“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.
HAILEY 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 nononsense bun. She was still beautiful, but now she looked like a woman no one would dare mess with.
“I thought about what you said, that the kids share stuff, so I got some things that I thought could be just for David and some that everyone can use.” She upended the bag. “He probably doesn’t much care what he’s wearing, but I couldn’t resist these.” There were four small tracksuits, soft fleecy cotton, in bright shades of red, blue, yellow and turquoise.
“With his eyes and hair, these colors should be great on him,” Hailey said.
There was also a huge stack of books that Hailey could tell at a glance were perfect for David’s age, and several ingenious learning games designed to attach to the bars of a crib. There was also a small fleecy white teddy bear.
“I wouldn’t dream of trying to substitute the one he’s got,” Nicole explained. “I know how much it means to him. I just thought maybe he could have two?”
Nicole was looking at Hailey with an uncertain expression.
“Of course he can. Maybe now I can even get Bonzo away from him long enough to wash. Thanks so much for all this, Nicole.” Hailey was examining the games. They were both unique and educational and more expensive than the hospital budget would ever allow. “Wow, these are great. Because of the IV, he has to spend a fair amount of time in his crib, and these will challenge him.”
As Hailey repacked the bag, she gave Nicole an update on David, telling her that he was drinking more liquids and that he’d asked for his mother.
“Wouldn’t you just like to strangle her?” Nicole’s blue eyes flashed fire behind her glasses.
“Absolutely. Around here, there’d be a lineup for the privilege.”
Ian and Tommy, laughing uproariously and clearly bent on destruction, went tearing past the door.
“Gotta go, Nicole. Those two are my patients and they’re hellcats when they get going. No telling what they’ll get up to. I gotta catch them before they pull a fire alarm or plug the toilets again.”
“I don’t suppose you’d want to have lunch one of these days?” Again Nicole’s voice was uncertain.
“Love to. Only trouble is, I’m starting the seven-to-seven shift tomorrow morning—I’ve been filling in for another nurse on this shorter one. So it would have to be a late dinner, instead of lunch.” Hailey figured that would be out of the question; any woman who looked like Nicole had dates every night of the week.
But to her surprise, Nicole gave her a wide smile and an enthusiastic nod. “That would be perfect. I don’t eat till late, anyway. And I’m free any evening that’s convenient for you.” She pulled a business card out of one of her pockets. “Call me—you set the time. I can work my schedule around yours.”
Hailey shot off down the corridor in pursuit of her rambunctious charges, wondering why Nicole would want to see her away from work. The two of them were obviously nothing alike, and what they might have in common beyond discussing David, she couldn’t imagine. But her curiosity was piqued, and she found herself looking forward to getting to know the other woman better.
She spent the late afternoon hurrying through the necessary duties so she’d have time to read that evening to the kids at the end of her shift. It was a difficult time