Authors: Patricia Preston

One Week in Your Arms (10 page)

BOOK: One Week in Your Arms

12.19Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads

Carson's blue eyes rounded just the way Sophie's did when she was shocked.

“I'm kidding,” Marla said with a laugh. “You should see your face.”

“Marla, take those damn gloves off and let's go. Truman and Julia are waiting for us and I'm starving.”

“Are you two married?” Kevin asked as Marla peeled off the gloves.

I wish
. The thought ran through her mind before she could stop it.

“She thinks I'm not a smart choice,” Carson spoke up. “I don't know how she could possibly think that.”

Marla rolled her eyes. “Let's go get something to eat. Truman and Julia are probably wondering where we are.”

Suddenly, the door chimed and a woman's terrified voice filled the clinic. “Doctor?” she cried in a voice with a Spanish accent. “Hello? I need a doctor.”

Marla responded. She rushed from the nurses' station to the reception area with Kevin and Carson following her.

A middle-aged Latina woman in a gray uniform top and pants stood in the lobby. She held a boy toddler dressed in blue shortalls. A little girl clung to the woman's leg and whined.

“The children are very sick,” she told Marla. “I go to get them up and they are both very sick. Ella has red spots. Like the measles.”

Kevin blanched. “I've never seen measles.”

“I have,” Marla said. “Ma'am, bring the children back through that door.” She met the woman in the hallway. “I'm Doctor Grant and this is Kevin, a medical assistant. Are you family or a caregiver?”

“I help Mister Warren take care of them. I am not a relative. I am the nanny,” she said. She introduced herself as Mrs. Ramos. “We are from Phoenix, Arizona. We are staying in the hotel.”

“Okay,” Marla said. “We're going to see both of the children. What are the children's names and ages?”

“This is Noah. He's fourteen months old,” she said. “And Ella is four. They both have fever.”

Marla nodded and stooped to look at Ella, whose neck and cheeks were covered with a fiery red rash that was not measles. “Hi, Ella. I'm Doctor Grant and I'm going to see if I can find some magic stuff that will make you feel all better. Okay?”

Ella nodded and Marla straightened. “Let me have Noah.” She took Noah from Mrs. Ramos. He made no protest. “Where are their parents?”

“Mr. Warren left early to go out on a boat. I try to call him, but he doesn't answer. Their mother is dead. She passed away last year.”

Marla heard Noah wheezing as he breathed. “Mrs. Ramos, I need you to take Ella into Room One and undress her down to her underwear. Kevin will be in to take her temperature and get the information we need to make charts for the children.”

As Mrs. Ramos scooped up Ella and carried her to the exam room, Marla turned to Kevin. “Find out if they have any drug allergies. Ella doesn't have measles. That's a scarlet fever rash. Do a rapid strep test on her. I'm sure it'll be positive.”

She stroked Noah's blond curls. “Aren't you a pretty boy?” Marla motioned for Carson. “Noah, you're going to go play with Carson for a while.”

“What?” Carson protested as she handed him the baby. “I don't know anything about babies.”

“He's too sick to be any trouble. I need you to take him to the other exam room, undress him down to his diaper.” She paused, noting Carson's pale face. “Good grief, you look like I just asked you to shoot yourself.”

“I've never undressed a baby.”

She stared at him for a moment and grinned. “It's not much different from undressing a woman.”

“Then I should be able to manage it without any problems.”

“I would think so,” she said and Kevin cackled in the background. “I'll see him as soon as I finish with his sister. Until then, just hold him. He seems very content with you.”

Noah grasped a fistful of Carson's black knit shirt as he made himself comfortable against Carson's chest. Carson cuddled the little boy in his arms.

“Okay, buddy, I'll take care of you,” Carson said, and he headed for the second exam room.

Marla watched him carry the baby into the exam room. Her gaze lingered longer than it should, and she wondered how Carson felt about children. Did he like children? Did he someday plan to have a family of his own? He'd never mentioned wanting a child, and they had been careful when they were together at Royal Oaks.

But accidents happen.

Especially when you decide to shower together.

Chapter 11

“E
verything's going to be fine,” Carson reassured Noah as they entered the exam room. “Okay? We're gonna put you on the table and take off your clothes.”

As soon as Carson tried to set the toddler on the exam table, the protest started. Noah wailed and clung to Carson. He fisted Carson's shirt in his small hands and tears filled his big blue eyes.

“All right.” Carson clutched the toddler. “That won't work. What if we both sit on the table?”

With Noah in tow, he found a comfortable sitting position on the exam table. He held Noah with his left arm while he untied Noah's shoes. He frowned as he heard the little boy struggle to cough. “That doesn't sound good.”

Noah looked up at him. “Choo choo.” Noah pointed to the colorful train appliquÃ© on the front of his shortalls. “Choo choo.”

“Yeah.” Carson smiled. “That's a choo choo train. You like trains? Huh?” He unbuttoned the shoulders of the shortalls. “I like trains.”

Noah patted his hands together and babbled something as Carson managed to ease the outfit off him, along with his socks and sneakers. “That wasn't hard,” Carson said, pleased Noah hadn't cried. “You're such a good boy. I hope when I have a little boy, he's a good little guy like you.”

Noah clutched his hand, and Carson wondered what it would be like to have a son. A little boy to hold his hand. He patted Noah's chubby leg. “I wish I could take you home with me. We'd build a big train.”

Yes, that was what he and his boy would do. They'd put together a train set. Just like he and his dad had done. “The track would have hills and curves. There'd be a bridge and even a tunnel,” he told Noah. “That would be so much fun. You'd love it.”

He tucked Noah against his body with his hand splayed on Noah's bare chest. The toddler was hot to the touch. “You feel like you've got a fever, buddy.”

What kind of asshole would go off on a boating trip when both of his kids were sick?

Next door, Ella let out a loud wail and Noah squirmed in his arms. “It's okay. I'm sure whatever is happening to your sister will help her get better.”

Kevin strode into the room, holding a digital ear thermometer. “Hey,” he greeted them. “How's it going?”

“He's a great kid. How is his sister?”

“She'll be all right. Doctor Grant is talking to a pediatrician at the local hospital. She wants both kids seen by a specialist so there's an ambulance on its way,” Kevin answered and he lifted Noah's head. “Hey, buddy, this won't take but a second.”

Noah coughed and Kevin shook his head. “Over a hundred and two.”

“That's pretty high.” Carson patted Noah's back.

“Yeah.” Kevin moved to the computer station and started typing. “He's got some infection going on. Probably has strep like his sister.”

“Is that what caused the rash?”

Kevin nodded as he opened a sterile swab. “Scarlet fever used to be rather common. Not so much now because of early treatment and antibiotics.”

Noah gagged as Kevin swabbed the back of his throat, and started wailing after the procedure was done. Carson rocked Noah in an effort to quiet him.

“Doctor Grant will be in shortly.” Kevin left with the swab.

Two minutes later, Marla strolled into the exam room. She wore an oversized white lab coat buttoned over her shorts and top, a stethoscope slung around her neck, and she carried a clipboard. For the most part, she looked professional, except the lab coat only hit her mid-thigh and the damp morning air had curled her hair around her neck.

She gave Carson a pointed gaze. “What are you doing on the table?”

He smiled. “I've reconsidered your offer to examine me.”

“Off the table.”

Carson moved from the table with Noah in his arms and Marla pulled clean table paper over the top of the exam table. “Lay him on the table and hold him there. He'll probably fuss but I have to check him.”

She was right. Noah fussed, not loudly. Mostly he whined and fretted as Marla felt his neck and lower abdomen. “You're such a good boy,” she said in a comforting voice as she took the otoscope and looked in both his ears as well as his throat. She removed the light and frowned as she scribbled on the clipboard.

“Hold him in a sitting position.” She put on the stethoscope and listened to various spots on Noah's chest and back. Carson had to catch Noah's hands as the toddler tried to grab the stethoscope. Carson didn't like her serious expression as she kept listening to the toddler's chest.

“How bad is it?” Carson asked.

“He'll need a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia.

“He and Ella are both a little dehydrated. The nanny said she couldn't get either one of them to eat or drink anything this morning.”

Carson looked up, angry. “The father should be here.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Mrs. Ramos signed the consent forms and she said their father would want them taken to the hospital. I've talked to a pediatrician and I'm going to ride over to the hospital with the kids, but we need to find the father.”

“I'll take care of it,” he answered without hesitation. “Right now.”

He handed her the baby and jerked his cell phone out of his pocket. “Do you have any information on the father?”

Marla tapped the computer mouse. “This is what the nanny gave us.”

Carson glanced at the screen. “Gary Warren. Prick of the year.”

“Carson.” Marla scolded and Carson glanced up.

“He won't do this again.”

Within a couple of seconds, Carson had the hotel manager, Jacob Damaire, on the phone. “We have a problem,” he began and his voice grew heated as he told Damaire about the children. “I want you to call that police lieutenant. The one who handled some security issues for us last year. Tell him Mr. Warren needs to be found now and brought to the hotel.”

“Yes, sir,” Damaire said. “Do you have any idea where Mr. Warren might be?”

“On a boat is all I know. Have his room checked to see if you can find any brochures,” he said. He gave Damaire the telephone number listed. “The nanny hasn't been able to reach him by phone. And get in touch with Maili,” he said, referring to the local attorney whose firm handled legal matters for the hotel.

“Have him meet us in your office in thirty minutes. I want to do a legal review and make certain all our obligations involving the emergency treatment of these children in the infirmary have been met.”

Carson ended the call with Damaire and made another one to Jim Nolan, who was the chief financial officer of his company. “Hey, Jim,” he said. “It's Carson.”

“I heard you were in Kauai. Having a good time?”

“Oh, yeah,” Carson answered. “Listen, I hate to call you on the weekend, but I need a favor.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“When you get time today, I need you to check out an investment company.” Carson looked at the computer screen and read off the name and location of the company where Gary Warren worked. “I need to know who owns that company and how I can get in touch with them.”

“I'll text you the info.”

“Thanks.” Carson ended the call with the confident smile of a man who knew he had his adversary beaten. He never played to lose. He glanced at Marla, who stood beside the exam bed, her face ashen as if his actions had frightened her.

In an unsteady voice, she said, “Sometimes, parents don't realize how sick their kids are.”

“He won't make that mistake again.” Carson took Noah from her. “I don't have any respect for a man who neglects his kids. They don't ask to be born, but once they are, a man has an obligation to take care of them.”

Kevin came into the exam room, leading Ella by the hand. “See. There's your brother.”

Ella ran over to Carson. “Noah.”

Carson stooped down and let Ella give Noah a kiss on the cheek. The little girl gave him a worried look. “Is Noah gonna get a shot?”

“I don't know, sweetie.”

“Carson, give Noah to Kevin and take Ella to the nurses' station. Get her a lollipop,” Marla said as Kevin handed her a needle and syringe. “We aren't finished with Noah yet.”

Reluctantly he handed over the toddler. He couldn't be a doctor. Not in a thousand years.

He left the exam room with Ella in his arms. Mrs. Ramos was in the hallway, pacing with a cell phone pressed to her ear as she left a message on Gary Warren's cell phone. Carson found the bowl of lollipops at the nurses' desk. He set Ella on the counter beside the bowl and told her to get a lollipop.

She chose a red one.

“That's my favorite, too,” he said, smiling at the little girl with a fiery rash on her face and neck.

She gave him a humble glance. “Thank you.”

I'd love to beat some sense into your worthless father.

When Noah let out a cry, tears formed in Ella's eyes and Carson lifted her up into his arms. “Noah is okay,” he said. “Sometimes, you have to get shots and medicine when you don't feel good so you can get better and play all day.”

“Where's Daddy?”

Carson's heart fractured. “He had to take care of some business, but he'll be back soon.”

The wail of an ambulance siren shattered the quiet morning and he handed Ella over to her anxious nanny. “Don't worry,” he said. “I'll find their father. Everything will be fine.”

Two emergency medical technicians pushed a stretcher through the clinic doorway. A large white teddy bear rode on the stretcher. Ella smiled when she saw it.

Marla and Kevin came out of the exam room with Noah. In a flurry of activity, Marla introduced herself to the paramedics and the two children were seated on the stretcher together. One of the paramedics produced a hand puppet, which delighted the kids while the other one managed to get a small oxygen mask on Noah.

Marla reached for a notepad on the counter. “This is my phone number.” She scribbled on the paper and handed it to Carson. “Call me when you find Mr. Warren.”

Carson glanced at the paper. “Am I supposed to be able to read this?”

“Of course not. I'm a doctor.” She smiled briefly and told him the number.

“I got it,” he said as the paramedics wheeled the stretcher outside. Mrs. Ramos crossed herself and followed them.

Marla stopped abruptly on the walkway. “I forgot about Truman and Julia. Give them my apologies,” she said. “Maybe we can meet for dinner?”

“Sure. I'll get with them,” he said. “Just do what you have to do for the kids.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”

As she stepped back, his gaze locked with hers for a moment.

I was made for loving you.

“Doctor Grant,” one of the paramedics waved to her. He was ready to close the doors of the ambulance.

“I'll call you,” Carson promised. “As soon as I find their father.”

She nodded and said, “Don't kill him.”

BOOK: One Week in Your Arms