking the sugar water.
After trying without success to get the baby to take any form of nourishment, he gave up. Three hours had passed, and Tucker had only gotten worse instead of better.
“Lacey, we need to take Tucker to the hospital,” he said, trying to hide the extent of his concern. “I think he needs IV fluids and IV antibiotics.”
“Okay.” Her listless response wasn’t encouraging. But she rose to her feet and began dressing the baby in his quilted jacket before securing him safely in his infant car seat.
He drove Lacey and Tucker to Children’s Memorial Hospital, located opposite the Trinity Medical Center. Because of Tucker’s young age, the triage nurse didn’t make them wait but hustled them straight back to one of the empty ED rooms. Since Lacey was still looking frazzled, he took the baby into his arms, unzipping his outfit so he wouldn’t get too warm.
“What’s going on with this little guy?” Dr Barb Wynn asked as she came into the room.
He recognized the doctor from an emergency medicine conference in Las Vegas last year, even though he didn’t really know the woman personally. He was happy to see a familiar face. “He has bilateral ear infections but isn’t keeping the antibiotics down. I think he’s dehydrated and may need IV fluids.”
“So why did you come to see me if you have everything all figured out?” Barb teased, taking the baby so she could set him on the edge of the crib to examine him.
“Because you’re the pediatric expert, and I’m not,” Brock said dryly. “And as long as you’re looking at him, his lungs have sounded a bit congested as well; it’s possible there’s more going on than just a bilateral ear infection.”
“Hmm.” Barb Wynn listened to Tucker’s heart andlungs. “I agree; I don’t like the way he sounds,” she admitted. “His ear infections may have already progressed to something more serious, like bronchitis or pneumonia. We’ll get a chest X-ray and some blood cultures. I’ll have one of the nurses come in to start an IV.”
Lacey made a small sound of protest but didn’t voice her concern. Brock belatedly introduced them. “Lacey is Tucker’s mom; my brother, Joel, is the father. Joel’s not available at the moment.”
“Nice to meet you, Lacey. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Tucker, I promise.”
Lacey’s attempt at a smile was truly pathetic. As Barb Wynn left to get her orders written, he tried to put her at ease, suspecting she was blaming herself for not being a good mother.
“This isn’t your fault, Lacey. Kids get sick all the time. Once Tucker gets a few doses of IV antibiotics, he’ll be much better, you’ll see.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Lacey said in a quiet voice.
“Of course I’m right.” Brock glanced at his vibrating phone. “I’ll be right back, all right?”
Without waiting for her to respond, he opened his phone and walked out towards the waiting room so his cell phone wouldn’t interfere with any of the monitoring equipment.
“Hello?”
“Brock? Rufus here. I’m at your uncle’s cabin. The good news is that Joel has been here: the fire in the fireplace is fresh, and there are muddy footprints outside. The bad news is that he’s gone.”
Gone? How was that possible? He glanced back through the doorway leading into the emergency department and the small room where he’d left Tucker and Lacey. Even now, he could hear the baby crying, no doubt as he was getting poked with the IV.
Joel should be here, supporting Lacey. And Tucker.
Where on earth could his brother be?
Elana went into work early on Monday, a few
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