mother
continued her restless vigil.
When Ash asked him the
question he feared most, Kieran knew that honesty was overrated in
the medical field. There was a reason he chose not to practice and
he had made peace with that decision. Ash’s hand felt soft and warm
on his shoulder and he leaned into her. “I don’t know if she will
be okay. Her mother should have brought her here sooner. She was
without oxygen for a while.”
Ash turned to the mother.
“Would you like a cup of coffee? I think the ambulance is on their
way.”
She looked from Kieran to
Ash and shook her head. “You can’t send her to hospital. They will
take her away from me.”
Ash cocked her head.
“Kieran, is what she saying true?”
He rubbed his hands over
his face. For the first time since the mother brought the child in
he took a good look at her. She was scantily dressed, much like the
exotic dancers that worked in the dance clubs that fronted for
prostitution houses. “Show me your arms?”
Ash focused on Kieran.
“Why the questions? Why are you asking to see her arms?”
The child grunted softly
and Kieran stalled. If he answered, would he shatter Ash’s view of
the world? His hand gently rubbed the child’s head as he sighed.
His gaze lifted to the teenager.
If her sunken eyes were
not a giveaway, then the edginess was a sure sign she had something
to hide. “You knew she was sick. She’s had treatment for
asthma.”
The mother rubbed her
hands up and down her arms and paced a small path in front of the
child. “Please doctor, you can’t take her away from me. I will do
anything, I swear.”
Ash came forward and took
her place between Kieran and the girl. “I don’t understand what’s
happening here, but you’re not suggesting we separate these
two?”
Kieran’s gaze focused on
the child whose breathing was getting easier. The sound of sirens
was getting closer. “What do you suggest we do? The ambulance is
here. She needs to go to hospital. If we say we don’t know who this
child is, they will treat her as abandoned. Either way, she goes
into the system.”
“ You won’t
take this child away from her mother? Why would you do that?” Heat
fell off her yet when his hand touched hers, it was ice.
Kieran dropped his chin
when she pulled her hand away from his. “She’s a drug user. Chances
are she sold her child’s medication for more drugs. I can’t be sure
she is the best choice to take care of this little one.”
The teenage girl hid in
the shadows as the ambulance screeched to a stop outside the
clinic. Kieran went back to the girl. Her eyes opened and she
looked up at him. As luck would have it, she had eyes as green as
the moss outside his window. As green as the woman’s standing next
to him, watching him with pleading eyes. “My hands are tied Ash.
There is nothing I can do.”
She took the child’s limp
hand in hers and looked at him. “Really Kieran?
Nothing?”
*****
Ash had been in closets
the size of this room, but none had stunk like sickness and
clinical disinfectant. She went to the little window in the stuffy
room and looked out. Why have a window that could never open? The
monitor beside the bed beeped and her gaze went instantly to the
child on the bed. Little Sara was sound asleep. She was lucky that
she hadn’t made a fuss when she picked her up earlier and claimed
her as her own.
“ I didn’t
think children was part of the deal?” Kieran surprised her as he
entered the room.
She’d been waiting for
this visit the entire day. When she’d claimed to be the mother at
the clinic, he’d let her. The teenager who she later found out was
Shelley was happy to let her pretend to be the mother, until Sara
was better and came home.
“ I’m sorry I
put you through that. I couldn’t let them be separated.” She
watched Sara sleep and wondered if he could understand that life
was not always easy.
Kieran stood by the
monitor and looked at the numbers go up and down in silence.
continued her restless vigil.
When Ash asked him the
question he feared most, Kieran knew that honesty was overrated in
the medical field. There was a reason he chose not to practice and
he had made peace with that decision. Ash’s hand felt soft and warm
on his shoulder and he leaned into her. “I don’t know if she will
be okay. Her mother should have brought her here sooner. She was
without oxygen for a while.”
Ash turned to the mother.
“Would you like a cup of coffee? I think the ambulance is on their
way.”
She looked from Kieran to
Ash and shook her head. “You can’t send her to hospital. They will
take her away from me.”
Ash cocked her head.
“Kieran, is what she saying true?”
He rubbed his hands over
his face. For the first time since the mother brought the child in
he took a good look at her. She was scantily dressed, much like the
exotic dancers that worked in the dance clubs that fronted for
prostitution houses. “Show me your arms?”
Ash focused on Kieran.
“Why the questions? Why are you asking to see her arms?”
The child grunted softly
and Kieran stalled. If he answered, would he shatter Ash’s view of
the world? His hand gently rubbed the child’s head as he sighed.
His gaze lifted to the teenager.
If her sunken eyes were
not a giveaway, then the edginess was a sure sign she had something
to hide. “You knew she was sick. She’s had treatment for
asthma.”
The mother rubbed her
hands up and down her arms and paced a small path in front of the
child. “Please doctor, you can’t take her away from me. I will do
anything, I swear.”
Ash came forward and took
her place between Kieran and the girl. “I don’t understand what’s
happening here, but you’re not suggesting we separate these
two?”
Kieran’s gaze focused on
the child whose breathing was getting easier. The sound of sirens
was getting closer. “What do you suggest we do? The ambulance is
here. She needs to go to hospital. If we say we don’t know who this
child is, they will treat her as abandoned. Either way, she goes
into the system.”
“ You won’t
take this child away from her mother? Why would you do that?” Heat
fell off her yet when his hand touched hers, it was ice.
Kieran dropped his chin
when she pulled her hand away from his. “She’s a drug user. Chances
are she sold her child’s medication for more drugs. I can’t be sure
she is the best choice to take care of this little one.”
The teenage girl hid in
the shadows as the ambulance screeched to a stop outside the
clinic. Kieran went back to the girl. Her eyes opened and she
looked up at him. As luck would have it, she had eyes as green as
the moss outside his window. As green as the woman’s standing next
to him, watching him with pleading eyes. “My hands are tied Ash.
There is nothing I can do.”
She took the child’s limp
hand in hers and looked at him. “Really Kieran?
Nothing?”
*****
Ash had been in closets
the size of this room, but none had stunk like sickness and
clinical disinfectant. She went to the little window in the stuffy
room and looked out. Why have a window that could never open? The
monitor beside the bed beeped and her gaze went instantly to the
child on the bed. Little Sara was sound asleep. She was lucky that
she hadn’t made a fuss when she picked her up earlier and claimed
her as her own.
“ I didn’t
think children was part of the deal?” Kieran surprised her as he
entered the room.
She’d been waiting for
this visit the entire day. When she’d claimed to be the mother at
the clinic, he’d let her. The teenager who she later found out was
Shelley was happy to let her pretend to be the mother, until Sara
was better and came home.
“ I’m sorry I
put you through that. I couldn’t let them be separated.” She
watched Sara sleep and wondered if he could understand that life
was not always easy.
Kieran stood by the
monitor and looked at the numbers go up and down in silence.
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