Vital Signs (4 page)

A tiny nod.

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Brittany who lived in a faraway land.”

Even though Brittany was twelve, the fairy-tale format seemed to comfort her. For the next ten minutes Hailey wove a fanciful story about a princess who had a lot of bad things happen to her. Her mommy and daddy, the king and queen, divorced. Her big sister, the crown princess, married a prince from another country and left home. Princess Brittany was sad and mad, and then, to top it off, she got sick and had to travel to a healing center a long way from her home.

By incorporating the things Brittany had confided to her from time to time into the story, Hailey could suggest ways for Brittany to manage her feelings about being lonely for her family and feeling sick. When the story was done, the young girl had emerged from the protection of her bedcovers, and although she wasn't smiling, she wasn't crying, either.

“Really, Hailey.” Margaret Cross's high-pitched voice made both Hailey and Brittany jump. “It would be nice if we all had time to sit around telling stories, but the fact is, we're shorthanded. Could you come along please and help collect the lunch trays?”

“I'll be right there, Margaret.”

The head nurse obviously wanted to hurry the process along. She put a hand on her hip and sniffed several times, but Hailey didn't budge. Finally she
turned on her heel and left the room, and Hailey pulled a face and moaned, “
Busted.
I'm gonna get three demerits and I'll bet I won't get any ice cream for dinner.”

Brittany smiled at last. They talked for a moment about Brittany's birthday, which was coming up soon, and then Hailey had to go. She left the girl a Stephen King novel she'd smuggled in—Margaret didn't consider Stephen King suitable reading for a twelve-year-old—and went off to collect trays.

A half hour later she was showing two little boys in the playroom how to do a headstand when Roy Zedyck's deep voice sent her toppling from her precarious position.

“S
ORRY
, H
AILEY
,
didn't mean to startle you. You okay?” Roy knelt beside her and tried to help her up.

“No.” She scowled at him and twisted away. “Owww.” She'd fallen hard and her elbow hurt. Rubbing it, she sat up. “Couldn't you whistle or something? I was concentrating on balance here.”

“I really apologize. Next time I'll give you fair warning. Wish I could do a headstand.” He turned to the boys. “Think if I asked her really nice she'd teach me?”

“Nope,” Tommy declared, shaking his head. “'Cause I think she needs more practice.”

“Yeah,” Ian agreed. “She don't know how to do it right.”

Roy laughed and Hailey stopped being annoyed. He was easy with kids, and that made up for scaring her.

“You guys have really hurt my feelings. You're way too critical.” She was never embarrassed by anything she did that amused the kids, but having Roy see her topple over like a felled tree had made her self-conscious. She brushed herself off and got to her feet.

He was still smiling at her, so she smiled back. Who could resist?

“I thought I'd drop by and see how David's doing.”

Hailey was impressed. In her experience, social workers didn't usually pay daily visits to clients.

“He's been asleep since I came on shift, but let's go check again.” She turned to the boys. “You guys practice those stretches I showed you. You're not nearly ready for headstands, either. I'll be back to see how you're doing in—” she checked her watch “—fifteen minutes.”

She led the way down the hall and Roy walked beside her, easily keeping pace with her long-legged stride.

“Nicole is probably going to drop by this afternoon with some stuff,” he said. “She was shopping for David last time I talked to her.”

He had a great voice, rumbly and compelling. She sneaked a sideways peek at him. Hell, he had a great everything.

“How long have you been in pediatrics, Hailey?”

“Ever since I graduated. I wouldn't work anywhere else—I love the kids.”

“And they love you. Nicole said it was refreshing to meet someone who'd found the exact job she wanted to do.”

“What does Nicole do?” It was obvious he was smitten with the woman. He kept bringing her up.

“She's a lawyer, but her big dream is to have her own gardening business.”

“Wow.” Hailey was astounded. “I never would
have guessed lawyer. She looks like a fashion model. And gardening. She doesn't look like the type of woman…” She caught herself. “Would you just listen to me, making idiotic assumptions?”

“Nobody would guess that someone who looks like Nicole would like to be up to her elbows in compost and dirt.”

“She'd sure clean up good,” Hailey said. “She seems like quite a woman,” she added. “You're a lucky guy.”

Roy looked surprised. “Hate to burst your romantic bubble, but Nicole's my sister.”

“Your sister?” She was astonished.

“Yeah, she got all the looks in the family.”

That was debatable. “Is there just the two of you?”

“Nope. We've got four more siblings—two sisters, two brothers.”

No wonder he was so easy with kids. “Lucky you, growing up in a big family. I only have one sister, and I always wanted a brother, as well.” Maybe instead of, but she didn't say that.

“I didn't actually grow up with them,” he said. “I was adopted at birth, and I grew up as an only child. I found my birth family when I was in my late teens. Well, in fact, they found me. It's a complicated story. I'll tell you about it when we have more time.”

“I'd really like to hear.” God, that sounded lame, but she didn't know what else to say. He hadn't needed to tell her such intimate stuff, but he had, anyway. It made her feel privileged. “You're sure
honest about it.” That was one more huge thing in his favor. The guy must have some severe faults, but they weren't evident right off the bat.

“I have to be honest, because I have a terrible memory.”

In unison, they recited, “And a liar needs a good memory.”

They both laughed, and Hailey said, “One of my gran's favorite sayings. Who drummed it into you?”

“My mom. My adoptive mom, that is.”

“It must get complicated, having two mothers.”

“Two fathers, as well. Different as it's possible to be. My adoptive dad was a farmer who also worked as a handyman. My genetic father is a lawyer.”

“Two dads,” she marveled. “Some guys have all the luck. The only one I had died when I was a kid.”

He didn't respond because they'd reached David's room, and Hailey could see through the window that he was awake. For the first time he was sitting up, watching the door, his little face somber. She had yet to see a smile, but she was going to work extra hard to win one. As always, his battered toy dog was clutched to his chest.

“Hey, Davie boy, just look at you, wide awake and rarin' to go.” She went over to him and checked his diaper. It was dry. She'd be a lot happier when it was soaked all the time, which would mean his body's fluid level was stabilizing. Next she checked the IV level, and then reached her arms out to him. “Wanna come walk about with Hailey? I should go
and make sure my yoga students aren't busting their necks.”

David gave her a long, searching look and then nodded, just once. She felt thrilled at his acceptance of her.

“Why, that's a yes. Let's do it. C'mon, sweetie,” she cooed. “Ooh, you're such a big boy.” She lifted him into her arms, careful to take the dog, and kissed his downy cheek. Resting him on her hip, she pointed at Roy. “This guy's your special friend. His name's Roy. Can you say Roy?”

David gave Roy a suspicious look and shook his head.

Roy reached out and touched the toy dog with a forefinger. “Who's this fellow, David? Does your friend have a name?”

They waited, and when David didn't respond, Hailey said, “That's Dog, silly. Anybody can see that's Dog, right, Davie?”

To her surprise, he shook his head. “Bonzo,” he said clearly. He had a husky little voice, and his articulation was excellent.

“Oh, your dog's name is Bonzo. That's a good name for a dog.” Hailey was elated. He was beginning to talk.

“It's time you and Bonzo met some of the other inmates, young man. Can you bring that pole, Roy?”

“Sure thing.” With Roy making engine noises and steering the IV, they sailed out into the hallway and down to the playroom. There were now several girls there, as well as the boys, all playing with a building set.

“Hey, everybody, this is David,” Hailey said. “And the big guy's Roy.” She lowered herself to the floor with David on her lap.

“Are you a doctor, Roy?” Four-year-old Elizabeth had cystic fibrosis. She was giving him the once-over. “'Cause I didn't see you before.”

“Nope, not a doctor,” Roy said with a wide smile. “I'm David's social worker.” He sank down on the rug beside the rest of them, agile and easy. He was wearing jeans, and Hailey noted that they fit him the way jeans ought to fit.

“So what's a social worker?” Elizabeth was noted for asking questions.

Roy was quiet for a moment as he thought that one over.

“It's a person whose job is to help people who have troubles.”

“What kind of troubles does David have?”

“That's sort of private between him and me,” Roy explained. “But I work with other people, too, and some of them might have problems with money, or with their family, or with getting a job. Mostly I help little kids who have no families find people who love them and want to take care of them.”

“So how does that make you
feel?
” Elizabeth was frowning, peering at Roy like a miniature psychologist, and it was all Hailey could do to keep from laughing. It was the question she asked most often of all her patients, and Elizabeth was a quick study. Hailey had found that too often with kids, adults didn't ask how things made them feel. When she did, she always found the kids heartbreakingly
honest and forthright in their answers, and she waited to hear what Roy would say.

He was obviously taken aback at first. He glanced at Hailey and lifted one eyebrow. She gave him an encouraging wink.

“Well, I guess sometimes it makes me sad,” he began in a hesitant voice, and Hailey was impressed. Most guys she'd met didn't do feelings at all when asked that question. They answered from their head, instead of their heart.

“Do you cry?” Elizabeth was persistent. “I cry when the nurses hammer on me to loosen my mucus.”

“Yeah, sometimes I cry,” Roy admitted. He was redder than usual, and he didn't meet Hailey's eyes, but she was bowled over by his honesty. “And there're other times that make me laugh, so I guess it balances out.”

“Hailey
always
makes us laugh,” Elizabeth stated.

Then Tommy, who'd been listening, said, “Hailey really,
really
makes us laugh. Sometimes she gets in trouble for it, too.” He leaned toward Roy and said in a stage whisper, “Some people don't like hearing little kids laugh when they're in here.”

“No kidding?” Roy looked surprised. “Why is that, do you think?”

Hailey really liked the fact that Roy didn't talk down to the kids.

“They figure we get too excited and it wears us out,” Elizabeth explained. It was the answer Margaret had given Hailey when she reprimanded her
for making the kids what she called “hysterical and unmanageable.”

“I don't agree,” Roy declared. “Laughing is good. I always feel better when I laugh a lot.”

There was a chorus of agreement.

“So what's wrong with him?” Elizabeth was standing beside Hailey, and she reached out and took one of David's hands in hers. She looked at Roy. “Why's he in the hospital? Why's he need you to help him?”

This was tricky ground. Hailey glanced at Roy, wondering how he'd handle it. All the kids were listening, waiting for his reply.

“David's mommy is having some problems and she can't take care of him just now. He got sick, and he needs to get strong again, and this is a good place to get better.”

It was the truth, without going into details.

The kids all studied David for a few minutes, and then Elizabeth put her arms around him and gave him a gentle hug. David's expressive blue eyes grew wide, but he didn't pull away.

“It's not too bad here, David,” Elizabeth told him, putting her small face close to his, almost nose to nose. “It's not as good as home, but the nurses are nice, 'specially Hailey, and most of the doctors are okay. They don't hurt you unless they really, really have to. Sometimes Ian and Tommy are bad. They run around like crazy, and once they upset the cart and scissors and stuff fell down, and Margaret got
really
mad, and we had to stay in our rooms.
It's hard when you're in bed at night, though. It's lonely then.”

Hailey had a lump in her throat, and when she looked at Roy, she could see that he, too, was touched by what Elizabeth had said.

“If you get too lonely, honey,” Hailey reminded her, “you can just push the buzzer. Whoever's on will come in and talk to you at night.”

“I know.” Elizabeth nodded. “But I only want my mommy then.”

“Mama?” The word was barely above a whisper. “Mama?” David's chin trembled and his face puckered. He whimpered, and Hailey could feel the tension in his arms and legs, but he didn't cry out loud, and that was far more disturbing to her than if he'd howled and had a temper fit. He pointed a forefinger toward the door and repeated in a sad, questioning tone, “Mama come?”

“Sorry, Davie, Mama's not here today.” Hailey could see her own reaction mirrored in Roy's stricken expression. “How about we go and get you a new bottle of juice, young man? Does everybody want juice?”

There was a chorus of assent, and Hailey made a production of leading a conga line to the snack area. It was a cop-out for David, but Hailey didn't know what else to do. She couldn't exactly tell the poor kid that his mother was missing in action and not expected to show up, could she?

“I've gotta go. I have a meeting in a few minutes.” Roy reached out and touched David's cheek with his finger.

“Bye, David.” His voice was husky. “See you again soon.” He lifted a finger to his forehead in a salute to Hailey, and for one long moment their eyes met and a silent acknowledgment of the hurt little kids were forced to absorb passed between them. “See you, too, Ms. Bergstrom. Soon.”

Hailey took David back to his crib and he settled down with a bottle of apple juice and some toys she'd brought from the playroom. Soon he was asleep, and she went back to her duties, but anger at Shannon Riggs simmered in her. How did you walk away one afternoon and forget you had a baby?

She found herself wondering if Shannon had OD'd, and then was shocked at her callousness when she found herself thinking maybe that would be the best thing that could happen for David.

 

H
AILEY WAS JUST
coming back from her supper break when an aide appeared, looking for her.

“There's someone here to see you, Hailey. She's in the waiting room down the hall.”

It was Nicole. She had a huge shopping bag on the chair beside her, and she got to her feet when she saw Hailey.

“Hope I'm not interrupting something important. I only have a couple minutes. I'm due to meet a client, but I wanted to drop this stuff off.”

Nicole looked entirely different than she had the previous evening. She was wearing a dark pin-striped business suit and designer glasses, and her long hair was pulled to the back of her head in a no
nonsense bun. She was still beautiful, but now she looked like a woman no one would dare mess with.