Hope's Toy Chest (3 page)

Chapter Four

Kingsley slowly made his way through the hospital lobby, exhaustion clinging to him as it never had before.
He usually fell asleep within seconds, but last night after Chelsea had left, he spent the night tossing and turning. The sandman never visited him.

“Damn
, man, you look like shit, as if you’ve been here all night or something.” His brother-in-law Jason stepped up beside him.

“Not all of us have Liz to take care of us. Why are you here anyway? I thought you and Liz were driving up to
your parents’ house.”

“I got called in around one this morning, an emergency surgery.” He dragged his hand over his face. “
A seven-year-old boy was sleep walking and stepped right out of his house and into oncoming traffic. It was a mess.”

“Is he going to make it?”

Jason nodded. “I think so, and it will be a miracle. He was a mess when they brought him in, but somehow he’s made it through the surgery and his vitals look good. It’s a damn miracle he made it to the hospital, let alone lived this long. The boy’s a fighter.”

“Any lasting trauma?”

“We had no choice but to amputate his leg below the knee.”Jason slipped hi
s
stethoscope from around his neck and shoved it in his pocket. “It’s Christmas and what does the boy get…his damn leg amputated.”

“I know it’s no comfort
, but it could be worse. At least the family still has their son.”

“You’re right. The mother didn’t care about anything except he survived. The father wanted to know what kind of normal life his son would lead with half a leg missing.” Jason shoved his hands into his pocket. “Sorry to burden you with this, you’ve got enough on your plate. I’ve got to go, Elizabeth is waiting at home for us to head out.”

“Have a safe trip.” He said his goodbyes and stepped onto the elevator. There was one little girl that was going to be his first stop. He needed to see how she was doing before he continued on to his office.

The hours of sleeples
sness had left him with no new revelations as to what might help his patient. Christmas was right around the corner and if there was going to be a miracle, this was the time of year for it. He slipped his coat off just as the elevator doors opened.

“Doctor Mathews.” The nurse
behind the desk looked up from the file she was making notations in and called to him.

“Morning
, Nancy.”

“Jessica’s mother asked to speak to you when you arrived.
If you want to go to your office, I can show her the way.”

“Any change in Jessica’s condition?”
He knew asking was pointless. The nurses had orders to contact him immediately if there was any change.

With sadness in her
eyes, Nancy shook her head. They had all been down this road countless times, but it never got easier. “She’s sleeping peacefully at the moment.”

He tossed his coat on the nurse’s counter. “I’ll check in on them, and pick this up on my way through.”

“Very well, Doctor Mathews.” She turned her attention back to the file in her hand.

The hard soles of h
is dress shoes clicked against the tiled floor like the ringing of doom. Jessica’s mother, Kelly, was holding out hope. Each day she wanted to know if anything had changed in her daughter’s prognosis, and each day he had to tell her the same thing.

Without entering
, he paused by the door, glancing in the hall window at the sleeping little girl and Kelly sitting by her bedside looking completely exhausted. It still bothered him that the nurse, Patsy, thought it was better for the mother to lose her only child. Sure she could have more children, but no one would ever replace her first daughter. Jessica was a fighter. She never complained, no matter how sick she was, and there was always a smile on her face. She was truly a happy child.

As if she felt his gaze
, Kelly’s eyes opened. She glanced to her daughter before stepping out in the hall to join him. “I’d like a moment to talk to you alone, but I don’t want to leave her,” she whispered, her voice strained.

“Nancy can sit with her for a moment if you’d like, and we can go to my office.
” When she nodded, he called for Nancy. “I need a moment with Mrs. Cook, if you could sit with Jessica.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Nancy smiled, and went to join the sleeping child.

“This way.” He grabbed his jacket off the counter before leading her down the hallway. His office was just at the end of the hall, close to his patients and their families.

“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me this morning.”

“I’m always here.” He pushed open the door, holding it open for her to enter. “Please have a seat and tell me what I can do for you.” He hung up his coat on the peg by the door and made his way over to her. He didn’t bother going behind the heavy mahogany desk. Instead, he took a seat next to her in one of the plush chairs.

“Last night was a rough night for Jessic
a. The radiation made her extremely ill.” She wiped her hands on her pants.

“We spoke about this before
. If we stop her radiation treatments, her prognosis becomes dire. It is your choice, but I would strongly advise against it.” He knew how rough the radiation was, especially at the level they were doing it, but it was the only thing that
might
help. Even then it would only prolong the inevitable; they had no cure.

“That’s not why I asked to meet with you.” She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. “Tomorrow is her third treatment
, then she has a day off before the next three days of radiation. I want to take her home.”

“Mrs. Cook…”

She put up her hand stopping him. “Please just hear me out.” When he nodded, she continued. “Just for a few hours…we both know it’s doubtful she’ll make it until Christmas. Let me take her home and give her a proper Christmas. I can have my sister come in, clean, and put up the Christmas tree.”

“You know if Jessica leaves the hospital, it’s likely she’ll catch a virus, her frail body couldn’t handle that now. It’s too much of a risk.”

“If this is her last Christmas, I want to make it memorable. Please, Doctor Mathews, there’s got to be something you can do.” Tears glistened in Kelly’s eyes as she begged him to give her daughter one final Christmas celebration. “Please…”

Chapter Five

Kingsley sat at his desk long after Mrs. Cook had left, trying to figure out a way to make her wish come true. She wasn’t asking too much by wanting to have a semblance of normal
cy for their last Christmas together. Now he just had to figure out a way to do it without risking his patient.

Suddenly
he shot from his chair, nearly spilling his coffee over everything. If he could get the approval of the Hospital Administrator, he might be able to make a special Christmas for Jessica after all. That and a little help from Chelsea. He finished off his coffee and headed for the door. Calling might have saved him time if Doctor Annabell Booth was busy, but he needed to stretch his legs.

Doctors, nurses, patients, and families moved quickly through the long corridors of the hospital
, each rushing to and from. It always surprised him how many emotions could be seen throughout a hospital. Families receiving good news glowed with a fresh start, while others had unshed tears glistening in their eyes.

With his mind elsewhere
, he quickly made his way through the hospital, and up to the eighth floor where the administration offices were. Stepping off the elevator, he found Grace sitting behind her desk. Grace had worked for the hospital for over twenty years, her salt and pepper hair in a fashionable bob cut, her business suit perfectly pressed. The way she glanced up from behind her glasses made him feel like he was back in school again.

“Doctor Mathews, how ca
n I help you?” Grace had known him when he was just a boy, visiting his sister. Back then, she had been a nurse on Elizabeth’s floor. They had kept in touch and when he graduated medical school, she had been there, beaming from ear to ear.

“I was hoping to have a minute of Doctor Booth’s time. It’s somewhat of an urgent matter.”

“Ahh, now that might be a problem. She had a very busy schedule today.” While Grace glanced at the schedule, he waited, not at all surprised Annabell was busy. She was even more of a workaholic than him, if that was even possible. Annabell had been the Chief of the Emergency Room before going over to the dark side—administration. She had always played well with others and with her experience and knowledge she made an excellent Hospital Administrator.

“I’ll make myself available whenever she can squeeze me in and I promise I only need five minutes of her time.”

“She’s got a few minutes before her next appointment, let me see if she can talk now as a favor to me. I know you wouldn’t be here in person without calling ahead if it wasn’t important.” She stood from her desk. “No promises.”

“Thank you.” He was
grateful for her kindness.

He slipped his hand into the pocket of his dress slacks and fingered his cell phone, trying to determine when Elizabeth and Jason would ma
ke it through the bad reception area. She’d have a phone number for Chelsea, but a trip home, with lunch for the two of them, might be the better way to convince her that he needed her help. He tried not to think about the fact that she had occupied the majority of his thoughts since she left.

Grace stepped
out of the office, drawing his attention. “You’ve got three minutes.”

“I owe
you.” He stepped around her, nearing the door. “Thank you.”

Stepping into the office, he found Annabell sitting behind the desk, looking both tired and ready to take on whatever scumbag who wanted to cheat the patients from their health benefits. “Thank you for taking the time to see me. I understand you’re busy and only need a moment.”

She leaned back in her leather chair, a pen still in hand, and glanced up at him. “Sit down and get to it, Kingsley.”

“A
no-nonsense woman, I like that.” He teased, taking a seat in front of her desk.

“Your flirting will get you nowhere with me. Those big blue eyes don’t work on me like they do on Grace.” She gave him a smile.

She had a way of putting everyone at ease. She was a strict boss, but fair. “Fine then, I’ll cut to it. One of my patients isn’t going to make it to the holidays and I was hoping to do something special for her.”

“I’m listening.”

“Jessica has been in and out of the hospital since she was nine months old. Five long years of treatments, needles, and endless hospital stays.” He paused for a moment before leaning forward. “At one time the ninth floor was used as rooms for the parents, or those traveling through. I know we still have the rooms for medical students, and other staff if they need a crash room when working long hours.”

“Don’t forget the storage
,” she reminded him. “Now how about you tell me what you’re getting at?”

“Jessica’s mother wants to take her out of the hospital, the day after tomorrow, to have one final Christmas with her that isn’t surrounded by the nursing staff, doctors, machines, and
the sickly scent of bleach. I can’t with good conscious sign off on it. Jessica is in too frail of health to risk her catching a virus, traveling in this weather.” He took a deep breath, his breath caught in his throat. “I want to take over one of the rooms and give Jessica the Christmas she deserves. To let them spend the night there with the Christmas decorations, and the next morning can be their Christmas, and Jessica can open her presents.”

“You don’t think it would be too much for
her?”

“She’d be in a safe and secure environment. I’ll stay her
e at the hospital, checking in on her to make sure everything is fine. If there are any changes in her health, I’ll return her to the floor. She’s on a three day radiation with one day off rotation. The day after tomorrow is her off day.”

“How are you going to pull this off by yourself?” She tossed her pen on the desk, watching him.

“I know someone who’d be willing to help, and Elizabeth will be back in town that morning. If there are any last minute things, I know I can count on her and Jason. Do I have your approval?”

“To take a sick child up there you’re going to need a deep cleaning of the room.”

“I won’t ask for the hospital cleaners. I’ll see to it and everything else. Cleaning, decorations, everything. What do you say?” His stomach churned waiting for the answer. It was worse than waiting to see if he’d gotten into his top choice for medical school.

She nodded. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks with her health.”

Excitement coursed through him, and for that brief moment the joys of Christmas began to return to him. “Thank you.”

He stood and quickly made his way to the door. There was so much to do before
Jessica’s Christmas celebration. The first thing he needed to do was talk to Chelsea.