"Q.E.D." Part 15
What a beautiful little girl, she thought, as she demonstrated theworkings of the device that would immobilize her for the chestxray.
"You see, I would sit little Lesley on this saddle, I like to tellthem they're going to 'ride a horsey', and then these are to hold herin place." she said, indicating the two pieces of curved plasticwhich fit around the child's body. "There's also a piece of leadattached to the back of the unit to shield her."
Laura eyed the contraption skeptically. "Couldn't I just hold her forthe xray?"
The radiographer smiled and shook her head. "It would be verydifficult for you to hold her still enough to get a good film. Kidslove to wiggle. I'd hate to have to expose her to more radiationbecause of motion on the film."
"Could I stay in the room with her, then?" asked Laura.
"Sure." she replied and walked over to retrieve a lead apron. "Isthere any chance at all that you could be pregnant?" she asked.
Laura thought back to last night. They had used birth control, butthat had been known to fail in the past. Lucky was living proof ofthat.
"Well, I guess there is a slight chance."
"You really shouldn't be exposed unnecessarily then." she said. "Afetus is especially susceptible to radiation during the firsttrimester." She walked over to the door leading to the waiting roomand opened it. "You can wait right outside the room. This should onlytake a minute." She smiled reassuringly. "I'll call you back in assoon as I've taken the film."
"Okay," Laura replied, and handed her daughter over to thetechnologist. "You be a good girl, Lulu." She glanced at the otherwoman's name tag. "You listen to what Elizabeth says, okay?"
Elizabeth smiled at Lesley Lu. "Okay, little lady," she said, "shallwe ride the horsey?"
Laura felt a rush of air as the heavy door closed behind her, and sheseated herself in the waiting area.
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"BARBARA!"
Bobbie rushed down the stairs at the sound of her husband's voice.She stopped abruptly when she saw his figure in the fronthallway.
The front door was still open and the morning light surrounded him,backlighting his features with the colors of the dawn. The windtousled his hair, and blew at his long coat while he stood perfectlystill, fixed in place while surrounded by chaos, like the eye of astorm.
"Barbara," he said again, in a quiet voice, and she ran to hisembrace, feeling the cold marble floor under her bare feet.
"I am leaving for Greece," he continued, "the helicopter is waitingoutside to fly me to the airport, and from there, I'll take thejet."
"Nikolas?" she asked, the single word sufficing for a number ofquestions.
He sighed. "Yes. I think Helena has him."
"You don't think she would hurt him? Her own grandson?"
"No," he replied, "not physically."
Bobbie's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh god, Stefan, I'm so sorry."
He took her hand and covered it with his. "No Barbara, I'm the onewho is sorry. I'm sorry to have involved you in all of this." He sawher open her mouth, about to object, and he held up his hand."Please," he said, "allow me to finish." He turned and shut the frontdoor and led her into the living room, to stand by the warmth of thefireplace. "I want you to take Lucas and leave this place. Go back tothe brownstone, stay with your friends, whatever pleases you. I wantyou to be with people who love and care about you, and not alone inthis desolate house. And then, when I return, I'll do whatever youlike. I'll grant you an annulment, or I'll remain your husband. Thechoice will be yours."
Her eyes filled with tears. "But why?" she asked, "Is it somethingI've done?"
He brushed her wet face with the back of his hand, "Barbara, none ofthis ever had anything to do with you." he said, "And perhaps, itshould have. You deserve better than a marriage of convenience. Ihave been unfair to you, and I'm sorry."
She grasped his hands and glanced down at his fingers. "You arewearing another ring." she observed, noticing how the ring on hisright hand bore a strong resemblance to his wedding ring.
He held out his hands and observed them for a moment. "Yes," hesighed, "And now, I have one ring too many." And he removed hisRegent's ring bearing the Cassadine insignia, and pressed it intoBobbie's hand. "Take this," he said, "it will protect you shouldHelena's minions come calling."
"What about you?" she asked.
Stefan smiled, and his eyes danced with the flames from the hearth,"I have no use for it anymore. Don't worry about me, Barbara," hesaid, "I have one last secret that Helena does not yet know about."He pulled her in for a kiss, and she could taste his joy, but onlyfor a brief moment.
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"Mrs. Spencer?"
Laura jumped when she heard Reginald call her name. She had spent thelast few minutes staring intently at the closed door of the xrayroom, waiting for it to open.
"What is it, Reginald?" she asked.
He held out an envelope. "Stefan Cassadine asked me to deliver thisto you."
She eyed the envelope with distaste, reluctant to touch it.
"He said it was urgent," he added.
She sighed and took the envelope. Then she opened it and read thefirst few lines. "Oh my god," she said.
She let the letter fall to the floor and ran over to push open theleaded door to the xray room. She screamed her daughter's name,knowing there would be no response.
Medical note: I completely made up the stuffabout bowel sounds being easily confused for lung sounds in a youngchild (and so did Dr McGuire ). I did not make up the contraptionused to immobilize babies and toddlers for chest xrays, however.