The Reluctant Cowboy (12 page)

Inside the hospital, people were talking and hugging.  They were all asking the same questions that he was thinking, “Why was there so much blood?  Was it a deeper cut than they thought?  Was there more than one injury?” 

He also watched Matt as he was visibly shaken and Jen was consoling him, “It was an old tent, with old stakes.  You didn’t know it would come up.” 

“I thought they were secure in the ground.  It’s my fault.” 

“It was an accident, honey.”  He watched as Jen continued to hug her husband.

Cole felt out of place, but he wasn’t leaving.  Vanessa finally came over and sat down beside him, “You were amazing, Cole.”  Her tone was sweet and calm.  “The way you came over and took control of the situation.  I’m sure Sierra will appreciate your concern and help.” 

Cole just looked at her, then placed his elbows on his knees while he ran his hands through his hair.  “Did you know?” he asked, still in shock that nobody had told him.

He glanced up to see the confused look on her face, “Know what?” 

When Cole started to reply, the double doors leading to the hospital rooms opened and Sierra came through them.  Everyone started to rush forward as she came into the waiting room.  Cole froze, looking at her.  She still had blood everywhere -- her hair, hands, and clothes.  She looked like she was on a mission as she scanned the room until her eyes landed on his.  She stood in the middle of the waiting room, surrounded by her loved ones, and calmly stated, “They need to see her father.” 

Cole slowly stood and made his way towards her.  He could hear the gasps in the room as Sierra didn’t wait for him, just turned and headed back through the doors with him following her.  They entered a large private room that was decorated for small children. 

He recalled then that Rocco had said they were going to “Nations Children’s Hospital” in Columbus.  The room was inviting and even though there were machines beeping and nurses going in and out, it was very cheerful and not as sterile as most hospital rooms.  He saw Sierra approach the bed and made his way to stand beside her.

Skye was sleeping with the horse stuffed animal beside her and some kind of bunny blanket in her arms as she sucked on its ear.  She looked peaceful and her face had been washed.  She had large wrapping surrounding her head and hair, but her face was clear for his view.  “She’s precious,” he breathed. 

Skye’s face was pure innocence and sweetness.  Her petite nose and pink lips fit the small rounded face.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.  “The doctors need to test your blood.  Mine, too.”  Cole heard her, but wasn’t ready to face her yet.  He let her continue as he watched Skye sleep.  “She’s going to be okay, but they were very concerned with the bleeding.  They say it wasn’t clotting properly and that is why she lost so much.  I don’t remember everything they said, but we both need to be tested.” 

“You understand that I will also have them check the paternity.” 

He felt her hesitate, but continue, “Of course.  They are going to ask you a lot of family history questions.   Will you answer them until they get the paternity results….please?” 

He finally turned to see her staring at him.  He saw the worry, fear, and uncertainty in her features.  He nodded his consent and saw her take a breath. 

Then he urged, “You need to wash up.  You don’t want Skye to wake up and see the blood.”  He watched as she stood back to look at herself. 

“Okay.  I’ll be right back.”  Cole was still studying the beautiful little girl in the bed.  “I’m not going anywhere.” 

He knew Sierra heard him as she paused and then opened the door.

Sierra closed the door and stood against the wall in the bathroom.  She felt her composure give way as she covered her face with her hands and let the sobs consume her.  She slowly slid down the wall as her cries wracked her body.  She was sitting on the cold floor when she felt someone kneel down in front of her, “Skye is going to be just fine.  She’s in the best hands here.”  Sierra recognized the sweet nurse’s voice.  The nurse was stroking the top of Sierra’s hair.  “You need to get cleaned up and take some deep breaths.  Is there anyone in the waiting room that may have some extra clothes for you?  Anyone you want to come back and help you?” 

Sierra raised her head to give the nurse a weak smile, “My mom and Dana.  Please ask them to come back.” 

“I’ll be right back.”  The nurse stood and headed toward the waiting area.  Both her mom and Dana come rushing back.  They helped her stand and led her across and down the hall to a larger public restroom.  They still hadn’t spoken as they helped her wash her hands and face.

Dana had a back pack with her.  She pulled out a sweatshirt and gave it to Sierra to pull over her blood stained shirt, explaining, “Riley.  She always has one in her truck.”  Both women were trying hard not to cry as they continued to clean her up and brush out her hair. 

“The nurse told us that Skye’s going to be fine,” her mother’s voice shaking as she spoke. 

Dana added, “Yeah, that’s great news, sweetie.  Vanessa and Riley were able to ask a couple of questions and explain to everyone what the nurse was saying.  It’s good we have a couple of doctors, even the animal kind, in the family.”  Dana was trying to be optimistic to help Sierra come out of her trance. 

“So much blood.  I heard her scream.  I couldn’t get to her fast enough.”  Sierra was starting to cry and tremble again.

Her mom wrapped her trembling body in her arms, “Honey, you did fine.  Skye is going to be all right.  The doctors are going to find out why she bled so much.” 

“I have to get back in there.  Cole is with her.” 

She felt her mother hug her tighter, “Sierra, everything is going to be okay.  We love you.  Cole is in shock, as we all are.  He was wonderful with her.” 

Sierra sniffed and held her head up, “He was, wasn’t he?  I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you.” 

“You had your reasons and that doesn’t matter now.  What matters is that beautiful little girl who needs both of her parents right now.” 

Sierra was grateful for her mother’s unwavering love and support, “Thank you.  Both of you.”  She hugged the women tight and took a deep breath.  “I’ll let you both come in to see her once the doctors approve it.  Cole and I have to get some blood tests done now.” 

Dana hesitated at the door, before asking, “Is it okay to tell everyone in the waiting room about Cole?” 

“Yeah, go ahead.  I’ll be sure to explain everything myself, when I can.”

Sierra returned to the room to see Cole standing in the same spot he was when she left.  She had only been gone for about twenty minutes, but it didn’t look like he had moved at all.  He didn’t even acknowledge her as she approached.  She couldn’t fathom what he was thinking or feeling.  She was terrified. 

“She’s still asleep.  She whimpered a couple of times, but she settled herself back down,” he assured her. 

A nurse came in and asked if Cole could come with her to have his bloodwork done.  She saw him nod and follow the nurse out of the room, not bothering to look at her. 

She sat down in one of the chairs closest to Skye’s bed.  She closed her eyes and said a small prayer.  When she finished her prayer, she took a moment to recall what had transpired and all of the implications.  She vividly recalled the day’s events leading up to her sitting in this chair at this moment. 

She remembered hearing Skye’s painful cry and dropping the snow globe Cole had just given her.  She had been so surprised by his gift that in that instant she had forgotten everything and everyone.  Now everyone she cared about knew about her and Cole.  She felt a small sense of relief that they knew.  No more secrets. 

She would take the time to talk with them once they were home.  She hadn’t looked at any of them directly when she told Cole to come back to Skye’s room with her.  She didn’t have the courage and was focused on Skye. 

When she had climbed into the ambulance with Skye and the paramedics, they had started asking her a barrage of questions, “Did she bruise easily?  Had she bled like this before?  Did she suffer nose bleeds?” 

Then, they had started to ask Sierra the same questions about herself.  Sierra had been too distraught at the time to think clearly, but now, looking back, she did realize that Skye bruised easily.   Sierra’s dad had always called his granddaughter his little “Peach,” because she tended to bruise easily and the bruises lasted a long time. 

She knew she had made notes in her journal.   One of the doctors asked her if she had any excessive bleeding when she got a cut or scrape.  Sierra would be sure to look back in her journal, but she couldn’t recall anything at the time. 

She couldn’t understand why this was happening.  Her family history was healthy on both sides.  She hadn’t heard of any of the blood disorders the doctors had mentioned.  They were fortunate to have one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country so close to home.  She knew they were getting the best care and would be able to find out what was happening with Skye. 

She heard the door open and Cole stepped inside, “You’re up.”  He motioned for her to follow the nurse in the doorway.  Sierra walked past him as she made her way to the door. 

“You’ll stay with her?”  She felt another shiver run through her as she saw the look on his face.  She saw the answer in his accusing glare. 

She returned a few minutes later to hear giggling as she entered the room.  Skye was sitting upright in the bed and Cole was playing with her.  He had her “horsey” and was making funny noises and faces at her while they played. 

She approached the side of the bed quietly, taking in the scene before her.  A nurse was on the other side of the bed checking her vitals, while Cole kept Skye distracted.  Skye was giving her full attention and smiles to Cole not paying any attention to the nurse. 

“Ma-mee.”  Sierra reached down to hug her daughter and give her a kiss on her cheek.  Cole had moved to the end of the bed still holding the stuffed animal.  Skye started to chatter and make words pointing to the machines around her, “Home, Ma-mee. Nana, papa?” 

“They are outside, honey.  They will be in soon to see you.”  She could feel Cole’s eyes boring into her.  “The doctor is going to make sure you are okay.” 

She could tell Skye was trying to understand her words as she looked towards Cole, standing at the end of the bed, “Ole as Orsey.” 

Sierra understood her words as she glanced at him, “Yes, dear, Cole has Horsey.  He’s keeping him company.” 

She watched her daughter look between the two of them as she put the bunny ear back in her mouth.   A doctor came in the room and asked to speak with them.  The nurse was talking to Skye so Sierra and Cole could concentrate on what the doctor told them, “Have either of you ever heard of Von Willebrand Disease?”  When they both shook their heads, he continued, “It’s a genetic disease.  It keeps platelets from sticking to holes in the blood vessels to patch them.  It’s passed down from a parent to a child.  Healthy platelets stick to wounds and to each other to help form clots that stop bleeding.  A protein in the blood and blood vessels called Von Willebrand factor causes platelets to stick to injured vessel walls.  If there’s not enough of this protein or the protein doesn’t work properly, the platelets do not stick.  This is what can lead to excess bleeding. 

“It isn’t a common disease, but can be managed.  It may never have been diagnosed if she hadn’t received such a large cut.  In most girls or women, it’s first noticed with excessive bleeding when they lose a tooth or get a nose bleed.  As the child grows she may have heavy menstrual cycles.  The good news is that it is Type 1, which is treatable and manageable. 

“In Skye’s case, once we were able to stop the bleeding and get her stitches in, she started to clot.  We are still waiting to get Skye’s platelet count and other factors.  We were able to identify that the father’s blood tested positive for the gene.” 

Sierra heard Cole’s intake of breath at the doctor’s declaration.  “Are you sure?  How did I never know or hear about it?” 

“It’s not uncommon if you never had any symptoms or signs,” the doctor reassured Cole.  “We will do more testing on your blood sample and give you the results.  You both should research the disease to help you understand the risks and treatments.  We are noting Skye’s blood type in her file, in case she would ever need a transfusion and in case you didn’t already know it.” 

Sierra didn’t know her blood type and felt remorse for not having that important information.  She knew her own blood type from the times she gave blood to the Red Cross.  Being in this situation made it much more real to her how important giving blood was. 

“The paternity test?”  Cole asked the doctor.  She watched as he flipped through his chart.  “Yes, it’s a match.”  Sierra was appalled that he would ask the doctor at this moment.  She bit her lip to keep from yelling at him. 

The doctor told them they would be able to take Skye home in a few hours.  They wanted to make sure the blood had clotted and there was no other sign of trauma from her fall.  He handed them some papers about the disease and asked if they had any questions.  They asked a few questions and then the doctor left. 

Sierra looked to see the nurse still entertaining Skye and motioned for Cole to come out of the room.  Cole was running his hands through his hair, “I had no idea.  I’ve never heard of it or anyone in my family having it?”  She watched him pace, talking to himself, “That’s why there was so much bleeding.  She couldn’t stop it, because of me.” 

Sierra wanted to comfort him, but couldn’t.  She was still trying to absorb everything the doctor had told them.  She saw him stop pacing and turn to her, “You?  You didn’t tell me?”  His voice was low and accusing.  “You were never going to tell me.”  He was shaking his head from side to side.  “Why?  Why Sierra?  Why didn’t I know about that beautiful, sweet, little girl in there?  God, do you know how this makes me feel?  I find out I have a charming daughter who could have died in my arms.  What kind of woman are you?” 

Sierra knew the tears were rolling down her cheeks as she watched the torment in his eyes. She couldn’t find her voice. 

“I can’t even look at you right now.  I need to get out of here.”  She watched as he strode down the hallway and out into the waiting area. 

“What have I done?  I’m so sorry.”   But, she was talking to herself.