"Q.E.D." Part 14
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Laura," said Simone Hardy, andthen she knelt down to hug Lesley Lu. "And I'm sorry to have kept youwaiting too, little lady," she added.
Lulu giggled in response and Laura smiled. "That's okay, Simone. Iheard you have a pretty sick patient in NICU right now."
"Yes." Simone sighed. "She's stable at the moment, but I'm stillkeeping my fingers crossed." She turned her attention back to LesleyLu. "But you sure are looking good, Lulu." She looked up at Laura."How's she been? Has her energy level been normal?"
Laura laughed, "Well, if 'normal' means running her father ragged,then I guess it is."
"Good," said Simone. She walked over to the exam table and patted thecushion, "Well, Lulu, let's have a look at you."
Laura lifted her daughter onto the table while Simone rubbed her handon the cool metal of her stethoscope. "Let's warm this up a bit,"Simone said, "and then I'm going to listen to your chest..."
The shrill sound of Simone's beeper interrupted them, and she glancedat the digital readout and frowned.
"I'm sorry, Laura. It's NICU again. I have to leave."
"That's okay Simone," Laura replied. "We can reschedule."
Simone shook her head. "That might not be necessary. Since this isjust a checkup, I can have the secretary page Dr. McGuire to finishup. She's an excellent pediatrician and is quite familiar with Lulu'scase, since I just presented it in conference last week." Simonesmiled and squeezed Laura's arm. "I promise I'll go over the resultsmyself."
Laura smiled. "That would be fine Simone, thank you."
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He wore the ring on the fourth finger of his right hand, just as hisgreat-grandfather had. It felt cold and heavy and foreign to him, andhe fingered it nervously as he waited at the door.
Reginald Jennings appeared in the doorway, already knowing the answerto Stefan's inquiry.
"Lila is at breakfast. With her family."
Stefan put his hand on Reginald's arm. "Please don't disturb herthen." He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew two letters. Onewas addressed to Lila, and the other one had Laura's name on it. "Iam leaving for Greece," he said, "I have discovered that Nikolas hadpurchased an airline ticket to Athens with his credit card. However,I have heard no report of anyone seeing him since he left the airportthere, so I fear that the worst has happened." He handed theenvelopes to Reginald. "I ask that you please deliver these lettersfor me. The one addressed to Laura Spencer is most urgent. Herhusband would not tell me where she is. Perhaps he will divulge thatinformation to you or Lila."
Reginald took the letters from Stefan, and an odd sense of historypassed between the two men. "I will see that it's done." he said.
Stefan smiled and patted Reginald's shoulder. "You are a good man,Reginald. Take care of Lila."
"I always have," he replied, and smiled. "Although, at times, ithardly seems necessary. She is a formidable woman."
"Yes, indeed she is," agreed Stefan, "Indeed she is." And he turnedto leave, making his way past the skeletoned trees, his dark attireblending in with the black and white winter landscape.
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"My goodness! Who have we here?" asked Doctor Robin McGuire, and wasrewarded with laughter from her patient. She looked over and smiledat the child's mother. "She looks wonderful, Mrs. Spencer. I'm sopleased you were able to locate a suitable donor for her."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Please, call me Robin," she said, her hands moving expertly over thelittle girls body. "Well, I see no signs of swollen lymph nodes, orbruising." She took out her stethoscope and placed it against Lulu'schest. "Hmmm... " she said.
"What is it?" Laura asked.
"Has she been coughing at all lately?"
Laura paused for a moment, checking her memory. "Maybe once or twiceyesterday. Is there anything to be concerned about?"
"It's probably nothing," Robin replied. "But I'm hearing a slightrasp in one of her lungs. In bodies as small as hers, it's difficultto tell the difference between breath sounds and bowel sounds,because their internal organs are so tightly packed together." Sherubbed Lulu's belly and smiled. "It's amazing all the stuff you canfit inside these little people." She looked back at Laura's worriedface. "Please don't be alarmed, Mrs. Spencer. Ordinarily, I wouldn'tconcern myself with this at all, since she isn't running a fever andshe seems fine otherwise. But since we're dealing with a possiblecompromised immune system here, I'd like to get a chest xray, just tobe sure."
Laura picked up Lulu and hugged her. "Of course. That would befine."
"Good," said Dr. McGuire, "I'll call radiology and tell them toexpect you. From there, you can stop by the lab and get Lulu's bloodtested." She patted Laura's arm. "Don't worry, I'll let you know theresults right away," she assured her.
"Thank you, Doctor," Laura replied.
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She was paid handsomely for her patience. But the money was not theonly reason that she waited.
When he approached her with the offer, she originally refused, eventhough it meant finally being free from the debt that had hounded herfor years. Then, he reached his hand into his briefcase and pulledout a sheaf of papers.
"Elizabeth Sunnarborg," he said, "I understand that you lied on yourRadiographers license application." He pointed an elegant finger ather California mug shot. "I believe that stealing narcotics is indeeda felony." He smiled, and for some reason, she still found himhandsome.
She knew that there were others who waited. Others who, like her, hada past that they would prefer not to bring into the present. Therewas probably someone in every department in the hospital, shethought. Waiting for that name to appear on their patient schedule.Waiting to receive more money than he or she had ever dreamed of.