by Laura Iding
“Of course we like each other, we’re friends, Pedro. We’re friends, nothing more,” she said firmly, trying not to blush. The boy was too observant by far. She really needed to keep her emotions under strict control. “I will go and get your pain medicine, which you will take, okay?”
She didn’t wait for his response, but went out to find Elouisa. So far, she and the nurse had managed to communicate with facial expressions and hand gestures, intermixed with brief phrases.
“Pedro—medication para dolor,” she said, using the Spanish word for pain. She found it amazing how the occasional word from her two years of high-school Spanish flashed in her memory.
“Sí, okay.” Elouisa seemed to know right away what she meant. As the nurse went to get the pain medication, she couldn’t help glancing at her watch. She’d been here almost an hour, and as much as she wanted to stay and help, she also longed to return to the hotel to see her son.
Surprisingly, it was only two o’clock in the afternoon, although it seemed as if she’d been here at the hospital for ever. She vowed to stay just another thirty minutes and no longer. For one thing, she was very hungry. And for another, she wanted to hold her son close, kiss his cheek and reassure herself that he was truly okay.
Elouisa returned, holding out a small paper medication cup, very similar to the ones they used in the hospital back home. Kat and Elouisa went back to Pedro’s room to give him his medicine.
They found him standing in the doorway, a frightened expression on his face. “Pedro? What’s wrong?”
He brought his hand away from his abdomen, revealing a bright crimson stain spreading across his hospital gown. “I’m bleeding,” he said, as if he could hardly believe it.
“Elouisa, call Dr. Vasquez, Hurry! ¡Rapidamente!” The nurse rushed for the phone while she quickly crossed over to put her arm around Pedro’s shoulders. “You’ve broken open your stitches,” she told him calmly. “Come, now, you need to get back to bed.”
Pedro murmured something in Spanish, and the fact that he was too stunned to practice his English worried her more than the blood staining his gown. She should have inspected his incision. “Stay still, Pedro, Dr. Vasquez will be here soon.”
True to her word, Miguel strode in just moments later. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure,” she was forced to admit. “I knew he was having pain, but I didn’t realize he’d broken open his stitches.”
“Everything he did today was too much for him.” Miguel’s compassionate gaze did not hold any blame.
“I should have examined his incision,” she admitted softly. “I’m sorry, Miguel.”
He shook his head as he turned toward Pedro. “Do not take this on yourself, Katerina. Will you please get me some gauze dressings? I need to see how bad the wound looks.”
She knew he was trying to offer Pedro some privacy and quickly left the room, searching for the supply cart. She found the gauze without too much trouble and then returned to Pedro’s room, hovering outside the doorway until she knew the boy was adequately covered.
“Do you have the gauze?” Miguel called, indicating it was safe to enter.
“Yes.” The sheets were arranged so that his body was covered except for his belly. The small gaping hole in Pedro’s abdomen worried her, although she tried not to let it show. “Will he need to go back to surgery?” she asked as she opened the gauze packet for him, keeping the contents sterile.
He took the gauze with his gloved fingers and turned back to Pedro. “I’m afraid so. Pedro, I will need to fix this open incision right away, understand?” He spoke in Spanish too, likely repeating what he’d said.
“I understand,” Pedro murmured.
“You’ll need to talk to his mother. I’ll ask Elouisa to get hold of her.”
“Thanks.”
She left the room, and made sure Elouisa understood she needed to call Pedro’s madre before she returned. Miguel had just finished dressing the wound, stepping back and stripping off his soiled gloves. “I will call down to surgery to make sure they have a room available and staff to assist.”
She chewed her lower lip nervously. “And what if they don’t have staff to assist?” she asked.
Miguel hesitated. “I’m afraid I will have to ask for your assistance, Katerina. You are a skilled O.R. nurse and we have worked together many times.”
She opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself, realizing Pedro was listening to the interaction between them. She didn’t want to say anything to upset the boy. “I can certainly help as needed,” she agreed.
Miguel hurried away, apparently to make the necessary phone calls. She forced a reassuring smile on her face as she crossed over to Pedro’s bedside, taking his hand in hers. “You’re going to be fine, Pedro. Dr. Vasquez is a very talented surgeon. He will fix you up in no time.”
“Will you assist him, Miss Kat?” Pedro asked, his eyes betraying a flicker of fear. “If there is no one else?”
“Of course I will do whatever is needed, Pedro. Don’t you worry about a thing, okay? You’re going to be fine.”
“Gracias,” he murmured, tightening his grip on her hand.
When Miguel returned, the tense expression on his face told her without words that her help would be needed. “There is a theater available, but the staff nurses who have stayed and the surgeon on call are busy with a trauma patient. Either Pedro waits until they are finished or you come down to assist me. It’s your choice, Katerina. I know I have asked a lot from you today.”
She didn’t hesitate, knowing she could never let Pedro down. “I will be happy to help,” she said firmly.
Miguel flashed a grateful smile. “Thank you, Katerina. This is a small surgery and shouldn’t take too long.”
She glanced down at Pedro’s small brown hand clasped tightly in hers. She couldn’t have left him any more than she could have left her own son. “I know. Remember, Pedro, Dr. Vasquez and I have worked together often in America. We made a good team.”
“Yes, we did.” Miguel’s soft tone reminded her of the night he’d made love to her. She needed to protect her heart from his lethal charm.
“Dr. Vasquez?” Elouisa poked her head into the room and said something about Pedro’s mother. Miguel excused himself and went out to take the call.
Within minutes he’d returned. “Your mother will try to be here soon, but I’d rather not wait if that’s okay. I need to repair the incision to protect against infection.”
“I know. It’s okay, she has my younger brothers and sisters to care for. I will be fine.”
Kat’s heart went out to Pedro, bravely facing surgery without his mother being here to hold his hand, to kiss him and to wish him well. She could tell Miguel felt the same way, from the way his gaze softened as he looked down at Pedro.
“You are very brave, Pedro,” Miguel murmured. “I am extremely proud of you.”
The simple words brightened Pedro’s face and he beamed up at Miguel as if he were some sort of miracle worker. She couldn’t help wondering about Pedro’s father, why he wasn’t here if his mother was home with the other children.
Miguel oozed confidence and kindness at the same time. Obviously, he cared very much for children. First DiCarlo and now Pedro. Both were patients under his care, but she knew that was only part of it.
Miguel would be the same way with his own child. With Tommy. The truth was staring her in the face.
As they wheeled Pedro’s bed down to the elevator to go to the surgical suite, she knew that she couldn’t put off telling Miguel about his son for much longer. She didn’t know if he still planned on keeping their dinner date, so much had happened since then.
But even if their dinner plans had to be cancelled, she would have to tell him. Tonight.
No more excuses.
CHAPTER SIX
MIGUEL worked as quickly as he dared, first exploring the open wound in Pedro’s abdomen and then irrigating with antibiotic solution. He believed the wound might have
opened from a combination of an infection starting to take hold internally along with Pedro’s physical exertions during the earthquake disaster.
He was lucky to have found an anesthesiology resident willing to stay after his shift. And Katerina was doing a phenomenal job of being his assistant. They settled into the old familiar routine as if the four and a half years hadn’t gone by.
“Three-O silk,” he said, but before he finished his statement Katerina was already handing him the pick-ups prepared with the suture. He grinned, even though she couldn’t see behind the face mask, and gave his head a wry shake. “You always did have a way of reading my mind, Katerina.”
She went still for a moment and he wondered if he’d somehow offended her. When she remained silent, he couldn’t help trying to make amends.
“My apologies. I truly meant that as a compliment.”
She lifted her head and looked at him, her beautiful green eyes probing as if she could indeed read his internal thoughts. “No apology necessary, Miguel,” she finally said lightly. “I was thinking that I was glad that our roles weren’t reversed and you were the one trying to read my mind.”
“Really?” Closing the small incision didn’t take long and he turned to face her as he set the pick-ups back down on the surgical tray. “Now you have piqued my interest. What is it you don’t want me to read in your mind, I wonder?”
“Surely you don’t expect me to answer that, do you?” Her green eyes crinkled at the corners, making him believe she was smiling. He relaxed, realizing he didn’t like the thought of her being angry with him. “Pedro will be all right, won’t he?”
“Yes, certainly. He must rest, though, and take care of himself. No more playing hero.”
She nodded and there was a hint of relief in her gaze. “Good. That’s very good.”
She backed away from the surgical field and he had to bite back a protest, even though he knew her volunteer shift was over. Truly, she’d gone well above and beyond the call of duty. When she stripped off her face mask, he followed suit. “Katerina, I hope you will still allow me to take you to dinner this evening?”
She hesitated, and he sensed she wanted to refuse, but she surprised him by turning back to face him. “Of course, Miguel. But I need to return to my hotel for a bit. I’m still feeling the effects of jet-lag.”
He couldn’t blame her. The hour was still early, just three-thirty in the afternoon, and as much as he wanted to take her straight to his home, he couldn’t begrudge her some down time. Especially not after everything she’d done for them today. “I will see you in a few hours, then?”
“Yes. I’ll be ready.” She glanced once more back at Pedro, where the anesthesiology resident was reversing the effects of his anesthesia, before she turned and disappeared through the doorway in the direction of the women’s locker room.
He instantly felt isolated and alone after Katerina left, which was completely ridiculous. He stepped back, allowing the anesthesiologist to wheel Pedro’s cart over to the recovery area.
As he washed up and changed his clothes, he spent time considering what meal he would prepare for her tonight. He wasn’t a stranger to the kitchen. Living on his own, he’d been forced to learn how to cook, but he wanted to be sure the meal was to Katerina’s liking.
For some odd reason he couldn’t help feeling that tonight was incredibly important, a turning point in their renewed relationship.
And he was determined to make their evening together special.
* * *
“Mama!” Kat braced herself as her son launched himself at her, his chubby arms wrapping tightly around her neck.
“Oh, Tommy, I missed you so much!” She held him close, nuzzling his neck, filling her head with his scent, eternally grateful to have him in her life. The more difficult times of being a single mother were easily forgotten during joyous moments like this.
“We were just going to try and find something to eat,” Diana said with a tired smile. “I’m glad you came home before we left.”
“I’m so hungry I could eat a bear,” Kat murmured, still holding Tommy close. For once her active son seemed content to stay in her arms. “I’m surprised you didn’t order room service.”
“Can’t read the room-service menu, it’s in Spanish,” Diana muttered with a heavy sigh. “Besides, we’ve been cooped up in here long enough. Believe it or not, there is a small café that’s open just a few blocks away. We should be able to get something to eat. I have to tell you, the earthquake was a bit scary. There’s one person behind the desk downstairs who speaks English and told us to stay in our rooms for a while. But I’ve been looking outside and haven’t seen much damage.”
Kat hadn’t seen much evidence of damage either, and wondered if the tree outside the hospital had been partially dead already to have fallen on the building. “I’m so glad you’re both safe.”
“We’re fine. We took a walk and found a couple of broken windows and a couple of uprooted trees. Nothing too awful.”
“All right, let’s go eat.” She knew she had to tell Diana her plans for later that evening. But first she desperately needed something to eat. The gnawing in her stomach was almost painful.
While they ate, she explained how she’d helped out at the hospital in the children’s ward, including doing surgery on a thirteen-year-old boy. As much as she didn’t like being away from Tommy, she couldn’t deny the satisfaction she’d felt by helping out.
“Hmm.” Diana sat back in her seat, eyeing Kat over the rim of her soft drink. “So basically you spent the entire day with Miguel, huh?”
Kat finished the tapas they’d ordered, not exactly sure what she was eating but enjoying the spicy food just the same, before answering. “Yes. And you may as well know I’m having dinner with him later tonight.”
Her friend’s eyes widened in horror. “No! You’re going to tell him?”
“Don’t,” Kat said in warning, glancing at Tommy slurping his soft drink loudly through a straw. “Not now.”
“But…” Diana sighed heavily, understanding that Kat didn’t want to have this conversation with Tommy sitting right there. “I haven’t had time to call the embassy,” she complained in a low voice. “You agreed to wait.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Kat was pleased to note how Tommy enjoyed the Spanish food. Must be part of his natural heritage, a trait passed down to him from Miguel. “Trust me when I tell you I know what I’m doing.”
But Diana was shaking her head. “You don’t know Miguel well enough yet,” she protested.
“We worked together all day, moving the sick pediatric patients out of the children’s wing. I helped him intubate a small child in the elevator and operate on a young boy. I know enough, Diana. You have to trust me on this.”
Diana didn’t say anything more, although the disapproval in her expression was clear. Even though Kat knew she was doing the right thing, she understood why her friend was worried. Seeing Miguel at the hospital today, there was no denying the powerful standing he had within the community, not to mention being on friendly terms with a police officer. A minor detail she hadn’t dared tell Diana about. She hadn’t understood exactly what they’d been saying, but when the police officer had taken Miguel’s brother away, she’d had the impression he’d acted out of friendship.
But deep down those reasons weren’t enough to hold her tongue. She knew Miguel was incapable of hurting a child, especially his own son. And he’d been so incredibly nice and supportive of her. Right from the very beginning, when he’d translated Juliet’s chart for her. Spending time together today had only made her admire him more. No matter what Diana said, she would not back down from her decision.
Telling Miguel was the right thing to do.
“I hope you’re not making a big mistake,” Diana said.
“I’m not. Are you finished eating? We could take a little walk, maybe check out the church over there.” Kat was determined to change the subject. She had a good hour yet before she needed to
return to the hotel room to shower and change.
Better she keep her mind occupied with sightseeing rather than dwelling on the sweet anticipation of seeing Miguel again.
* * *
Kat pulled on the only dressy outfit she’d packed, a long gauzy skirt with a white tank top that molded to her figure. She left her long blonde hair straight and loose, rather than pulled back in the usual ponytail, knowing Miguel preferred it that way.
“You’re dressing up for him as if this is some sort of hot date,” Diana observed mildly.
She couldn’t deny it. “Wanting to look nice isn’t a crime.” She needed some semblance of being in control. And maybe a part of her wanted to remind Miguel of the night they’d shared. A night of passion. A night that had produced a son.
Tommy was already falling asleep, and Kat couldn’t help feeling guilty that she was leaving, forcing Diana to stay in the hotel room again. “I promise we’ll do more sightseeing tomorrow,” she said by way of apology.
“It’s okay.” Diana shrugged, even though Kat could sense her friend’s keen disappointment. “This is why you paid my way to come here, right? There’s no way we could have predicted the added complication of Miguel.”
Truer words were never spoken. She went over to give her best friend a quick hug. “Thanks for being here, Diana.”
Diana hugged her back, her good humor seeming to return. “You’re welcome. Now, you’d better go downstairs, Miguel might just decide to come up here.”
“He can’t. They would make him call up here first,” she protested. Still, she quickly crossed over to her half-asleep son, brushed a kiss on his brow and murmured how much she loved him before taking the room key Diana held out for her and letting herself out of the hotel room.
The elevators seemed to take for ever, but since she didn’t know where the stairwells were, she forced herself to be patient. When the doors opened to reveal Miguel standing there, she nearly screamed, her pulse leaping into triple digits.
“You scared me!” she accused, putting hand over her wildly beating heart. “What are you doing here?”
