Chapter Nine #3
They rush Leah and me into a private cubicle and a nurse comes in. Together, we calm Leah down and a female doctor arrives a few minutes later.
“Relax, honey.” I hold Leah’s hand so the doctor can listen to her chest. Leah has been through this many times before at the pediatrician’s office, so she isn’t scared and lets the doctor check her over.
“I want to get x-rays taken,” the doctor says.
“We have a mobile machine so I’ll have someone from imaging and radiology come up.
In the meantime, let’s get a nebulizer treatment going.
” She hooks her stethoscope around her neck.
“We’re also going to give her IV steroids.
” She smiles at Leah. “I’m going to need you to be a big girl for this, but you’re going to feel better quickly. ”
The woman tips her head towards the door, and I nod. Before I can tell Leah I’ll be right outside, Mark joins us.
“I told them I was her father,” he says to me, as he hurries inside.
I stare at him, surprised. I don’t like it, but I know he cares, and it’s the only way he could get back here to check what’s going on .
I step away from him and stride to the bed, running my hand over Leah’s hair. “I’m going to talk to the nice doctor. Mark will stay with you, and you’ll be able to see me right outside the door, okay?”
Leah opens her mouth to answer, and a loud barking sound comes out instead. Tears form in her eyes, and it is all I can do to hold back my own. I wish Nick was here, but he’s in Florida and I am alone. So I nod at the doctor and follow her outside.
“I’m going to keep her overnight so I can give her IV fluids,” the doctor says. “It’s normal for children to get dehydrated when they can’t eat or drink without coughing. We’ll monitor her oxygen levels and get some steroids going in the IV.”
I manage a nod. “She’s had croup before, just never like this.”
“She’ll be fine.” The doctor, whose name tag says Dr. Fleischer, gives me a reassuring smile. “We just want to help speed things along and make her more comfortable.”
“Thank you, Dr. Fleischer.” The tag is helpful. I would never remember it on my own. “I can stay with her, right?” The thought of leaving my baby alone is enough to give me a panic attack.
“Of course. Our pediatric ward is set up for parents.”
“Thank you.” I walk back into the room, pasting on a happy smile for Leah’s sake. “We’re going to stay tonight,” I say. “How about that for an adventure?”
Leah nods, obviously having decided to stop trying to speak. Dammit. My heart squeezes in my chest.
I turn to my neighbor. “Mark, thank you so much for getting us here. I didn’t want to traumatize Leah more with an ambulance ride.”
“I’m here for you both,” he says, reaching out a hand to touch my shoulder.
“Thank you. But why don’t you go home now?
Mimi will be scared if she wakes up and you’re not there.
I’m going to text my family and let them know what’s going on.
” And Nick. I planned to call him, but then I decided to wait until I knew more.
I probably missed his late-night call, and I haven’t checked my phone at all.
I’ve been focused on Leah. I’m going to have to get better about remembering I’m was now part of a team where Leah is concerned.
I’ve been a single parent so long, I’m having trouble adjusting.
It takes a few more minutes to convince Mark to leave, and I admit to myself I’m relieved when he’s gone.
Then I turn my attention to my daughter. A nurse speaks gently to her as she opens everything needed to put an IV into Leah’s arm. I stand by the edge of the bed and hold Leah’s legs—the only part of her I can reach—and prepare myself for a long night .
Once the ordeal with the needle is over with, I call Nick.
***
Nick
I finish dinner with the manager for the Meridian Miami.
I poached the man from another five-star hotel a couple of years ago, and he’s been a great addition.
Thomas Breckenridge wanted to work for a family-owned company with smaller boutique hotels, has twenty years of experience, and the employees respond to him.
After the long couple of days we’ve had overseeing the flood and dealing with contractors and upset customers, I feel obligated to take the man to dinner.
I’ve just signed the bill and shaken Breckenridge’s hand when my phone rings. The other man walks away, and I reached into my pocket for my cell.
Aurora’s name shows up on the screen. I tried to call her before dinner, but nobody picked up. I assume she had Leah in the bath.
“Nick?”
“Hey. It’s good to hear your voice.” I stride across the lobby, towards the elevators, where there are less people and noise. “What’s going on? How’s Leah feeling?” I’ve struggled being away while she’s sick. Talking to her on Facetime, seeing her little red nose and sad expression, hits me hard.
“Umm, don’t panic, but her cough got bad, her chest hurt, and she had trouble catching her breath. I took her to the hospital,” Aurora says.
“Shit. Is she okay?” I begin to pace the lobby, one hand on the phone, the other running through my hair.
“She is. They’re keeping her overnight as a precaution but she’s going to be fine.” Aurora sounds exhausted and worried.
And I’m a good two and a half, no three-hour flight away, as well as the time it would take me to get to the hospital. “Are you sure you’re not holding anything back because I’m not there?” I ask.
Her sigh echoes in my ear. “I swear, Nick. They’ve got her on a saline nebulizer treatment and put in an IV for steroids once they move her to a room.”
IV? They’re sticking a needle in my kid’s arm, and I was eating a steak dinner. Fuck. “Okay,” I say, forcing myself to remain calm, at least to Aurora. Inside, my stomach is churning because I need to be there.
I finally force myself to walk to the nearest window overlooking the street and stop pacing.
“How is everything at the hotel?” she asks.
“Fine. I handled all I could. The manager will take over from there. I’ll be on an eleven a.m. flight tomorrow.”
Her silence speaks volumes about how she’s feeling about my trip. “Look, I’d take the jet home now, but Asher needed it and it’s no longer in Miami.” There won’t be a normal flight this late, so I’ll have to travel on the one I’ve already booked.
“I understand,” she says.
I hope so. “Can I talk to Leah?”
“I’m sorry. She’s asleep,” Aurora says.
Disappointment hits me hard. “Hey, what about you? How are you holding up?”
“I’m running on adrenaline. There’s a couch in her room and I can stretch out there, but I doubt I’ll sleep. I’m just glad they let me stay over.”
I lean against the tempered glass. “Me, too.”
“Yes, come on in,” she says. “Nick? The nurse just came in to check Leah’s vitals. I need to go.”
“Okay. I hate that I’m not there with you, but I’m a phone call away if you need anything.” And I’ll get home as soon as possible.
I hang up, emptiness and frustration consuming me. Then I walk into the elevator and up to my room. I want to be with Aurora so she knows she isn’t alone. Dammit. I wish I listened to my gut and stayed home.
And there it is. The man who has no permanent address now thinks of Aurora’s house in New York as home.