Chapter 16 #3
“Don’t scratch, sweetheart.” Delaney gently caught her hands. “Let me see.”
The rash was raised. Delaney lifted Charlotte’s shirt and saw more on her torso.
Food allergies? But Charlotte had eaten the same lunch she always did. A reaction to laundry detergent? They’d been using the same brand for weeks. The fever made it more concerning—this wasn’t just a topical irritation.
Maybe something in the woods. Whatever it was, it was serious.
Should she call Mr. Aylett? No. He’d specifically mentioned a meeting with Tidewater this afternoon about the merger. She didn’t want to disturb him. And also, after all the help she’d needed that day, she wanted to prove she was competent all by herself.
She pulled out her phone and scrolled to Charlotte’s pediatrician’s number.
A receptionist answered with, “Driftwood Family Medicine.”
“This is Delaney Wright. I’m calling about Charlotte Aylett. I’d like to speak to her doctor’s nurse.”
She waited not so patiently until the woman came on the line. Delaney explained the situation, then said, “I was hoping you could get her in.”
“I wish we could,” the woman said. “Unfortunately, this late in the day, we’re booked up. The earliest we could see her would be tomorrow morning.”
Delaney’s stomach dropped. “What do you recommend?”
“Hold on. Let me check with the doctor.”
While Delaney waited, she found the thermometer and took Charlotte’s temperature.
A hundred and one, which wouldn’t worry Delaney if not for the sudden rash.
The nurse came back on the line. “The doctor wants you to take her to the emergency room.”
“Okay, thanks.” Delaney ended the call, seeing Charlotte scratching her arms. “Don’t scratch, love.” She gently moved Charlotte’s hands.
“It itches.”
“I know. We’re going to get you some help.” Delaney called for an Uber, then gathered Charlotte’s insurance card and a snack. She called Mr. Aylett’s office and left a message with his assistant.
“I don’t want you to interrupt him, but let him know I’m taking Charlotte to the ER because of a rash. It’s probably nothing, so don’t alarm him.”
She hung up, praying she was right, that the sudden fever and rash weren’t anything serious.
An hour later, Delaney sat in the emergency room waiting area with Charlotte curled against her side, her fever-warm body radiating heat through Delaney’s sweater and jeans. The welts had spread, creeping up Charlotte’s neck toward her jawline in angry red patches.
“I don’t like it here.” Charlotte’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.
“I know, sweetheart. But the doctors are going to help you feel better.” Delaney smoothed damp curls away from Charlotte’s forehead, trying to project calm while her own anxiety spiked.
A woman across from them bounced a crying baby while a toddler climbed over the plastic chairs.
An elderly man in the corner dozed, his head against the window behind him.
The waiting area buzzed with the low hum of worry and pain, and Delaney prayed for Charlotte and everyone else who needed medical care.
“Charlotte Aylett?” A nurse appeared at the reception desk, clipboard in hand.
“That’s us.” Delaney gathered their things and urged Charlotte to walk with her.
The nurse led them through a maze of hallways to a small examination room painted a cheerful yellow. Charlotte clung to Delaney’s hand as the nurse took her vitals.
“Her temp’s one oh one point three.” She glanced at the rash. “That looks uncomfortable.” At Charlotte’s nod, she said, “The doctor will fix you right up.” To Delaney, she said, “He’ll be in soon.”
When the door closed behind the nurse, Charlotte’s lip trembled. “Where’s Uncle Noah?”
“He’s at work, sweetheart. I left him a message.” Maybe she should have called him on his cell phone rather than calling the office. But he’d specifically told her he’d be busy this afternoon. He’d already sacrificed enough time with them that morning, and Delaney could handle a trip to the ER.
Delaney stroked Charlotte’s hair, careful to avoid the red patches that now mottled her forehead. “He’ll come as fast as he can.”
“I want him now,” Charlotte whispered, her voice cracking.
The raw need in those four words squeezed Delaney’s heart. Despite all their progress, despite Charlotte’s growing attachment to her, in moments of crisis, she still wanted the one person who had proved he would never abandon her.
“I know, love. I know.” Delaney gently held the girl’s hands to keep her from scratching.
Charlotte leaned against Delaney’s side on the exam table, her small body trembling. The paper crinkled beneath them as Delaney stroked her hair, humming a hymn her mother had sung when she was sick.
“I’m sorry I ran away,” Charlotte whispered, her voice small and scratchy. “I was just playing with the butterflies.”
“I know, sweetheart. I forgive you.”
A soft knock preceded the door opening. A young doctor with dark hair and a strong jaw stepped in, his white coat crisp over blue scrubs. “I’m Dr. Wright,” he said.
“Wright? That’s my last name too.”
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he extended his hand. “I’m Ethan, probably your distant cousin.”
“Delaney.” She shook his hand. The man seemed genuinely kind, his grip gentle and firm.
He focused on the patient. “And you must be Charlotte. I hear you’re not feeling so great today.”
Charlotte pressed closer to Delaney, eyeing the doctor warily.
“She was fine before her nap, but she woke up with the fever and the rash.”
“Do you mind if I have a look?” Dr. Wright directed the question at Charlotte. When she shrugged one shoulder, he studied the welts on her face and neck, then those on her arms. “Anywhere else?” he asked Delaney.
“Her stomach.”
He checked, then looked at her throat and ears. Delaney held Charlotte’s hand throughout the examination, murmuring reassurances.
“Has she been anywhere unusual recently?” Dr. Wright asked. “Playing outside, maybe?”
“We were at the park this morning,” Delaney said. “She ran into the woods.”
“I wasn’t s’posed to.”
“I see.” Dr. Wright nodded thoughtfully. “Did you touch any pretty plants?”
“Uh-huh. I found green berries with fuzzy on ’em.”
“Ah.” He looked at Delaney as if she should have had the same realization he just did.
“Ah…what?”
“Poison oak.”
“Really? What does it look like?”
He squinted as if she’d surprised him. “Where are you from that you don’t know poison oak?”
“Maine. We have poison ivy.”
He studied her for so long that she started to feel uncomfortable. Then, he seemed to shake off whatever had distracted him. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, then lifted it to show Charlotte. “Is that what you saw?”
“Uh-huh.”
He angled so Delaney could see green berries and their leafy little bushes. Charlotte had been plopped right in the middle of a big clump of those a couple of hours ago. “Poison oak?” she confirmed.
“Yup. Little Charlotte’s having an extreme reaction.” He focused on the child. “I know the berries are pretty, but you need to stay away from them. They’re poisonous.”
Her eyes rounded. “Am I gonna die?”
“Nope.” He smiled to calm her. “You’re just gonna be uncomfortable.”
She accepted that, nodding around the thumb she’d stuck in her mouth.
“I’m going to prescribe an antihistamine to help with the itching and hydrocortisone cream for the rash.
I recommend oat and baking soda baths to soothe her skin.
” Dr. Wright confirmed the pharmacy, then tapped into the computer at the edge of the room.
“I’m also going to give her a low dose of prednisone to reduce the swelling and speed up healing.
Since the reaction is so severe and she has a fever, I’ll add an antibiotic as well. ”
Delaney nodded, feeling both relieved and guilty. She should have caught Charlotte before she’d touched those plants. On the other hand, she wouldn’t have known to steer her away. “How long until she starts feeling better?”
“The antihistamines should help with the itching within an hour, but the rash itself will take several days to clear up completely.” He turned from the computer. “I’ve sent them straight there, so hopefully you won’t have to wait long. Make sure she doesn’t scratch. It can lead to infection.”
“I’ll do my best.” Delaney glanced at Charlotte, who was trying to rub her arm against the exam table.
Dr. Wright smiled at Charlotte. “The medicine will make the itching better soon, I promise. You were very brave today, but next time, stay out of the woods, okay?”
“’Kay,” she said around her thumb.
“You did the right thing bringing her in,” Dr. Wright said to Delaney. “With reactions this severe, it’s wise to be safe.”
“Thank you.” She felt better knowing she’d made the right call.
He hesitated, then asked, “Where in Maine are you from? I’ve got distant family up there.”
“Shadow Cove.”
A spark of interest lit in his eyes, but he said, “Never heard of it. It’s on the coast, I guess?” Odd that his words didn’t seem to match his reaction.
“Yeah, near Portland.”
“I’m sure it’s lovely.” His head tilted to the side. “Are you all right?”
She realized her hand was pressed against her sternum. “It’s just a bruise. Car accident.”
“Okay, well, let me know if it starts to hurt worse. We could do an X-ray.” He lifted Charlotte down from the table, saving Delaney from having to do it. “I’ll walk you two out.”
In the waiting area, Delaney spotted a familiar figure striding through the automatic doors, his face tight with concern. Mr. Aylett scanned the room, his gray eyes finding her and Charlotte immediately. Relief washed over his features, and then his expression hardened.
Uh-oh. He was angry.