Mending the Doctor's Heart

by Sophia Sasson

  “Do you know what happened to Mrs. Chambers?” Anna had lost track of the older woman when she went on deployment.

  “She died two years ago. You were in Liberia and I couldn’t get ahold of you for so long that I forgot to tell you. I didn’t make it to the funeral and of course Mom couldn’t care less. Poor woman, she died alone. The mail carrier noticed no one was clearing her mailbox and raised the alarm. Her sister was scheduled to visit her the following week and never even got to say goodbye.” Anna took a sharp breath. If Nico left Guam and Nana died before he got a chance to see her again, he’d never be able to live with himself.

  After situating the babysitter, Caro hurried them out of the house and into her little Mini Cooper. It was a twenty-minute drive to the former senator’s mansion in McLean. They arrived and were buzzed in through an imposing set of wrought iron gates. There were a number of cars already in the driveway and adjacent parking area.

  Anna struggled up the stone steps to the front door. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn anything other than sensible shoes; the heels were going to take some getting used to.

  Kat opened the door and hugged Anna for a long time. “You’ve been avoiding me.” She put a hand on her hip and Anna smiled sheepishly.

  “I’m sorry, I just haven’t been up for socializing with anyone.”

  “Well, if you had called me, I could’ve told you the good news that I’m expecting again.” Kat was grinning and Anna’s eyes widened.

  “Oh, my God, Kat, that’s so wonderful.” Anna realized she was speaking loudly and looked over Kat’s shoulder. She couldn’t be too far along and Anna wasn’t sure if she was sharing the news with everyone yet.

  “You were a little late and Alex and I couldn’t contain ourselves, so we just told everyone else.”

  “Kat, you have no idea how happy that makes me.”

  “I’m ten weeks along and so far everything is perfect.”

  Seeing the exuberance on Kat’s face, Anna felt her own spirits lift.

  “You know, Anna, life goes on, but you have to let it. I’m not saying what happened to you is something you easily forget, but you have to let yourself go back to living. Try again.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Caro chimed in.

  It wasn’t as if Anna hadn’t thought about it. When she was with Nico in that house in Tumon, when they had almost rekindled their marriage, she had been ready to move on. Maybe she would’ve gotten pregnant and it would have been a sign that she was ready to restart her life, to go back to the plans she’d made before Lucas died.

  During the drive over, she’d thought about Caro’s idea for her to buy the house next door. If she went back to working full-time as a private physician, she could certainly afford it. She hadn’t spent any of her PHS salary over the past five years, so she even had the down payment. Perhaps that was the answer. She could still have a family, just not the one she pictured.

  They walked through the kitchen and into the great room. “See, this feels like a home,” Caro said. “I’m going to take some pictures and text them to Mom’s interior designer, tell her this is how real people live.” Anna suppressed a smile as Caro motioned with her eyes toward the plush leather sofa that looked cozy and comfortable. Their mother’s house had a leopard print, funky-shaped sitting thing that she called a couch. Anna once made the mistake of sitting on it to read a book. Her tailbone was sore for days.

  They had a brown leather couch in the house in Tumon. She and Nico had saved up to have it shipped from the States. Anna had wanted something big enough for them to cuddle on when they watched movies together. The waterlogged couch was gone now, but the house was still standing.

  Kat and Alex’s entire family was gathered: Kat’s parents, Alex’s mother and Vickie, who gave Anna a hug.

  Kat introduced them to her father, the former senator who was highly recognizable with his shock of white hair and bright blue eyes. Caro didn’t waste any time bending his ear with her autism advocacy. Kat’s mother, Emilia, pulled Anna aside. The woman was an older version of Kat with the same blond hair and slim figure.

  “I want to thank you for taking care of Kat on Guam.”

  Anna frowned. “No, Mrs. Roberts, I want to apologize that we weren’t able to get her off the island in time to save the pregnancy. I’m glad all has worked out well, but I wish I could’ve done more, especially after all your daughter has done for the Chamorro people.”

  “Anna, you have got to get over it.” Alex’s voice boomed behind her. She turned to find him holding out a glass of red wine. He handed it to her. “Listen, I know I was spitting mad when I got to Guam, but not at you. I was just frustrated with how long it took me to get there. These things happen and you did the best you could.”

  That was exactly the point. It had taken forever for Alex to get to Kat’s side in a time of crisis. That’s how it always was on Guam. If she lived there, all she would ever have was Nico.

  “That’s right.” Kat had joined the conversation. “I could just have easily been hit by a bus crossing North Capitol Street. Have you seen the potholes there? It’s a wonder I don’t trip and fall and get run over.”

  Alex put an arm around her. “How about I come carry you across every day?”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Oh, no, Mr. Overprotective, I already catch a lot of flak for how many times a day you walk over on thin pretense to check on me.” She turned to Anna. “I haven’t yet shared the news with my staff, but they all suspect something’s up because Alex insists on personally delivering decaf coffee every afternoon.”

  They both laughed and Anna found herself joining in.

  The senator had made his famous pot roast and they all sat around the large kitchen island to eat. Kat’s parents took turns telling the story of how Emilia had burned the very first meal she’d ever cooked for a dinner party and the senator had saved her by making his now famous pot roast. Bill Roberts kissed his wife as everyone passed around plates and food. Despite the grandeur of the house, it was a cozy family meal. Not unlike the ones Nana hosted in Guam.

  “Do you miss politics?” Caro asked the former senator. Anna hadn’t followed the full story but remembered that he had divorced Kat’s mother before Kat was born and had reconciled with her right before he lost the election a couple of years ago. Senator Roberts had been a powerful member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, but he’d seemingly given it up for love.

  The former senator smiled broadly and shook his head. “I thought I would go nuts not being in the Senate, but as it turns out, a lot of people can use a former ranking member of the appropriations committee. I don’t think there’s a single think tank or lobbying firm that doesn’t want a piece of me.”

  “Including me,” Caro said brazenly.

  Roberts laughed good-naturedly. “Your firm I will call back, now that I know you. I’m picking and choosing who I consult for. Has to be a worthy cause. Kat’s been a big influence on me. Seeing what she’s done for the people of Guam is inspiring me to do better. I think I can get more done out of Congress than I ever did from within.”

  Anna could see the pride in Kat’s eyes as she stood to give her father a hug.

  “Actually, Anna, Dad had a good idea when I told him about Nico’s new hospital.”

  At the mention of his name, Anna’s heart gave a kick.

  “Right. Actually, my son Walt, who’s now in California, works for a consulting firm that focuses on telemedicine. Are you familiar with the concept?”

  Anna nodded. “More than familiar. We used it on nearly all my deployments, and even in Guam recently. Everything from low-tech phone consulting to video chats to sending X-rays and CT scan results off-site for expert readings. It’s been revolutionary for remote areas.”

  Tapping his finger on the granite counter, Roberts jumped in. “Yes, but this is different.
Robotic technology that lets an off-site surgeon perform a procedure.”

  Anna closed her mouth. She’d heard about medical robotics but the technology seemed so futuristic she hadn’t thought much of it.

  “The FDA has just approved a model for surgery. It’s an adult-only model but the company is already in the process of getting approval for their pediatric attachments.”

  The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Kat volunteered and stood. Anna hardly noticed; she wanted to hear more about the machine.

  “How does it work?” Vickie asked.

  “Basically, you have, say, a cardiac surgeon sitting in his home in South Dakota. He has one half of the technology and he controls a surgical robot. The other piece is in a place like Guam. He can do the surgery any time it’s needed, without having to leave his home. That’s the future. Right now the company has facilities around the country where their trained surgeons go because the equipment isn’t mobile enough for home use yet. The idea is the same—a surgeon can do a surgery from hundreds or thousands of miles away.”

  “But so much of surgery is touch, how something feels. Being able to see where a bleed is coming from. How can you do that remotely?”

  “That’s the beauty of this—it uses virtual reality technology. The surgeon has these gloves that he or she puts on. The gloves let you manipulate things remotely and the machine sends signals to the gloves that the doctor is wearing so that he or she feels what’s going on, on the operating table. You wear these glasses that connect to the camera on the other end so you see what a surgeon would see if they were right there.”

  “It sounds so space-age. The price must be exorbitant,” Vickie said.

  Roberts nodded. “It is. But—and this is what I want to talk to you about, Anna—the company can’t sell the product without having real-life testimonials. They’re willing to do a rent-to-own program in exchange for some PR.”

  Anna’s throat was so tight, she could barely speak. The machine would be great for Nico’s hospital, but it still didn’t solve all her problems. And now that she’d been with Caro and Ethan for so many months, how could she ever leave them? “I think Nico would be very interested. You should contact him.”

  “He already has.”

  Anna froze at the sound of his voice. It couldn’t be. She was hearing things, or dreaming while wide-awake.

  “Anna...” This time there was no mistaking his voice. No one said her name like that. She spun around and sure enough, there he was. Standing in the great room looking like he’d been there all along.

  She nearly fell off her chair as she flew into Nico’s arms. He held on to her tightly and suddenly everything felt like it should. The deep, gnawing ache in her heart eased. She was in Nico’s arms, where she belonged, and he was holding on to her like he’d never let her go. The entire room was talking at once but Anna didn’t hear any of it.

  Lifting her head, she gazed at him. “You’re here,” she said in disbelief.

  “I learned my lesson, Anna. This time, I’ve come to get you. And I’m not leaving unless you’re with me. Whatever it takes, however long I need to stay, we’re going to be together.”

  Her eyes widened but she didn’t get to ask him more. The crowd had gotten impatient and Caro separated them so she could hug Nico. The two of them had always gotten along. After Caro was done, Kat got in for the hugs. Alex slapped Nico on the back and made the introductions to Kat’s parents. Anna noticed Luke lingering in the background in battle dress uniform. He was standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, arms crossed, a big smile on his face.

  “You brought him here, didn’t you?”

  Luke grinned. “I got myself a gig in Guam, so I’ve been stationed on base for the past few months. This guy has been bringing down the entire island with all his moping. People were begging me to bring him to you. Tito even started a tin can fund at the hospital and people were throwing in quarters and nickels to buy him a ticket off the island. I managed to get him a ride as my plus one on a military transport.”

  Anna smiled. “Thank you.”

  The senator insisted the new arrivals sit and eat, but Luke excused himself, saying he had to leave to see his father who lived in the DC area.

  “You’re General Williams’s son,” Roberts exclaimed.

  Luke nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “I know your daddy from my time on the appropriations committee. He’s a tough man.”

  Luke smiled. “Don’t I know it, sir.”

  “You one of his twin boys?”

  “Before you ask, sir, I’m the screwup.”

  The senator laughed. “You must be the younger one, then. Last time I saw the general, he told me all about how you boys were at Westpoint. Your brother graduated with honors, and you...”

  “Barely scraped through.”

  Roberts gestured toward the combat patch on Luke’s arm. “You’ve served our country, so in my book, you’ve done well. Tell your daddy I said hello. And that he still owes me one.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Luke said his goodbyes and left.

  “Nico, there’s plenty of food here for you.” Emilia removed a plate from the cabinet. Nico shook his head. Excusing himself from the group, he pulled Anna into the hallway. Kat pointed them to a study off the foyer so they could talk privately.

  As soon as they were alone, he pulled her into his arms and brought his mouth down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with everything she had. For the first time since she’d come back from Guam, it didn’t hurt to breathe. He tasted of coffee and smelled like soap. When they came up for air, she buried her face in his chest, needing to feel the rise and fall of his body to believe that he was really there.

  “I can’t live without you, Nico. I’ve tried, but I can’t.”

  “I’ll give it all up for you. I can live in California—I’ll go back once a month to be with Nana, I’ll do whatever it takes. But the one thing I can’t do is live another minute without you in my arms.”

  They were words she’d longed to hear. Caro’s laughter filtered in from the other room, but looking into Nico’s eyes, Anna couldn’t imagine a life without him. He was willing to give up everything for her. “I can’t do that to you, Nico. I know what the island means to you. You won’t be happy leaving Nana there. I’ll be okay. I’ll go back and work at the hospital with you and Maria. As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where we are.”

  They looked at each other and laughed. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Nico said.

  “You’ll be miserable if you’re not on the island.”

  “And you’ll be anxious every minute you’re there.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  ANNA BLEW OUT a breath. Of course nothing could be easy or actually work as it was supposed to.

  Nico smiled. “Ethan, how is it that your aunt Anna can fix people, yet she can’t figure out that you have to turn the piece to make it fit?” Giggling, Ethan took the T-shaped Lego block and attached it to the replica of the White House they were building.

  Ethan had taken to Nico right away, latching on to him with a fierceness that made Caro cry at night, wondering whether Ethan was starving for a male role model. For his part, Nico showered Ethan with love and attention. Anna didn’t have to imagine how good a father he’d be. When they’d had Lucas, Nico had changed just as many diapers as she had and had given him just as many baths.

  “Uncle Nico, pass me the piece for the outside balcony—I think it’s supposed to face the Washington Monument.” Anna marveled at the architectural complexity of the project. Caro had explained that Ethan’s psychologist had recommended building with Lego as a way to build both his cognitive and fine motor skills. The box that the Lego came in said it was designed for children five years older than Ethan, and yet he c
ould do it with more ease than Anna. The extra play therapy that Caro had invested in was really paying off.

  Anna remembered when Ethan was first diagnosed two years ago. One of Caro’s biggest problems had been which specialist to choose; there were hundreds of them in the Washington area. There were none on Guam. Ethan had a good chance of growing up to be a successful adult. His autism was not going to hold him back. But if Anna had had a child with Ethan’s needs while living on Guam, she’d have nowhere to turn. The schools on the island were marginal at best. Every governor promised to invest in the education system, health care, roads, housing... The list went on but hardly any of it ever got done.

  Nico had been in DC for three months now, and they still hadn’t decided what to do. With her usual graciousness, Caro had given them her bedroom and was sleeping on Ethan’s bottom bunk so Anna and Nico could have some privacy. Yet they avoided the elephant in the bed between them, both content to enjoy being with each other, pretending they were like any other happily married couple. Maria was handling things with the hospital, and Nana was doing well. Nico had no urgent need to return.

  Watching Nico play with Ethan, Anna realized that this is what she’d always wanted. To have Nico be a part of her life, just as much as she’d become a part of his. But that wouldn’t be possible if they lived on Guam. Caro couldn’t journey with Ethan that often. He was afraid of small spaces; the plane ride alone would be torture. Not to mention the cost of airfare. Then there were all his appointments with the therapist. Now that she’d been living with them for more than half a year, Anna couldn’t imagine a life without them.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Caro was out taking a night to herself thanks to her free babysitters, so Anna opened the door.