patients. She had four at the moment, not including Eli. They’d all done well. But a note on Eli’s chart was a little concerning.
She walked down the hall to the small room where Eli should have been resting before his surgery. When she opened the door, however, she was immediately overwhelmed by the sounds of his cries.
“What’s going on?” she asked, walking over to the crib where the baby was lying, his mother trying in vain to still his cries.
Melanie gently lifted him, careful of the IV line that was supplying fluids to his small body.
“I didn’t think we could handle him,” Tess said, her voice breaking as a couple of tears began to slip down her cheeks. “I was afraid of pulling out the IV.”
“You just have to be mindful of it.” Melanie cradled the baby against her chest for a long moment, loving the feel of his little body settling there as his cries stopped, but he continued to be wracked with hiccup-like sobs. “We would never discourage you from holding your baby. I’m sorry the nurses didn’t explain that to you a little better.”
Tess nodded, reaching up to brush away her tears.
“So,” Melanie said as she—somewhat reluctantly—moved the baby into his mother’s arms, “the night nurse said that you and Jack had a fight last night?”
Tess nodded. “He thinks Eli should wait to have this surgery.”
“What do you think?”
Tess was quiet a moment as she ran her hand lovingly up and down the length of Eli’s tiny back. When she looked at Melanie, there were tears in her eyes again. “I want my baby to be healthy and live a long life.”
It wasn’t the first time Melanie had heard that wish from the parents of one of her patients. Everyone wants a healthy child. And they wanted Melanie to guarantee that after this surgery or that treatment, they would be. But it didn’t really work that way.
Melanie touched Tess’ arm, rubbing it similarly to the way she was stroking her child. “I know. And this surgery will help. But you must realize that Eli will face difficulties his entire life.”
“I do.” Tess bit the inside of her cheek hard enough that Melanie could see the pain flash in her eyes. She looked down at the baby, a couple of tears dropping into his fine blond hair. “Jack has told me all the dark things he will face. Jack wants to put him up for adoption, to give him to a family that is better suited to caring for him. But…he’s my baby…”
“I know.”
Melanie glanced toward the glass door through which she could see nurses, patients, and parents wandering the busy hallway. Visitor’s hours. She wanted to be out there, to hide behind her clinical façade instead of consoling the woman married to a man she once lusted after.
How could she have once lusted after a man like Jack?
“Listen to me,” Melanie finally said, taking Tess’s hand between both hers. “This is the best course of action for Eli. He needs this hole repaired and waiting does nothing but allow it to grow larger and cause his symptoms to grow. But if you want to consult another surgeon—“
“No, of course not. I trust you, Dr. Spence.”
Melanie nodded, guilt forcing her eyes away from Tess’ face. “It’s not about me, Tess. It’s about making you feel confident in what is happening. He is your child and the choice is ultimately yours.”
“I want this,” Tess said, her voice strong.
“What about Jack?”
She shook her head, her attention dropping to the infant sleeping comfortably now in her arms. “Jack is filing for divorce. He gave me an ultimatum last night, and I chose Eli.”
Anger bloomed in the center of Melanie’s chest, but she simply nodded. “Well then, we’ll proceed as planned. The nurses will transfer Eli to pre-op. Then the anesthesiologist should drop by to discuss the medications he’ll be using during the procedure to keep Eli comfortable. And then I’ll stop by, make sure everything’s okay before we get started.”
Tess
She walked down the hall to the small room where Eli should have been resting before his surgery. When she opened the door, however, she was immediately overwhelmed by the sounds of his cries.
“What’s going on?” she asked, walking over to the crib where the baby was lying, his mother trying in vain to still his cries.
Melanie gently lifted him, careful of the IV line that was supplying fluids to his small body.
“I didn’t think we could handle him,” Tess said, her voice breaking as a couple of tears began to slip down her cheeks. “I was afraid of pulling out the IV.”
“You just have to be mindful of it.” Melanie cradled the baby against her chest for a long moment, loving the feel of his little body settling there as his cries stopped, but he continued to be wracked with hiccup-like sobs. “We would never discourage you from holding your baby. I’m sorry the nurses didn’t explain that to you a little better.”
Tess nodded, reaching up to brush away her tears.
“So,” Melanie said as she—somewhat reluctantly—moved the baby into his mother’s arms, “the night nurse said that you and Jack had a fight last night?”
Tess nodded. “He thinks Eli should wait to have this surgery.”
“What do you think?”
Tess was quiet a moment as she ran her hand lovingly up and down the length of Eli’s tiny back. When she looked at Melanie, there were tears in her eyes again. “I want my baby to be healthy and live a long life.”
It wasn’t the first time Melanie had heard that wish from the parents of one of her patients. Everyone wants a healthy child. And they wanted Melanie to guarantee that after this surgery or that treatment, they would be. But it didn’t really work that way.
Melanie touched Tess’ arm, rubbing it similarly to the way she was stroking her child. “I know. And this surgery will help. But you must realize that Eli will face difficulties his entire life.”
“I do.” Tess bit the inside of her cheek hard enough that Melanie could see the pain flash in her eyes. She looked down at the baby, a couple of tears dropping into his fine blond hair. “Jack has told me all the dark things he will face. Jack wants to put him up for adoption, to give him to a family that is better suited to caring for him. But…he’s my baby…”
“I know.”
Melanie glanced toward the glass door through which she could see nurses, patients, and parents wandering the busy hallway. Visitor’s hours. She wanted to be out there, to hide behind her clinical façade instead of consoling the woman married to a man she once lusted after.
How could she have once lusted after a man like Jack?
“Listen to me,” Melanie finally said, taking Tess’s hand between both hers. “This is the best course of action for Eli. He needs this hole repaired and waiting does nothing but allow it to grow larger and cause his symptoms to grow. But if you want to consult another surgeon—“
“No, of course not. I trust you, Dr. Spence.”
Melanie nodded, guilt forcing her eyes away from Tess’ face. “It’s not about me, Tess. It’s about making you feel confident in what is happening. He is your child and the choice is ultimately yours.”
“I want this,” Tess said, her voice strong.
“What about Jack?”
She shook her head, her attention dropping to the infant sleeping comfortably now in her arms. “Jack is filing for divorce. He gave me an ultimatum last night, and I chose Eli.”
Anger bloomed in the center of Melanie’s chest, but she simply nodded. “Well then, we’ll proceed as planned. The nurses will transfer Eli to pre-op. Then the anesthesiologist should drop by to discuss the medications he’ll be using during the procedure to keep Eli comfortable. And then I’ll stop by, make sure everything’s okay before we get started.”
Tess
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