Critical Diagnosis (7 page)

Lily glanced toward her vehicle and a chill penetrated deep into her bones. Suddenly, going someplace far, far away—where this thug couldn’t stalk her—didn’t seem so ridiculous.

SIX

G
rateful to be out of the rain, James shook off his raincoat and hung it on the coatrack inside the mudroom of Lily’s cottage.

“Brrr...” Lily kicked off her shoes and wrapped her arms around her midsection. She bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m freezing. Excuse me a minute while I go dry off.”

The familiar knot twisted his insides. He had spent his adult life helping people, but intentionally not growing close to any one person for fear of getting hurt. For fear of losing them. Like he had lost his parents. Like his grandparents had shipped him off to a boarding school after his parents’ deaths.

Yet something about Lily was pulling him in.

He grabbed paper towels from the kitchen counter and dried the rain from his face. How was he going to tell Lily the news he had received from the police today?

“Go change. I’ll make you something hot to drink,” he said, buying time. He toed off both his shoes and placed them next to Lily’s.

Lily shivered. “There are tea bags in the little thingy on the counter.”

“The little thingy, huh?”

“Yeah.” She tiptoed across the hardwood floor, leaving wet prints, and pointed at a white ceramic thingy. She was right. “I bought it from my niece’s school fundraiser.” The hair around Lily’s face had sprung free from her smooth ponytail. The dampness had created fine curls that framed the delicate features of her face.

He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. “Now go. Get dry clothes on.”

By the time he had two steaming mugs of tea on the small kitchen table, Lily had returned dressed in navy sweatpants and a university sweatshirt. Her damp hair flowed freely down around her shoulders. “The hot shower felt awesome.” She slipped into the chair, wrapped her hands around the mug and breathed in deeply. “Thanks.”

“Feel better?” He studied her closely. Her face was scrubbed free of makeup. She was beautiful. A longing constricted his chest.

“Much better. Thanks.” Lifting the mug to her lips, she took a long sip.

“How much could you see when you were in the car tonight?”

“Not much. It was raining so hard. I saw a shadow.” She set her mug down and locked her gaze on him. “It was the same guy, wasn’t it?” A wary expression settled in her brown eyes. “Who am I kidding? It had to be. He’s not going to stop until he’s caught.”

“That’s what worries me.” James ran a hand over his mouth. “The chief called me today. An officer in Buffalo recognized the symbol you described. The one drawn underneath the bill of the thug’s baseball cap. It’s a symbol of a known violent gang in Buffalo.”

All the color drained from Lily’s face. “Not what I wanted to hear.” She pulled the tea bag out of the water and twisted the string tightly around her finger, then unwound it. She dropped the tea bag and a brown liquid slowly spread across the white napkin. Wrapping her hands around her mug, she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. “I’m in real danger, aren’t I?”

“I’m afraid so.” He reached across the table and cupped her hand holding the mug. “I know you don’t want to, but I think you should take a long vacation. Go someplace away from here. Someplace safe.”

Lily’s eyes flared wide, but she didn’t say anything.

“Your life is at risk here.” He brushed his thumb across the back of her smooth hand.

Lily slumped in her chair, letting her arms go limp at her side. “I’ve come so far with my research. I can’t run away now. There’s so much to do.” She shook her head as if deep in thought. “I still have research to do. There’re too many people counting on me.” Her lips trembled. “My niece is counting on me.”

He resisted the urge to reach out and shake some sense into her. “You need to think about your own safety. You’ll be good to no one if you’re—” He couldn’t say the word. He hated to even think it.

She closed her eyes briefly. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the table. She traced the top of her mug with her finger. “Have you talked to your grandfather or Stephanie? Medlink stands to gain financially from my research, too. What would they think about me going away?”

“I haven’t mentioned it to my grandfather. I’m worried about his health.” Couldn’t she see her safety was more important than anything else? “Stephanie agrees you need to get away. Perhaps your sister and niece can go with you. I can’t be responsible for something happening to you.”

Lily pushed back from the table. “Since when am I your responsibility? I don’t recall having to answer to you.” Bright red splotches appeared on her porcelain skin.

“I care about your personal well-being. And if that’s not enough for you, Medlink cares about your professional well-being.” There, he’d said it. “Stephanie and I fear the implications for investors if something should happen to you.” He’d do whatever it took to convince Lily to go someplace safe.

“Isn’t that sweet?” Her tone sounded droll. She paced the small space, pulling the sleeves of her sweatshirt down over her hands.

“Take some time away until the police find this guy.”

Lily stopped pacing and gave him a look of defiance. “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

Standing by the sink in her kitchen, Lily turned her back to James and closed her eyes. Neither of them spoke. Nausea welled in the pit of her stomach. She drew in a deep breath through her nose, then released it slowly through her mouth. Pressing a hand to her chest, she opened the cabinet door and got out a glass. She filled it with water from the tap and took a long drink. Her nerves were shot. She had to pray for understanding. This was a cruel joke—to have the rug pulled out from under her. To have her world turned upside down. She stared out the window, not bothering to look at
him.

“I’m really tired.” She needed to be alone.

The legs of his chair scraping across the hardwood floor made her flinch. “This is only temporary. You’ll be back in the lab soon. I promise.” She sensed James approaching.

Tamping back the panic welling inside her, she spun around. “I’m afraid this might delay bringing Regen to market. I can’t risk that. I
won’t
risk that.”

“I can’t risk your safety.”

Lily leaned back against the counter and wrapped her fingers around the edge of it. “What if someone told you that you had to close the clinic because it wasn’t safe?”

James jerked back his head. She had hit him square between the eyes. That was exactly what he feared. His grandmother was particularly skittish after losing her only son in a plane crash. If she felt her grandson was in jeopardy, she’d pressure her husband to cut funding for the clinic. Fear made people react irrationally. Was that what she was doing? Was it irrational for her not to want to run and hide? Was it irrational for James to want her to?

James stepped closer and cupped her elbow. “I know you’re scared.
Please
do this for me.”

She grew lightheaded. She wasn’t used to having someone take care of her. Ever since her mother’s death, she had been the caretaker. The problem solver. Her strong faith had been her only constant companion, helping her achieve, to move forward, when a weaker person would have folded.

Lily bowed her head, resting her forehead on his broad shoulder. He reached around her and pulled her close, rubbing her back in a soothing gesture. She’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone to lean on. But that was all she was doing: getting moral support so she could plow forward. Nothing more. There could never be anything more.

A small chirping sounded from across the room. She slipped away from his embrace. Shaking her head in frustration, she grabbed her purse from the back of the chair and dug for her cell phone. She furrowed her brow at the caller ID
.
Bethany.
Her sister. Alarm bells clamored in her head. Bethany never called this late.

“Hello?”

“I’m so glad you answered. I don’t know what to do.” Bethany’s words came out in a breathless rush.

Lily pressed the phone firmly to her ear and strained to listen. “What’s wrong? Is Emily okay?”

“She’s been running a fever all day. I didn’t think it was anything. I just kept alternating between fever reducers.” The panicky sound in her sister’s voice sent fear rushing in, pushing out any sense of well-being she might have felt moments ago in James’s arms. “I gave her the last dose two hours ago and she’s still burning up.”

“Listen to me. You need to call her doctor and tell the answering service what’s going on.” The thought of little Emily in pain made her stomach hurt.

Bethany sobbed. “That’s the problem. She doesn’t have a doctor.”

“What? Who’s been monitoring her symptoms?”

“I couldn’t afford health insurance after I lost my job.”

“You told me you were covered until the end of this year. Then I was going to pick up the insurance for her.” The pounding in Lily’s head ratcheted up a notch.

“I misread the papers. I’m so stupid,” her sister berated herself. “I was going to tell you, but then this...”

“Forget about that for now. You need to get her to the emergency room. I’ll pay for it.”

“Emily freaked out when I mentioned going to the hospital.” Her words broke over a sob, then she whispered, “I think she remembers last time.” Her niece had had an extended stay in the hospital when she’d first been diagnosed. Lily’s heart sank. Her mind raced with her options.

Pushing past James, she stuffed her feet into her tennis shoes. “I’ll meet you in the emergency room. You
have
to take her.” Lily heard a muffling across the line, then a loud wailing. She must have told Emily about the plans for the E.R. Her poor, sweet niece. Bending slightly, she rested her elbows on the dryer in the mudroom and covered her eyes. She held her hand under her nose. “Oh, sweetie.”

“I can’t do this anymore,” Bethany said, the anguish in her voice palpable.

A firm hand settled on Lily’s back. She glanced over her shoulder. James’s eyes locked on hers. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice husky with concern.

Lily stood straight, covered the phone and explained the situation. He held out his hand and took the phone. “Bethany, it’s James O’Reilly.” Lily fought back tears as she watched James’s handsome face as he listened intently to her desperate sister. Lily’s chest expanded with gratitude. “Hang tight. Lily and I will be at your apartment in fifteen minutes.”

Leaning against the door, Lily stared at James in disbelief as she pulled up the backs of her tennis shoes. “You don’t need to go. I can go on my own.”

Gently touching her arm, James guided her out the door. “I want to go with you. You shouldn’t go alone.” When she didn’t answer, he added, “I have my medical bag in the trunk.”

All the fight drained out of her, making her legs feel wobbly as they strode to the car. She didn’t question why James carried a medical bag when so few doctors did anymore. She supposed it had to do with his work at the clinic. He closed her car door and jogged around to get in his side.

Lily focused intently on buckling her seat belt with a shaky hand, fearing her niece was having a relapse. Lily swiped away a tear, grateful for the cloak of darkness.

* * *

Lily found it strange these old, run-down apartments looked so different at night—cozy, even. Perhaps the glow of lights and the flicker of a television set in every window gave them a homey feel. Or maybe darkness made her forget the window frames needed paint and the roof was missing tiles.

James found a parking spot in the back lot, near a Dumpster. He shut the engine off and turned to face her, breaking the thick, heavy, tension-filled silence. “How long ago was your niece diagnosed?”

Lily sniffed. “Two years ago, when Emily was six years old. She had a serious setback a year ago, but mainly she’s been symptom free since then.” She pulled the door handle and the dome light popped on. The compassion in James’s brown eyes made her breath hitch.

They walked around to the front of the apartment building without saying anything more. Voices floated out through the screens of the open apartment windows on the humid summer-evening air. The soft breeze ruffled the hair around her face. She had been in a flop sweat since receiving her sister’s frantic phone call and she counted the seconds until she laid eyes on her niece, praying it would calm her down, reassure her. She wasn’t ready to admit it, but she was grateful to have James with her. She didn’t know how objective she could be when it came to her niece.

When they reached Bethany’s door, she was waiting for them. “Thank goodness you’re here. Emily finally fell asleep, but I’m so worried about her. A fever has never taken this long to break.” Her sister paused a minute and her eyes opened wide in surprise. “James O’Reilly all grown up.” She seemed to regard him for a minute. “I don’t think I would have recognized you.”

James took her hand. “It’s been a long time.” Bethany had come by the O’Reilly home only a few times, resenting that their mother had to clean other people’s houses for a living.

“I hear you have my sister working at the clinic.”

“Yeah, I really appreciate her help.”

“And I really appreciate your both coming over.” Bethany stepped back to let them pass. Her attention shifted to his medical bag. “Two physicians making a house call. God must be looking out for me for once.” Bethany smiled at him, a bright smile that beamed with her gratitude. The same smile that had gotten her out of Orchard Gardens at age eighteen, leaving Lily alone at age twelve with their single mother.

Bethany led them through the small apartment to a back bedroom, walls painted pink. The furnishings and possessions were sparse, but everything was in its place. Emily’s legs were tangled in the sheets and her dark hair was plastered to her face.

Something tugged at Lily’s heart. She had spent countless hours working in the lab, looking for a cure for this precious girl, but she hadn’t carved out a lot of time to actually spend with her. She reached out and ran the back of her hand across the child’s moist cheek.

Was Lily shielding her heart from another loss?

Only recently had she made time to do clinic work. Her life was out of balance. Guilt pinged her insides even as she mentally fashioned her excuse: her top priority was to make sure Emily’s future was bright. Make sure she lived a healthy, long life.