A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (21 page)

“For a man who only wanted coffee…” She smiled.

“It tasted good.” His tone was flat.

She finished her eggs and gathered up the empty
containers. She tried to sit still, but she was never one to wait
patiently for anything. Trent stretched out, but she couldn’t find
the same idleness.

“I can’t do it. I can’t sit and do nothing. There’s a
small chapel downstairs. I’m going there.”

As she stood, so did Trent. “I’m coming with
you.”

She was fine until she kneeled to pray. With that,
the tears began to flow uncontrollably. Trent pulled her next to
him and held her tightly. Every fear and doubt seemed to surface,
every negative thought ran through her mind as she leaned against
Trent’s cast-covered chest.

Fishing through her purse, she
found a small packet of tissues. She tried one more time to pray,
but nothing coherent came. Deep inside of her she could feel her
heart breaking.
Come through this, Shawn.
We love you.

***

It was after eleven when Shawn’s pediatrician came
out to them. “They’re finishing up. I’m sure Dr. Ramsey will be out
to talk to you. That was the most amazing surgery I’ve ever
seen.”

“Is he okay?” Trent asked.

“So far he is.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It’s too soon to tell. The repair is complete.”

Trent sighed. “When will we know if everything is
successful?”

“I’ll let Dr. Ramsey answer that. This is way out of
my league.”

Trent leaned back and stretched his legs out as a
deep breath escaped. “Thanks.”

Cassie knew Trent wanted something more concrete. She
smiled at the doctor. “Thank you so much, Dr. Agonies, for what you
have told us. I’m sure Dr. Ramsey will give us the details.” She
paused for a moment and then asked. “How much longer do you expect
it will be before we’ll see Dr. Ramsey?”

“I don’t know, maybe another half hour or so.”

“Thank you,” Cassie said. She watched as Dr. Laura
Agonies strode down the hall and vanished out of sight. “I’ll call
Tate. It’s not much, but it is positive.”

Trent had his eyes closed, but she could see the tiny
nod.

She looked at her cell phone, then picked up the
landline in the waiting room and dialed the number.

“Hello.”

“Tate, it’s Cassie. We don’t know much, only that
they are finishing up and that the repair was made.”

“So it’s successful?”

Cassie was grateful that Trent couldn’t hear all of
the conversation. “So far. We won’t know anything specific until we
talk to Dr. Ramsey.”

“How’s Trent holding up?”

Cassie didn’t answer.

“That bad?”

“Yes. I don’t have any more news.”

“Jim is here.”

“I know. I sent him.”

“He said you did. Selena went to work this morning
for a few hours, and then came home. I’ve got a houseful. Want some
lunch?”

“No thanks. I appreciate it, but I’ll go to the
hospital cafeteria.”

“Oh gag.”

A little giggle rose in Cassie’s throat. “We’re fine.
Neither one of us is that hungry.”

“I understand.”

Cassie terminated the call and sat with Trent,
waiting for Dr. Ramsey to appear.

Another family arrived and the waiting room was no
longer a quiet sanctuary. Trent extended his hand and placed it
palm up on his knee. Cassie smiled as she put hers in his. She
hoped he could feel her love flowing into his hand. Minutes felt
like hours, but as the room grew noisier, the passage of time
seemed unbearable.

~~22~~

Dr. Ramsey came through a set of doors, still wearing
scrubs, booties on his feet, his cap on his head, and his mask hung
over his chest. He motioned to Trent. Immediately, Trent and Cassie
sprung to their feet and met the doctor in the hallway. Trent
searched the man's face for some shred of news.

"The surgery has been successfully completed." Dr.
Ramsey's quiet, no-nonsense attitude merely confirmed what Dr.
Laura Agonies had told them earlier. The only thing they could do
was wait for Shawn.

"Medical science has done its part, and Shawn had to
do his." The doctor explained that they would leave Shawn in a
drug-induced coma for at least twenty-four hours, as they wanted
him to remain very quiet with little stimulus.

“May I see him?” Trent asked.

“Yes. Follow me.”

Shawn was in a small glass encased room, and there
were two nurses and another doctor attending to him. The tiny IV in
his hand was gone and there was another in his neck, with several
tubes flowing into a large round casing. A tiny white body lay
motionless, except for a steady rhythmic rise and fall of his
chest. Trent squeezed Cassie’s hand, as his heart seemed to fall
into his belly. His knees wanted to give out and his stomach
lurched.

“What’s that?” he whispered, pointing to the child’s
leg.

“A cool sandbag. It keeps the bruising down,” the
nurse replied in a tone that was barely above a whisper. “He’s
doing beautifully.”

Dr. Ramsey motioned for them to leave.

“As soon as we’re sure he's ready, we’ll send him
back upstairs.”

Trent nodded. He walked out of the room and tried to
find some composure as he took several deep breaths. He and Cassie
went back through the big doors where he paused one more time to
inhaled deeply.

“You, okay?” she asked.

“I wasn’t prepared for that.”

“Neither was--”

“There you are. Dr. Ramsey has talked to you?” Buck
Zaro asked, with a big grin on his face.

Trent nodded and smiled back.

“It went like clockwork. Absolutely perfect.”

Dr. Zaro's attitude and bright smile fueled a spark
of hope within Trent. “That’s good.”

“That kid is a fighter. He had the best possible
team, and we had the best possible patient. Seems as though my
son-in-law is going to have another soccer player.”

Cassie smiled, but Trent was still trembling
inside.

Buck reached out and put his hand on Trent’s good
shoulder. “Are you all right? You look a little green around the
gills.”

Trent tried to find words. “H-he looked--”

“As if he’s been through major heart surgery. Follow
me. There’s a doctor’s lounge around the corner.”

A cup of coffee and listening to Dr. Zaro helped. He
talked about the various monitors and what they were doing. He
explained more than Dr. Ramsey, and Trent appreciated the
information.

“He’s going to be fine?” Cassie asked.

“It’s too soon to tell, but for now, he’s doing
great. The surgery was a success. Shawn has to do the rest, and we
must hope that nothing goes wrong.”

“Meaning?” Cassie asked.

“There is a myriad of things that could still happen,
the worse being his heart could stop, or he could throw a
clot.”

Trent flexed his swollen fingers. “When will we
know?”

“If there is any event, we'll know it instantly with
those monitors. That’s why they are there. Once he recovers, they
will run some more tests, maybe a couple of echoes, and then slowly
allow him to resume activities. We want him running and playing
like other children his age.”

Trent nodded. “So we wait.”

“Precisely. You got your miracle. He needs time to
heal, and all that equipment will be there for a while.”

“That thing in his neck…”

“It’s like an IV, but it allows us better access. I
know it looks terrible. Everything is there for a reason.”

Trent nodded, but he still wasn’t
completely reassured. Shawn was more than just body parts.
He's my son and he deserved a chance at
life.

“There’s one more thing to keep in mind. Most people
in a coma seem to be aware of things around them. Keep your
thoughts, actions, and words positive when you are with him.”

“I will.”

“We’re going to have a press conference around three
this afternoon. There’s no need for you to be there, but you are
welcome to come.”

“No thanks.” He couldn't stop the quaking inside of
him. It wasn't really over, and Shawn wasn't a normal child
sleeping peacefully in a bed.

***

Cassie put her hand on Trent’s knee. “I should call
Tate.” She looked at Buck and asked, “May I use this line?”

She dialed the number and the phone was answered
immediately, but all she heard was Pamela Wendy wailing.

“Hello, this is Katie,” a voice said, as the wailing
drifted further away.

“Oh, Katie. It’s Cassie. Is that Pamela Wendy?”

“Yes. She fell and wounded her pride.”

“Oh, that’s good. I mean, it’s good that she’s not
hurt.” She looked at Buck and smiled. “You’re granddaughter fell,
but she’s fine, just complaining loudly.” She went back to talking
to Katie. “We’re sitting here with Tate’s dad. Surgery is over and
Shawn is in recovery. He’s doing well.” She hoped the quiver in her
voice wasn’t apparent.

“Put Dad on the phone,” a voice from a distance said.
It was obvious that Tate’s daughter was no longer crying.

“Tate wants to speak to you.”

He took the phone and then looked directly at Trent.
“May I discuss your son with those on the other end of this
conversation?”

Trent nodded.

Buck repeated much of what he had told Trent. Cassie
listened and then whispered to Trent, “I think it is much like what
they said about the surgery. Anything can go wrong for any reason,
but that doesn’t mean it will. The worst is over.”

“Is it ever over?”

“I think you’re right. As a parent, you’ll always
worry about your son. You just need to let him live a normal
life.”

“Cassie is right. It’s going to be hard to let go and
allow him to be a little boy,” Buck said, as he hung up the
phone.

Two doctors wandered into the room and Buck
introduced them.

Trent stood and then offered his hand to Cassie. “I
think we should leave.”

Cassie took Trent's hand and then gave Buck Zaro a
one-armed hug. “Thanks for what you’ve done. We appreciate
everything you've told us.”

***

Robin Callahan was waiting in Shawn’s room. Trent
frowned when he saw her and was obviously upset. He sat in a chair
and ignored her.

Cassie sensed the tension between them. “Mrs.
Callahan, Shawn will be coming up in a few minutes.”

“He’s out of surgery?”

“Yes. The surgery is considered successful, but Shawn
is still in danger. They have him in a chemical induced coma to
allow him to heal peacefully. They also want it very quiet in here.
He looks horrible with all sorts of tubes, including a thing in his
neck that’s like an IV, and a--”

“Don’t bother.” Trent hissed. “If she wants info, she
can attend the press conference at three. She doesn’t need to be
here. So get out.”

Cassie sucked in her lower lip and bit it. “Trent,
she is his grandmother, and she loves him, too.”

“I don’t care,” Trent forcefully murmured.

“Mrs. Callahan, please follow me. This is stressful
for all of us.”

Trent glared at her.

“I’ll be right back.”

She led the woman down the hall towards the small
playroom.

“Please, Mrs. Callahan, I’m not sure exactly what
happened between you and your son, but I have a feeling it started
long before I was part of the picture. He’s upset with you for
Shawn thinking this surgery was going to kill him.”

“That’s insane. I’ve never said anything such as that
to him.”

“Maybe you didn’t have to say it to him. Children are
very intuitive, and it is possible that he’s overheard you voicing
your concerns to someone else.”

Robin shook her head as if in disbelief.

“Here he comes.” Cassie stepped into the hallway and
stopped the man pushing the gurney. “Please, give his grandmother a
second to see him.”

Robin looked at the child and burst into tears.
Cassie motioned for the team to continue on their journey to
Shawn’s room. Robin was leaning against the wall and looked very
pasty.

“Come, sit.”

The woman didn’t move and Cassie wondered what she
should do. Her heart went out to the woman who had helped raise
Shawn, and loved him as much as Trent. Cassie reached out, touched
Robin’s arm, and then hugged the woman.

“Is he going to make it?” She blurted out between
sobs.

“He’s in God’s hands. The doctors have done their
part, and they are thrilled with his surgery. Now, Shawn needs to
heal.” She let go of Robin and hunted for a box of tissues. “Here.”
She handed the box to Trent’s mother. “I can’t do much with Trent
when we can’t exactly talk, and he’s too stressed out to handle the
situation between the two of you.”

“Things were fine until you came along.”

“I doubt that, but I hate to see this riff between
the two of you.” She didn’t like standing in the hallway discussing
this. “If there is any change with Shawn, I will call you.”

“Thank you. I’ll be working in the admissions office
until eleven.”

Cassie nodded. “I promise, I’ll call. I doubt we will
know anything until tomorrow. I’ll keep you informed.”

The woman nodded and walked away, leaving Cassie
feeling very torn. She felt sorry for the woman, yet she knew this
was a bigger problem than one that would be solved with a few kind
words. She took a deep breath, and went to Shawn’s room.

Trent stood in a far corner watching several people
working on Shawn. She stood next to his injured shoulder and
wrapped her arm around his back. She was more than aware that Trent
was testy when he was in pain, and he hated taking pain
medications. Add to it, the strain of Shawn’s surgery. The way
Trent had pressed his lips together, and his partially hooded eyes,
told her that he was teetering on the edge of losing it
completely.

Slowly, the hospital staff began to leave the room,
except for one young male. He stood quietly, watching the monitors,
and looking over several computer printouts.