“Oh Saint Christopher. Is there no end to it?”
“I know. I keep thinking what if it had been Marcia?” Kat’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Anyhow, I brought them a change of clothes from the house before coming to get you. I guess the hospital is used to stubborn parents. There’s a place for them to shower and change off the hospital family room.”
“I figured we’d be riding roughshod on them. I may not be as good as Babs at making Anna do what she doesn’t want to do, even if it is for her own good, but I sure as heck am going to try.”
Shaking her head, Kat let out a pessimistic harrumph. “Been there, done that. Don’t hold your breath.”
The sound of Marcia crying startled Anna from a short nap. Bolting out of her seat she grabbed the baby as Erin hit the call button for the nurse. The four of them had hunkered down in the small room for the last twenty-four hours. Despite the protests from Erin and Kat, Anna refused to leave the hospital.
Sleeping in a chair for two nights wasn’t doing her back any favors, and she didn’t care. No matter how often Kat, Erin or Mark tried to convince her to go home and get some sleep, she stayed. They all stayed.
“I thought she was finally going to get some rest.” Anna patted the inconsolable baby’s back.
“The way she keeps bunching her knees up, she’s got to have a miserable tummy ache.” Kat hovered nearby, not wanting to upset the baby more by getting any closer.
Marcia had been much more tolerable of her other two aunts, but now that she’d spent so many days sick, she wouldn’t even let Mark hold her. The only person who could calm her was Anna.
“How long can this go on?” Erin rubbed her palms, looking on with a pained expression. “She seemed to be doing better yesterday, but she’s still not able to drink without throwing up and seems more cranky by the hour.”
Kat rolled her eyes skyward and let out an impatient sigh. “Wouldn’t you be too if you were gushing for days from both ends?”
Stiffening at Kat’s harsh words, Erin blinked tightly as her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.” Kat backed up and hugged her friend. “I guess I’m a little cranky too.”
Still holding onto Kat with one arm, Erin swiped at a wayward tear with the back of her other hand. “A little?”
“Okay.” Kat pulled back. “Maybe a lot.”
Erin blinked a few times and flashed a weak smile.
About to hit the call button again, Anna stopped when the nurse came waltzing into the room, too perky for her own good.
“Good morning,” she said, grinning at Marcia who had stopped crying long enough to scowl at the woman squeezing her legs.
When the smile slipped from the nurse’s face, Anna watched carefully as she walked to the side of the bed and checked Marcia’s urine output. She knew that was part of the normal care routine, but they seemed to be checking it more frequently over the last several hours, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit. From the stone-like expression that covered the previously cheery face, Anna didn’t need a medical degree to know something was very wrong.
Only a few minutes later the doctor on shift came into the room. “I’m ordering another CBC and chem panel.”
Anna glanced to the corner of the room where Mark had been standing, watching. Now he was only a step behind her, reaching for her hand.
“Marcia’s urine output is decreasing and she’s retaining fluids. I’d like to keep a closer eye on her so I’m having her transferred to the pediatric ICU.”
Anna heard the gasp. It might have been her, or someone else in the room, or maybe all of them. She felt Mark’s grip on her hand tighten and wished she could just fall into his arms. First Babs and now Marcia. Suddenly she wasn’t at all sure she could do this.
As if reading her mind, Mark squeezed her hand again, silently reassuring her. Maybe she couldn’t do this, but they could. They would.
“I’ll know more when I get the test results back later today,” the doctor continued. “In the meantime, you should consider going home and getting some real rest. One of the staff will contact you as soon as we have some news.”
“Thank you,” Mark said, still holding onto Anna’s hand.
The doctor smiled and nodded. The small huff of breath he released as he walked out the door told Anna he knew darn well none of them were going to take his advice.
The next several hours seemed like days. Marcia napped in short fits. The tiny room in PICU wasn’t large enough for all four of them. When Marcia dozed, Mark or Anna paced the halls while Erin or Kat took a turn watching the sleeping baby, willing her to improve.
When the doctor returned, he babbled something about elevated BUN and creatinine, low platelets and anemia. Anna only heard every other word. Even though they all nodded, she doubted anyone understood any better than she did. The only thing she was sure of was he ordered more lab work. She wanted Catherine Gibbons. Marcia’s physician of record came in regularly to check on her, even though she wasn’t the doctor on call. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust this nice older gentleman, Anna just wanted Dr. Gibbons.
“How’s she doing?” The man whose daughter had been brought to ICU the day before Marcia stood in the doorway.
“I’m not sure. I keep hoping.”
“I know.” He glanced down to the other end of the hall where his daughter was fighting her own battles. “And praying. I can’t get my wife to rest. She won’t leave Becky’s side.”
“I wish I could offer some advice, but I know how she feels.”
“Yeah. Well... I’d better get back.” With a brief nod, he turned and walked back to his own cubicle.
Occasionally Anna had noticed him pacing the halls, but she hadn’t seen the mother come out from behind the curtain yet. The thought crossed Anna’s mind, if someone didn’t find a way to make that woman go home and rest, her husband and daughter would be keeping vigil over her hospital bed instead.
By the next day the PICU was buzzing. Marcia had developed red spots and bruising. At least today Doctor Gibbons was on duty. That gave Anna a small degree of comfort in an extremely frightening situation. This illness seemed to progress at the speed of a snowball rolling downhill, out of control, and growing to boulder-sized proportions.
With Kat and Erin downstairs having a snack, Anna tore herself away from Marcia’s bedside to speak with Dr. Gibbons.
“Petechiae, the red spots, and the bruising on the skin,” Dr. Gibbons explained, “are from the coagulopathy. We’ve reported our diagnosis of E. coli to the health department.”
“E. coli,” Anna mumbled to herself.
“They’ve confirmed more reported cases from the Burger Barn. Undercooked beef is a common cause of E. coli. We’ve got another little boy we were able to diagnose more quickly now that we know about the outbreak.”
“So what happens now?” Mark asked.
“The treatment for HUS is symptomatic support with careful fluid restriction to prevent overload and frequent monitoring of electrolytes.”
“HUS?” Anna hung onto Mark.
“Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.”
Mark glared pointedly at the doctor, his brow pleated in a deep rut. “Tell me this isn’t the same thing that causes more serious complications like stroke?” His gaze darted down the hall to little Becky’s room and back.
Lifting her chin, Dr. Gibbons took a deep breath. “Yes, it has been known to cause significant nervous system problems including cerebral infarcts. It can also cause gastrointestinal injury including intestinal perforation, colitis, or hepatitis. The majority of children however do not exhibit these complications.”
Anna’s knees grew suddenly weak. “Becky had a stroke.”
Dr Gibbons nodded. “Every case is different. You can’t compare the two. You brought Marcia in earlier in her disease course. She’s had the best care from the very beginning.”
Only the quick reach of Mark’s supportive arm around her waist stopped her from crumbling to the floo
r.
“Please don’t worry yourself over the worse case scenario. Marcia is already exhibiting the most common features of HUS. Those include anemia, which means a low red blood cell count. Thrombocytopenia, meaning low platelets. Platelets are the cells that help the blood to clot and in Marcia's case, her platelets are low because she's using them up to form small, micro blood clots throughout her circulatory system. The last manifestation is renal dysfunction, meaning that Marcia's kidneys are not working properly to clear fluids and toxins. Marcia isn't exhibiting any of the more serious complications at this time, and it's probably best not to discuss all the maybes and what ifs unless the diagnoses arise."
“But children still die from it?” Anna’s mouth had hardly been able to form the words.
Dr. Gibbons laid a hand on Anna’s arm. “We’re taking good care of your baby. She’s in the best hands.”
“But she could die?”
The doctor gave a short nod. “Yes.”
As if punctuating the statement, buzzers and beeps sounded at the nurses’ station. Dr. Gibbons took off at a fast trot down the hall to Becky’s room.
Anna couldn’t breathe watching the gentle wave of the closed curtain as everyone scurried to once again save a child. Only this time there was no rush to a more intensive care unit. No forced words of encouragement. No false bravado. Only the sullen faces of the slow moving personnel returning to their jobs, and the gut wrenching screams of a young childless mother.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
“We’ve got a problem.” Dr. Gibbons stood in the hospital family room.
In the days that Catherine Gibbons had been treating Marcia, Anna had learned to read her faces and this one wasn’t good.
“Marcia’s become severely anemic. We need to do a transfusion.”
Anna felt the room sway and leaned against the wall to steady herself. “Is it dangerous?”
“No. The challenge is she has an especially rare blood type. The hospital blood bank has contacted the Red Cross.”
Standing next to Anna, Mark straightened his spine as though bracing himself for more bad news. “She’s O negative. I’m O negative.”
“Yes.” The doctor nodded. “She is, but I’m referring to minor blood group incompatibilities. According to Marcia’s records, at birth she had a blood transfusion due to anemia from a fetal maternal hemorrhage. That’s not a problem, but the initial transfusion must have been the sensitizing event. Marcia’s type and cross for a transfusion showed several circulating antibodies. It could take days to do a nationwide search for a donor and time is critical.”
Mark’s eyes shifted to Anna and locked on hers. She could feel his gaze burning through her. Saw the doubts and fears playing across his face like a silent film. Then his shoulders squared and she saw only determination.
“I should be a match,” he said softly, his gaze still settled on hers.
A glint of relief shined in the doctor’s eyes. “Have you been typed for minor blood group antigens before?”
“Not that I know of, but I should be a match.”
“I see.” Dr. Gibbons sighed, her shoulders slumping at the deflating news. “There’s no harm in having you typed and crossed, but I want to warn you the odds are not in your favor.”
“I’ll match. Which way do I go to get tested?” He turned and took a step toward the door, much the way a runner on third base takes a lead step to steal home.
“Follow me. We’ll need to put a rush on this.”
Mark nodded, took another step, then reached for Anna’s hand. The spark that flew at the gentle touch surprised her. Glancing down at the thick carpet, she felt his soft breath against her neck.
“We have to talk,” he whispered, kissed her cheek, squeezed her hand, then letting go, hurried out the door and down the hall with the doctor.
Anna folded her arms. What was that all about? What did he need to talk to her about? And why did he seem so sure? She found herself standing in the doorway staring down the now empty hall. What was she missing?
“I have a feeling he’ll match.” Erin stepped up to her friend and wrapped an arm around her. “I have a really good feeling about this.”
“Makes me wonder.” Anna’s focus narrowed, thinking, not moving.
“About what?” Erin glanced down the hall where Anna was staring.
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, in that case, we’d better get back to Marcia.” Erin gave Anna a reassuring pat and headed back to the baby’s room.
Anna couldn’t bring herself to follow. She couldn’t stop wondering what Mark knew.
“What’s the matter?” Kat waved at Erin to stop. “I mean besides the obvious.”
“I don’t know. Something’s not right. Why was he so sure?”
“Does it really matter?” Erin said. “We’ll find out soon enough. But at the moment we’ve got a very sick little girl waiting for us in her room, and I for one don’t want to have to look into those bright baby blues staring up at me so sadly any longer.”
Anna turned to follow with Kat only a step behind. A few feet away from Marcia’s door it hit her. “Baby blues.”
“What?” Kat almost bumped into her when she stopped short.
“Marcia has blue eyes.”
“To quote a good friend of mine.” Kat put her hands on her hips. “No shit, Sherlock.”
Anna whirled around to look at Kat. “Babs and Tom both had green eyes.”
“So.” Kat gestured with impatience.
“Marcia has blue eyes. Deep blue eyes.”
“Will you get to the point.” Kat looked over Anna’s shoulder at Erin who had come up behind her and was now listening intently.
“How could he?” Anna stormed past Kat, marching up the hall.
“How could who do what?” Erin moved beside Kat, her brow crinkled in confusion.
“I’m not sure, but one of us had better go after her before she takes someone’s head off.”
“Marcia seems to be more comfortable with you. I’ll go.” Not waiting for Kat to respond, Erin started up the hall. “Anna, wait up.”
Anna waited for Erin to shorten the gap. “How could he do that?”
“Will you stop acting like a dog stung by a wasp and tell me what the heck you’re babbling about?”
“Mark is Marcia’s father.”
“Are you crazy!”
“I wish I were.” She scanned the hall looking for where Mark and the doctor had gone. She needed to know the truth. The truth. “It all makes sense now. The truth in Babs’ note wasn’t about the grandparents. It was about Marcia’s real father.”
Walking at a pace more appropriate for someone rushing to catch a commuter train, she didn’t stop till she reached the nurses’ station. Erin’s shorter legs raced to keep up.
“Anna.” Erin grabbed her elbow. “Be reasonable. What you’re saying is absurd. You’re making serious accusations based on eye color. I mean, really, think about it. Lots of green eyed parents have blue eyed babies.”
“It’s more than that. I should have realized sooner. Why he’s always praising everything Babs ever did. Why he talks about her as though she were the last great wife left on earth. Why a good-looking single guy spent so much time with an old married couple and their baby. Why Marcia is so attached to him, bonded. Why he looks so damn proud every time he lays eyes on her. Why Marcia’s eyes are such a dark shade of blue. That same deep sapphire blue as Mark. I’m telling you - she’s his.”
“For heaven’s sake, based on that theory I might very well be her mother. I mean, except for the bonding thing, I think Babs was a great wife, I’m proud as a peacock when I look at that little girl, and I have blue eyes.”
“Don’t bother. I know I’m right. God how did we miss it? I bet she’s even named after him. I have to find him.”
“And do what? Have him drawn and quartered? You need to calm down.”
“I need to find him.” She practically leaped over the counter when the nurse
came out of the inner office. “Where would Doctor Gibbons and Mr. Lambert have gone for blood typing?”
“There’s a lab on the first floor. You might try there.”
“Thanks.”
“Anna. Can’t this at least wait till they come back upstairs?”
“No.”
Impatiently waiting for the elevator, Anna’s shoe tapped a quick steady beat. She could feel her blood boiling. How could he played over and over in her mind like a scratched CD. When the door opened she slipped inside and almost closed it before Erin could rush in behind her.
“I really think you should give him the benefit of the doubt.” Erin didn’t look at Anna. She kept her eyes on the descending numbers overhead. Anna didn’t say a word.
The moment the doors opened she scanned the distance looking for signs indicating a lab. Hurrying down the main hall, she turned left then right before spotting a small sign and bursting into the receiving room. "I’m looking for Mark Lambert.”
The woman behind the window typed into her computer, then looked at a few things on her desk before looking back up. “I don’t see that we have anyone with that name.”
“Damn.” Turning around ready to storm off in another direction, she practically knocked Dr. Gibbons over. “Sorry.”
“No problem. You’re looking for Mark?”
“Yes. Where is he?”
“They’re finishing up. He should be out soon.”
Before Anna could decide if she wanted to sit and wait, or storm into the back and find him, Mark stepped into the lounge. “Looking for me?”
“You lying son of a bitch.” The crisp sound of her hand slapping his face, hard, echoed through the small room. “How could you? Your best friend.”
His hand rubbed lightly over the side of his face. “It’s not what you think.”
Erin’s eyes grew round as Kennedy half-dollars. Dr. Gibbons slanted her a startled glare.
“You’ve known Tom all your life,” Anna shouted, not caring about anyone else in the room. About who was listening. “He trusted you, treated you like family. How could you?” She took a short step back, putting some distance between them before she gave in to the urge to smack him again, this time hard enough to send him all the way back to Burlingame.
The Champagne Sisterhood Page 26
