A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (23 page)

“I understand, but you are a patient, too. If I don't
take care of this, you'll be in bigger trouble, and completely
useless to your son.”

Trent nodded. “I’ll be there.”

***

Cassie offered to stay with Shawn or go with
Trent.

“Shawn’s sleeping. It doesn’t matter.”

“Then I’m coming with you. When we’re done, we can
pick something up from the cafeteria and eat in Shawn’s room.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

It took them a while to get from Shawn’s room to Dr.
Amory’s office in the north wing. The waiting room was quite full,
and the only seat left he offered to Cassie.

“That’s okay. I’ve sat so much today, I’d rather
stand. In fact, the walk here felt good. I’m not used to constantly
sitting. When I teach, I’m on my feet, and at the museum, I’m up
and down all day long.”

“My job is the same way. Often I need a few hours on
the computer, but I’m constantly being pulled away to the shop or
the showroom floor.”

“I want you to fill out those forms for admission to
the University. It doesn’t matter if it takes you eight years. You
need to follow your own dreams.”

He sucked his lower lip in for a moment and then
said, “My dream is to own my own house. I’d love for Shawn to have
a room painted like the ones here, with whatever he wants on it,
and a huge kitchen where everyone can gather.” He grinned. “I want
a bathroom to die for, with a big soaking tub in the middle. And a
bedroom filled with mirrors so I can see you from every angle.”

A grin pulled at her cheeks. “I want an open floor
plan, maybe with a nook or two. And big windows to let in the
light.”

Trent’s smile widened. “Lots of natural light, and
big porches. Maybe something that wraps around and--”

“Trent Callahan?”

He took Cassie’s hand and followed the nurse into the
offices.

“Dr. Amory will be right with you. Until then, I do
have a few questions.”

Trent answered the woman’s questions, then waited in
silence until Dr. Amory appeared.

“Hi, Trent. I’m going to remove your cast and give
you something else. I do get the impression that you aren’t the
type of man to follow directions when I tell you not to use your
arm, but you’d better. You had a mess in there, and it's going to
take awhile to heal. I don’t like my work being undone because you
think that you can use your arm.”

The doctor removed a power tool from a drawer and
began to remove the cast.

Cassie watched as the doctor sliced away several
sections and ran swabs across the weeping areas. She figured the
swabs were going to be cultured to be certain he wasn't brewing
some horrible bacterial infection. She wrinkled her nose at the
stench.

“What happened?” she asked.

“We’re going to find out. I won’t have all the
answers for a few days. Ever have skin problems?”

“Not really. I had a little acne as a young teen. The
only thing that bothers me is heat. My mom calls it prickly heat. I
tend to take a lot of showers in the summer.”

“I don’t want you moving this arm. Don’t even flinch
it.”

As the cast came off his shoulder and arm, Cassie
thought she’d gag. She looked away as the room began to swim.

***

“Doc, I think we’ve got a bigger problem.” Trent
pointed to Cassie who had slouched over in the chair.

Dr Amory looked over at blonde woman with Trent. Then
he called his nurse, “Brittany?”

“Oh, dear, a fainter.” The nurse giggled as she took
over caring for Cassie and Dr. Amory's attention returned to
Trent.

Trent chuckled as Cassie joined them. “Go figure, she
can handle mummies, but she swoons when she’s around me.”

“I do not,” Cassie said.

“Yes, you do.” A wide grin spread across his
face.

Soon Trent was covered in strips of gauze that had
been soaked in something. It tingled, it itched, and it felt
wonderful, compared to the pain. He sat perfectly still with his
arm on a rubbery wedge as the nurse came in and out, and exchanged
the strips of gauze for new ones.

“Young lady,” the doctor said when he returned. “You
need to get him a plain white shirt. Nothing tight. I’d prefer
something that buttoned.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

She stood. “See you in a few. I’ll run over to the
Emporium,” she said, referring to the downtown mall.

It took her longer than Trent had anticipated, but
she returned with two white shirts that swallowed him. The nurse
helped Trent into the one shirt. When the doctor returned, he put
Trent’s arm into a sling.

“You can’t use it.”

“I understand,” Trent answered. He was feeling much
better, but he wanted to get back to his son, and he knew Cassie
had picked up food while she was there, as he could see the bag
from a local sandwich shop.

The doctor handed Cassie a prescription and told her
to fill it at the hospital pharmacy. “Twice a day, I want him
soaked in this. And don’t go passing out while you do it. He may
take a shower.”

She nodded at the doctor’s instructions. Trent tried
to listen, but his mind was on his son and the white bag from the
local deli.

“I’m sure you’re a happy camper, now that you’ve got
that cast off,” Cassie said, as they left the doctor's office.

“Definitely.” He smiled and put his hand on her back.
“What’s in the bag?”

“A big wad of those strips and a handful of packets
that contain the powder that I have to mix with lukewarm
water.”

“No, I meant the food.”

“Oh, two…ah…they called them subs.”

“What kind? I’m drooling.”

“I don’t remember. They called them Downtowners.
They’ve got everything on them.”

“Good. I’m starved.”

A few minutes later, they were sitting in Shawn’s
room eating the sandwiches when Dr. Anwar came in.

“Hi. Let’s wake him up and see what we’ve got.”

Trent wiped his hands and his mouth on a napkin and
put what was left of his sub on a small counter. “Hey, Shawn, time
to wake up.”

The boy stirred and Trent called his son again.

This time, Shawn opened his eyes and mumbled, “I’m
tired.”

“Dr. Anwar is here, and he wants you to wake up.”

“Hi, sweetie.” Cassie ran her fingers through his
hair and then circled his cheek with her fingers.

“Hi, Cassie. I’m s-s-sleepy.”

“You might be sleepy, young man, but you need to wake
up.” Dr. Anwar pressed a few buttons on the box with the IV lines.
“I want you to sit up and talk to me.”

“You sound funny,” Shawn said.

“I know. I have what most people call an English
accent. But I’ve never been to England.”

Shawn scrunched up his eyes and looked at the doctor.
“Where are you from?”

“My parents are from a far away place known as India,
but I was born and raised here in the United States.”

“I know where India is. It looks a little like Texas,
but it hangs off of Asia.”

Sanjay Anwar looked at Trent with complete
amazement.

“I have no idea how he knows that,” Trent
replied.

“He’s very bright,” Cassie interjected.

Dr Anwar grinned. “When you get better, I want you to
come visit my house. I have a son your age. I think you two will
get along just fine.”

“What’s your son’s name?” Shawn asked.

“Nick.”

Shawn seemed to drift off again.

Dr. Anwar looked at his watch. “I want you to wake
him every hour on the hour and keep him awake for at least ten to
fifteen minutes. I want to see him eating something for dinner,
even if it is only Jell-O, and maybe watching TV this evening.”

Trent nodded.

“I’m backing him off his medication. We want him
quiet, but not totally drugged. If he does well, we’ll see about
removing everything from him tomorrow.” He looked at Trent and then
at Cassie. “I have one more suggestion. Go home tonight and get
some sleep. He’s doing beautifully.”

“Thank you, Dr. Anwar.” Trent held out his hand to
the doctor.

When the doctor left, Trent looked at Cassie. “I
doubt I’m going to be a very good partner this evening.”

She grinned. “I can be content with just your
presence.”

“I doubt I will.”

“Then I’ll have to take care of you.”

Trent raised his eyebrows.

She smiled demurely. “Your shoulder might be out of
commission but…”

“There’s nothing like an experienced woman.”

She touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“We need to table this discussion.”

“Yes, we must. You’ve got company coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look behind you.”

Trent turned and his heart fell into his stomach. His
mother was standing on the other side if the glass wall.

“She is his grandmother,” Cassie reminded him. “Be
nice.”

***

Cassie brushed past him and left the room. Walking to
the far end of the hall, she removed her cell phone from her pocket
and turned it on. She found the number and called Amanda
McGuire.

“Hi, Amanda. I need a favor. I’ve got to find another
place to live.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing other than I don’t have enough
space. Trent Callahan has moved in with me, and I need a second
bedroom for his son.”

“You and Trent?”

Cassie grinned as she answered, “Yes. Is there a
problem with that?”

“No. He’s definitely cute.”

“Yeah, I think so, too.”

“Isn’t Shawn still in the hospital?” Amanda
asked.

“Yes, and he will be here for a while. I’d like to
have a better place for him to come home to than my sofa.”

“There are some beautiful homes on the market that
are quite cheap.”

“I’m not sure I can afford to buy. I don’t have an
abundance of cash. And I would like to stay in the downtown.”

“If you really want to stay put, you should check
with Sweet Grandview’s management. They might have an opening in
your building. Off the top of my head, I do know there are several
nice houses available downtown, if you want to buy. I’d have to
check, but there was a townhouse available near Dallas and Patrick,
and Zee Developments has some new construction, but I think they
are all further out.”

“See what you can find and make sure it’s cheap. I
really cannot afford much right now.”

“Can you meet me tomorrow morning at nine? I’ll pull
up in front of the main hospital doors.”

“That’ll be perfect. Thanks.”

Feeling much better about that problem, she checked
her watch and headed back to Shawn’s room. Standing outside the
glass partition, she watched Shawn’s grandmother. The woman’s own
fears had been her undoing, yet Cassie forgave Robin Callahan. It
was Robin who had taught the boy to read and took care of him while
his father worked. She had boxed up Colleen’s things and kept them
safe.

Cassie sighed. It wasn’t her job
to patch things up between Trent and his mom.
God doesn’t punish us for falling in love.

“Dr. Jones, there’s a phone call for you,” a nurse
said.

Surprised, Cassie turned and took the phone.
“Hello.”

“Oh, Cassie, I tried to call Tate for your phone
number, but she’s not answering her phone. Can you come down to the
lobby for a moment? I have something for you,” Tate’s mother-in-law
said.

“Surely, Selena. I’ll be right there.” She handed the
nurse the phone. “Thank you.”

She scurried to the lobby, and Selena handed her a
large box.

“Everything you need is in there. Enjoy. I’ve got to
get back to work.”

Cassie peeked into the box. “Oh, yum. I hate to say
it, but the food here is terrible.”

“That’s not a surprise. How’s he doing?”

“He’s waking up, but he’s still not really awake.
They are keeping him drugged, letting him wake up slowly. Dr. Anwar
had to change the one medication because the first one wasn’t
agreeing with him.”

“Oh, that must be Mahtee Anwar’s husband. She’s a
little sweetheart.”

“I know Mahtee. She’s an associate professor. It
never dawned on me that Shawn’s doctor was her husband.”

“I thought Dr. Ramsey was Shawn’s doctor.”

“He is, but it seems as though Shawn has a dozen
doctors.”

“Buck Zaro said he was going to stop by tonight to
see Shawn. Buck came by the Graffiti Grill before lunch, on his way
out to the clinic.”

“I think you sell as much off campus as you do
on.”

“Seems that way. I’ve got to get back. Tell Trent
I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

“I will. What do I owe you?”

“Nothing. My treat.”

Cassie kissed the woman on the cheek before
retreating into an elevator. The press was still hanging around,
and they obviously wanted information, as one man made a mad dash
for her elevator.

“Hi. You’re Dr. Jones, correct?”

“Yes.”

“How’s Shawn doing?”

“I’m really not qualified to comment. The only thing
I can tell you is that the doctors are very pleased with his
progress.”

“And you’re not?”

“I’m only a family friend. I’m not a medical doctor.
I’ve got a PhD in ancient history.”

The elevator door opened and two security guards
stepped into the elevator as she stepped off. The hospital was
doing everything it could to keep the press at bay.

~~25~~

Cassie was pleased that Trent seemed to be in such a
good mood. The whole day had been a series of encouraging events.
Shawn slurped a cup of Jell-O and drank a little juice. Tate’s dad
had stopped by for a few minutes before Dr. Ramsey came, and both
doctors were very pleased with Shawn’s progress. Cassie knew that
fact alone had lifted a huge burden off Trent, but she still wasn’t
prepared for Trent to almost swoop her off her feet with his good
arm when they entered her apartment.