Marrying the Playboy Doctor (8 page)

While they waited for the medication to work, he con
tinued to hold Kylie’s hand, gently rubbing her cold fingers. He’d already accepted the fact that their dinner plans were shot. Heck, even if Ben didn’t get admitted to the hospital, which he seriously suspected might happen, Kylie wouldn’t leave her son alone at a time like this.

He understood. Ben’s eyesight was too important. Children tended to adapt better than adults did to having vision from only one eye, but that made Ben’s right eye all the more important. And who knew what his future held? Maybe he’d have other vision problems, too, on top of this one. He was too young to start out with such a disadvantage.

“Hmm.” Dr. Greenley made some annoying nondescript sounds as he examined Ben. Finally he turned toward Kylie. “I’m afraid Ben does have a detached retina. He’ll need to be admitted to the hospital tonight. I’ll need to do surgery on his left eye first thing in the morning.”

“Surgery!” Kylie’s hand tightened around his. “How dangerous is detached retina surgery?”

“Well, every surgical procedure has its risks. He’ll need to be placed under general anesthesia, due to his young age. But I think I can repair the detached retina without too much trouble. I’d like to keep him in the hospital at least for a night or two afterwards, to keep him quiet and sedated.”

Kylie glanced up at Seth, as if silently asking for his opinion. He nodded, agreeing with Greenley’s assessment. “I think it’s a good idea, Kylie. Ben is still growing. We don’t know for sure if he’ll become nearsighted or far-sighted as he grows. He’s too young to suffer such a significant loss of vision.”

“You’re right. I know you are. It’s just so hard to agree to such a drastic step as having surgery.” Kylie bit down on her lower lip nervously. “But I don’t want him to lose the vision in his left eye, either.”

Dr. Greenley gently took her hand in his. “We have some excellent pediatric anesthesiologists on staff,” he told her, giving her hand a squeeze. “He’ll be in good hands.”

“I know. Thanks for everything.”

Greenley let her go, stood and made his way to the door. “I’ll write the admission orders for Ben and see a nurse about assigning a room. I’ll get someone from anesthesia to come and evaluate him as soon as you’re settled.”

“Okay.” Kylie’s eyes were a little dazed, as if she still hadn’t realized the full impact because everything was happening so fast.

Seth took them back to the main area, trying to catch Alyssa’s eye to speed up the admission process. The sooner he could get Kylie and Ben into a private room, the better.

He listened as Kylie explained to Ben about the surgery, how it wouldn’t really hurt much at all, especially because he’d be asleep during the procedure. Ben took the news with a solemn braveness that made his throat close up.

Alyssa returned. “Okay, I have a room assignment for you. Ben will be on the third floor pediatric wing. There’s a roll-out sofa bed for the parents, if you decide to stay overnight.”

“Absolutely. I’m staying,” Kylie said.

Seth had never doubted it. Alyssa processed the paperwork and then helped move Ben onto a gurney when
the transporter arrived. Seth accompanied them upstairs, waiting patiently until Ben had been fully admitted before turning to Kylie.

“Do you want me to run back to your house to pack a suitcase for the two of you?” he offered.

“I could use a few personal items,” Kylie admitted, running her hand through her hair. “But, actually, I’d really rather run home to get them myself. Would you mind staying here with Ben?”

Considering he probably wouldn’t even know what to pack for a six-year-old, much less maintain his composure as he riffled through her underwear drawer, he quickly agreed.

“I wouldn’t mind at all. Do you have your car keys?” he asked, remembering how he’d driven her car here to the hospital.

“I have them.” She pulled the keys from her purse. Still she seemed to hesitate, as if worried about leaving her son even for a few minutes. “I won’t be long,” she promised, bending over to kiss Ben’s cheek.

“It’s okay. Me and Seth will be here.” Ben had already found the remote for the television. “Hey, look, the Chicago Bears game is on.”

“Figures,” he said with a sigh, settling in on the chair next to Ben. “We missed most of the Packers game. But it looks like we won.”

“So far the Bears are winning, too,” Ben pointed out.

“Not for long,” Seth joked. “They always choke in the last quarter.”

“No, they don’t,” Ben protested loyally.

“Yes, they do,” Seth insisted.

Kylie slipped from the room, the car keys jingling in her hand as she walked away. He gazed after her thoughtfully, impressed and humbled at how she’d entrusted him to look after her most cherished possession.

Her son.

K
YLIE
drove home to pack overnight bags for her and Ben. She also included her laptop computer so she could do some work while Ben was in surgery. She made it back to the hospital in record time, even though she knew full well Ben was in good hands with Seth.

After slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder, she picked up her computer case and strode into the hospital, taking the elevator up to Ben’s room. She had to smile when she saw the two of them engrossed in the football game. Dr. Greenley had put a patch over Ben’s injured eye, so he wouldn’t strain it or get a headache from the double vision, but otherwise her son didn’t look sick at all.

Eye surgery wasn’t that big of a deal, she reminded herself. Complications from anesthesia were very rare. There was no reason to worry.

Although telling herself that and actually relaxing about the whole thing were two different issues.

Ben cheered when the Bears won their game. Seth grinned and confidently told Ben that it didn’t matter if the Bears won or not, because when the two teams faced
off in a few weeks the Packers were going to kick the Bears’ butts.

Ben stubbornly refused to believe it.

The rivalry was all in good fun, and she could tell Ben relished the attention.

Seth stood as if preparing to leave just when Ben’s second shift nurse, Celeste, walked in. “Hi, Seth. Er—what are you doing here?” Her curious gaze rested on Kylie and Ben.

“Hi, Celeste. Have you met Kylie Germaine, the new Cedar Bluff Paramedic Education Coordinator?”

“No, I haven’t, but it’s nice to meet you.” Celeste flashed a warm smile, although Kylie suspected the nurse was already pairing her up with Seth as if they were a couple. She inwardly cringed at the rumor potential.

“Same here,” she said, forcing a smile. “And this is my son, Ben.” Kylie wanted to announce that she and Seth were just friends, but since it seemed awkward she kept her mouth shut.

“Dinner should be here shortly. Do you want a parent tray?” Celeste asked. “Don’t worry about eating in front of Seth. He gets free food for the month as a result of winning the annual baseball game.”

“A parent tray would be great.” Kylie frowned at Seth. “I can’t believe you get free food for a whole month just because you won a game.”

Seth shrugged. “When you’re good, you’re good.”

Kylie rolled her eyes and shook her head. No worries about his ego, obviously. Although she couldn’t help glancing at the clock, wondering when he was planning to leave. Not that she didn’t enjoy his company. But Seth
clearly knew most of the hospital staff by name. This hospital’s environment was close-knit, very similar to the community it served.

The longer he stayed with her, the more people would talk.

Finally he stood again, glancing down at her. “Kylie, are you going to be all right tonight?” Seth asked. “I can stay with you, if necessary.”

Stay? As in share the single pull-out bed? Aghast, she quickly shook her head. “No, thanks, we’ll be fine. Honestly.” Then she frowned, realizing he didn’t have a ride home. “Do you want me to take you back to pick up your car?”

“No, I can hitch a ride with someone, no problem.” He frowned, as if he didn’t want to leave her alone. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Seth had already gone above and beyond normal friendship just by bringing her and Ben here. The last thing she needed was to continue to lean on him. She made sure her smile was confident. “Thanks anyway.”

“I’ll see you both in the morning, then.” Seth hesitated by the doorway, as if he’d hoped she’d walk him out, but she stayed right where she was.

“Don’t make a special trip in. We’ll be fine.”

He frowned. “I have to work anyway, so I’ll check in before the start of my shift.” He lifted a hand and then left.

Kylie sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple. Ridiculous to feel alone just because Seth was gone. Hadn’t she raised Ben on her own for the past six years? Why was she suddenly wishing for more?

Because of those stolen kisses, that was why. She was letting her loneliness get to her. Seth might be a great distraction for now, but she knew very well he wasn’t a guy she could count on for the long term.

Okay, she needed something else to think about other than Seth. So, while Ben was engrossed in the Disney Channel, she pulled out her laptop and did some work. When she’d finished the first part of the new paramedic training program Ben was falling asleep, so she pulled out the roll-away bed and changed into a pair of comfy sweats. No way was she going to parade around the hospital in her pajamas.

Sleep didn’t come easily. No matter how much she knew it was useless to worry, she couldn’t help thinking about all the worst-case scenarios. What if Ben had a reaction to some medication? Or to the anesthesia? What if the surgery didn’t work and he lost the vision in his left eye? She tossed and turned, sleeping in brief snatches of time but not really resting.

The next morning a nurse woke Ben early, because his eye surgery was scheduled as the first case. Kylie quickly showered and changed, even though it was barely five-thirty in the morning.

“Mom, I’m hungry. And thirsty.” Ben was cross. The thrill of the Disney Channel and the novelty of being in the hospital weren’t enough to keep him satisfied any longer.

“Ben, I’m sorry, but you can’t have anything to eat or drink.” His plaintive expression wrenched her heart. This was the hard part of parenting. If she could take
over Ben’s discomforts for him, she would. “After surgery is over, then you’ll get something to drink.”

“But I’m hungry and thirsty
now
.”

Her son’s querulous tone made her sigh helplessly. Luckily the nurse returned, pushing an OR cart.

“Hop over, Ben. We’re going to take you on a ride down to the operating room.”

Distracted, her son scrambled over to the cart, and Kylie crossed over to walk down with him. She was glad Ben didn’t seem to be overly nervous about the event.

“The doctor is going to put you to sleep, so you won’t feel a thing,” the nurse explained as they made their way to the elevator. “When you wake up, you’ll feel drowsy for a while, but once the anesthesia wears off you’ll be fine.”

Sure, unless there were complications. But Kylie refused to let her thoughts show. “And you’ll get to eat and drink anything you want,” she added.

“Okay.” Ben glanced around at the nearly empty halls. “Can’t you push me faster?” he asked, as if the cart were some sort of amusement ride.

“Nope, sorry. This is as fast as I go,” the nurse answered with a laugh.

At the doorway to the operating room the nurse halted the gurney with an apologetic glance. “Sorry, Mom, but this is as far as you get to come along.”

Kylie forced a smile, ignoring the knot in her stomach. Reaching over the side rail of the gurney, she gave Ben a big hug and a kiss. “See you in a couple of hours, Ben. I love you.”

His arms tightened around her neck, as if he suddenly
realized having surgery might be a big deal. But the sedative the nurse had given him earlier helped keep him calm. “I love you too, Mom.”

As the nurse wheeled him through the doors, she felt her eyes filling with tears. She brushed them aside and turned, running headfirst into Seth.

“Hey, are you all right?” He captured her shoulders in his hands before her nose smashed into his chest.

“Fine.” She sniffled and gave a halfhearted smile. “I’m just overreacting a bit.”

“I’m sorry I missed him,” Seth said, not seeming to be in any hurry to let her go. His hands were warm and strong on her shoulders. “I tried to get here earlier, but there was a crash on the highway and traffic was backed up for miles.”

“It’s okay. He’ll be fine.” She longed to throw herself into his embrace, so she forced herself to take a step back. His thoughtfulness to come and see Ben off to surgery was touching, but completely unnecessary. Somehow she had to forget those sizzling kisses and put her son’s needs first, before her own. “Guess you’d better get back down to the ED, since you’re working today.”

“Yeah.” He fell into step beside her as they slowly made their way down the hall toward the elevators. “Did they tell you how long he’ll be in surgery?”

“Not more than a couple of hours.”

Seth nodded. “Great. I’ll dash up to check on Ben when there’s a lull in the patient load.”

She wanted to protest that it wasn’t necessary, but knew that Ben would be thrilled to see him. “All right,” she agreed.

At the elevators they paused, and from the expression on Seth’s face he had something on his mind, but his pager chose that moment to chirp.

He unclipped it from his waistband and read the display. “I have to go. There’s a patient on the way in.”

“From the crash?” she guessed.

“Yes.” He took her hand, reached over and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “See you in a little while,” he murmured.

Her mouth tingling, she could only nod in shocked surprise as he took the stairs down to the first floor ED.

He had to stop doing that, she thought, irritably jamming her finger on the button to summon the elevator. He really,
really
had to stop doing that.

Seth was acting as if they were already a couple.

But they weren’t.

Her fault, since she’d allowed him to kiss her. Twice. Make that three times if you counted this most recent one. But enough was enough. This emotional rollercoaster ride needed to stop, now.

Determined to forget about Seth for a while, she returned to Ben’s room. She tried to work on the training program, but found herself surfing the Internet instead.

She typed the name of Air Force pilot Shane Andre into the search engine. Through a process of elimination she was able to find an article talking about Shane Andre being declared missing in action when his helicopter went down during a mission to rescue American hostages in Iran. For several weeks no one had been sure if Shane Andre was alive or dead. He’d eventually been
pronounced dead five weeks after he’d gone missing, when his military ID tags were found.

She saved the information to show Seth. Maybe he’d like to see how his father was portrayed as a hero.

For a long time she stared at the grainy picture of Seth’s father. Seeing Seth’s father made her think about Ben’s. What was Tristan doing? Did he ever think about them? Ever wonder how his child was doing?

For a millisecond she considered calling Tristan to let him know about Ben’s surgery, but almost immediately decided against it. After all, Tristan had made it clear he didn’t want to be a father. And it wasn’t as if Ben was having major surgery over some debilitating illness. Eye surgery wasn’t anything to take lightly, but it was certainly not life-threatening.

No, there was no reason to call him. Tristan had made his choices a long time ago. He’d never gotten in touch with her—not once in the past six years. The last thing she wanted to do was open Ben up to pain and disappointment.

But as she shut down her computer she couldn’t help wondering if someday Ben would try to track down Tristan the same way she’d just researched information on Shane Andre.

Seth pushed thoughts of Ben and Kylie out of his mind as he listened to the paramedic’s report.

“Twenty-eight-year-old pregnant female with blunt trauma to her abdomen during the car crash. She’s estimated to be thirty weeks pregnant with vital signs stable.”

Seth was concerned about the way Josie, the pregnant
woman, was moaning in pain. And for some reason the paramedic’s laid-back attitude bothered him, too. He wasn’t sure he trusted the guy’s assessment. “She seems to be in a lot of pain. What exactly are her vitals?”

“Her pulse is tachy at 128, and her blood pressure is elevated to 180/104—but I’m sure those elevations are mostly the result of the emotional stress of being in a car crash.”

Seth didn’t agree. “Eve, get the OB/GYN attending down here, stat. Let’s give her some fluid volume and get a full set of labs, including sending a urine sample for protein.” He turned toward the paramedic, whose name tag identified him as Craig. “You might want to brush up on your OB physiology. Because elevated blood pressure is
never
normal in pregnancy—not even after trauma.”

“Well, she can’t be bleeding—not with a blood pressure that high,” Craig said defensively.

“No, but she could have preeclampsia,” Seth countered, trying not to lose his patience. He mentally added this to the list of educational needs for the paramedics as he turned toward his patient. “Get me a Doppler so I can listen to fetal heart tones.”

Practically before he’d finished speaking the nurse had shoved a Doppler in his hand. That was what he liked about the ED. The nurses were always one step ahead of him. He wanted to give Josie something to calm her down, but he didn’t want to do anything that might impact the fetus, either.

“Shh, it’s okay, Josie,” Eve said soothingly. “We’re going to take good care of you and your baby. Try not to get upset. Right now you need to calm down and relax.”

“Hi, Josie, my name is Dr. Taylor. I’m going to examine you and your baby, okay? Take a deep breath for me and hold it.” Seth told her that more to relax her than anything else, and the diversionary tactic seemed to work. “Good. Now, let it out slowly.”

Seth could feel some mild contractions as he gently palpated her round abdomen. For a moment he imagined what it might be like if Kylie was pregnant with his child. Would Ben mind a little brother or sister? Pushing the crazy thought away, he reached for the Doppler gel.

“This is going to be cold against your skin,” he informed Josie, hoping the OB/GYN attending would get here soon. “But then we’re going to listen for your baby’s heartbeat.”

Focusing on the baby rather than on her traumatic experience seemed to help calm Josie down. She watched him intently as he used the Doppler to move around the gel on her belly, until the distinct sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room.

“She’s okay? My baby is okay?” Josie asked.

Seth nodded, grinning. “Yes, it sounds like your baby is doing fine. Her heartbeat is fast but steady.” His smile faded, though, as one of the nurses handed him a slip of paper containing her lab results, confirming his worst fears. “Josie, how have you been feeling lately?”