The Gifted (16 page)

Angus was catching a ride to Saskatoon with a friend whom he had to meet by two o’clock, so Peter and Maisie drove him back to the city. Taylor and her cats went back to the city with Margot and Declan. Zack wanted to talk to Brock, so after a heartfelt plea from Madeleine and Lena, Mieka and I took the girls down for a final skate on the rink.

As the girls circled the rink in their jackets and helmets, the snow we’d been promised began to fall in slow, fat theatrical flakes. It was a perfect moment, and Mieka and I both felt it. Then Lena shouted, “Watch this. I saw it on television. It’s called the Salchow.” Mieka jumped to her feet. “Don’t, Lena! You need to learn how to do that.”

But it was too late, Lena’s toe-jump with her pick in the ice propelled her into the air, but she lost control when she landed. She extended her arm to break the fall, but when she came down hard and screamed with pain, Mieka and I were already running towards the centre of the rink. Madeleine knelt beside her sister.

The moment I looked at Lena’s face, I knew the injury was serious. She was pale, shivering, and I feared teetering on the edge of shock. Mieka had dropped to her knees.

“I’ll get our car,” I said. “We need to take Lena into the city.” Madeleine was clearly terrified. I squeezed her shoulder. “This is going to be okay,” I said. “Your sister has broken her arm, but we’ll get her to the hospital. They’ll put a cast on it, and she’ll be good as new.”

As I ran towards the house, I could hear Lena sobbing. Zack and Brock were in the family room. “Lena fell on the ice. I’m certain her arm’s broken. We have to get her into town.”

Brock was on his feet. “How’s your ambulance service here?”

“We’ve never used it,” Zack said.

“Now’s the time,” Brock said. “If it’s a bad break, Lena needs attention as soon as possible. An ambulance will get her back to the city faster than you can drive. More significantly, if she’s in an ambulance, she won’t get stuck in the
ER
waiting room.”

Zack was already calling 911. As he gave instructions about how to find our place, his voice was steady, and my pulse slowed. Lawyers’ Bay was a gated community, and Zack said he’d stay at the cottage and buzz in the ambulance when it arrived. I grabbed some blankets, then Brock and I went to the rink.

Brock was adamant about not moving Lena. She’d stopped crying, and Mieka covered her carefully with the blankets and was rubbing her legs and murmuring words of reassurance to both her daughters. The ambulance only had to come from Fort Qu’Appelle, an easy ten-minute drive, but it arrived in seven.

The
EMT
personnel were thorough and efficient. Within five minutes, Lena and Mieka were on their way to Regina. Brock volunteered to drive Mieka’s station wagon and the dogs back to the city. We gave him the security pass for the condo, told him where the dog food was, and called Taylor to fill her in on the situation. Then Zack brought our car around; I slid into the back seat with Madeleine and put my arm around her. There was nothing to do now but wait and worry.

By the time Zack, Madeleine, and I arrived at the hospital, Lena was already being examined. The three of us sat in the waiting room. Madeleine climbed onto Zack’s lap, and he held her tight. When Mieka came out, her face was strained, but she was in control.

“The doctor says Lena broke her olecranon – her elbow. But pieces of the bone have cut through her skin, so she’ll need surgery.”

Zack winced. “Is she in much pain?”

“They’ve given her some medication that seems to be helping. The orthopedic surgeon’s on his way to the hospital. His name is Mike Kelly.” Mieka tried a smile. “Here’s irony for you. Dr. Kelly graduated from Luther the same year I did. We went through high school together. When we processed into the chapel to get our diplomas, we were paired alphabetically, Kelly and Kilbourn. All I remember is that I had on those stupid stilettos I insisted on wearing, and I towered over him.” Mieka shook her head at the vagaries of life. “Now that boy is operating on my daughter.” She exhaled. “Enough of that. I have to go back in there to talk to Dr. Kelly and to the anesthesiologist.” She bent down and hugged Madeleine. “This is going to be all right. We just have to wait and see what’s next.” She looked at me. “Mum, why don’t you and Zack take Maddy home with you. Hospitals are no fun. Plus they’re full of germs.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I said, “but I agree that Zack and Madeleine should go back to the condo. The dogs need a run. And we have to figure out something for dinner.”

“What do you think, Maddy?” Zack said. “You and I can take the dogs for a run in the roof garden and order a pizza from the Chimney.”

“I’m not very hungry,” Madeleine said, and her voice was small and scared.

“Neither am I,” Zack said. “But let’s order an extra-large pie with the works, so we can bring Lena a feast for breakfast.”

Zack held his arms out to Mieka and then to me. His message to us both was the same:
I love you
.

A nurse came to tell Mieka that Dr. Kelly had arrived, and he wanted to explain the procedure and get her signature on some papers. Not long after Mieka left with the nurse, Brock Poitras appeared.

“We never talked about where I should drop off Mieka’s car,” he said. “So I thought I’d track you down and get an update. How’s Lena?”

“They’re getting her ready for surgery.”

Brock groaned. “I was afraid of that. There was something about the angle of her arm.” He peered closely at me and frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.”

“It’s always worse for the family,” he said. “There’s a Robin’s Donuts downstairs. Why don’t I get us coffee?”

“Coffee sounds good,” I said. “Could you get some for Mieka too? We both take it black.”

When Mieka came back to the waiting room, she collapsed into a chair and buried her face in her hands. “They put Lena in a hospital gown,” Mieka said. “Mum, she looks so little.”

I put my arms around her, and she rested her head on my shoulder. Neither of us moved when Riel Delorme arrived. “Taylor left me a message,” he said. “How’s Lena?”

“They’re taking her into surgery,” Mieka said.

Riel took the empty chair next to Mieka. Clearly ill at ease, he stared at the floor. Finally, he said, “If there’s any way I can help, just ask. I’ve done some stupid things, but I love those girls.”

Mieka’s voice was soft. “I never doubted that,” she said.

“Being with you and Madeleine and Lena was the best time of my life,” he said. There was real sadness in his voice. Mieka turned towards him. It was a nice moment.

Then Brock Poitras came into the waiting room, and the adage that “life turns on a dime” was once again proven true. When Riel saw Brock, he leapt to his feet and balled his hands into fists. “So you’re the replacement,” he said. He glared at Mieka. “It didn’t take you long,” he said. “I’m not surprised. When a woman like you gets a chance to trade up, she trades up.”

Mieka crossed her hands in front of her breasts, as though protecting herself against the verbal onslaught.

Riel stared angrily at Brock. “Congratulations, brother,” he said. “She’s a great woman – in every way, but you’ve probably already discovered that.”

Brock put down the cardboard tray that held the coffee and moved slowly towards Riel. Riel had always been lean. Now he was gaunt, and Brock dwarfed him. “Time for you to leave, brother,” Brock said. “I’ll give you to the count of three.”

Riel was out of the room on one. Brock handed around the coffee and we sat, shaken, sipping our coffee and waiting. It wasn’t long before Zack phoned to check on Lena, and to tell us that Vince was back in the city. He said that Vince was full of praise for Dr. Mike Kelly, and that Lena was in good hands.

Two hours later, when a balding young doctor whom I presumed was Mike Kelly came into the waiting room, the three of us leapt to our feet. When he smiled, my heart began beating again.

Dr. Kelly’s voice was deep and reassuring. “The surgery went well. It was a little more complicated than we’d hoped, but Lena’s fine. When she’s in her sixties, she may have a twinge in that elbow if the weather’s changing, but apart from that, she’ll be good as new in a few weeks. We’ll keep her here for a couple of days to make sure there’s no infection and her elbow is healing the way it should. You’ll have her back home in no time.”

“Can I see her?” Mieka asked.

“Better than that,” Dr. Kelly said. “An orderly’s bringing in a reclining chair and some bedding, so you can sleep in Lena’s room.”

Mieka slumped with relief. “I was so scared,” she said.

“Occupational hazard of being a parent.” Dr. Kelly said crisply, then his professional manner softened. “My wife
and I have four sons. We’re not strangers to the
ER
. Kids take chances. Sometimes it seems like a miracle that any kid makes it to high school. And Mieka, speaking of high school, that night at Luther when I was paired with you for grad, I thought I was the luckiest guy on earth. Kelly/Kilbourn – talk about alphabetical Fate.”

“And here we are again,” Mieka said. “Now it’s my turn to feel like the luckiest person on earth.” She extended her hand. “Thank you.”

Dr. Kelly took it. “I’ll see you when I make rounds in the morning.”

Mieka called Zack with the news. After she’d talked to Madeleine, Mieka handed the phone to me. “How are you doing?” he said.

“Fine, now that we know Lena’s all right. I’m just going to peek into her room to reassure myself, then I’ll come home.”

After I handed the phone back, I turned to Brock. “I guess we can all call it a night.”

Mieka turned to him. “Thanks for being here, Brock – and I’m really sorry about Riel. This can’t have been the way you wanted to spend the evening.”

“I didn’t have any other plans,” Brock said.

We all walked down to Lena’s room. She was still sleeping, and she had a Day-Glo pink cast from above her elbow to her wrist. I kissed her forehead, then hugged Mieka hard. I turned to Brock. “I might as well take Mieka’s car and drop you off at your place.”

“Fine with me,” Brock said.

Brock led me to Mieka’s car in the parking lot and handed me the keys. I unlocked the doors. “Is your car still at Lawyers’ Bay?”

“For the time being,” he said, settling into his seat. “Delia Wainberg’s going to drive it back to the city.”

I started Mieka’s old Volvo. “So where do you live?”

“Broad Street – in the Warehouse District.”

“So we’re neighbours,” I said. “So what do you think of The Village – or what will someday be The Village?”

“It’s going to be good for everybody. Let’s face it, ours is not a safe neighbourhood. I weigh 260, but when I run after dark, I’m relieved to get home. And the plans for The Village are exciting. The idea of a well-designed community where a fair percentage of houses are within the reach of low-income families is long past due, and I’m impressed with the training programs Racette-Hunter is putting into place. Building a city within a city is going to take a lot of workers. If North Central can supply them, we can change everything.”

“You sound like Zack,” I said.

“He and I spent a lot of time talking over the weekend. Zack is very persuasive.”

“Did he persuade you to work full-time for Racette-Hunter?

“I’m giving it serious thought,” Brock said.

When I got home, Zack had the fire going and a bottle of Old Pulteney single malt and two glasses waiting on the coffee table in front of the fireplace.

“I see we’re going first class tonight.”

“Lena’s surgery went well. We have reason to celebrate.”

“I know we do,” I said. “I’m just going to run upstairs and see if the girls are still awake, and then I’ll be back to curl up with you and the Old Pulteney.”

A weekend of fresh air had worked its magic. Despite the traumatic event on the rink, the girls were both asleep, but there was a little pile of tissue on Madeleine’s pillow. She’d been crying, and her small hand rested on the pulse in Taylor’s neck – reassurance that she wasn’t alone. I adjusted their covers, kissed them both, and went downstairs.

Zack had our drinks poured. He handed me my glass and took his own. I raised mine. “To Dr. Mike Kelly.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Zack said. “By the way, when you were upstairs, I called Mieka and volunteered to take the first shift tomorrow.”

“You’re a good guy.”

“No, just a guy who’s very thankful that everything turned out all right. When you told me that Lena had been hurt, I was as scared as I’ve ever been in my life.”

“Sir Francis Bacon said, ‘He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.’ ”

“Sir Francis was right. Before I met you, I wasn’t afraid of anything.” Zack sipped his Scotch meditatively. “Probably because I didn’t have anything to lose.”

“Do you ever long for the old carefree days?”

Zack took a last pull on his Scotch. “Nope. Not for a single second.”

CHAPTER
8

The plans for the next morning had the precision of a military operation. After breakfast, Madeleine and I would stop by the hospital to see Lena. Remembrance Day is a stat holiday in Saskatchewan, so the schools were closed. Madeleine would be able to spend a good part of the day with her sister, and Zack and I could give Mieka a chance to go home, shower, change, and then drive over to April’s Place and make sure everything was on target for the grand opening. Zack would come to the hospital after his donor meeting. At that point, Mieka would join us and we’d take the rest from there.

Like most well-laid plans, ours went awry. Zack had already left and Madeleine and I were just going out the door when Lauren Treadgold called. She wanted to talk to Zack, and there was an unsettling edge of hysteria in her voice. When I explained that our granddaughter was in the hospital, Lauren was dismissive. “I hope she gets well soon. Look, Zack has to get Vince to talk to me. It’s urgent. He won’t take my calls. Zack has to explain—”

I cut her off. “Lauren, I don’t mean to be rude, but Lena’s
accident is about all we can deal with at the moment. Zack and I have done what we could to help you and Vince, but right now Lena has to be our priority.”