Read Online An Unexpected Kiss by Cindy Roland Anderson - Free Book Online Page A

barely get him to drink
water.”
    “We just
moved here,” TJ said in a soft voice. “I haven’t been able to go to school
yet.”
    “Do you
like school?” Cole asked.
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll
tell you what, TJ, if you can let me take a look at your throat, I’ll be able
to know what we can do to help you get better.” Cole took the otoscope from its
base and turned it on. “This is a special light that helps me see inside your
mouth.” He shone it on his palm. “If you can open your mouth as big as you can,
I’ll use the light to look at your throat.”
    “Okay,”
TJ said, opening his mouth wide. He said ahhhh without being prompted by Cole.
The child still had his tonsils, and they were so swollen and infected they
were nearly touching.
    “Good
job, buddy.” Cole put a tip on the otoscope. “I’m just going to shine this
light in your ears now. I promise it won’t hurt.”
    Cole
winced when he saw one of the eardrums bulging and red. Even if he started the
kid on antibiotics, he predicted the eardrum would rupture before the day was
done. The other side didn’t look as bad, but it was still infected.
    TJ did
everything Cole asked as he listened to his lungs and heart. At least his breath
sounds were clear. That was more than he could say about the little girl. She
had a nasty cough. He’d ask the mother if he could take a look at her after.
    Other
than his acute illness, TJ appeared to be in good health. As Cole turned to
talk to Allie, the little girl stated she needed to go to the bathroom.
    “I’m
sorry,” Allie said standing up. “I’ll be right back.”
    “No
problem. TJ and I will wait right here.” Cole opened the door for Allie and
pointed out the restroom.
    Hoping to
make the child comfortable, Cole asked the age-old question for this time of
the year. “So, TJ, tell me what do you want from Santa?”
    The
little boy’s eyes didn’t light up. Instead they grew dimmer. “Santa isn’t
coming to our house this year.”
    Cole was
temporarily speechless. He felt sick inside, and wondered what the
circumstances were for a mother to tell her child Santa wasn’t coming. He hoped
it wasn’t some kind of punishment.
    “Oh, why
not?”
    TJ’s
little shoulders seem to droop. “Mama says it isn’t because I’m bad. She told
me I’m the best boy in the world, but that Santa needs help this year and we
don’t have any extra money to help him.”
    A feeling
of despair and helplessness enveloped Cole. How many other children were out
there with the same reality as this kid? Each year, Cole contributed money to
his pastor to help those families in need, but Cole had actually never met
anyone in person. They were just a paper star on the Christmas tree with the
age and gender of the recipient as the only information.
    Fighting
back his emotions, he tried to think of something to say to give this little
boy hope. TJ continued, his tone accepting and matter-of-fact.
    “My daddy
wasn’t very nice to me or Hailey. He was mean to Mama too. We moved away so he
can’t hurt us anymore. Mama says next year we’ll have enough money to give to
Santa. She says this year we can give each other gifts that we make.”
    The door
opened and Allie walked in carrying her daughter who looked to be about four
years old. The child started coughing again, and Cole’s worries increased.
“Allie, it sounds like I better take a look at this little one. What’s her name?”
    “Hailey.”
Allie swallowed, and Cole noticed her lower lip trembling. “I don’t have enough
money for two co-pays today.”
    “Let’s
not worry about that right now, okay?”
    Allie
nodded her head. “Okay.”
    Cole sat
down on the chair next to Allie, unwinding his stethoscope from around his
neck. “Hailey, I’m Dr. Taggart, and I’m just going to listen to your breathing
just like I listened to TJ’s.”
    Allie
lifted the back of Hailey’s shirt and Cole placed the diaphragm of the
stethoscope against the small back. After