Read Online Never Let Go by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
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world, to see him smile. Besides, he was her link to Justin and if she couldn’t be with him tonight, Davey was the next best thing.
She stopped at the nurses’ station on her way to Davey’s room and visited for a few minutes before wandering down the hall. Opening the door slowly, she found the room bathed in nighttime shadows. She tiptoed over to the bed and peered down at the still form. Davey was lying on his back, his arms and legs askew, the covers kicked aside. His bruises had faded now and his bandages were smaller. For once, he looked at peace.
Mallory pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, leaning her forehead against the railing. She closed her eyes and thought about Davey and what was in store for him, then about Justin and her own future.
Suddenly a high little voice whispered tentatively, “Where’s Joey?”
Her eyes snapped open to see Davey staring at her solemnly. Her heart lurched unsteadily, and joy surged through her.
“I left him in his room sleeping,” she said gently, fighting for composure. “Which is what you should be doing, big guy. How come you’re awake so late?”
He squeezed his eyesshut, and a tear rolled down his cheek. Mallory only just resisted the urge to reach over and brush it away. The moment was still too fragile.
“Scared.” He mumbled the word so softly she could barely make it out.
“I get scared at night, too, sometimes,” she confided. “What scared you?”
“I was bad. Mommy was going to hit me.”
This time it was Mallory who closed her eyes and fought tears. “Davey, your mommy’s not going to hit you anymore. We won’t let that happen.”
“Promise?” That single softly spoken word held such a mixture of hope and fear that it tore at her heart. Wide blue eyes gazed at her with the desperate appeal of a cornered animal.
“I promise, baby.”
Mallory’s fingers were curled tightly around the railing on the bed. Davey reached over tentatively and touched them, the way a child would stroke a beloved stuffed animal for comfort. Then with a whisper of a sigh he rolled on his side and went back to sleep.
Shaken, Mallory sat by the bed and let the tears—of relief, of sorrow, of joy—flow freely down her cheeks. At last she knew with certainty that despite the pain, Davey was going to get well. The emotional healing had finally begun. Davey was beginning to trust again. He was reaching out.
The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on her. It was up to her and Justin to see that they didn’t let him down.
Chapter 5
“D r. Blake, could I see youfor a minute?” the head nurse from one of the surgical floors asked just as Mallory was getting ready to step into the elevator.
“Sure, Carol. What is it?”
“It’s about Dr. Whitmore.”
Mallory’s breath caught in her throat. Surely the gossip mill hadn’t latched onto news of those two innocent dinners so quickly. “What about him?” she asked warily.
“Well, you seem to have a way with him.” At Mallory’s startled expression, she added quickly, “I mean, I’ve heard you two are working together on that little boy’s case up in pediatrics and I was wondering if maybe you could help me out.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I have a patient here scheduled for surgery in two days and he’s scared to death. He knows it’s possible he’ll be paralyzed. Actually I’m amazed he’s holding up as well as he is. Anyway, I thought it would help if Dr. Whitmore talked to him, tried to give him the straight facts about his situation. All the wondering isn’t good for him. I think he’d feel a whole lot more confident going into surgery, if he really knew his doctor was being honest with him.”
Mallory sighed. Carol wasabsolutely right, but how was Justin going to feel about her interfering in another one of his cases, especially when the patient was an adult? Still, she couldn’t ignore the situation, now that she knew about it. She believed too strongly in the healing power of
She stopped at the nurses’ station on her way to Davey’s room and visited for a few minutes before wandering down the hall. Opening the door slowly, she found the room bathed in nighttime shadows. She tiptoed over to the bed and peered down at the still form. Davey was lying on his back, his arms and legs askew, the covers kicked aside. His bruises had faded now and his bandages were smaller. For once, he looked at peace.
Mallory pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, leaning her forehead against the railing. She closed her eyes and thought about Davey and what was in store for him, then about Justin and her own future.
Suddenly a high little voice whispered tentatively, “Where’s Joey?”
Her eyes snapped open to see Davey staring at her solemnly. Her heart lurched unsteadily, and joy surged through her.
“I left him in his room sleeping,” she said gently, fighting for composure. “Which is what you should be doing, big guy. How come you’re awake so late?”
He squeezed his eyesshut, and a tear rolled down his cheek. Mallory only just resisted the urge to reach over and brush it away. The moment was still too fragile.
“Scared.” He mumbled the word so softly she could barely make it out.
“I get scared at night, too, sometimes,” she confided. “What scared you?”
“I was bad. Mommy was going to hit me.”
This time it was Mallory who closed her eyes and fought tears. “Davey, your mommy’s not going to hit you anymore. We won’t let that happen.”
“Promise?” That single softly spoken word held such a mixture of hope and fear that it tore at her heart. Wide blue eyes gazed at her with the desperate appeal of a cornered animal.
“I promise, baby.”
Mallory’s fingers were curled tightly around the railing on the bed. Davey reached over tentatively and touched them, the way a child would stroke a beloved stuffed animal for comfort. Then with a whisper of a sigh he rolled on his side and went back to sleep.
Shaken, Mallory sat by the bed and let the tears—of relief, of sorrow, of joy—flow freely down her cheeks. At last she knew with certainty that despite the pain, Davey was going to get well. The emotional healing had finally begun. Davey was beginning to trust again. He was reaching out.
The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on her. It was up to her and Justin to see that they didn’t let him down.
Chapter 5
“D r. Blake, could I see youfor a minute?” the head nurse from one of the surgical floors asked just as Mallory was getting ready to step into the elevator.
“Sure, Carol. What is it?”
“It’s about Dr. Whitmore.”
Mallory’s breath caught in her throat. Surely the gossip mill hadn’t latched onto news of those two innocent dinners so quickly. “What about him?” she asked warily.
“Well, you seem to have a way with him.” At Mallory’s startled expression, she added quickly, “I mean, I’ve heard you two are working together on that little boy’s case up in pediatrics and I was wondering if maybe you could help me out.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I have a patient here scheduled for surgery in two days and he’s scared to death. He knows it’s possible he’ll be paralyzed. Actually I’m amazed he’s holding up as well as he is. Anyway, I thought it would help if Dr. Whitmore talked to him, tried to give him the straight facts about his situation. All the wondering isn’t good for him. I think he’d feel a whole lot more confident going into surgery, if he really knew his doctor was being honest with him.”
Mallory sighed. Carol wasabsolutely right, but how was Justin going to feel about her interfering in another one of his cases, especially when the patient was an adult? Still, she couldn’t ignore the situation, now that she knew about it. She believed too strongly in the healing power of
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