His child. Somehow that sounded weird and right at the same time.
Regardless of the time, he needed to talk to Zoe, even if just to make plans for the weekend.
She answered on the first ring. “Hello.” The word was said quietly as if he had woken her.
He remembered her voice sounding like that the night they had spent together. “It’s Gabe.”
“I know.”
Was that because of caller ID or because she recognized his voice? He hoped the latter. Now that he was actually speaking to her, he was a little unsure. “I’m sorry I’m late calling. I didn’t think you’d be asleep yet. There was an emergency and time got away from me. How’re you doing?” he finally asked.
“Fair, all things considered.”
“Has something happened to the baby?” Gabe’s middle clinched at the thought. He was surprised at how quickly his mind had gone that direction.
“No. The baby is fine. The doctor said today it measures just right. Heartbeat is strong.”
An odd feeling washed over him. He was relieved to hear it. “Was everything all right with your mom after last night?”
“Yeah, she was just confused. She gets more anxious and demanding these days. She’s asleep now.”
“That must be stressful.” He couldn’t imagine what he’d do with his job demands if his mother required his attention like Zoe’s did.
“I don’t wish this disease on anyone.”
Gabe had heard Alzheimer’s was difficult to deal with, but this was the first time he’d known someone facing it daily. “Do you have any help?”
“Not really. My sister lives about four hours away and travels for work, so she can’t come often.” There was a pause, and then she asked, “Do you happen to know how the boy from Chicago is doing? His mother was beside herself.”
“She was, but she was much better after she knew Bobby was going to be all right and they had a place to stay for the night. I spoke to her the other day and Bobby is doing just great.”
“You called her?”
Gabe grinned. “Don’t sound so surprised. I did. I like to keep track of my patients. She said if it weren’t for the stitches in his head she wouldn’t even know anything had happened.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. You were good with him. Both as a doctor and a person.”
“Thanks. I like to see that my patients get complete care. You weren’t half-bad yourself. Using the diaper to stop the blood flow was quick thinking.”
“It’s my turn to say thanks.”
The self-assured Zoe had returned. Smiling to himself, he got down to business. “I wanted to let you know I’ll be in town this weekend, looking for a place to live. I’d like to see you. Discuss things without being interrupted.”
“Look, Gabe, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, really I do. But you don’t need to feel obligated. I’m fine. I can take care of the baby.”
His blood ran hot. Why did she keep pushing him away when he was offering to help? Did she expect he’d be satisfied with a phone call here and there and a few school pictures? It was time to make himself clear. “Zoe, I have every intention of being an active parent in my child’s life. You’re not going to push me out of it. I’ll gladly handle my share of the expenses. I not only want to be involved, I will be involved. Let’s try to keep this between us and not drag others into the situation.”
Silence lay heavy between them.
She must have gotten his less-than-subtle hint about hiring a lawyer. He didn’t want to go there but he would if he had to. Growing up without a father hadn’t been fun. At baseball games there hadn’t been a man in the stands cheering him on or coaching on the sidelines. When he’d liked his first girl and she had wanted nothing to do with him, there had been no man to listen and offer advice based on experience. His mother had tried but it just hadn’t been the same. Those memories only made him all the more determined to be a present father to his child. It was his child, his responsibility.
After his and Zoe’s night together, he’d like to believe they had parted friends, albeit uncomfortable ones, but civil nonetheless. He wanted to build on that. He had no interest in angering Zoe, so he volunteered in a conciliatory tone, “I’ll be looking at houses most of the day on Saturday, so how about having dinner with me that evening?”
“I can’t. I don’t have anyone to watch Mother.”
“Then I’ll pick up something and bring it to your place. I’d really like for us to talk about this.” He wasn’t letting Zoe run from him forever. He saw another call was coming in. He’d have to get it. “The floor is paging me. I’ll be in touch on Saturday.”
* * *
By Wednesday, Zoe had red-rimmed eyes, a runny nose and was sneezing.
“Of all the times to get a head cold,” she murmured as she headed down the hall of one of the local hospitals to see a patient. She already had her hands full with life and her job, and to feel awful was almost more than she could take. Since Gabe’s call, she was still trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings.
The reality of him moving to the area, of seeing him on a regular basis was slowly seeping in. Against her better judgment she looked forward to seeing him again. That was a road she needed to close but how could she when their lives were becoming more intertwined, both personally and professionally? Her life was changing so fast she was racing to catch up. What more could happen?
She sanitized her hands using the liquid in the container by the patient’s door and pulled out a mask from the box on the shelf nearby. Mr. Luther was her most difficult patient but one her heart went out to. Why, she didn’t know. He didn’t make it easy. It could be Mr. Luther was the father figure she was missing in her life or that he just didn’t have anyone else. He reminded her of a bad-tempered grandfather who hid his huge soft spot well. For some reason she was the one person he would listen to. Maybe he sensed she liked him despite his rough outer shell. Regardless, she was determined to do whatever she could to help him.
Knocking on the hospital door, she waited until she heard the gruff “Yeah.”
She took a deep breath to fortify herself for what was coming. Pushing the door open, Zoe entered the dark room where the TV was blaring. The sixty-four-year-old man who sat in a chair beside the bed didn’t even look her way as she entered.
He’d been in and out of the hospital for months with advancing inflammation of the liver caused by hepatitis C. Because of it he had a yellow tint to his skin and eyes and ongoing nausea and fatigue. It didn’t look like he would have any improvement without a transplant. She hoped that Gabe might help her there. When the time was right she’d ask him. With any luck, Mr. Luther would be transferred to Gabe’s care at National Hospital and listed for a transplant.
“Hello, Mr. Luther. How’re you doing this morning?”
“You know as well as I do how I’m doing.”
She might but she wouldn’t let him get away with ignoring her. “Do you mind if we turn the TV down?”
“I do but I guess you’ll do it anyway.”
Zoe grinned as she found the remote and lowered the volume. She’d learned long ago that his bark was worse than his bite. “I need to give you a listen and have you sign a couple of forms so I have permission to look at your chart.”
“The others here have already listened to me today.”
“You know how this works by now. I have to do my own listening and looking at lab results if I’m going to help you get better. I’m your advocate. I don’t work for the hospital. I work for you. I’m here to help you.”
“Aw, go ahead. You will anyway.”
Zoe stepped to him. Pulling her stethoscope out of her pocket and placing the ends in her ears, she proceeded to listen to his heart. It sounded steady and strong, which pleased her. She then listened to his lungs and checked his pulse rate. Removing her small p
enlight from her lab coat pocket, she said, “I need to look in your eyes.”
“I was afraid of that.” Mr. Luther lifted his face to her.
She pointed the light in his eyes. What she found there she wasn’t as happy with. The whites still weren’t clear.
“Well? Will I be getting out of here soon?”
“That’s not for me to say. Your doctor here makes those decisions. But I will be in touch. If I don’t see you here next week, I’ll be calling you at home to check on you.” She didn’t have to keep such close tabs on him, but as far as she knew, there was no one else to do it. Zoe placed her hand on his shoulder. “Please do what they say, Mr. Luther.”
He grunted. “Always do.”
She looked back at him as she went out the door. He was going to need a liver transplant much sooner than the doctors had originally estimated.
As she traveled to different hospitals to check on other patients and completed paperwork in her office over the next few days, she continued to search for reasons not to see Gabe while he was in town. The longer she could put him off, the better. Dealing with him was the last thing she needed at this point in her emotionally and physically overloaded life.
Preparing for her baby’s birth, dealing with her mother’s rapidly deteriorating condition and now the urgent need to get Mr. Luther on the fast track for a liver transplant... If only Gabe would stop pressuring her to make decisions about her baby’s future, decisions that could wait until closer to the due date. If Gabe sincerely wanted to help her, maybe she could convince him to give her those precious three months before her baby was born to deal with her other problems by priority. Would he understand her genuine need for time and distance? Or would he be self-centered, accusing her of trying to push him out of the baby’s life?
* * *
On Saturday afternoon, her mother had gone to her room for a nap and Zoe was trying to get some much-needed rest on the sofa. The cold was taking its toll on her. She’d just closed her eyes when the phone rang. Anticipation zinged through her. Would it be Gabe?