by Scott, Laura
“I see.” Dr. Graves gently examined Ty’s swollen arm. “You did a good job breaking it, that’s for sure.” He turned back to face Shelly. “He has a compound fracture of both the radius and ulna bones. He’s going to need surgery, and while I normally like to wait for the swelling to go down, his fracture needs to be stabilized immediately. I’d like to operate tonight, if possible. I’ll need you to sign a consent form for the surgery and for giving him blood.”
“Surgery tonight? Blood?” she repeated with a squeak of alarm. The room spun as the surgeon’s words registered in her brain.
“There are risks to surgery and to receiving blood,” Dr. Graves continued. “Our blood bank screens every unit of blood very carefully, but there is still always a risk of hepatitis, HIV . . .”
“I know the risks,” Shelly interrupted. “I’m a pediatric nurse for Lifeline.”
His expression softened. “Since there’s time, you could donate a unit of blood for him yourself if that would make you feel better.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them away rapidly. “I would, but I can’t. Tyler has O-negative blood. I’m A-negative.” Inwardly, she wanted to scream in frustration. Granted, getting blood wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it used to be with all the testing they do now, but as Dr. Graves said, there’s always a risk.
Back when she’d been afraid Ty would need a transplant, she’d known she wouldn’t be able to donate a kidney for him. Now she couldn’t even donate a simple unit of blood.
“I can donate blood for Ty.” Jared’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“You can?” She stared at him in surprise.
“Yes.” He met her gaze dead-on. “My blood type is O-negative, too. In fact”—he paused, cleared his throat, and took a step toward her—“everyone in my family has O-negative blood. Me, my parents, and my brother, Mark. I know this is a bad time to tell you this, but I know who you are, Shelly. I know your real name is Sharon Leigh Wilson. And I also know that Tyler is Mark’s son.”
11
“No.” She didn’t want to believe what Jared had just said. She shook her head in an effort to dislodge the giant bumblebee that buzzed in her ears. “I—no. You can’t be related.”
“It’s true. I’m sorry to tell you like this, but I’m not sorry we found you. We’ve been looking for you and Ty since you left six years ago.”
“Ms. Bennett?” Dr. Graves sounded a bit impatient with their unrelated discussion. “Are you giving consent for your son to have surgery or not?”
“Yes.” Grateful, she turned her attention to the important issue at hand. Should she take a chance on using blood from the blood bank for Ty? No, she couldn’t do it. There was no sense in taking the risk. Not when there was another viable option. “If Jared, er, Dr. O’Connor will donate blood.”
“I’ll head over to the blood bank right now,” Jared offered.
“They’re not open this late on a Saturday,” Dr. Graves warned. “You can try the lab, but they don’t like to do this sort of thing on a rushed basis.”
“They’ll do it.” Jared’s tone was firm. “I’ll pull whatever strings necessary to make it happen.”
She took note of the steely determination in Jared’s eyes before he turned and left.
“Fine, I’ll call in the OR team.” Dr. Graves nodded at her and Ty, then followed Jared out of the cubicle.
Alone, Shelly stared at her son. His face was pale against his thick, dark brown hair. And there in the corners of his eyes were the tiny crinkles that were so much like his father’s.
She’d always known how much Ty looked like Mark. She swallowed hard, trying to prevent the sick feeling in her stomach from violently erupting. After all these years, Mark’s family had found her. Jared was Mark’s brother. He knew her real name.
Jared was Ty’s uncle.
Her knees gave away, and she collapsed in a nearby chair as the magnitude of what she’d recently learned hit hard. She hadn’t even considered the meaning behind what Jared had just told her. They’d searched for her and for Ty over the past six years.
They wanted her son. Just like when they’d tried to buy him from her before he was born. They wanted her son!
“Mommy? My arm hurts.”
Shelly used every last shred of strength she had to pull herself together. There would be time to deal with Jared later. Right now, her son needed her. She stood and used Ty’s call button to ring for the nurse. “I know, sweetie. We’ll see if they can give you something to make the pain better.”
“Okay.” Ty’s lower lip trembled. “It hurts really bad. Will the surgery hurt really bad, too?”
“The doctor will put you to sleep for the surgery, but when you wake up, there might be some pain. But you’ll get pain medicine afterward, too. Everything is going to be fine, Ty. I’ll be here with you the whole time.”
The nurse brought in some non-narcotic pain medicine and injected it into Ty’s IV. Shortly thereafter, the pediatric anesthesiologist came into the room to review Ty’s health history. He dutifully noted Ty’s recent bladder infections and the results of his even more recent testing.
“What about blood?” the anesthesiologist asked. “I always try hard to avoid blood transfusions, but depending on how things go, I may not have a choice.”
“I know. Jared, I mean, Dr. O’Connor is donating some for him right now. He’s O-neg just like Tyler.”
“That’s fine. I’ll make a note to use donor-directed blood. Although, you know the blood bank isn’t keen on that process.”
“I’d really like you to use Dr. O’Connor’s blood if you need it,” she insisted.
“Got it.” He made another notation on his scrap of paper, then took out his stethoscope. She was impressed with the way he unclipped the small panda bear hanging from the tubing and showed it to Ty before placing the cold instrument on his chest. “This is Paddy the panda. He likes visiting kids like you.”
Despite the pain, Ty smiled at the small toy, especially when the anesthesiologist clipped it to Ty’s index finger. “Hey, I think Paddy likes you.” He smiled reassuringly at Ty as he listened to his heart and lungs. When he finished, he put the stethoscope away. “You’re going to have a cool cast on your arm. All the kids at your school will get to sign their names on it. Pretty neat, huh?”
Ty’s grin was weak, but Shelly could tell he was cheered up by the idea.
Within two hours, the hospital staff had everything ready for Ty’s surgery. Jared had succeeded in pulling strings to get his blood donated for Ty and sent up to the OR. The two of them walked alongside Ty’s gurney as the ED staff wheeled him toward the operating room. At the door, Shelly leaned over to give Ty a hug and kiss.
“I love you,” she whispered against his ear. “You’re going to be fine. I’ll be waiting right here for you, I promise.”
Drowsy from the medication he’d been given, Ty nodded. “I love you, too, Mommy.”
When Shelly stepped away, Jared took his turn. “Hey, Ty, I’ll take care of your mom while you’re gone, okay?”
“Will you be here when I come out?” Ty asked.
“Absolutely. I’ll be here with your mom, waiting for you.” She was surprised when Jared leaned down to drop a kiss on the top of Ty’s head. His voice was thick with emotion as he added, “See you soon.”
Ty nodded, his eyes sliding closed.
Shelly stood for several long moments after Tyler had disappeared into the sterile section of the operating room. Her vision blurred with tears, and she swiped them away, wishing she’d brought a tissue.
“He’ll be fine.” Jared wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
For a moment she allowed herself the luxury of leaning against him, absorbing his strength. Ty had looked so brave. She hoped and prayed the surgery would be completed without any difficulty.
After a moment, she pulled away, reminding herself who Jared was and what he wanted. “There’s a waiting area around the corner.”
�
��Let’s go.” Jared followed her over and sat down across from her. “Look, Shelly—”
“Wait.” She held up a hand to stop him. “I need to know just one thing. How long? How long have you known my real identity?”
The flash of hesitation confirmed her worst fears. “Since Thursday morning, after our Lifeline shift.”
Two days? She felt sick at knowing they’d danced and celebrated Ty’s health, that she’d thrown herself into his arms and kissed the daylights out of him. All the while he’d known the truth. She went hot and cold in the space of a heartbeat.
“I can’t believe it.” Her voice was hoarse, and she wanted to crawl under the chair to get away from him.
“Shelly, don’t. I had so much fun celebrating with you and Ty Friday night, and I’m lucky I was able to share that moment with you.” Jared reached out to take her hand, but she snatched it away, despite the shards of longing that accompanied his familiar touch.
“Don’t. How could you kiss me like that without telling me the truth? Was that your way of softening me up? Did you think that if we became close that I’d be willing to allow you into Ty’s life?”
“Of course not!” His denial rang true, but she didn’t want to believe it. “I’ve been attracted to you from the moment we first met. I kissed you the first time without knowing who you really were. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel the same way. Can’t you see? These feelings between us started long before I uncovered the truth.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.” Unable to maintain her anger and frustration, she let out a sigh and turned away. “But I guess I was the one to initiate our last kiss, wasn’t I?”
“Shelly, please. Don’t do this. Don’t taint something beautiful with your anger.”
She shook her head, staring sightlessly out through the window. There was a maple tree in the distance, the green leaves beginning to turn yellow. Autumn was normally her favorite time of year. But she found no joy in the bright colors. “I didn’t even know Mark had a brother until that night. The night I told him I was pregnant.”
She sensed Jared coming up to stand behind her. She tensed, but he didn’t touch her or interrupt.
Closing her eyes, she remembered that fateful night. “I probably shouldn’t have sprung the news on him like I did, but I was upset myself and not thinking clearly. It wasn’t just finding out I was pregnant, but the timing was terrible. I only had two more semesters of school to finish before graduating with my bachelor’s degree in nursing. I wasn’t sure how I would handle everything I needed to do.”
“Was Mark supportive?” Jared asked.
“Yes, but it didn’t matter since later that same night he died in that terrible car crash.” She thought about how devastated she’d been, suffering from nonstop morning sickness while reeling from the shock of losing Mark. “I think I went a little crazy for a while.”
“Is that why you ran away?” Jared lightly stroked his hand down her back.
“No.” His touch made her shiver, and she grew angry with herself for still responding to his nearness. “I ran because of your parents. I—just trust me on this. I couldn’t stay. And you have to promise me that you won’t tell them you found me. Found us.” She turned to face him, grabbing his arm. “Promise me, Jared. I don’t want your parents to know anything about me and Ty.”
“Shelly, they already know.” Jared said the words softly, but they felt as sharp as a knife. “They want to meet Ty.”
“No! Absolutely not!” Panic sent her stumbling backward as if she could escape the inevitable. She struggled to breathe, to speak. “I won’t let them see Ty. I won’t! You can’t force me to.”
“Calm down, you’re not being rational about this.” Jared’s expression was baffled by her reaction. “I don’t understand. What’s wrong with a set of grandparents wanting to see their grandson? Did they treat you badly? Did they look down on you for becoming pregnant? Or did they refuse to believe the baby was Mark’s? What?”
“Worse. They tried to buy my baby.” She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger, punctuating every word. “They offered me a million dollars to give up my son.”
A MILLION DOLLARS? That was a lot of money, even for his well-to-do parents. So much money that Jared had trouble believing what Shelly was saying. “You must have misunderstood.”
The harsh laugh that burst from her chest was anything but mirthful. “No. I didn’t misunderstand. Your mother was quite clear on the terms. I get a million dollars and I give up all rights to my baby, staying out of his or her life forever. Take it or leave it.” Her smile was brittle. “I left it.”
Jared didn’t know what to say. His mother’s reaction since finding Shelly and Ty had been oddly intense, but this? He found it difficult to believe his parents honestly wanted custody of a five-year-old rambunctious boy. Not when his father’s health was tenuous at best.
“Okay, listen, maybe they made the outrageous offer while crazed with grief. But you need to know, Shelly, they aren’t a threat to you now. No one wants to take Ty away from you.”
“Yeah, right.” Shelly defensively crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t believe that for a second. Your mother set the terms, but your father was the one who threw his legal clout into the bargain. He threatened to fight me for custody if I chose not to take their money. He claimed he could prove that a cocktail waitress”—she made air quotes with her fingers—“was an unfit mother.”
Unfortunately, he could see his father making that kind of a rash statement. But five years ago, not now. Not when his health was so bad. “Shelly, please . . .”
“I don’t care what you think, Jared. My answer is still no. I will not let them see Ty. End of discussion.”
She turned and walked to the opposite side of the room as if she couldn’t stand being near him. He let her go. Between Ty’s traumatic injury, needing surgery, and finding out he knew her secret identity, she was too upset. He figured she’d reached the saturation point a long time ago. No sense in pushing things further. Ty wasn’t in any condition to meet his grandparents anyway.
Speaking of which, Jared needed to call his parents to let them know about Ty’s injury. He left the waiting area to walk down the hall, out of Shelly’s earshot, then called his mother’s cell phone. There was no answer, and the call instantly went straight to voice mail. He found that odd since she’d been badgering him incessantly over the past few days. When he tried his father’s cell, that one went to voice mail, too.
With a frown, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. Where could his parents be on a Saturday afternoon that they both turned off their cell phones? Dinner and a movie? Didn’t seem likely. If his father was feeling well enough, maybe they’d decided to go out.
Ten minutes later, his phone rang. It was his dad’s number. “Hello? Dad?”
“Jared?” The connection wasn’t great. “Can you hear me?”
“Barely.” Jared hunched his shoulders and turned his back on the waiting room, lowering his voice. “Where are you?”
“We just landed at the airport in Chicago,” his father said. “We have a short layover but will be in Milwaukee soon.”
“No, don’t tell me you’re coming to see Ty. I told you to wait till I called.”
“We got tired of waiting. It’s been six years; we want to meet our grandson. We’ll be landing in Milwaukee in about an hour. Be there to pick us up.”
Not possible. Jared promised to be here when Ty came out of surgery, so as far as he was concerned, his parents would have to wing it. “I can’t pick you up. Take a cab and find a hotel. I’ll get in touch with you later.”
“What do you mean you can’t pick us up?” His father sounded outraged. “Aren’t you the director of that helicopter place? I’m sure you can spare a little time to pick us up.”
He ground his teeth in an effort to hold on to his temper. “That’s not the point. You didn’t tell me you were flying out here today and I’m not rearranging my life for your
impulsive behavior. Take a cab, find a hotel near the airport, and I’ll call you later.”
Jared disconnected from the call before his father could continue arguing. Then he turned his phone off so they couldn’t keep calling to hound him. With a sigh, he rubbed his jaw. Maybe Shelly had a point about his parents. He was used to their stubbornness, but he could see how a young pregnant woman would be intimidated by them. He and Mark had sometimes felt the same way, Mark more so than him. He’d always wanted to be a doctor, which meant the pressure was on his brother to follow in their father’s footsteps to become a lawyer.
Poor Mark hadn’t been thrilled with the idea but had given studying law a try, allowing himself to be sucked into their father’s master plan.
His fault. Everything came back down to the fact that Mark’s death was his fault. If they hadn’t argued about Shelly and the baby, Mark would still be alive and Shelly wouldn’t have felt the need to run halfway across the country. If Jared had agreed to go to law school, the pressure would have been off Mark entirely. His brother could have chosen a different path, maybe even becoming the writer he’d dreamed of being. But Jared hadn’t really known how unhappy Mark had been until the night of his death.
“I’m getting married, Jared. Congratulate me! I’m going to be a husband and a father.”
“Married? A father? Are you crazy? You’re still in school. How can you afford to get married?”
“I’m dropping out. I never wanted to be a lawyer, and I detest law school. Why do you think I hang out so much at Stephan’s? Not that I can complain, since going to Stephan’s helped me meet Leigh. And she thinks I should follow my dream of becoming an author. She loves my writing, and you know what? That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I don’t care what our old man says. Let him cut me out of his will. I don’t want his stupid money anyway.”
“Look, drop out of school if that’s what you want to do. It makes sense anyway, you’ll need to work with a baby to support. But getting married? Focusing on your writing? That’s crazy. Do you even love her?”
