Read Online A Sister's Forgiveness by Anna Schmidt - Free Book Online Page B

then a tall young man in his midthirties entered the cubicle. He focused all of his attention on Sadie. Lars liked him immediately.
    “Hello, Sadie. I’m Dr. Booker. I need to take a look at you and ask you some questions. Would that be all right?”
    Sadie kept rocking.
    “Help me get her onto the bed,” he said softly, addressing Lars for the first time.
    Without a word, Lars scooped Sadie into his arms and set her gently on the narrow hospital bed. She instantly rolled to one side, facing away from them, and curled herself into the fetal position. Dr. Booker was undeterred. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves as he walked to the other side of the bed and bent to examine her lip. “That’s going to need some stitches. I could use my special pink thread if you like. My niece likes pink.” He continued to probe and examine. “How about you, Sadie? What’s your favorite color? I’m partial to blue myself—or green. My mom said that’s because I’m the outdoors type. I like nature—water, trees.…”
    Gradually Lars saw Sadie’s arms and legs start to relax.
    The nurse had come back to assist Dr. Booker, and the two of them worked in a reassuring rhythm, checking Sadie for any signs of further injury. Apparently satisfied that her split lip was the worst of it, he quietly explained each step of the process for closing the wound. “Okay, Sadie, this is some stuff to freeze the surface so you won’t feel anything. I’m thinking no more than half a dozen will do the job, but if you like, I can make tinier stitches and give you more.”
    Nothing.
    Dr. Booker glanced at Emma and Lars, seeming to notice their plain dress for the first time. “I’ll bet your mom is pretty good with a needle and thread—maybe I should let her make these stitches.”
    Sadie stared wide-eyed and unblinking at the ceiling.
    As the doctor went about his work, his tone changed slightly and Lars understood that he was addressing them. “I’m going to suggest that Sadie be admitted at least overnight. Right now she’s showing all the classic signs of shock, but I’d like to make certain there’s nothing else going on.”
    “The officer…,” Lars began, lowering his voice and glancing toward the corridor where the officer had positioned himself just outside Dan’s cubicle.
    Dr. Booker clipped the thread with a small pair of scissors and then pulled off his gloves. “I doubt it will happen, but don’t be surprised if they decide to assign someone to her while she’s here.” He gave a nod toward the hallway where the policeman was talking quietly to one of the nurses.
    “I can stay,” Emma volunteered.
    “He means the police,” Lars explained, and Dr. Booker nodded.
    “I’d like to get some X-rays—not that I suspect anything. But since she’s not really responding to touch or perhaps pain, we want to be sure. And we should consider a psych consultation.”
    Lars nodded. “We will wait here,” he said.
    “Actually, we’ll probably take her right to a regular room once we get those pictures taken.”
    The nurse stepped forward. “It could be some time before we can get her to and from the X-ray department and have a bed for her. I understand that it was your niece who was also in the accident?”
    “She’s in surgery,” Emma said. “My sister’s child…” Her voice trailed off.
    Dr. Booker and the nurse exchanged a look. “Why don’t I have someone show you to the surgical waiting room? You can wait there, and we’ll come get you as soon as Sadie is settled.”
    “I can’t go with Sadie?”
    “You could, but I thought you might want to use this time to check on your niece?”
    Lars had never seen Emma look so torn.
    “Jeannie will be needing you.” He spoke to her in their Dutch-German dialect. “Sadie is in good hands for now.”
    “Ja,” Emma replied, but her eyes were on Sadie.
    “All right,” Lars said, reverting to English to include Dr. Booker and the nurse in the agreement. “We will