Twisted Justice

by Patricia Gussin

  Laura explained what she knew. Patrick’s symptoms, his past medical history, the EKG, the echocardiogram. “What could it be?”

  “Several possibilities. A tumor? An aneurysm? Hypertrophic subaortic stenosis? Infectious disease? Like tuberculosis, ecchinococcal cyst? Doesn’t seem related to the PFO. Hell, Laura, I can’t tell from here.”

  “They think it’s a tumor. What can you tell me about cardiac tumors?”

  “First, they’re rare and they present much like your son’s story — arrhythmias, signs of congestive heart failure. Eighty percent are benign. They’re usually attached to the left ventricular wall or septum. Somewhere about three to five centimeters in diameter. They can compress the endocardium causing arrythmias and block the aortic outflow. Usually operable.” He paused for a breath.

  “What about sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, or some kind of metastatic malignancy?”

  “Eighty percent are benign, rhabodmyomas, myxomas, fibromas. Where are you anyway? In Tampa? Shands, in Gainesville?”

  “No, I’m in Traverse City, Michigan.”

  “Oh boy, out in the sticks, medically speaking. Listen, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll get on a plane tonight and find my way to Traverse City. Never been there. Bet it’s beautiful this time of year. Don’t they have lots of cherries up there? If your son needs surgery, there’s no better place than CHOP. We have the best, I mean, the best, pediatric facilities and surgeons anywhere.”

  “What about the University of Michigan? Ann Arbor is so much closer.”

  “They’re great, but I’m telling you, Children’s Hospital here in Philadelphia is where you want to be. I’m here, but more importantly, so is George Kamen. He’s the best surgeon in the world for this kind of situation. ”

  “Okay, Tim, I trust your judgment. But please, hurry up and get here.”

  Laura spent some time with Patrick before saying a temporary goodbye when Happy Days came on TV. Patrick idolized “The Fonz.”

  She found Greg in the corner in the visitor’s lounge at the lone pay phone.

  “Your fiancée?”

  “Yes. I mean, no,” Greg said as he replaced the receiver. “No answer in her hotel room. Probably gone to dinner.”

  They walked down the corridor toward the nurses’ station. Laura hurriedly briefed Greg on her telephone conversation with Tim and the change of plans, asking him to make sure she had the clearance to travel to Pennsylvania with Patrick. She asked if he could arrange transportation by private medical jet.

  “What about your husband,” Greg said skeptically, “will he agree to this?”

  “What about him?” Laura shrugged as she handed Patrick’s chart to the desk clerk. “This is a medical emergency. What say does he have?”

  “I don’t really know,” Greg considered. “So far he’s thrown every obstacle imaginable in your course.”

  Laura frowned. “I guess I’ll see him soon enough. Right now I’m going to donate some blood to the hospital on Patrick’s behalf, and then we’ll head over to Steve’s dad’s house. I haven’t seen Mike and Kevin in over two weeks.”

  Kevin was the first to spot Laura as he sat perched on the glider on his grandfather’s wraparound porch. It was cool in the shade of the leafy maples that graced the front lawn. The air smelled fresh after a brief shower and the yellow roses climbing the trellis were fragrant.

  “Mike,” he yelled through the screen door before rushing to meet his mother as she jumped out of the passenger side of Greg’s rental car, “Mom’s here!”

  As Kevin reached the bottom step, Mike raced out of the house toward Laura. Both boys hugged her ferociously. Jim Nelson emerged from inside, and Laura introduced them all to Greg as they settled in the shade of the spacious front porch.

  Laura clung hungrily to her two sons and for a few minutes all three dissolved into tears. It had been fifteen days since the boys had left home with Steve with no advance warning, no chance to say good-bye. They peppered her with questions. About Patrick, about the twins, about herself. About how much they wanted to go home.

  “Stay for dinner, Laura,” Jim urged when the boys slowed for a moment. To Greg, he said, “You too, of course. Laura, I’m making a macaroni and chicken casserole and you look like you need a home-cooked meal. You’ve gotten so thin!”

  “Oh, Jim,” Laura said, “that sounds great. I just gave some blood at the hospital and I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit weak.”

  “Good. Why don’t you sit down. You know how sorry I am about Patrick.”

  “I know, thank you. We want to transfer him to Philadelphia in the morning.”

  “I see. Well, Steve should be back any minute from the grocery store,” said Jim. “Mike and Kevin have been eating like horses, and they’re holding up like champs. Right, boys?”

  The boys shrugged, trying to hide their embarrassment.

  “I’m pretty good in the kitchen,” Greg offered. “Mr. Nelson, let’s go see to dinner and give Laura some time with her boys. I could use some coffee, how about you?”

  “Thanks, Greg,” Laura whispered.

  “Okay, guys,” Laura began once the others had gone inside. “I don’t know how much time we’ll have together, but I want you to know how much I love you, how much I want you home with me.”

  “But Dad says you’re too busy for us. That’s why we have to stay here.” Kevin strained to look up at her, his blonde bangs now long enough to cover his eyes.

  “What? I want to be with you more than anything,” Laura pledged. “All of you. You and Mike and —”

  “Mom, are you going to jail?” Mike interrupted. “Dad says you are.”

  Laura hugged him. “No. The police in Tampa made a mistake. At first they thought I shot the gun that killed that Kim Connor, but, of course, I didn’t.” She looked at each of them squarely in the eye. “I needed to tell you face to face it wasn’t me. Someone else was there at your dad’s place right before me, but I was the one who found that poor woman. The police arrived just then, and because they found me there, they made a mistake and thought I did it. You must believe me.”

  “I believe you, Mom,” Kevin blurted.

  “So do I,” Mike rushed to add, “but Dad told us that you did it because you were jealous and you wanted him to come back home.”

  Laura jerked. “I know, but he’s not thinking that anymore. The police have a suspect. Now listen.”

  Laura explained that Patrick was sick and might need surgery and had to go to another hospital in Philadelphia. As she spoke, the rented Ford station wagon pulled into the driveway. Steve got out, looking rumpled and tired and badly in need of a shave. It was obvious to Laura that he’d dropped at least five pounds.

  “Hey, Laura,” he said, walking slowly toward the porch where they sat. “I’m surprised they let you come.”

  “Why? I told you I was coming. That the police have another suspect.”

  Steve put the groceries down in front of the door and stood with his hands on his hips. “So what’s wrong with Patrick? The pediatric cardiologist you took him to when he was little said that heart murmur was nothing to worry about, right?”

  Using words she hoped would not upset Mike and Kevin, Laura explained that she’d brought in Tim Robinson and that he wanted to transfer Patrick to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

  Steve frowned. “Isn’t he the guy we knew when you were in med school? Dated your cute little friend, Rosie?”

  Laura nodded. “Yes. He’s a pediatric heart surgeon now.”

  “Uh-huh. I never did like the way he looked at you,” Steve grumbled.

  “Oh, come on, Steve. Not now, don’t —”

  Before he could answer, the screen door opened and Greg appeared.

  Steve frowned. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Helping your father with dinner,” Greg said matter-of-factly, “which is ready.”

  Though they tried to keep the conversation going, no one said much during the meal. When Jim removed what was left o
f the casserole, Greg offered to drop Laura off at the hospital where she planned to spend the night on a cot next to Patrick’s bed. He’d be staying at a nearby hotel. In the morning, they’d all meet Dr. Chambers at the hospital after Tim Robinson had completed the preliminary tests on Patrick. Steve would be there, then they’d decide what to do.

  Laura could not suppress her tears as she said good-bye to Mike and Kevin. One of her contacts had slipped and she fiddled with her eye to resituate it as she promised she’d see them the next day.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Laura, Steve, Greg, Tim Robinson, and Dean Chambers all crowded around the small conference table in the hospital on-call room on Friday morning. Laura had stopped by her father-in-law’s earlier to spend some time with Mike and Kevin, knowing that if Patrick’s transfer to Philadelphia were immediate, she’d have no time to come back to say one more heart-wrenching good-bye.

  “You can just drop me off in front of the house,” she told Greg as he approached the house.

  “You okay? I can wait, and you can drive in with me.”

  “I’m fine, Greg. The meeting’s at nine, so it’s easier just to drive in with Steve. Why don’t you get some breakfast and I’ll see you there?”

  Laura headed for the front door. She rang the doorbell and Steve answered, still in his bathrobe and slippers, still unshaven.

  “You really have lost weight, haven’t you?” Laura said.

  He grunted. “Likewise. You look great. Let’s sit out here so we can talk.” He plopped down on the wicker loveseat. “How’s Pat?”

  “The same,” she said, leaning against the porch railing. “The tumor is putting pressure on the heart valves and causing serious arrhythmias. He needs surgery soon, but we’ll go over all that when we meet with the doctors.”

  Steve was frowning. “Hasn’t enough happened already? He’s gonna be okay, right?”

  “God, I hope so,” she said, sitting down next to Steve. “We’ll have to see what the specialists say.”

  “He’s a spunky little guy, isn’t he?”

  “Yes,” agreed Laura. “He is.”

  Steve shifted his position so that their arms touched. “So bring me up to date on your legal situation. What’s this new evidence?”

  “There’s a witness who saw a man at your place that night,” Laura blurted. She stopped herself from saying more — this was still confidential.

  Steve jerked forward. “Huh? Who?”

  “I really can’t say more. It’s not supposed to be public knowledge.”

  “Oh, c’mon! You can’t tell me?” His jaw clenched.

  “No, I can’t. Besides, we’ve got Patrick to worry about right now.”

  “That’s right. And the girls? Safe and sound with your parents, I assume.”

  “Fine. I’m going to call Mom and Dad after we know what’s happening with Patrick, and ask them to fly up with the girls.”

  Steve hesitated. “Then we’ll all be together again. A family, just like we’ve always been.” Steve hesitated. “Laura, please, let’s get back together. Move away from Tampa, away from all the painful memories.”

  “No,” Laura said firmly. “I belong in Tampa, and so do the kids.”

  Steve sighed. “I wish you’d reconsider.” He steeled himself. “But, just so you know, I’ll never give up my sons. You could keep the girls, but I’ll never let you take the boys.”

  Laura glared at him. “What? Abandon the girls just like that. You know, I’d agree that you’ve been a good father to the boys, but that doesn’t make up for how you’ve treated your daughters. Just because they’re identical twins and they remind you of what happened to your brother.”

  “That’s the most ridiculous —”

  Laura watched Steve’s whole body stiffen.

  “What happened to Philip was not your fault, yet you’ve transferred all your mistaken guilt to the twins. You take the boys camping and dump the twins with your dad just to get rid of them — and punish me while you’re at it.”

  Steve’s hands curled into fists as he started to get up, but then he stopped himself, staring at his wife. “That’s enough, Laura.” Steve’s chin jutted forward. “Of course I left the girls with my father, because they didn’t want to go! No toilets, no running water — they hated the idea.”

  “You should never have taken off with the kids.”

  “What? You think all this has been some kind of picnic for me? My wife, arrested. My job down the tubes. My son with some mysterious illness that you should have known about.”

  “How can you say that?” Laura turned sharply to face him.

  “Damn, that’s not what I meant!” Steve turned in the loveseat and took her head in his hands. “Laura, look. Let’s just try to get our lives back together. Be a family. We’ll start over. Remember the old Laura and Steve? We had it all. We’ve been through so much together. Now that you’re not going to jail.”

  She reached up and took his hands, placing them between hers on her lap. “Not now, we don’t have time. But I have been thinking — we need to talk. Once Patrick is out of danger. Okay?”

  “Good, honey, that’s what I hoped you’d say. Now I have to go get dressed.”

  “I want to say good-bye to Mike and Kevin before we leave for Philadelphia.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s after eight already, and we have to be at the hospital at nine.”

  Steve finally stood up. “Don’t jump to conclusions about Philadelphia. U. of M. is closer and Dr. Chambers recommended —”

  “Let’s wait until we meet with the specialists,” Laura suggested. “At least where Pat’s concerned, let’s act like a team, okay?”

  Steve hesitated. “Okay. Mike and Kev are out in the back having breakfast with Dad. Go on out. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  Laura walked away.

  Tim Robinson was obviously happy to see Laura. He was taller and broader than Steve, his thick brown hair combed straight back, his golden brown eyes behind eyeglass frames that matched his eyes. More sexy than handsome, his ready smile, quick wit, and prestigious medical appointment made him a favorite among the single females in the Philadelphia medical community. He’d been ahead of Laura in med school, and he’d known Steve socially when he’d dated Laura’s anatomy partner and friend, Rosie Santangelo. He’d gotten himself in hot water with both girls when he’d propositioned Laura once at a surgical meeting he’d attended with her in Montreal. When Rosie found out, it had been the end of that relationship. As far as Laura knew, Tim had never had a serious relationship since.

  “Hey, Laura, it’s been a long time.”

  “Graduation, I think,” she said, smiling slightly as he kissed her on the cheek.

  “Though it’s nice to see you both,” Tim said, shaking Steve’s hand, “I’m sorry about the circumstances. So if you don’t mind, let’s get focused on your son. Dr. Chambers has provided me with all the test results and I’ve examined Patrick.”

  “Yes,” the Nelsons said simultaneously.

  “Good morning, Steve, Dr. Nelson.” Dr. Chambers greeted them as Tim ushered the trio toward the large rectangular table in the hospital conference room. “Mr. Klingman is already here.”

  “Does he need to be here?” Steve stared suspiciously at Greg.

  “I’d like him to stay,” said Laura.

  “Okay, let’s get started,” said Tim. “Here’s what I think. Patrick has some kind of cardiac tumor. Probably benign,” he hastened to add. “It’s impinging on the aortic outlet causing an obstruction severe enough to induce CHF and arrhythmias —”

  “What’s CHF?” Steve interrupted.

  “Congestive heart failure. That’s why he’s been so short of breath,” Tim explained. “Anyway, we need more sophisticated tests, but the echocardiogram here is pretty good quality and I think the tumor is resectable.” He paused to address Greg’s quizzical frown. “Meaning it can be surgically removed. When we go in, we’ll do a frozen section — that’s a quick biopsy while the
patient is still on the table. Pathology will give us a read on the tissue type and hopefully, according to the numbers, it’ll be benign. We remove it, patch things up, and he’ll be just fine.”

  Steve was the first to speak. “That sounds good, Tim, but I don’t want to send him to Philadelphia for this. Ann Arbor’s much closer, and Dr. Chambers says they have a good pediatric surgical department.”

  “That’s true, Steve,” Dr. Chambers interjected, “but Tim here is the real expert. They have the best pediatric surgeons in the world at CHOP. Dr. George Kamen is world renown. I’ve been in the library reviewing the series of these types of cases. They’re rare and there’s no doubt in my mind that Patrick should be operated at CHOP. And soon.”

  “I’ve made all the arrangements for transportation,” Greg offered quickly. “The tests can be done over the weekend with surgery on Monday. The MediJet can be here this afternoon.”

  Steve glared at Greg. “It’s not up to you to make decisions about my son.”

  “I think you should let Dr. Nelson make the decision. Chest surgery is her area of expertise,” Greg countered.

  “Now, Steve,” Dr. Chambers turned toward Steve with a look of concern. “I know you’re anxious and want what’s best for that little boy. You know, you and Laura were really wonderful to adopt him, what with four kids of your own and you two with such busy careers. I don’t recall your father even telling me. I’m sure everything will work out. I’ve got all the transfer documents ready to go.”

  “Adopted? Nobody told me that,” said Tim.

  Steve’s eyes opened wide. “What are you talking about?”

  “How much do you know about the natural parents’ family history anyway? I didn’t think to ask you that earlier, Dr. Nelson,” Dr. Chambers went on. “Can this be something hereditary?”

  “Hereditary?” Steve echoed.

  “Well, I assumed you adopted him.”

  Steve looked at the elderly physician as if he were a doddering fool. Laura, sitting next to Steve, turned a chalky white.

  “Simple matter of genetics. Your blood’s been A/B negative for as long as I can remember, Steve. Very rare, that’s why I remember. You and your — anyway, Laura, yesterday’s bloodwork showed you to be B neg. Dr. Nelson offered to donate yesterday and well,” he glanced over at her, “two negatives just can’t make a positive. Since Patrick is O positive, I just assumed —”