Special Delivery

by J. A. Armstrong

“The question is, are you?” Rachel replied.

  “Am I what?”

  “Interested in Tess!” Rachel nearly yelled to be heard over the banging in the background.

  “She is interesting,” Brooke admitted.

  “Yeah? So, are you interested in her?”

  “You mean like romantically?” Brooke raised her voice to be heard.

  “I mean like at all,” Rachel said.

  Brooke shrugged. Am I? “I like her,” she admitted.

  “You like her or you like her?”

  “Are we in seventh grade,” Brooke laughed. “She’s a nice person. I like her.”

  “Um-hum. She’s straight, huh?” Rachel guessed.

  “What?”

  “Tess. She’s straight. Two kids, looking for a good husb…”

  Brooke burst out laughing. Rachel’s’ assumption conjured an image of Tess’s face when her kids innocently had outed her at dinner. “Two kids, yes. Straight? Not so much.”

  “Really? She told you or is it that gaydar thing?”

  “Gaydar thing?” Brooke snickered. “No, Dani sort of let it slip.”

  “Dani?” Rachel inquired.

  “Tess’s daughter.”

  “Oh. Whoops,” Rachel chuckled. “So? Are you?”

  “What?”

  “Come on, Brooke! Tess is cute.”

  Brooke smiled unconsciously. Yes, she is cute. Especially when she is embarrassed. “I guess she is.”

  “So, you’re not interested in her?”

  “Will you stop already? Are you taking bribes from Match.com or something?” Brooke wondered in amusement.

  “No. I just would like to see you happy.”

  “I am happy.”

  “Okay, I would like to see you happier,” Rachel corrected herself. “And, not so alone.”

  “Last I looked, I was not alone,” Brooke chided.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Rach, I love you. I do. Just let it go, okay?” Brooke implored her friend just as Eli came running full tilt toward her. He held out his arms and Brooke swooped him up onto her knee, an enormous smile lighting her face as he reached out for her.

  Rachel watched her best friend with her son. She shook her head slightly. She knew Brooke as well, if not better than anyone, except perhaps Brooke’s mother. There was no doubt in Rachel’s mind that Brooke was lonely much of the time. She had never been able to figure out what held her best friend back from attachments, particularly romantic ones. Brooke had dated some remarkable women over the years. More than a few had expressed an interest in furthering their relationship. As soon as things looked like they were progressing, Brooke inevitably pulled back. It left Rachel wondering if Brooke simply had not met the right woman or if she feared commitment for some reason. If it was the latter, Brooke had never shared the reason why with Rachel. Oh, Brooke. What is it that you are not telling me?

  “Do you want to give him his bath? I know you like to play with those rubber duckies,” Rachel said.

  Brooke stood and lifted Eli onto her hip. “Do you want to play duckies?” she asked the toddler.

  “Fuckies!” he yelled. Brooke nearly choked she laughed so hard.

  Rachel shook her head and sighed. “He can’t say D’s too well,” she explained. “Duh, Eli. Duh.. Duuuckies. D-uckies.”

  “Fuckies! Book, fuckie tubby!”

  Brooke laughed and arched her brow at Rachel. “Just what are you teaching my nephew,” she whispered. “Come on, Eli. Auntie Brooke will sing the alphabet to you.” Rachel watched her best friend disappear up the stairs.

  “What were you too gossiping about?” Mike asked as he took a seat beside his wife.

  “Nothing. I just don’t understand her sometimes. I worry about her.”

  “Brooke? Why? What’s wrong with Brooke?”

  “Nothing she is telling me,” Rachel answered quietly.

  “Rach, she’s got her own life to live,” Mike said gently.

  “I know. I just wish she would actually give herself a chance to live it.”

  Mike sighed. “You never know what’s in store,” he said with a kiss on his wife’s cheek. “And anyway, I am kind of glad she hasn’t settled down with anyone yet.”

  “What? Why would you say that?”

  “Free babysitting, honey.”

  Rachel chuckled. “Yeah, well. I hope she does. And, not just for her sake.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I guarantee Eli will get fewer noise makers if she ever does.”

  Mike laughed. “See, you do have a hidden agenda.”

  “Nope. Nothing hidden about it,” Rachel said bluntly. One day, Brooke. One day, there will be paybacks. I feel it.

  Chapter Three

  It had been a long week for Brooke and the week was about to get even longer. She had stepped in to cover Regina Shaw earlier in the week. Dr. Shaw had been a part of their practice for the last year. She was also pregnant with her first child and was suffering a bout of severe all day long morning sickness. Brooke had taken double appointments and come into the office on her day off so that Regina could stay home and rest. Now, it was Friday and Brooke was officially the primary doctor on call for emergencies, labor and delivery. There were no less than four patients that she expected might find themselves in the delivery room over the weekend. And, there were also some high-risk patients that both she and Rachel were concerned about. She was sitting at her desk reviewing notes when Rachel’s head popped into the doorway.

  “Got a minute?” Rachel asked.

  “Yeah, of course. I was just looking at the notes you wrote in Daisy Menendez’s file.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Rachel said.

  Brooke set down the file and regarded her best friend thoughtfully. Rachel was a gifted doctor. She was also an empathetic person. One of the things that always bonded Brooke and Rachel was their genuine concern and compassion for the people they treated and cared for. Most of the time, their work ended in a cause for celebration. They both prided themselves on that. Occasionally, an outcome was less than desirable. Once in a great while, both were faced with tragedy. The death of an infant at birth, the crisis of a mother in labor that could not be foreseen, or the termination of a long-awaited pregnancy, these were the moments that could shake both Rachel and Brooke to their core. The best any doctor could do was to be diligent, to be attentive, and to make every attempt to anticipate and prepare for the unthinkable.

  Daisy Menendez had been Rachel’s patient for six years. She had lost two pregnancies and struggled to become pregnant a third time. Her biological clock was ticking. Rachel was an expert in fertility treatment. People sought her counsel and her skill in conceiving. Brooke was an expert in women’s health and in gynecological surgery. Rachel had suggested more than once that Brooke should consider leaving the practice and pursuing surgery as her discipline. Brooke declined. She enjoyed surgery when the need arose. At the same time, she prayed that the need to hold a scalpel would be kept to a minimum.

  “You’re worried. More than your notes indicate,” Brooke surmised.

  Rachel sighed. “I am. She has hypertension and GDM, Brooke.”

  “I know. I read your notes. You saw her yesterday?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How did she seem? And, I don’t mean her vitals or her blood sugar. I mean, how did she seem?”

  “Anxious.”

  Brooke nodded. Sometimes, a patient’s emotional state revealed more about her physical well-being than any test or examination was able to reveal. Many doctors failed to realize that. It was a fact that Brooke and Rachel took seriously as an indicator of potential positive or negative outcomes. “Look, Rach. I promise, if anything happens with Daisy I will call you right away.” Rachel nodded. “Don’t do this to yourself. She’s made it this far. Let’s hope your gut is wrong. If it is right, I promise you I will do whatever I can to keep that baby right where he or she is for another few weeks.”

>   “I know you will. It’s not that. I just can’t stand to think what that would do to her. If anything happened now, after so much disappointment…I know she is aware of the risks, but Brooke…”

  “Rach, I understand. I like Daisy too. We all do. We all want this to work out. I promise I will review everything again before I leave, okay?”

  Rachel nodded again. “Promise me that you will call if you need anything or if anything…”

  “I swear.”

  “It’s not just Daisy, Brooke. You have been pulling double duty for a week. God, I have barely passed you in the hallway. You’ve had back to back patients since Monday and now you are on call.”

  “I’m fine. If I weren't, I would tell you. Yeah, it’s been a hectic week. It happens. Mike was away, you couldn’t pick up Regina’s load. One day, you’ll get stuck covering for me,” Brooke said.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “In all these years, you have never once asked me to cover for you.” Brooke smiled. “Just call me, if you need me. I know you.”

  “Then you know that I never break a promise. I said I promise and I do.”

  “Okay. No offense, I hope I don’t hear from you,” Rachel admitted.

  “None taken. I’ll see you Monday,” Brooke said.

  “Aren’t you leaving yet?” Rachel asked.

  “After I review this again. Go on. You haven’t seen your hubby in days. Go be domestic.”

  “Are those doctor’s orders?” Rachel joked.

  “Yep. Need me to write them down?” Brooke asked.

  “Jerk,” Rachel chuckled. “I’ll see you.”

  Brooke returned her attention to Daisy Menendez’s file. She poured through the notes again, committing as much to memory as she could. Rachel was the last person to leave the office. Brooke enjoyed the quiet when everyone had gone home. She reclined in her chair for a moment and closed her eyes. The truth was, she was tired. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, but she was privately hoping for a quiet weekend. She chuckled when she felt the vibration of her pager. No such luck.

  ***

  Tess was enjoying an evening of unusual quiet. Davey was at a friend’s birthday sleepover and Dani had fallen asleep earlier than usual. A cold beer and her feet on the couch, listening to a playlist of soft jazz was exactly what she needed. It had seemed to be an exceptionally long week. Davey was just starting baseball. Dani had rehearsals for a dance recital. Her workload had been heavier than normal for the time of year. And, her mother had called insisting that she schedule a vacation and a visit soon. She closed her eyes and let the gentle melodies wash over her. Not so surprisingly, her thoughts traveled to a particular doctor.

  She had only crossed paths with Brooke once all week. Brooke had just started to engage her in conversation about the weekend when she was abruptly called away. Brooke had sighed and offered her an apologetic smile. Tess understood. They were both at work and both had a schedule to keep. She wondered if they would ever have an occasion to talk again without being hurried. Oh, well. She jumped when her cell phone rang.

  “Who could be calling at midnight?” she mused aloud. Tess picked up the unfamiliar number. “Hello? Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Is Davey all right?” Tess felt her heartbeat quicken. “That sick? No, no. I will be right there.”

  Tess took a deep breath and headed for Dani’s room. She shook her daughter softly. “Dani…”

  “Mom? What time is it?”

  Tess smiled. “It’s late. I’m sorry, sweetie. We need to go get your brother at Steven’s. He’s not feeling well.”

  “Figures,” Dani grumbled.

  Tess prodded her daughter a bit. She took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of sweats for Dani. No rest for the weary.

  ***

  “Davey, just try and relax,” Tess told her son. Davey was hunched over, holding his stomach tightly.

  “I can’t. Mom, it hurts,” he cried.

  “I know, baby. Just try and breathe. We’ll be there in a minute.”

  “I don’t want to go to the hospital,” he begged.

  “I know. We need to figure out what is going on with you. Did you eat something strange? Did you get hit in the stomach or something?” Tess asked as she drove into the emergency room parking lot.

  “No. Ugh…Mom. I’m gonna…” Before he could finish his thought, Davey had thrown up all over the backseat.

  “Gross,” Dani said. Tess shot her daughter a gaze of stern warning. She opened the back door and helped her son out.

  Davey’s eyes were watering. “Sorry…Mom…I…”

  Tess smiled. “It’s okay. Come on.”

  “I don’t want to…”

  “I know,” Tess tried to comfort him. Oh, God. Please let this be nothing.

  ***

  Brooke walked through a set of double doors and into the emergency room waiting area. She heard a slight commotion.

  “Mom!” a voice cried out.

  “I’m sorry, you can’t both go with him,” a nurse said.

  “I can’t leave her out here alone,” Tess implored the woman.

  Brooke recognized the voice and picked up her pace. She reached Tess just as Davey was being wheeled through another set of doors.

  “Mom,” he began to cry.

  Brooke grabbed hold of Tess’s shoulder. When Tess turned, she could see the helpless tears in Tess’s eyes. “What’s going on?” Brooke asked. Tess shook her head. “Tess?”

  “Davey,” Tess began. “I don’t know what it is…appendicitis. I don’t know. He’s in so much pain. Throwing up. I have Dani,” Tess pointed over to a couch in the waiting area. “They won’t let her back there. I can’t leave an eight-year-old out here alone,” Tess sighed. “What are you doing here?” Tess asked without thinking.

  “I work here,” Brooke reminded her with a reassuring smile.

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do.”

  Brooke looked over at Dani. “Look, why don’t I go see if I can find out where he is right now and what is going on, okay?”

  “Brooke, you…”

  “Hey, no worries, okay? Let me go see and then we’ll figure something out, okay?” Tess nodded. Her tears were surfacing again. “Tess, he’ll be fine.”

  “He’s so scared and I am not there.”

  Brooke understood. “I’ll be right back. I promise. Go sit with Dani. She’s probably half annoyed and half terrified.”

  Tess chuckled. “Got her pegged.”

  “Go on,” Brooke instructed her friend. “Be back in a few.”

  Tess followed Brooke’s direction. She felt a small amount of relief knowing that Brooke was checking in on Davey. She still had no idea how she was going to solve her current dilemma. There was no one to call at this hour to watch Dani. She felt like the worst mother on the face of the planet. What am I supposed to do?

  ***

  Brooke strolled through the emergency room purposefully. She stopped and asked the nurse at the desk about Davey’s whereabouts and made her way to the door. She knocked lightly on the door frame. “Knock, knock,” she said as she peered in. A young resident turned to face her. Brooke kept her eyes squarely on Davey. The fear in his eyes seemed to lessen slightly when he recognized her face. “Mind if I come in?” she asked. Davey nodded.

  Brooke stepped up beside the bed and put her hand on his. “Your mom tells me you’re not feeling so hot.”

  “It hurts,” he said.

  Brooke nodded and smiled at him. She turned to the resident and extended her hand. “Dr. Bell, I see. We haven’t met, I don’t believe. I try to stay out of here whenever possible,” she confessed with a wink. “Dr. Campbell,” Brooke introduced herself.

  The young doctor nodded. Almost everyone on staff knew who Brooke Campbell was. It might have sounded ridiculous, and it was a bit uncommon, but the still young OB/GYN was a bit of a legend in this place. Her practice was affiliated with the hospital. When she was on call, she often landed in the emergency department for a consult. Brooke Campbell’s ab
ility to deal with difficult patients, get answers, and uncover issues earned her the respect of the staff.

  “Dr. Livingston speaks highly of you,” he complimented Brooke.

  “Does he? I won’t tell him you let that slip,” she winked. “Would you mind?” she gestured to the boy in the bed.

  “Not at all,” he said. She looked at Davey’s chart and read the initial thoughts of the resident beside her. He had conducted a preliminary exam and had seemingly come to the conclusion that Davey was indeed suffering from appendicitis. Brooke smiled, handed the clipboard back to Dr. Bell and stepped back beside Davey.

  “Okay, buddy,” she said to him. “I know this super sucks. I’m just gonna poke you a little, okay? You stop me and tell me if it hurts more when I do or when I stop. Okay?” Davey nodded his understanding and Brooke began to gently feel his belly. He winced, but as she would have expected. She smiled at him and continued talking. “What were you doing when you got sick?”

  “I was at Steven’s.”

  “Is Steven a friend from school?”

  “Yeah,” Davey groaned.

  “Um. What were you doing at Steven’s?”

  “Sleepover.”

  “Um-hum. Jumping around, wrestling, anything like that?” Brooke asked knowingly. Davey shrugged. Brooke tried not to chuckle. “Uh-huh. Anything else?” She noted that Davey turned slightly pale at the question. “Okay, Davey. Listen. You feel awful, right?” He nodded. “I want you to feel better. You want to feel better, don’t you?” He nodded again and then grimaced. Brooke folded her arms across her chest. “So, come on. What else did you do? Eat anything that didn’t taste right?” she asked him. Davey looked down. “Davey?” she implored him.

  Davey sighed. “I don’t know what it was.”

  “You don’t know what you ate?” she asked. He shook his head no.

  “It was green and gross,” he said.

  “Like broccoli?” she asked. He shook his head no. “What did it taste like?”

  “Green goop.”

  “What was in the green goop, Davey?”

  “I dunno. They dared me to eat it.”

  Brooke pursed her lips. “Who dared you?”

  “The guys. They made it. Truth or dare. It was my dare. I had to eat the whole cup.”