Chapter 3
"I have the oxygen ready." Willow gripped the nearby mask, fearful of what a low oxygen saturation could do to a newborn.
Dr. Edwards quickly examined the infant. "This guy has more fight in him than I first realized. He managed to yank off the blow-by." He pointed to the tiny tubes pushed away from the baby's nose.
While Willow got to work, she inspected the baby's small foot. The tiny guy had also wriggled the oximeter monitor wiring off his big toe. That alone would have set off the alarm from the SAT machine.
Although the SAT level returned, Willow's own internal alarm took time to settle. "What was this baby doing in here... calisthenics? He's going to keep us on our toes, for sure."
With the drama passed, Willow dimmed the lights to let the baby rest. But the surgeon remained in the room, giving no indication he was leaving. Willow watched him deep in thought as he silently observed the child. The low light from the baby warmer cast a golden hue over the doctor's skin, softening his usually austere features.
Would she really have to spend days and nights with him for the next several weeks? Willow already knew the answer.
Add to that, working closely with him in the OR and she had herself one very nerve-wracking situation on her hands. She couldn't help the tension tightening at the back of her neck. She always believed she would find her way back into surgery—something she loved—but after what happened the last time she'd set foot in the OR, she never expected the time to come so soon.
When Dr. Edwards had asked about her surgical experience, she hadn't wanted to let on that one of the most traumatic physical events of her life happened in the OR. Back then, she had been so fixated on assisting with an intense surgery, she'd ignored her own onslaught of mounting cramps. The sudden painful hemorrhaging of her latest miscarriage had hit so fast, she ultimately collapsed right there on the operating room floor.
Willow absently brought a hand to her abdomen. She hadn't remembered a thing after the collapse, but everyone else couldn't forget how she'd wreaked havoc in surgery. A break in surgical technique like that in a sterile field could have dire consequences to the patient. Fortunately, the patient made a full recovery.
The incident report had been straightforward; she received no reprimand, given her condition. But the emotional devastation had anchored itself to the memory. She hadn't been able to face surgery since.
Apparently, the time to conquer her anxiety over taking that step would come soon and she'd have to face the challenge. All because of one demanding surgeon who'd invaded her life from every angle. That doctor was keenly observing her right now.
Dr. Edwards stepped back from the baby warmer, leaned his six-foot frame against the wall, and continued to study her. His scrutiny caused a slow burn through her body, but she wouldn't let him get to her. She couldn't back down from his stare, nor let him know that a single sideways glance from him could send her crumbling.
His body was cast in the shadows of the dimly lit room and he still looked handsome in that tux. Her thoughts spiraled back to the one-sided phone conversation she'd overheard in the nutrition room. Dr. Edwards had been talking to a woman named Lydia and telling her how wonderful it was to hear from her after the fundraiser event. Willow's future with her new boss flashed through her mind. She'd probably hear many more conversations like that, if the man lived up to his reputation for casting aside women's hearts.
"So, you were about to tell me the fate of Baby Jack in the nutrition room before the alarm sounded," Dr. Edwards said.
"Short version, we'll follow policy based on Florida's safe haven law. Social Services will make sure that no kidnapped or stolen babies were reported. Then Baby Jack will become a ward of the state."
A ward of the state. Willow hated saying those words. The abandoned baby would be just another cog in an already overworked system. She knew all too well what it was like to be abandoned. While the infant may never remember his birth mother or being given up by her, the weight of his situation would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Dr. Edwards nodded grimly. "And his medical treatment?"
"Treatment will continue. Once the baby is out of danger and a plan set in place for him, Social Services will take custody through Child Protective Services who will then place the child with an appropriate caregiver. Someone equipped to handle his medical situation."
While she sounded businesslike, her professionalism cracked under the strain of the painful reality of the child. Baby Jack already faced a life without ever knowing his mother. Depending on his cardiac malady, his world could become an endless array of tests, meds, echoes, and perhaps even surgeries while trying to lead a so-called "normal" life. Only a child with a supportive, knowledgeable, loving family could thrive despite the ordeal.
Would Baby Jack be lucky enough to find a supportive family?
"Poor tiger," Dr. Edwards grumbled. "Any possibility his mum might come back to claim him?"
The surgeon's sympathetic response came as a surprise. If she weren't mistaken, he felt a responsibility to the infant. An unusual quality for someone trained to care about symptoms of the body, but not so much about the human condition. She couldn't help but be impressed. Perhaps it was because the baby had been left on his doorstep, making him personally involved.
"It's rare that any mother comes back for her baby," she finally managed to say. "Our Baby Jack is alone in this world."
* * *
Shayne groaned inwardly. As the situation tugged at his senses, he rested his head back against the wall and contemplated the infant's plight. Hard questions jabbed at him. He never liked to let his guard down, but he had to take a moment to process the events of tonight, leaving the fate of the baby's life in his hands.
"What kind of mother abandons her baby?" he asked.
"The kind that loves her baby very much," Willow answered as she ensured the monitor wire remained attached properly to the baby's foot.
Love? The answer took him by surprise. He didn't see it that way. And yet, not surprisingly, Willow viewed the situation from a place of kindness and compassion. He, on the other hand, had chalked it up to some foolish girl who didn't want to play house anymore. When had he grown so cynical?
"You think the mum did this out of love? I don't know about that. An act of fear, perhaps. Maybe a young girl overwhelmed with responsibility. But I'm not so sure love comes into play here."
Willow paused to regard him with an unmistakable seriousness. Clearly, she was as stupefied by his callous response to a mother's circumstances, as he was by her sentimental one.
"I'm sure fear played a part," she began slowly, thoughtfully, "but I can clearly see that other factors came into play."
"Like what?
Willow glanced down and watched the newborn sleep in the warmer.
"I see a baby a few days old, which means the mom kept him as long as she could."
"Right. But why didn't she just surrender him right away?" he countered.
"Love, like I said." Willow emitted a gentle sigh. "Love drives you to do whatever it takes to protect a child. And hold onto him at all costs."
"And you can see this just by looking at him?" he challenged.
"Yes. It's obvious this baby isn't undernourished. So of course, Mom fed him. His baby outfit is new, not worn and tattered. Not even a stain..." Willow halted, displaying a wariness over speaking further. But Shayne wanted to get her perspective, a non-jaded point of view opposite his to help him comprehend.
Besides, he liked to hear her voice, a soothing melody of care and calm that settled any unease within.
"Go on, Willow, I need to understand." He needed to know why a mother behaved the way she did when it came to own her child. He wasn't completely unsympathetic to a woman's plight dealing with a new baby, but given his own personal circumstances back home, perhaps Willow's thoughtful insight could help him see things through more kindhearted eyes.
"Let's see. The baby smells fresh and clean
, liked he'd just been bathed before being left at your doorstep."
"You make it sound like the mum was presenting me with a gift when she abandoned her child."
"Every baby is a gift, as opposed to a mere responsibility, don't you think?" Her rounded eyes glanced at him expectantly.
Shayne remained still, unwilling to peel back any hard layers to hint at a soft core. But she got him there. He did feel that way. Any and every child was a gift. A gift worth cherishing.
Unfortunately, such a gift had led to heart-wrenching consequences for him back in London. When his off-and-on girlfriend had his baby, he was elated. From the moment he first laid eyes on his son, he'd never known so much love. But when she ripped the baby from his life, she might as well have ripped out his heart.
Don't go there.
"In fact, I do think every baby is a gift, whether or not you care to believe me."
A silence settled between them.
Yes, Baby Jack was a gift. He just came in plain-paper packaging, but just as precious. Making sense of this baby's symptoms, and understanding his fate, became all the more important, and personal.
"I believe you, Dr. Edwards," Willow said, breaking the silence. "I also believe every time a mother puts her child in your care, she is handing over the most precious gift in her life."
Her knowing words burdened him. Giving a gift was one thing, but when it's taken away, ripped from your arms, that's when the real devastation settled in. At least, it had for Shayne. He chose not to share this with the pretty nurse; he had to keep things on a professional level.
"So, how else do you deduce that the mum loved this little guy?"
Willow adjusted the blue baby blanket found wrapped around the baby in the box. "He came gift-wrapped in this. New and soft as silk. The mother took great care tending to him. It must have been heartbreaking to give him up."
Shayne's veneer thinned as he came around to seeing things through Willow's eyes. He enjoyed her tender story. He admired her uncanny ability to piece together a young woman's lament over what to do about a child she could no longer care for.
But what about any cracks in the story she'd told so solidly?
"If the mother took so much care, then what of that old carton he came in?" He gestured toward the worn cardboard box in the corner.
"That old box?" Willow turned toward it and planted her hands on her softly rounded hips. "Now that's the most telling part of the story. And the most tragic," she said without facing him. "The box confirms that the mom never intended to give up her baby. Hers was the desperate act of a new mother with little money and a sickly infant."
No beautiful basket and bow in this scenario, Shayne thought. A fitting way to wrap up a story of abandonment. Baby Jack's story could have turned tragic, however, if he hadn't found the baby in time.
"Ah," Shayne interjected, understanding where she was going with her speculation. "For if she had intended to give him up, she would have put him in something finer, like a proper infant carrier."
"Exactly. Either way, her intent was clear. She wanted to keep this baby."
Every detail Willow offered made sense. Shayne accepted her reasoning, at least for now. Seeing this little life through her eyes kept his own bitterness at bay.
Willow sighed. "Unfortunately, we'll never know the whole story since it's so rare for a mother to return to claim her child."
She turned back around. When she did, the soft golden light in the room reflected in her eyes. They glistened with a moistness Shayne hadn't seen before. She blinked back the edge of tears and returned to the infant's side. She kept her face from him once again. Did she not want him to see the touch of soulfulness reflected in her eyes?
Clearly, Willow had ventured on emotionally fragile ground. Perhaps the story resonated too closely to her own heart, to her own story. He wondered what heartache lurked within her, given her tearful testimony over the infant. Her concern for this patient extended beyond her training and experience as a pediatric ER nurse. It came from a woman with a deeply felt past, though perhaps not one she'd willingly share with him.
Shayne pushed away from the wall, then came to her side. Compelled to seek out her truth, he turned to her. His eyes sought hers to discover the hidden meaning behind her tale. Perhaps, if he convinced her to share more thoughts about this baby, he'd learn a little more about her.
"So is there anything more? Anything at all?"
"More?" Despite the glistening in her eyes, she composed herself and gave him a lovely smile. "Oh, there's so much more."
"Tell me."
Willow's expression volleyed between the infant and Shayne before finally giving him her complete attention. "There's one last piece of evidence." She tapped a tapered finger to her chin as though to ponder what she'd say next.
"And what is that?"
"The mom didn't abandon the baby in a bathroom stall or anything like that. She left her infant in the care of one of the most renowned pediatric surgeons in the world."
Her smiling eyes brightened even more, despite their moistness, as though pleased with her ultimate deduction. And to that, he could say nothing.
"This mom left her infant in your care. She trusted you with his life. Like I said, this was an act of clear and utter love. She wanted you to have this baby. The question is, what will you do now?"
Chapter 4
The next morning, Willow stole away from the ER to venture up to the P-ICU to seek out the tiniest patient on the ward, the abandoned baby she named Jack. As she wended her way through the corridors, she looked forward to seeing her favorite patient. All through the night when she was home, the infant's case weighed heavily upon her, although she knew he was in good hands with Dr. Edwards.
She could tell he wasn't one to walk away from a challenging situation, but he'd still have to weigh his options carefully when managing Baby Jack's care. Last night, as he discussed the baby's welfare, she detected a sentiment underneath his appealing accent that went beyond just giving the baby the best medical attention. Dr. Edwards genuinely worried about his future, a striking trait in a surgeon.
They'd been wrapping up their conversation for the evening when he'd received word from the reception desk; a woman had dropped off his keys. The sudden interruption broke their moment and he'd excused himself. She hadn't seen him since.
Willow entered the P-ICU and made her way past the open rooms of other sick and injured children until she found the infant sleeping soundly in his baby warmer.
Baby Jack's coloring looked better. Although still slow, he was breathing more easily with the help of the oxygen prongs. Poor baby couldn't even be with the other newborns in the nursery. Too bad the infant didn't have a better start in life. So tiny and already so alone and isolated in this world.
Willow could relate. The loneliness she experienced each time she'd lost a child couldn't compare to any other emotional pain.
With a resigned sigh, she checked the monitor, pulse oximeter, and lastly, the baby's chart. After her friend, Emmy, had shooed her home, she couldn't help the niggling concern for the infant. Thankfully, the evening had been uneventful for the baby.
If only she'd been so lucky. After her shift, Willow had driven back to her bungalow, looking forward to a good night's sleep. And yet, she'd spent countless hours tossing and turning. She couldn't stop the night's events from playing out in her mind. More specifically, she couldn't stop replaying her evening with one heartthrob surgeon.
Willow looked out into the hall and waved to Emmy, working as the charge nurse in the unit.
Emmy entered the room, carrying a gift box. "Hey, girl. Someone left these items for the baby. Booties, onesies, and a little stuffed bunny. But they left no note. Was it you?"
"No."
Emmy knitted her brow and left the package on the side table. "Well, it was very sweet of whoever left the gifts. So what are you doing up here this morning?"
"I was asked to personally follow up on Baby Jack's care. Doc
tor's orders."
"That's right in line with Dr. Edwards' reputation. Going against policy for the sake of the patient."
"So, how's our baby doing? Any news on the results?" Willow asked.
"He's a fighter, for sure. But no results yet."
"Has Dr. Edwards come by?" Just wrapping her lips around the man's name could have dire consequences when it came to the mixed emotions she had about him. But she shouldn't be harboring any emotions at all, should she?
"No, he hasn't come by yet. So, how did it go last night?"
"The baby gave us a scare once, but it turned out to be a false alarm."
"That's not what I meant. How'd it go with Dr. Edwards?"
"Oh, him," Willow said. "It went okay, I suppose. I mean, he finally got to go home and get some sleep once the woman who'd accidentally taken his keys dropped them off last night."
Emmy squinted, revealing her skepticism. "A woman accidentally took his keys? Honey, that's never an accident. You better get used to these so-called accidents if you're going to work for him."
"How so?"
"Plenty of single woman have their sights set on a surgeon like Dr. Edwards and guess what? You're in the crosshairs."
"Sounds dangerous."
Emmy laughed. "Quite the opposite. The lady-friends will actually be uber-nice to you. You know, to fish for information, like finding out a doctor's schedule or to get in his good graces. The practice has been raised to an art form, especially by fellow nurses." Emmy looked directly at Willow and did that skeptical squinting-thing with her eyes again.
"Why are you looking at me like that? What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, sometimes nurses request to work with a doctor because they want to be near him long enough to marry him."
Willow emitted an exasperated huff. "Well, not me. I was assigned to the man."
"I know. Your endless patience and qualifications were just right for Dr. Edwards."
Playboy Doctor (Heartthrob Heroes, Book 2) Page 3
